Educators must meet the demand to produce a workforce better educated with using 21st-century technology tools. The purpose of this case study was to explore the usefulness of Google Docs as one of those tools by examining 2 main questions. Those questions were how high school students perceive Google Docs could benefit them and how career and technical (CTE) teachers use it to support collaborative learning as a strong part of the learning process. The conceptual framework used included Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which focuses on collaborative learning. Participants were 2 teachers and 8 students from 2 urban school districts in the Eastern part of the United States. Data sources were interviews with teachers and student focus group discussions. Data were coded using open coding, and themes and patterns were identified. Results indicated that Google Docs supports student learning by increasing opportunities for collaboration and helping students be more efficient while also preparing them for careers. Students indicated that they saw Google Docs as a learning tool and that they were more engaged while working collaboratively with their peers via the platform. Findings may help CTE teachers and students learn more about how to use web-based technologies to learn via collaboration and may assist students in becoming more successful in their CTE courses and careers.

In spite of the large overlap in the goals of CTE and STEM education, there is little evidence of the role(s) CTE delivery systems, programs, curricula, or pedagogical strategies can play in advancing STEM education. Because of their responsibilities, especially for organizational and instructional leadership, school district CTE directors could illuminate our understanding of linkages between CTE and STEM education. The purpose of this study was to analyze the experiences of school district CTE directors to better understand these linkages. The researcher used a qualitative research design to gain understanding of the local CTE directors' experiences. Data were collected using face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 13 participants. The data were analyzed using a continuous process of coding, recoding, memo-writing and making comparisons across the transcripts. Among the results of the study were that definitions of STEM education were varied, but all had aspects of an integrated approach and using real world applications. The data revealed a number of contributions made by CTE to assist in STEM education implementation. They include context for learning, multiple pathways; platform for program delivery, and administrative leadership and framework. It was also found that strategies for increasing the visibility of CTE's contributions in the advancement of STEM education could include marketing CTE, demonstrating the value of CTE, enhancing curriculum and instruction, and rebranding CTE. Conclusions made in the study include, but not limited to, the fact that there are tremendous reciprocal benefits that CTE and STEM education can provide for one another, given there are strong, mutual, and intended linkage of the two; and that establishing a state-level STEM education coordinator position would result in providing much needed leadership at the local and state levels. Recommendations for practice that were made in the study include, but are not limited to, continuing to establish Virginia Governor's Academies throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia by aligning STEM education with CTE and continuing to support, at the highest level, intentional and mutual collaborative initiatives between STEM education and CTE. A recommendation for future research includes conducting a longitudinal study on the impact that Virginia Governor's Academies are having on student morale, growth, learning, and future endeavor. / Ph. D.

New Jersey has utilized alternative certification to combat the shortage caused by technology education (TE) teacher attrition. Research has examined the effectiveness of alternative certification preparation programs for the core academic programs; however, very little research has been performed in the area of TE. The purpose of this study was to (a) evaluate the Praxis scores of teacher candidates in New Jersey seeking licensure in technology education, and (b) determine if there were differences between the TE among teachers completing different preparation programs. The theoretical framework that guided this quantitative study was rooted in Knowles' theory of andragogy, which supported learning methods for the teacher as a learner. The guiding question of this study was whether there existed a significant difference in Praxis II test scores among group A (traditionally certified teachers) versus group B (alternatively certified teachers). This causal-comparative design took place among 164 TE teacher candidates from the 2 groups. Instrumentation was a praxis assessment for TE teacher candidates. Data collection included a random sampling of archival scores on the TE test that were analyzed with a t test. Findings revealed that teachers who completed the alternative route preparatory programs (group B) scored within a similar narrow range as compared to the TE teachers completing the traditional preparatory programs (group A). Implications for positive social change include providing the Teacher Advisory Mentor Program (TAMP) for TE teachers, which may reduce attrition of TE teachers and facilitate more effective teaching in the classroom.

Nationwide, mathematical scores have been a topic of concern among elementary and secondary educators for many years. Decreasing math skills are also trickling into post-secondary education, requiring universities to provide additional remedial math instruction in colleges and universities. Studies have been conducted to discover the most effective pedagogical methods of teaching math. Teaching contextualized math has been found to be effective and includes providing a direct application to real-life scenarios rather than teaching linear equations and algebraic principles outside of their application. A study was conducted measuring the effects of integrating mathematical skills in an animal science curriculum. Eight Utah schools participated in the research study. Students received a pretest measuring their existing mathematical skills and self-efficacy in math. All students were taught a unit of instruction about animal nutrition and feeding. The control group received a typical nutrition unit and the treatment group received the same unit of instruction with the addition of mathematical skill integration. Students were taught to use the Pearson Square to calculate feed rations as well as solve basic equations to balance rations. Following the unit of instruction, students completed a posttest survey, which included a math attitudinal scale, posttreatment self-efficacy scale, and posttreatment math skills quiz. There was no statistically significant difference in math self-efficacy or math skills between the control group receiving a typical nutrition unit and the treatment group which received the math-enhanced unit of instruction. Correlational statistics were gathered and showed a strong positive relationship between students' self-efficacy and math skills. Gender, grade level, highest completed math class, and grade received in highest-level math class were not found to be statistically significant predictions of math skills. Highest level of math completed and overall grade point average were statistically significant factors in predicting math self-efficacy.

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 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.

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.

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