NCJ Number
93110
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1984) Pages: 19-26
Date Published
1984
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Evidence found in the literature strongly points to the need for in-depth and scientific analyses of criminal justice roles and tasks as well as systematic curriculum development based on results of role and task analyses.
Abstract
When roles and tasks are accurately defined, then needed competencies can be identified to aid in the identification and development of a body of knowledge for criminal justice practitioners. Studies cited in this article demonstrate that educators and practitioners can work together to define required competencies, as the nationwide study conducted by Tannehill (1979) on policework demonstrates. Similar studies for all segments of the criminal justice system are recommended. Educators' skills in curriculum planning could then identify those competencies which are common to all criminal justice roles and tasks as well as those which are unique to each segment, thus enabling them to develop core and specialty courses in a more rational manner. Competency-identification studies involving both educators and practitioners can also form the basis for the development of more accurate field performance evaluation systems, i.e., systems directly tied to identified competencies. To establish competency-based education, educators and practitioners must work together. Educators must be willing to subject their teaching to objective and qualitative analysis based on relevancy to knowledge and skills required in the field, while practitioners must be willing to cooperate with researchers in role and task analyses. A table provides a rank ordering of mean importance values of 40 generalist police officer competencies as rated by 320 police educators and 479 police officers in 27 States. Twenty-two references are listed.