The Status of Career and Technical Education Undergraduate and Graduate Programs in the United States

The purpose of this study was to examine undergraduate and graduate student enrollments, course delivery modes, and curricular trends and issues of CTE programs. Based on findings from 139 program/department coordinators, results emphasized that although CTE programs within institutions of higher ed...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Peabody journal of education 2017-03, Vol.92 (2), p.236-253
Main Authors: Fletcher, Edward C., Gordon, Howard R. D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Degrees
Administrators
Career Education
College Faculty
Curriculum
Delivery Systems
Education
Education reform
Educational Change
Enrollment Trends
Enrollments
Graduate studies
Graduate Study
Higher education
Internet
Online Courses
Online Surveys
Program Content
Recruitment
Teacher Certification
Teachers
Teaching
Teaching Methods
Technical Education
Trends
Undergraduate education
Undergraduate Study
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Summary:The purpose of this study was to examine undergraduate and graduate student enrollments, course delivery modes, and curricular trends and issues of CTE programs. Based on findings from 139 program/department coordinators, results emphasized that although CTE programs within institutions of higher education have declined in number (Fletcher, Gordon, Asunda, & Zirkle, 2015 ), student enrollments within those programs have remained steady compared to prior studies (Bruening et al., 2001 ; Lynch, 1990 ). Even so, CTE program/department administrators have articulated that declining student enrollment is a major challenge within their programs. Additionally, the development of online courses and the impact of state/national educational reform initiatives were identified as major curricular trends for CTE programs. Recommendations include the need for CTE faculty to embrace online instruction, and for programs to use broader nomenclature of CTE/Workforce Education, instead of names of more traditional subdisciplines within the field to remain more accessible and sustainable in the future. The condition of undergraduate and graduate CTE programs will likely impact the viability and sustainability of CTE teacher preparation programs, recruitment of a talented and diverse CTE teaching force, continuity of the U.S. teaching workforce, and ability of K-12 teachers to maintain high-quality CTE programs.
ISSN:0161-956X
1532-7930
DOI:10.1080/0161956X.2017.1302219