Does education play a role in 'practising the art of living'?: the case for designing a customised measurement instrument to evaluate the student outcomes and benefits of VET programs in the Western Australian prison system

This paper examines the development and validation of a measurement instrument that aimed to determine student outcomes in relation to vocational education and training (VET) delivery in West Australian (WA) prisons. In the first place, it seeks to identify obstacles to program implementation and critically analyses the need for a customised measure to assess VET outcomes in the prison system. It explores the role of education and training in 'the art of living' and identifies the mosaic of cultures within which VET delivery operates. Conclusions that this project can make a contribution to a national initiative are based on the NCVER [National Centre for Vocational Education Research] National report, 2001, and outcomes derived from the customised measurement instrument used in the West Australian prison system in October 2002.

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Volumes of papers are indexed from TD/TNC 77.351 to TD/TNC 77.353. Individual papers are indexed from TD/TNC 77.354 to TD/TNC 77.437.

This paper examines the development and validation of a measurement instrument that aimed to determine student outcomes in relation to vocational education and training (VET) delivery in West Australian (WA) prisons. In the first place, it seeks to identify obstacles to program implementation and critically analyses the need for a customised measure to assess VET outcomes in the prison system. It explores the role of education and training in 'the art of living' and identifies the mosaic of cultures within which VET delivery operates. Conclusions that this project can make a ...  [+] Show more