An examination of outcome-based education practices, standards, and factors that enhance implementation of OBE
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Abstract
This study sought to determine the extent to which selected Iowa schools that had made a sustained effort to implement outcome-based education (OBE) were successful. The study also attempted to determine change factors that enhanced the implementation of OBE and teacher perceptions of the effects of OBE implementation. A total of 303 teachers from 21 schools volunteered to participate in this study about OBE implementation and completed the 64-item questionnaire. In particular, the study assessed the degree of implementation of 36 specific OBE practices. These results determined the degree of implementation of nine OBE standards defined by the Network for Outcome-Based Schools;Results showed that: (1) six of the 21 schools successfully implemented OBE; (2) four of the nine OBE standards were successfully implemented across all schools--developing a mission statement that reflects success for all students and for which there is strong staff support, developing an OBE culture that promotes high achievement for students and staff, using an OBE system of instructional decision making and delivery, and using OBE assessment strategies; (3) factors rated "successful" as enhancing OBE implementation were all related to effective leadership; (4) teachers in successful implementation schools observed many positive results including higher expectations for ALL students, strong curriculum focus, more appropriate assessment strategies, more relevant curriculum and improved student motivation and achievement;Six key conclusions drawn from this study were: (1) successful implementation of OBE, results in certain observable positive effects for students and staff; (2) mastery learning is used extensively and represents the heart of OBE; (3) effective curriculum alignment is taking place as teachers develop a better defined curriculum focus--teach what they test and test what they teach; (4) assessment is changing with the use of more criterion standards, performance measures, and authentic assessment strategies; (5) schools lack adequate computer management systems to produce assessment materials and report student achievement; (6) effective leadership is perhaps the most important element needed to successfully implement OBE.