<p>The purpose of this research was to provide evidence of the impact career and technical education courses have on students after graduation. Numbers of Career and Technical Education (CTE) completers have continually dropped at the participating schools for the past five years. Five categories of placement after graduation were studied including the following: college, employment, postsecondary vocational training, military, and no placement. Archival data were gathered from postgraduate surveys conducted by high schools as required by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Data were collected for graduates in 2011, 2012, and 2013 from four area high schools that provide CTE training to some students at their own high schools and send a portion of students to an area career center for additional offerings. A Pearson product-moment coefficient of correlation (Pearson r) was calculated, and t-tests were used to assess the data. The findings revealed large positive relationships between completers of CTE programs and placement in college, employment, or related locations, yet the results of the <i>t</i>-test indicated there was no significant difference (at <i>p</i> &lt; .05) between the placement for students who attended either a District or Area Career and Technical facility. This research may assist schools in presenting the benefits of CTE training to fifth- through tenth-grade students, provide ways for schools to better implement CTE programs, and to make the programs more accessible to future students. </p>

<p> This study examined the career development experiences of one African American man, a former student-athlete in a Division I revenue generating football team. This study focused on his experiences as a student-athlete who participated in football as he transitioned out of elite athletics. Division I collegiate athletics represents a highly sought opportunity (NCAA, 2015h). However, this opportunity may reduce college completion and disrupt maximal career development (Hartman, 2014; Van Rheenen, 2013). This qualitative case study of one participant explored the nuanced influences and pathways the participant used to enter his current career after completing college. Mark Savickas&rsquo;s (2002) Career Construction Theory (CCT), a constructivist non&mdash;<i>a priori</i> narrative theory, served as the theoretical framework. Qualitative interview data were collected during a progressive series of three separate in-depth, face-to-face interviews. Data were first analyzed using an inductive, open-coding process. Four patterns emerged from the data relative to the participant&rsquo;s career development experiences: ambivalence, performance prioritization/competitive spirit, practical mind-set/good judgment, and value of selected communities, which helped him decide on the ideal career environments. </p><p> Findings were then analyzed via the Savickas CCT tenets of successful career construction that include life themes, self-concepts, and life design. Findings include (a) the participant executed a largely linear pathway developing his career since retirement from elite athletics, (b) the participant experienced minimal challenges to reaching his current level, and (c) that participation in collegiate football provided valuable career development experiences. Additionally, the findings demonstrated a positive career development based on the participant&rsquo;s alignment of CCT tenets life themes, self-concepts, and life design.</p>

<p> Successful degree completion in American colleges and universities has become a national concern as the United States loses educational ground globally, and seeks to fill the unmet need for an educated workforce. One in five individuals who start their degree at a public, two-year institution complete that degree within three years (Snyder &amp; Dillow, 2015). Less than two in five complete within six years (Shapiro, Dundar, Wakhungu, Yuan, &amp; Harrell, 2015). Minority, first-generation and low-income students complete college at an even lower rate than their less disadvantaged counterparts (Complete College America, 2011; Kuh, Cruce, Shoup, Kinzie, &amp; Gonyea, 2008; Rath, Rock, &amp; Laferriere, 2013; Reindl &amp; Reyna, 2011). Completing a degree begins with the successful completion of a course. While course completion is contingent upon a variety of factors (Bean &amp; Metzner, 1985), the literature clearly indicates that faculty teaching methods have an impact on student success (e.g. Hamilton, 2002; Kuh, et al., 2008; McPhail, 2011). </p><p> The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to explore the relationship between the participation of novice (first-year), full-time technical college faculty in a comprehensive professional development program and the course completion of their disadvantaged students. For the purposes of this study, students were considered disadvantaged if they possessed one or more of the following characteristics: Black or Hispanic, first-generation, or low-income. This represents approximately 50% of the student body at the institution under study. Faculty gender and academic discipline were analyzed for moderating effects. </p><p> The study was conducted at a large Midwestern technical college using pre-existing data stored in the college&rsquo;s data warehouse. A static group comparison research design was used to compare the successful course completion of disadvantaged students (n=4,288) taught by two groups of faculty (n=51): the treatment group, who participated in a mandatory one-year professional development program consisting of 162 hours of orientation, workshops, campus visits, and mentoring; and the comparison group, who participated in a two-day Teacher Bootcamp and campus visits. Binary logistic regression was utilized to determine the relationships, among the variables. </p><p> The results of this study found a significant negative relationship between comprehensive professional development of novice technical college faculty and the successful course completion of their disadvantaged students. Faculty gender and academic discipline did not moderate this relationship. The negative relationship found sheds an important light on the unique needs of the disadvantaged student populations most often served by the community and technical colleges. This most vulnerable population of students, unlike their more advantaged counterparts, have a low margin of error when it comes to navigating the rigid structures of higher education. While comprehensive professional development can indeed change teaching practices, practitioners should carefully consider and evaluate the content being taught in a comprehensive program to ensure those teaching practices do not unintentionally become a detriment to disadvantaged student populations.</p>

<p> The purpose of this grounded theory study was to conceptualize the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of experienced agriculture teachers in the plant sciences. The overarching theme that emerged during data collection and analysis was the influence of beliefs on participants&rsquo; PCK. This finding guided subsequent data collection and analysis that focused on what was shaping the participants&rsquo; PCK in plant sciences. Three major themes that shaped the participants&rsquo; PCK were: integrated belief systems, experiences prior to and during in-service, and the context of the participants. The integrated beliefs system was the driving force in shaping the participants&rsquo; PCK. A substantive level theory was developed that illustrated the relationships between the three themes on participants&rsquo; PCK. These findings support further examination into what is shaping agriculture teachers&rsquo; PCK, including investigation in other agriculture content areas such as animal sciences and further examination into views about the purpose of agricultural education.</p>

<p> The onset of the 21st century brought a new dynamic in the workforce fueled by societal changes and technological advancements. These forces helped to create the conditions that transformed the economy from the industrial age of routine labor to a knowledge age where creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking are now needed for success. In addition, the forecasts for this new global economy of the 21st century project that students will need not only new skillsets but also increased levels of education to succeed in the workplace. To prepare all students for postsecondary education and foster the growth of these new skillsets, education has to integrate reform efforts that address these changes. Yet, a challenge to transforming the education system of the industrial age to one that meets the needs of the 21st century is the two-track system that was created to align with an industrial age economy: one track for those who were to attend higher education and one for those who were to enter the workforce directly from high school. Linked Learning is an evidence-based reform effort that addresses these changes. It includes four elements: academic and technical coursework, student support systems, and work-based learning opportunities. Linked Learning prepares all students for postsecondary education options. Coaches&rsquo; training has been identified as a strategy to aid in the implementation of the elements of Linked Learning and change instructional practice.</p><p> This quantitative dissertation research study examined the impact of the coaches&rsquo; training on the implementation of Linked Learning approach. The study used a web-based survey to collect data from educators who had participated in the coaches&rsquo; training to assess if the training was of value in implementing the core elements and beliefs of Linked Learning with their districts after they had completed the sessions and supporting assignments. Twenty-one educators from northern, central and southern California who had participated in the training responded to 35 Likert items that were aligned to the seven intended coaches&rsquo; outcomes. Participants were given the opportunity to add comments to each section. The results allowed for an assessment of the impact.</p>

<p> Challenges encountered by young adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) during the transition from high school to employment have great potential to limit an individual&rsquo;s opportunity and/or capacity for self-determination regarding employment. This mixed-method study is focused on defining the characteristics of self-determined people and examining the challenges to self-determination experienced by a group of nine Project SEARCH interns with ID. Through field observations as well as initial and final interviews, photographs, goal-reporting, and administration of the <i>AIR Self-Determination Scale,</i> the challenges discovered among the Project SEARCH interns included those related to communication; social interaction and awareness; work skill development; emotional control; disposition, positive attitude, and work ethic; and seeing oneself outside of the current work experience. It further examined how intern experiences, interactions, and individualized supports available during the Project SEARCH year contributed to an intern&rsquo;s positive growth and change in the self-determination characteristics directly related to his/her identified challenges.</p>

<p> 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.</p>

<p> This study focused on the development of specific aspect of beginning teacher Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) in an Alternative Certification Program (ACP). Data was collected over a period of over two years and included lesson plans, interviews with the participants and their mentors as well as classroom observations and participant reflections. Four participants were purposefully selected to represent one cohort in the ACP. Individual profiles constructed for each case and the subsequent cross-case analysis revealed that the participants shifted their beliefs about students as learners and assessment based on the influence of the context under which they were developing at each point in time. These shifts, while dependent on their views of the context, were strongly influenced by their initial views as they relate to these aspects of PCK. Participants would resolve any conflict arising with new views presented to them in a subjective manner, prioritizing coherence with their prior knowledge on the specific aspect of PCK and with the other aspects of their PCK. These findings provide an alternative perspective on the nature of the shift in knowledge that occurs during teacher preparation and the initial years of teaching. It allows us to provide a different angle on the dynamics among PCK components based on the interaction among them as they develop over time. Moreover they allow us to see that this development is neither linear nor unidirectional. Additionally it shows us that teachers constantly revalue their views of students as learners and assessment based on the experiences provided by both their academic and professional context. </p>

For twenty-five years, development in Thailand has been guided by five-year National Economic and Social Development plans, each of which has contained an educational component. During these years, educational policy, including policy vocational education, has been changed. The purpose of this study was to examine why and how vocational education policy shifted over time. / A comprehensive review was made of vocational education as part of the larger education and social enterprise. The review of literature examined education, especially vocational education in the broad context. Four areas were explored: (a) the meaning of vocational education; (b) global education expansion and reform trends over the past 25 years; (c) persistent educational problems, such as illiteracy, the "diploma disease," continuing inequality, and class reproduction; and (d) enduring controversies related to vocational education, such as the relationship between vocational and academic education and the implications for vocational education in the changing world of work. / Historical and qualitative methods were used in the investigation. Interviews were held with key people involved in the developement of Thai vocational education policy. Documents and research literature related to Thai vocational education policy were also examined. The policy analysis literature that deals with the forces shaping policy development and the review of global trends in educational expansion and reform served as a contextual framework within which to analyze and interpret Thai vocational education policy over the past 25 years. / The study found that Thai vocational education policy has shifted in order to guide related government agencies in meeting the needs of national economic development. Policy shifts and Ministry of Education programs were shaped by domestic, economic, social, and political pressures. There was also some influence from external forces. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-07, Section: A, page: 1633. / Major Professor: Steven J. Klees. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1987.

The purpose of this research was to examine whether individualized student's learning as measured by posttest scores could be increased by presenting information in sequenced captioned illustrations as compared to equivalent all-text print information. The subjects were sixty high school vocational students with low level reading skills. Three treatments were compared for effectiveness: a tenth grade reading level textual passage, a sixth grade reading level textual passage, and a captioned illustration sequence. The second and third treatments were re-writes of the first with identical content matter. There were three separate replicated experiments using the three treatment posttest only design analyzed by a one-way analysis of variance with $\alpha$ =.05. / It was predicted that sequenced captioned illustrations would aid the learner in greater recall of information as demonstrated on the multiple choice posttest. According to Paivio (1971) and Anderson (1973), this would increase elaboration and networking in long term memory. It was also hypothesized that the lower (sixth grade) level reading all-text would present an advantage for the low reading ability students over the higher (tenth grade) level all-text instruction. / The one-way analysis of variance yielded no significant results. Further research is recommended in the use of captioned illustrations with low level readers in the individualized vocational classroom setting. A captioned picture multiple-choice test for the students using the captioned illustration instruction may improve learning as evidenced by posttest scores. Also, variations in experimental circumstances to determine whether the illustrations need change in size, number, clarity, or type (drawing or photo) may be necessary. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-03, Section: A, page: 0893. / Major Professor: W. Hugh Hinely. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1990.