A Delphi Study to Identify Recommended Biotechnology Competencies for First-Year/Initially Certified Technology Education Teachers

The world is a dynamic environment driven by technology that challenges each individual in a unique way. No longer is the ability to read and write sufficient because technological change affects nearly every aspect of one’s life from “enabling citizens to perform routine tasks to requiring that they are able to make responsible, informed decisions that affect individuals, our society, and the environment” (International Technology Education Association [ITEA], 2003, p. 1). To “combat uncertainties about biotechnology and technology transfer firsthand knowledge of these technologies must become part of the education of each child” (De Miranda, 2004, p. 78). As a result of these technological developments, a challenge to all classroom teachers is to meet the needs of a diverse K-12 learning population. Technology education (TE) teachers in particular have been challenged to prepare students for life in a society dominated and driven by technology. To strengthen and ensure the future vitality of the United States’ human resources and biotechnological enterprises, educators and professionals in the field of biotechnology must work together to develop competencies that meet students’ needs (California State University Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology, 2001). To meet these challenges, technology stakeholders have collaborated to develop a variety of technology literacy standards and teaching methods. In particular, the ITEA published Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology (STL) (ITEA, 2000). This document established a definition of technology, technological literacy, and the content standards needed for K-12 classrooms.