Education Commons^™

Career And Technical Education Students Advancing To Higher Education Through Faculty Mentoring, Joneane P. Davis

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe the career technical education (CTE) mentoring experiences of adult learners who completed an allied health certification and subsequently went on to pursue higher education such as a bachelor’s degree, from the lens of Zachary’s four phase mentoring model.

Methodology: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with adult former CTE learners who advanced to higher education. Through purposeful sampling, 10 participants were selected to participate in the interviews. The interviews were recorded and the recordings transcribed. The data were coded and analyzed for common themes.

Findings: The data …

An Evaluation Of Equity And Access For All Students In A School District's Career And Technical Education Programs, Cynthia M. Jaime

Dissertations

There is a great deal of research regarding the need for equity and access in Career and Technical Education (CTE); however, very little research exists acknowledging strategies to achieve it. The purpose of this study was to evaluate equity and access in CTE programs, as well as to determine any barriers to CTE program enrollment, participation, and completion faced by students identified as economically challenged, students with disabilities, or English language learners. The context of this inquiry was high school CTE programs in one school district in the United States of America. My study demonstrates both qualitative and quantitative data …

Female Student Perceptions Of Factors That Influence Persistence In Male-Dominated Community College Career And Technical Education Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math Programs, Valeria Williams

Dissertations

The number of males enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs outnumber female counterparts (Wang & Degol, 2017). The disparity is even greater in persistence rates for STEM related fields (Glass, Sassler, Levitte & Michelmore, 2013). The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of females enrolled in traditionally male-dominated programs of study, specifically in the areas of STEM in community and junior colleges, to determine factors that influence persistence.

Although previous research exists focusing on women in STEM, most studies explore the barriers women face (Ong, Wright, Espinosa, & Orfield, 2011). The findings from previous …

Advocating For The Adoption Of A Comprehensive Work-Based Learning System, Shelley Gates

Dissertations

Work-Based Learning (WBL) is an instructional strategy that has the potential to help students make powerful connections to the world of work leading to the development of viable post-secondary plans and successful careers. This study advocates for the implementation of a structured continuum of WBL experiences for all students at a large suburban high school. The benefits of WBL for students, the school, the community, and employers are examined. The impact of WBL is analyzed through the lenses of educational, economic, social, political, and ethical perspectives. The negative aspects of the prevailing culture of college for all is discussed. The …

A Comparison Of Cooperative Learning And Collaboration In High School Geometry Classes Including Geometry In Construction, Shelley Gates

Dissertations

Currently offered at over 450 high schools in the United States, Geometry in Construction is an interdisciplinary course that provides students with the opportunity to learn Geometry content through the process of constructing a single-family home. Highly functioning cooperative groups are a critical element of the Geometry in Construction program. Cooperative learning is an effective instructional strategy that increases student achievement (Slavin, 2011) and also provides opportunities for students to develop collaboration and teamwork skills. Collaboration and teamwork are critical 21st century skills that are highly valued by employers and therefore worthy of consideration as foundational skills to be taught …

Mississippi Choices And The Influence Of Career And Technical Education, Charish Rene Pierce

Dissertations

Mississippi counselors serve in a variety of roles in order to meet the needs of all students. The role of the school counselor is to execute efforts to address each student’s academic, personal/social, and career development needs (ASCA, 2005). Middle and high school counselors are often tasked with activities that do not align with national and state standards for school counseling. Thus, these activities generate very little time for activities such as the Choices program and career development.

This study examined the middle and high school counselors’ usage of the Choices program. In addition, the research study explored middle and …

Career And Technical Education: The Impact Of Leadership On School Improvement And Student Achievement, Eric T. Keeling

Dissertations

The Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE) College and Career Readiness (CCR) Model elevated CTE in the public education arena forcing a paradigm shift in the administration of CTE across the Commonwealth. Instructional leadership and school improvement are viewed as important components of CCR. The perceptions of teachers concerning school improvement and the leadership behaviors exhibited by principals are essential in the daily operation of CTE schools. The purpose of the current study was to provide a body of knowledge revealing the relationships among Leadership, Instruction, and Student Achievement in the CTE setting. KDE adopted the Standards and Indicators for School …

How Do Professional Learning Communities Foster Strong Career And Technical Education Programs Of Study In Illinois Public High Schools?, Wendy Custable

Dissertations

This research study examines how Illinois public high school Career and Technical Education educational leaders employ best practices in providing all students rigorous, relevant, and equitable learning experiences within a professional learning community structure.

This study utilized a mixed method two-tier case study methodology. Tier one consisted of a survey administered to 605 Illinois public high school Career and Technical Education leaders, outside of the Chicago Public School system, with 72 leaders who responded. This survey asked the leaders questions about what CTE programs their schools offered students and how they provided these students rigorous, relevant, and equitable learning experiences …

Cao Perspectives: The Role Of General Education Objectives In Career And Technical Programs In The United States And Europe, Jennifer Ballard Schanker

Dissertations

Globalization is changing the way students prepare for careers in the United States and Europe as competition for highly skilled workers is increasing among companies, regions, and nations. Success in this environment requires skills beyond the ability to perform job-related tasks. Skills of this nature are described as “liberal arts,” “basic” or “soft” skills or more broadly, “general education.” This international comparative study examines the processes used to identify, embed, and assess outcomes related to general education within career and technical programs in selected institutions in Europe and the Midwestern United States through the perceptions of their Chief Academic Officers …