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Critical Competencies of Program Quality as Perceived by Extension Educators

Received: 13 March 2020     Accepted: 26 March 2020     Published: 14 April 2020
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Abstract

This study examined the perceptions of youth development professionals (n=1007) across the United States about six critical staff training components using the Program Quality Competency Questionnaire (PQCQ), which was a valid, reliable research instrument. The critical staff training components that were analyzed included program theory, child youth development, social ecological theory, staff training development, program management engagement, and program management environment. These components formed a conceptual framework that may serve for skills refinement, curriculum development, job descriptions, training and professional development, and further discussions among researchers, practitioners, and other relevant parties around key competencies that are needed for youth quality programming since the study findings suggest that the components of the staff training model were critical to achieve quality programming in the field of positive youth development. The study findings also indicate that the perceptions of the participants varied greatly between gender. In addition, the study suggests that extension youth development professionals in the U.S were highly educated and were predominantly White/Caucasian women. The researcher suggests that administrators of youth development programs to consider adopting the framework and making the positive youth development field more attractive to the underrepresented population so the field can enjoy the benefits of diversity.

Published in Advances in Sciences and Humanities (Volume 6, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ash.20200602.11
Page(s) 52-57
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Staff Training, Program Quality, Diversity, Positive Youth Development

References
[1] Norze, J. & Cater, M. (2019). Examination of the factorial structure of the positive youth development Program Quality Competency Questionnaire using responses from youth development professionals across the U.S., Applied Developmental Science, DOI: 10.1080/10888691.2019.1662305.
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[3] Noam, G., Fiore, N. (2004). Relationships across multiple settings: An overview. In Noam, G., Fiore, N. (Eds.), New directions for youth development: The transforming power of adult–youth relationships (pp. 1-16). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Google Scholar, Crossref.
[4] Norze, J. (2018). "Building Program Quality in Youth Development Staff Training: Critical Components as Perceived by Currently Employed Youth Development Professionals in the United States". LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 4634. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/4634.
[5] Evans, J. L. (1996). Quality in programming: Everyone’s concern. Coordinator’s Notebook, No 18. The Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development. Available at: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.193.8763&rep=rep1&type=pdf.
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[8] Collins, M. E., Hill, N., Miranda, C. (2008). Establishing positive youth development approaches in Group Home Settings: Training Implementation and Evaluation. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 25 (1), 43-54.
[9] Bowie, L., & Bronte-Tinkew, J. (2006, December). The importance of professional development for youth workers. Child Trends. Publication 2006-17.
[10] Ghazvini, A., & Mullis R. (2002). Center-based care for young children: Examining predictors of quality. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 163, 112-125.
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[14] Rosenthal, R., Vandell, D. (1996). Quality of care at school-aged child-care programs: Regulatable features, observed experiences, child perspectives, and parent perspectives. Child Development, 67: 2434–2445. doi: 10.2307/1131632. [PubMed] [Cross Ref].
[15] Grossman, J. B., Price, M., Fellerath, V., Jucovy, L., Kotloff, J., Raley, R., & Walker, K. (2002). Multiple choices after school: Findings from the Extended-Service School Initiative. Philadelphia: Public/Private Ventures.
[16] Yohalem N., Pittman, K. & Edwards, S. L. (2010). Strengthening the Youth Development/ After-School Workforce Lessons Learned and Implications for Funders. Retrieved from https://youtheconomicopportunities.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resource/Strengthening_the_YD-AS_Workforce.pdf.
[17] Huebner, A. J., Walker, J. A., & McFarland, M. (2003). Staff development for the youth professional: A critical framework for understanding the work. Youth & Society, 35 (2), 204-225.
[18] Culp, K., McKee, R. K., Nestor, P. (2005). Demographic Differences of 4-H Volunteers, Agents, and State Volunteerism Specialists: Implications for Volunteer Administration. Journal of Extension, 43 (4).
[19] Robbins, S. P. & Coulter, M. (2016). “Management (13 Ed.)”. Pearson Education Limited, Edinburgh Gate, Harlow, Essex CM20, England.
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[22] Myers, R. G. (2006). Quality in program of early childhood care and education (ECCE). Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2007, Strong foundations: early childhood care and education. Available at: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001474/147473e.pdf.
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[24] Arnold, M. E., Braverman, M. T., & Cater, M. (2016). Rethinking evaluation capacity in youth development programs: A new approach for engaging youth workers in program evaluation. In B. Kirshner and K. Pozzoboni (Eds.). The Changing Landscape of Youth Workers (pp. 193-210). Scottsdale, AZ: Information Age Press.
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    Jeantyl Norze. (2020). Critical Competencies of Program Quality as Perceived by Extension Educators. Advances in Sciences and Humanities, 6(2), 52-57. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20200602.11

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    ACS Style

    Jeantyl Norze. Critical Competencies of Program Quality as Perceived by Extension Educators. Adv. Sci. Humanit. 2020, 6(2), 52-57. doi: 10.11648/j.ash.20200602.11

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    AMA Style

    Jeantyl Norze. Critical Competencies of Program Quality as Perceived by Extension Educators. Adv Sci Humanit. 2020;6(2):52-57. doi: 10.11648/j.ash.20200602.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ash.20200602.11,
      author = {Jeantyl Norze},
      title = {Critical Competencies of Program Quality as Perceived by Extension Educators},
      journal = {Advances in Sciences and Humanities},
      volume = {6},
      number = {2},
      pages = {52-57},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ash.20200602.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20200602.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ash.20200602.11},
      abstract = {This study examined the perceptions of youth development professionals (n=1007) across the United States about six critical staff training components using the Program Quality Competency Questionnaire (PQCQ), which was a valid, reliable research instrument. The critical staff training components that were analyzed included program theory, child youth development, social ecological theory, staff training development, program management engagement, and program management environment. These components formed a conceptual framework that may serve for skills refinement, curriculum development, job descriptions, training and professional development, and further discussions among researchers, practitioners, and other relevant parties around key competencies that are needed for youth quality programming since the study findings suggest that the components of the staff training model were critical to achieve quality programming in the field of positive youth development. The study findings also indicate that the perceptions of the participants varied greatly between gender. In addition, the study suggests that extension youth development professionals in the U.S were highly educated and were predominantly White/Caucasian women. The researcher suggests that administrators of youth development programs to consider adopting the framework and making the positive youth development field more attractive to the underrepresented population so the field can enjoy the benefits of diversity.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

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    AB  - This study examined the perceptions of youth development professionals (n=1007) across the United States about six critical staff training components using the Program Quality Competency Questionnaire (PQCQ), which was a valid, reliable research instrument. The critical staff training components that were analyzed included program theory, child youth development, social ecological theory, staff training development, program management engagement, and program management environment. These components formed a conceptual framework that may serve for skills refinement, curriculum development, job descriptions, training and professional development, and further discussions among researchers, practitioners, and other relevant parties around key competencies that are needed for youth quality programming since the study findings suggest that the components of the staff training model were critical to achieve quality programming in the field of positive youth development. The study findings also indicate that the perceptions of the participants varied greatly between gender. In addition, the study suggests that extension youth development professionals in the U.S were highly educated and were predominantly White/Caucasian women. The researcher suggests that administrators of youth development programs to consider adopting the framework and making the positive youth development field more attractive to the underrepresented population so the field can enjoy the benefits of diversity.
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Author Information
  • College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Las Vegas, USA

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