The University of Colorado Institute for Behavioral Science provides the coordination and oversight for implementation of a group of research projects designed to engage four-year college educational researchers with two-year college faculty in research to foster deeper understanding of the context, challenges and opportunities of technician education at two-year colleges. Twenty researchers from eight institutions propose ten diverse, but interrelated, research studies on program improvement, curriculum and materials development, and crosscutting themes such as recruitment and sustainability in the ATE program. Collectively the research represents various technical features, including survey development and piloting, model development and definition, and workshop and support materials development. The research is coordinated and guided by the Research Review Committee made up of ATE Center directors, educational researchers and industry representatives. The research into practice should provide useful information for ATE projects and centers and build capacity to do research in technician education.
