This quantitative study evaluated the gains and evaluation outcomes of the compulsory Career and Technical Education (CTE) Introduction course. All Utah public school seventh-grade students are required to enroll in this school-year course. The matched-pair design used preexisting data to analyze 6,078 pre- and postsurvey responses collected at the beginning of the course and again at the end of the course during the 2011-2012 school year. The evaluation was viewed through a postpositivist lens and employed a theory-based evaluation model as the framework for analysis. The research questions addressed four student variables: career planning, career self-efficacy, career knowledge, and course evaluations. Gender differences along school counselor relationships were also evaluated as possible predictors on course evaluations.

The intent of this two-phase, sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to examine the role teachers' beliefs play when making instructional decisions. The population included in-service teachers representing four Career and Technical Education disciplines located within the commonwealth of Virginia. Using a stratified random sample, 622 teachers were selected for the quantitative strand, and employing a system of four contacts, quantitative data were collected from 292 participants. Dweck's Theories of Intelligence scale assessed the nature of in-service teachers' beliefs about intelligence, and the Epistemic Belief Inventory was used to measure their epistemological beliefs. Finally, the participants rated their use of teacher-centered and student-centered teaching methods. In the second phase, qualitative data were collected from nine participants to further understand how in-service teachers' beliefs are related to the teaching practices they use. The quantitative and qualitative data were combined to determine if the descriptions of teaching method used, beliefs about intelligence, and epistemological beliefs aligned with the outcomes of the quantitative questionnaire. Significant correlations existed between the Theories of Intelligence scale and the Epistemic Belief Inventory. A significant positive relationship existed between the Epistemic Beliefs Inventory and the overall teaching practices score, indicating in-service teachers' advanced epistemological beliefs are related to the use of student-centered teaching practices. A regression analysis indicated that teaching discipline, epistemological beliefs, teaching experience, and highest level of education completed predicted the teaching practices in-service teachers' select. The qualitative data supported the claim that beliefs about intelligence and epistemological beliefs influence teaching practices. Six themes emerged from the qualitative data, and the themes were used as a framework for organizing the findings. The researcher acknowledges that teachers possess a variety of beliefs, and those beliefs influence how teachers teach. The researcher recommends that teacher educators attempt to identify the beliefs pre-service teachers hold, and if modifications of beliefs are needed, facilitate interventions to modify those beliefs. While some have labeled the direct relationship between teacher beliefs and teaching practices as "messy", the evidence indicates the two, are in fact, related. / Ph. D.

Little is known about how students learn when using computer-assisted modular curriculum, if such curriculum truly promotes self-regulated learning, or if the cognitive principles of teaching and learning are integrated throughout the design of the modules. The purpose of this study was to investigate the phenomenon of student cognitive responses to learning with computer-assisted modular curriculum, based on the Phases and Subprocesses of Self-Regulation. This triangulation mixed methods case study connected qualitative and quantitative data derived from curriculum content analysis, student course evaluations, participant observations, and interviews. Thirty-six middle school students enrolled in an agricultural education course designed with computer-assisted modules served as the case study group. Data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed, leading to the emergence of six common themes. Overall, the design and content of the computer-assisted modules lack integral principles of teaching and learning. Participants prefer a mix of traditional and computer-assisted instruction because of the variety of instruction, opportunities for social learning, and the hands-on activities. When integrated properly, computer-assisted modules do not inhibit interactions among the teacher and the students. The activities associated with the modules do not encourage self-regulatory processes. However, self-regulation is innate and students engage in self-regulation at different levels during the learning experience. Despite intrinsic interest or value for a particular topic, participants felt it was always important to pay attention in school. Thus, when learning with computer-assisted modules, students engage in social learning with their peers and desire hands-on learning experiences, with or without the modules. / Master of Science in Life Sciences

The debate over the effective preparation of pre-service teachers is not new. Often this debate concerns what might be considered successful methods for all pre-service teachers. However, preparation for career and technical education (CTE) teachers could look quite different than that of academic teachers, whether they are prepared through traditional or alternative routes to education. In this qualitative study, the researcher examined two iterations of the alternative-route program designed to prepare new CTE teachers in Mississippi and considered the level of self-efficacy of the teacher participants, the perceived effectiveness of the specific elements of each program, and the perceived significance of teacher/administrator and teacher/mentor relationships. The results of this study indicate that participants in the most recent iteration of the alternative-route program have a higher level of self-efficacy in teaching. The study also found that the specific elements of the newer version of the program are perceived as more relevant than those of the older version of the program and that teacher/administrator and teacher/mentor relationships play a key role in self-efficacy and job satisfaction among new CTE teachers. The results of this study also revealed that new CTE teachers desire opportunities to grow their pedagogical content knowledge by interacting and learning from veteran teachers in their respective content areas. Additionally, some of the more effective teachers who participated in this study rated themselves lower than their less effective colleagues on a self-efficacy survey and vice versa, indicating the presence of the Dunning-Kruger effect, which posits that, when an individual is unskilled in a certain task, they not only make poor choices in that area but also lack the metacognitive ability to realize it.

Community college career and technical education programs struggle with meeting federallyunded Perkins performance measures. To address this need the 30-45-60 program design was developed. The study purpose was to determine if the 30-45-60 program design influenced career certificate, technical certificate or Associate of Applied Science degree completion rates, technical skill attainment, and job placement rates for students enrolled in the welding, precision machining and manufacturing and electrical technology programs. A Chi-square test of independence indicated no significantly significant relationship between the 30-45-60 program design and completion of a certificate or degree (p = .222). A closer look revealed no significantly significant relationship between the 30-45-60 program design and the career certificate (p = .392) or the Associate of Applied Science degree (.576) but was statistically significant for technical certificate (p = .000). A statistically significant relationship was found for technical skill attainment (p =.038) and job placement (p = .000).

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of completing career and technical education classes (CTE) during high school. In particular, the study sought to determine whether there were differences in academic scores of students who took CTE classes and those who took traditional high school classes. More specifically, the goals of the study were to determine if there was statistically significant differences in mean scores on the English II exam, Algebra I exam, ACT assessment, and college-going rates between those students who participated in CTE classes and those who took traditional high school classes. A quantitative research design was selected for conducting the research study. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used as the primary statistical computation for the data analysis. The ANOVA results for differences in mean scores of the ACT assessment for students who took CTE classes and students who took traditional classes were not found statistically significant. The ANOVA results for differences in mean scores of the Algebra I exam and English II exam for students who took CTE classes and students who took traditional classes were found statistically significant. The students who took CTE classes scored slightly higher on the Algebra I and English II exams than students who took traditional classes. A Chi-squared test of independence was utilized to examine the college-going rate of students who took CTE classes and students who took traditional classes. There was no statistically significant differences between the mean scores for students who took CTE classes and traditional classes and students who took traditional classes in terms of participation in college after high school.

The purpose of this study was to examine the quality of career and technical education programs on high school students. Specifically, the study addressed the percentage of CTE completers meeting Carl Perkins’ placement indicators in the areas of post secondary education, employment in the field trained or related field, and the military. The study examined whether the percentage of dropout for CTE students was reduced between 2006 and 2010. The study examined whether significant differences existed between CTE participants and non-CTE participants (regular high school students) based on their scores in United States History, English II Writing, English II Multiple Choice, Biology I, and Algebra I. The study also addressed significant differences among the CTE participants in the MS-CPAS scores based on gender. This study employed the ex post facto research design. The researcher used percentages and t-tests to determine the findings of the study. The population for thestudy was 675 participants. The researcher used the sample size calculator (http://www.surveysystem.com) to select representative sample size of the population based on 95% confidence level. A systematic random sampling was used to select the 140 CTE completers and 245 non-CTE participants for the study. Findings for the study indicated that from 2006 to 2010, CTE completers continued their education, entered the workforce, and enlisted in the military at percentages that met Carl Perkins’ accountability standards for placement. Results revealed that that there was no progress made in the dropout rate for Noxubee County High School. Additional findings showed that there were no statistical significant differences between CTE completers and non-CTE participants based on test scores in the Mississippi academic core subjects that included United States History, English II Writing, English II Multiple Choice, Biology I, and Algebra I. The researcher also found that there were statistical significant differences in the MS-CPAS scores based on gender.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if the number of Career and Technical Education (CTE) graduates who go on to postsecondary education or some other training program, to the military, or to employment upon high school graduation was significant in comparison to the state baseline for secondary placement. This study further compared CTE graduation rates to overall graduation rates. The graduation rates were compared based on gender as well. School systems that provided CTE courses and that had CTE concentrators for the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 school years were used for this study. Eight school districts were chosen in the upper east Tennessee region and were evaluated using graduation data and secondary placement data from the Tennessee Department of Education Report Card. The research cited in this study supported the supposition that CTE graduates do in fact help to increase the overall graduation rates for school districts. This study focused on five research questions and each null hypothesis was tested using a one-sample chi-square test. Results indicated that there were positive significant differences for CTE concentrators who proceed to postsecondary education, military, and employment as compared to the state baseline for secondary placement. The study further revealed that the graduation rate for Tennessee CTE concentrators was higher than the overall graduation rate for the selected school districts in this study. Positive differences were also noted between the sample CTE graduation rate and the overall Tennessee CTE graduation rate as well as between those rates and the overall Tennessee graduation rate for all students. Further analysis revealed that no significant differences existed between male CTE graduates and female CTE graduates. The research findings suggested that CTE graduation rates can help improve a school district's overall graduation rate.

This qualitative action research project examined the experiences of high school students in a technology education course as they were taught accepted technology education standards in conjunction with storytelling principles through writing and producing their own short films. The data from the project demonstrate that incorporating the principles of storytelling into technology education can be effective in helping students not only become skilled with the tools of technology, but also become media literate and articulate in creative expression.

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