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Title
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Verification of Competencies Needed by Entry-Level Recreation, Park and Leisure Professionals in Florida and the Relationship of Competency Perception to Readiness for Self-Directed Learning.
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Creator
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Bryan, Valerie, Guglielmino, Lucy M., Florida Atlantic University
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Abstract/Description
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The Delphi technique was used as a means to achieve consensus on a set of competencies developed and field tested by a prior task force. After three rounds of the Delphi, a high rate of consensus was reached on competencies viewed as needed by entry-level professionals in park, recreation and leisure fields (round one, 17.9% consensus: round two, 86.0% consensus: round three, 95.5% consensus). The Delphi technique was effective in moving the Florida Recreation and Park Association certified...
Show moreThe Delphi technique was used as a means to achieve consensus on a set of competencies developed and field tested by a prior task force. After three rounds of the Delphi, a high rate of consensus was reached on competencies viewed as needed by entry-level professionals in park, recreation and leisure fields (round one, 17.9% consensus: round two, 86.0% consensus: round three, 95.5% consensus). The Delphi technique was effective in moving the Florida Recreation and Park Association certified professionals to a like view of a core of competencies. The 116 competencies that had achieved consensus and reached a 4.0 criterion level were then sub-divided into the categories of Philosophy of Parks, Recreation, and Leisure: Administration/Management of Parks, Recreation, and Leisure; Personnel Management; Financial Management; Community Development; Marketing; Planning; Park and Facility Maintenance; and Program Development. The category assignment of individual competencies was based on a previously validated task analysis study (Middleton, 1981). The 116 competencies were then rank-ordered by means in each of the sub-categories. Nine hypotheses were then tested to determine if statistically significant differences existed between and among items in the study. Five of the nine null hypotheses were rejected. In this study, there was a difference in how administrators, supervisors, and leaders view essential competencies. There was also a difference in how individuals at various levels of education view desirable competencies. This suggested that specific competencies are more important for different employment levels and that certain competencies should be acquired at different stages of one's career. Significant differences also were noted when the selfdirected learning readiness scores were compared with the rating of the selected competencies. The findings imply that individuals who are more involved in pursuing additional learning are also going to expect a higher level of competency than individuals who are not as professionally involved. A list of 11 items were suggested as recommendations for future research. It was sugges~ed that a competencybased curriculum could be developed utilizing the information gleaned through this research. Other recommendations were made regarding certification, selfassessment checklists, a manpower study, and training methodologies.
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Date Issued
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1991
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000654
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Subject Headings
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Competency-based education
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Format
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Document (PDF)