Phenomenological study of determining the basic skills of work and technology curriculum

Today, vocational education is a part of the school curriculum that is more about preparing students for life and employment in the society. This training can be the main part of the curriculum with a part of as the requirements for graduation or the fulfilment of other courses. This type of training should be an integral part of all phases of education and should be provided through an organized and graded program. In this regard, the main categories of work that are specifically emphasized are: work related to individual needs, work at home, work in the classroom, school and extracurricular activities, and integrated school loss, work as a learning experience, work in society by focusing on altruistic and selfless services, and work related to professional growth, production, social utility, and the discovery of opportunities and ways of caring. In addition to business skills, in today's modern world, access to information and knowledge and gain insight and attitude in this field, is considered important, so the skill of acquiring credible knowledge and information can be a factor in the growth and development of societies. And any plan, initiative, tool and device that focus on the interaction between the instructor and the learner in order to gain competencies is an example of educational technology. The purpose of the present study was to identify the basic skills of work and technology curriculum designed for junior high school students.

This research has been carried out qualitatively using phenomenological method. The research community consisted of sample Iranian instructors of work and technology curriculum. Sampling was carried out by utilizing target method and standard type sampling.  Professional interviews with 13 participants to the extent of saturation were used. For data analysis, the three-step coding method (open, axial and selective) was used.

The findings showed that the basic skills included in work and technology curriculum at the junior high school consists of a series of categories as follows: perceptual (11 subcategories), communication (5 subcategories), ethics (5 subcategories), technical (6 subcategories) and technological (3 subcategories).

Today, it is clear that the teaching and learning of students in the field of work and technology is not limited to school and high school, but it is necessary that students throughout life, from formal to informal education, have a desire for lifelong learning. In the meantime, one of the important tools of lifelong learning that leads to the growth and development of students is the acquisition of information and technology literacy skills, so that information literacy for students increases their ability to recognize information needs, recognize incomplete information, ability to access and discover information, the ability to evaluate information and select information. Technological literacy also increases students' innovation in practice, as well as their ability to use, manage, evaluate, and understand technology, followed by lifelong learning. In general, whether a student is successfully completing high school or not, learning basic skills can prepare him or her for the future. Learning the basics of work and technology should be such that the student is equipped with the abilities, skills, experiences, ambitions that lead to success in life after high school. The results show that it is necessary to revise work and technology curriculum at the junior high school education, and take into account the basic skills mentioned in this study.