INDUSTRY-ORIENTED COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR MECHATRONICS TECHNOLOGY IN TAIWAN

ABSTRACT

This study employed a three-phase empirical method to identify competency indicators for mechatronics technology according to industry-oriented criteria. In Phase I, a list of required competencies was compiled using Behavioral Event Interviews (BEI) with three engineers specializing in the field of mechatronics technology. In Phase II, the Delphi technique was performed with ten experts in mechatronics, followed by the K-S (Kolmogorov-Smirnov) one-sample test to evaluate the consistency of opinions amongst respondents. In Phase III, these competencies were quantitatively verified by 62 learners studying mechatronics technology, and a nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-test was then performed. As a result, we developed a list of 36 competencies in 9 domains. Our research findings reveal the practical competencies required for mechatronics technology according to industry-oriented criteria.