Perceptions and Practices of Technology Student Association Advisors on Implementation Strategies and Teaching Methods

Two of the most significant impacts on the industrial arts profession since the 1960s have been the gradual evolution of the technology education movement and the integration of the co-curricular student organization: the Technology Student Association (TSA). TSA began as the American Industrial Arts Student Association (AIASA) and has recently changed its name to reflect the new curricular emphasis on technology. In 1981, less than one-third of one percent of the students in industrial arts courses actually joined AIASA (Haynie, 1983). There were about 7 million industrial arts students, but only 21,600 were members of the student organization (Applegate, 1981). Currently there are about 6 million students in technology education courses of which 65,000 (about 1%) are members of TSA. These data indicate that
TSA membership has tripled during the 1980s. This student organization is becoming an important facet of the technology education movement.