The Development and Validation of a Test of Industrial Technological Literacy

It is often stated that technology affects every person on this planet, is growing exponentially, and is becoming increasingly complicated. With technology being such a force in our lives, it seems logical that we should be knowledgeable about it. This knowledge of technology has been labeled—technological literacy (TL). Several reports on education have addressed the TL issue and have all called for an increase in the level of TL exhibited by our students. Maley (1985) noted that, “in 1984 alone, ten major studies of education were reported...each one calling for changes in school to prepare our students to live in a technological society” (p. 16). Since 1984 an increasing amount of research concerning TL has been conducted. A large number of educators and specialists in several disciplines are concerned about the level of TL displayed by the American public. They voice an opinion similar to Ley (1987), namely, “the level of technological literacy to which educators and others are able to bring the general population will determine the future world in which humankind will exist” (p. 7). A set of very pertinent questions has recently been on the minds of many concerned leaders. These questions include: