The Effects of the Use of Learning Contracts on Student Performance in Technology Teacher Training

Abstract

The concept of tendering and contacts has long been a part of the technological world, but only relatively recently has been applied to education. The most common application of this methodology is for documenting and formalizing an industrial placement for the use of specific equipment or processes. In an application to technology education, students negotiate a contract with the teacher then a plan is developed by the student to fulfill the contract as well as specific criteria for assessment. In a broader sense, it is particularly appropriate for technology education because it provides a mechanism for the individualization of learning, it accommodates a concern for the development of cognitive and affective skills and it facilitates the development of independence and self‐direction through the ownership of the learning process.