Education: Its Components & Constructs

This paper presents a conceptual model for the purpose of specifying major educational components and their relationship. The initial stage of building this theoretical framework for education includes the clarification of three terms: curriculum, instruction, and learning outcomes. The next section deals with constructs embodied by each of the above components, the nature of constructs, general types of validation, and the importance of one of these types, namely, construct validity. Construct validity is explicated in the context of one educational component: the achieved learning outcomes. Suggestions are given for the investigation of construct validity for other educational components. The need for clarification of educational components for the purpose of theory building in curriculum and instruction is stressed. Once clarified, empirical research can lead to a theoretical framework identifying the relationships between various constructs embodied by each of the components. A 43-item bibliography is included. (Author/MJM)