Career and Technical Education Research

Implementing the edTPA: Perspectives, Challenges, Strengths, and Recommendations for the Future Adoption of edTPA in Career and Technical Education

Wendy Warner — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:49:56 -0500

The edTPA has recently emerged within the past few years as an innovative Teacher Performance Assessment and is currently adopted to some extent in 34 states. Researchers conducted four focus groups with sixteen student teachers during and after completion of the edTPA at [Southern State] University. When asked to articulate about their experience with the edTPA, numerous participants believed edTPA to be nearly overwhelming and confusing. Participants also felt the edTPA did not adequately capture their totality of their student teaching experience. These stresses and general confusion were not alleviated with assistance from the cooperating teacher. They believed that the edTPA enhanced deep, focused reflection on their teaching practice. Student teachers also believed that the edTPA, while not adequately capturing the totality of the student teaching experience, did serve as a quality assessment of their teaching practice.

The Employability Skills Assessment: Measuring Work Ethic for Research and Learning

Roger Hill — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:50:02 -0500

The Employability Skills Assessment (ESA) was developed by Hill (1995) to provide an alternative measure of work ethic needed for success in employment. This study tested goodness of fit for a model used to interpret ESA results. The model had three factors: interpersonal skills, initiative, and dependability. Confirmatory factor analysis results demonstrated a significant overall relation between the ESA factors and showed that the three-factor model of the ESA was acceptable for the observed data. Potential applications for the ESA are also described.

Laboratory Management Needs of Iowa School-Based Agricultural Mechanics Teachers

Alex Preston Byrd, P. Ryan Saucier, Ryan G. Anderson — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:50:10 -0500

This study sought to determine the specific laboratory management needs of agricultural education teachers. The theoretical foundation of this study was Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy. To further align this theory with this study researchers explored the beliefs and one’s capabilities to organize and excute the course of action to manage an agricultural mechanics laboratory. The research objectives for this study were: Determine the self-perceived level(s) of importance and ability as related to agricultural mechanics laboratory management competencies and determine the professional development needs of Iowa school-based agricultural education teachers regarding agricultural mechanics laboratory management competencies. The competencies that ranked the highest included correcting hazardous laboratory conditions, safely disposing of hazardous materials, properly installing and maintaining safety devices and emergency equipment, safely handling and storing hazardous materials. Agricultural education teachers need professional development in the realm of hazardous conditions within the confines of an agricultural mechanics laboratory and handling hazardous materials.

Factors of Influence on Classroom Literacy Practices

Laura Hasselqust, Tracy Kitchel — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:50:18 -0500

Previous research has indicated professional training factors, personal literacy preferences, and professional literacy attitudes have an influence on classroom literacy practices. Limited literacy related research has been conducted in agricultural education. This study sought to examine the influence of professional training factors, personal literacy preferences, and professional literacy attitudes of agriculture teachers, on current classroom literacy practices. Data was collected from in-service teachers in 35 different states. The researchers determined a majority of agriculture teachers have completed professional training, have positive personal literacy preferences, positive professional literacy attitudes, and use a variety of literacy activities in their classrooms. The use of PowerPoint presentations and traditional writing activities were the only practices determined to have a significant influencer. Recommendations for practice include encouraging agriculture teachers to develop relationships with the English/Language Arts department and offering professional development related to literacy assessment.

Assessing Supply, Demand and Professional Development Needs of Employees in Water-Related Careers

Jordan Pieschl, Shannon Washburn — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:50:30 -0500

In [state], the need to focus efforts on preserving the quality and quantity of [state’s] water supply is a growing trend. Anecdotal evidence suggests the focus on water resources increases the demand for employees prepared for careers in related STEM fields (S. Metzger, personal communication, May 3, 2016). Drawing on both the Human Capital Theory and the Theory of Work Adjustment, descriptive survey research and qualitative interviews were used to gather data from employers of water-related job positions. The results of the study suggest that, while employers have not recently experienced much challenge filling job vacancies, demand for employees could increase in the future. Additionally, employers utilize a variety of professional development resources, and would utilize others if available. While levels of correspondence range among ability requirements and ability sets depending on the job position, efforts in education and recruitment could help address the supply of candidates for these positions.

Differences in High School CTE Coursetaking by Gender and Race/Ethnicity

Katherine B Leu, Caren A Arbeit — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:50:50 -0500

The purpose of this study was to examine patterns in high school career and technical education (CTE) coursetaking by gender and race/ethnicity across two cohorts of students over time. Using high school transcript data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002) and the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), we examined participation in CTE both overall and disaggregated by field of study. While there were some differences by gender and race/ethnicity in overall CTE participation, disaggregating by field of study revealed wide variation in participation rates in each field. We found large and sustained differences in participation across CTE fields of study by gender as well as pronounced patterns by race/ethnicity, with some changes over time. Overall, these gender and racial/ethnic differences were notable because they persisted even after controlling for other potential explanatory factors.

Important Leadership Skills for CTE Administrators

Joey A. Fleck, Mark D. Threeton, John C. Ewing — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:50:56 -0500

Leaders influence the lives of many and impact the success of a wide variety of organizations. Career and Technical Education (CTE) Administrative Directors provide leadership in CTE school settings as they lead and manage personnel, facilities, curriculum, and student services. This study sought to determine the essential leadership skills that are important for success as a CTE Administrative Director. The findings indicated that there are a variety of leadership skills that are important for success as a CTE Administrative Director. The top three include self-responsibility and management, leadership and coaching, and written communication. As a result of these findings, CTE leadership programs could enhance leadership preparation and efforts to cultivate the development of leadership skills by CTE Administrative Directors.

A Longitudinal Study of Alternatively Licensed Career-Technical Teachers

Chris Zirkle, Jeremy Jeffery, Laine Shrewe — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:51:03 -0500

Retaining qualified career and technical education teachers (CTE) is crucial to the continued supply and reduced demand of these types of teachers. Demographic data and emerging trends of CTE teachers were analyzed for those teachers who completed a summer workshop as part of alternative licensure. Some of the emerging trends included shifts in retention rates during certain school years, years in which enrollment was highest for each gender, and changes in employment status within education. Conclusions and discussions derived from the study were a need for teacher educators to become aware of a diverse classroom of alternative CTE teachers, CTE teachers completing continuing education and degree requirements, and legislative policies that impact retention rates.

Exploring Pesticide Safety Education in Idaho

Laura B Holyoke, Iris Mayes — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:51:10 -0500

This paper summarizes an exploratory study probing perspectives of several pesticide applicators and educators regarding pesticide licensing and safety training in Idaho. The purpose of the study was to identify lines of inquiry concerning critical learning components for pesticide worker safety. Information was gathered about training practices for pesticide applicators. Adult learning theory provided a foundation for a priori themes combined with grounded theory to explore emergent concepts and categories. Four categories relevant to pesticide applicator safety training emerged from the literature review and interviews: knowledge and learning, worker practices, worker beliefs and attitudes, and the work environment. Understanding why workers take risks is key to developing effective safety training. Providing workers with access to research-based information may reduce risk. Narrative may play an important part in developing educational curriculum. There is a need to develop additional safety education programming that is designed for this specific audience.

THE IMPACT OF MATHEMATICALLY ENHANCED CURRICULUM ON CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION STUDENT MATH SCORES

Kemaly Parr, Brian Allen Parr, Victoria Mohon — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:51:16 -0500

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that students who participated in mathematically-enhanced, high school career and technical education (CTE) curriculum would reflect a better understanding of basic math concepts. This study included teachers and students enrolled in at least one CTE course in the fall of 2017. Students continued their studies through the spring of 2018. The [state] mathematical placement exam was used to determine students’ levels of mathematical comprehension. Students were tested before implementation of the mathematically enhanced curriculum and at the end of the course of study. A t-test was used to compare student scores. The pre- and post-test score analysis indicated that the results of the [state] exam were statistically significant suggesting that the curriculum had a positive influence on math comprehension. Due to variance in testing environment and teaching implementations, a replication of this study is recommended.

Relationship Between Career and Technical Education Student Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and edTPA Performance

Victoria P. Whitley, Travis D. Park, Wendy J. Warner, Erin T. Horne — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:51:23 -0500

The edTPA, a validated teacher performance assessment, is being used across the nation to assess the readiness of student teachers for a successful career in education. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the relationship between edTPA and student teacher’s self-efficacy throughout their student teaching. This quasi-experimental study compared mean of self-efficacy as measured by the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES) to edTPA scores from Agricultural Education and Technology Education student teachers at [State]University. This study found a negative correlation between self-efficacy means at the end of the student teaching semester and overall edTPA score. Self-efficacy in some students was found to decrease after internal submission when given feedback on progress and performance. All participants were shown to increase in self-efficacy from the beginning to the end of the student teacher.

A Comparative Analysis of Student Engagement in Career Academies and a Comprehensive High School

Edward Fletcher, Tony Tan, Victor Hernandez-Gantes — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:51:31 -0500

The purpose of this study was to compare the student engagement of career academy students to those at a traditional comprehensive high school. We operationalized student engagement using a multi-dimensional construct comprised of behavioral, cognitive, and emotional measures. We found that academy students had significantly higher levels of cognitive and emotional engagement than those at comprehensive schools. We also found no statistically significant differences in the levels of behavioral engagement of academy students compared to comprehensive school students. Based on our findings, students’ participating in the academy model have the potential to increase their levels of cognitive and emotional engagement, particularly those from underrepresented and ethnically and racially diverse backgrounds.

Exploring Employer Perspectives of Community College Career and Technical Programs

Thomas Robert Gauthier — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:51:38 -0500

This qualitative study explores employer perspectives about the efficacy of community college career and technical education programs. Participants for this study were cultivated from a variety of industries and disciplines. Predominate themes which emerged from this study include, education, authentic experience, the value of career and technical education, employment social structure, apprenticeship. It is concluded that several employers indicate that new employers do not need a college education for employment, but these employers also seem to indicate that employees without a college education have trouble sustaining their roles within the employment structure. Employers reported that new employees lack employability skills, a higher order of thinking, metacognition, mature nature of competency, social mobility, motivation, and positive self-efficacy.

Factors Influencing High School Students’ Career and Technical Education Credit-Taking Patterns

Xue Xing, Tiberio Garza, Margarita Huerta — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:51:45 -0500

Career and technical education (CTE) has gone through major transformations in the United States with important benefits for all students seeking postsecondary and career success. Research analyzing students’ CTE credit-taking patterns is important for understanding which students are taking CTE courses and why in order to inform future research and practice. Using the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:2009), we framed our investigation with a conceptual model consisting of a CTE typology on credit-taking patterns and literature-based individual and social factors. Results from descriptive and multinomial logistic regression indicated that the majority of students were enrolling in some level of CTE credits and that individual and social factors were influential but varied by specific credit-taking patterns.

Perceptions of Learning Outcomes of Students who Participated in the Spanish FFA Creed Speaking Event

Christopher Michael Estepp, Fernanda Arroyo — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:51:57 -0500

The Hispanic population in the U.S. is growing at a rapid rate and Spanish has become a predominant language, which could pose problems if more students are enrolling in school with limited English proficiency. In 2010, the [State] FFA Association implemented the Spanish Creed speaking event in order to help Spanish-speaking FFA members realize the goals of premier leadership, personal growth, and career success. However, no research exists examining the perceptions of students involved in this event. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the perceived learning outcomes of students who have participated in the [State] FFA Spanish Creed speaking event. Results revealed that the majority of participants were U.S. born who reported English as their first language. Responsibility was reported as the learning outcome most realized by participants. Additionally, results showed that females were associated with higher levels of responsibility, communication skills, and listening skills. Respondents whose first language was Spanish reported higher levels of responsibility. Additionally, the longer participants were in FFA, the higher their scores were for the various learning outcomes. Results suggest that using culturally responsive teaching in the form of the Spanish FFA Creed can have positive benefits for student learning outcomes.

CTE Teacher Retention: Lesson Learned from Mid-Career Teachers

Laura Hasselqust, Nicole A. Graves — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:52:05 -0500

Schools across the country are facing a shortage of Career & Technical Education (CTE) teachers. Challenges regarding recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers have far-reaching economic and educational implications. The literature notes multiple factors associated with CTE teacher attrition, such as low pay, absence of adequate teaching resources, and lack of administrative support. The current study aimed to identify factors associated with teacher retention via focus group interviews with mid-career (7-15 years) CTE teachers. The focus group included (N=4) CTE teachers from a Midwest state; the group was comprised of three agriculture teachers and one family & consumer sciences teacher. Qualitative analysis of the data revealed four themes related to the retention of mid-career CTE teachers: (1) setting boundaries, (2) shifting priorities/focus, (3) building a professional support network, and (4) innovating in the classroom. Recommendations for practice include induction programming focused on prioritizing programmatic opportunities and professional needs and involvement of preservice teachers in professional organizations early and often. Recommendations for research include exploring the level of involvement in professional organizations and its influence on career satisfaction and examining the benefits a mentor gains from a mentoring relationship.

Programmatic Involvement and Emerging Educational Outcomes: An Exploratory Study

Aaron McKim, R. Bud McKendree — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:52:18 -0500

Preparing students in school-based agricultural education (SBAE) to respond to emerging challenges impacting – and being impacted by – agriculture, food, and natural resource systems (e.g., climate change, water scarcity, soil degradation) is essential. Therefore, student involvement in SBAE was investigated in relation to metacognition, problem-solving abilities, and systems thinking, three educational outcomes deemed “emerging” due to their necessity in addressing complex problems. Overall, results from this investigation suggest involvement in SBAE is related to higher levels of metacognition, problem-solving ability, and systems thinking when compared to no involvement. However, when comparing more advanced levels of involvement (e.g., participating in state or national level FFA contests) to foundational involvement (e.g., participating in local/chapter level FFA contests), advanced involvement did not consistently relate to increased attainment of the emerging educational outcomes. In congruence with the Theory of Student Involvement, recommendations for practice and research are highlighted. Principal among the recommendations is a call for educators to invest resources to encourage a broader range of students to be involved in SBAE at more foundational levels rather than investing resources in the advanced involvement of a select few students.

Identifying Technical Competencies for Architecture and Construction Education using the Delphi Method

Jon Jones, Greg Belcher — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:52:29 -0500

The purpose of this modified Delphi study was to identify the dominant technical competencies needed to effectively teach architecture and construction at the secondary and post-secondary level and to determine if there are differences of opinion among educators, recent graduates and industry personnel as to what those competencies should be. To provide instructors with the knowledge and skills that align with industry needs, it was imperative to identify the changing technical competencies needed by the workforce and the instructors who prepare these future employees. A three round Delphi study was conducted to identify the dominant technical competencies. From a list of 23 technical competencies identified in round one, seven technical competencies emerged as the highest rated in perceived level of importance by the three groups.

Career and Technical Education: Academic Achievement as Measured By National Testing

Christopher Michaels, Diane Barone — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:52:42 -0500

Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a popular trend in education due to the increased demand to include CTE opportunities in schools along with federal funding to build new CTE programs and improve existing ones. This study presented the academic achievement of CTE completer high school graduates and non-CTE high school graduates as measured by the nationwide ACT examination covering the subjects of English, reading, writing, math, and science. By employing all testing results from a large school district with over 64,000 students, several key results were determined. Results indicate that statistically (ρ < .01), CTE completers had significantly higher ACT scores on the ACT composite, reading, writing, math, science, and English assessments than those of non-CTE general academic student graduates who undertook one or no CTE courses during high school. Therefore, a CTE curricula influences student achievement as measured by national testing. Empirical studies have found that CTE attracts a diverse audience of students including those who are economically disadvantaged and historically perform at lower academic levels. The difference found in this study that CTE graduates accomplished ACT composite scores that were 4% higher than non-CTE graduates deserves special attention given the additional external challenges many CTE students experience.

Noncredit Education Enrollment and Outcomes

Mark M. D'Amico, Grant B. Morgan, Zoë Mercedes Thornton, Vladimir Bassis — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:52:54 -0500

Representing approximately two in five community college students, noncredit education is an important but understudied segment of the higher education population. In an effort to help open the “black box” of noncredit education in community colleges, the present study uses an established noncredit course typology (occupational training, sponsored occupational training, personal interest, and precollege remediation) to better understand the predictors of noncredit enrollment and outcomes in Iowa. Using a sample of more than 181,000 records, we employed a series of regression analyses to discuss variables associated with enrollment in the noncredit course types, the number of completions, and the number of contact hours. Nuanced findings and implications were associated with race/ethnicity, gender, institutional mission as captured through Carnegie Classifications, and career fields based on the 16 career clusters.

Postsecondary CTE Teacher Quality and Student Achievement of Industry Certification in Florida’s Career Certificate Programs Using a Causal-Comparative Study

Lisa Martino — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:53:04 -0500

Teacher quality characteristics and student achievement have shown positive relationships in prior studies of elementary and secondary grade levels in the U.S. However, there have been no studies on postsecondary career and technical teacher qualities and student achievement to date. Postsecondary career certificate programs usually have a summative evaluation with an industry-specific certification test. The third-party exam assesses the student’s employability in the program’s field of study by industry standards. The purpose of this retrospective causal-comparative study was to examine the relationship between postsecondary CTE teacher quality characteristics and student achievement in Florida’s career certificate programs. An online survey conducted used a consensus method yielding a sample size of 203 postsecondary CTE teachers in Florida. Findings revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between the pedagogical knowledge and educational degree attainment of CTE teachers and students’ passing an industry certification test.

Exploring Participation in SkillsUSA Among Postsecondary Students

Laura G. Maldonado, Audrey Jaeger — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:53:10 -0500

Industries across the United States are facing a shortage of skilled technical workers. This qualitative case study investigated how participation in SkillsUSA, a career and technical student organization, influenced community college students’ preparedness for the workforce and connection to campus. Data were gathered from interest questionnaires, interviews, resumes, and from the U.S. Census Bureau. Using the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT) to frame the study, findings revealed that participation in SkillsUSA influenced students’ work choices, initiative, and confidence in overcoming obstacles while access to labor markets in hometowns impacted job and occupational choices. Participants also reported benefitting from a supportive campus community. The study provided an extension of the PWT to community college populations and has implications for practitioners and policymakers.

Convergent Validity Testing of a Value-Achievement-Cost Motivation Survey for 12th Grade Female Career and Technical Education Health Sciences Students for Use in Serious Simulation Games

Kevin Glover, Alec Bodzin — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:53:16 -0500

A Value-Achievement-Cost (VAC) Survey was psychometrically tested to continue to establish its predictive utility for future research with 12^th grade female Career and Technical Education (CTE) health science classroom cohorts of less than 50 students. In this study, a 10-construct, 46-item VAC Survey was administered to 31 college-bound 12^th grade female students who had self-selected themselves to participate in a year-long, dual enrollment, CTE health science program. The VAC Survey was used to measure student motivation associated with science in general, health sector science learning, and playing health sciences-related games. Convergent validity was established in nine of the ten constructs by comparing the Cronbach alpha coefficients of the 10-construct, 46-item VAC Survey compared to the same instrument previously tested with a similar CTE health science student cohort (n = 37). Internal consistency for these nine VAC Survey constructs were strong with Cronbach alpha coefficients between 0.80 and 0.93. This study has provided additional psychometric evidence that reinforces the VAC Survey’s construct validity and internal consistency. The study further supports the predictive utility of the instrument to measure 12^th grade female CTE health sciences student motivation associated with science in general, health sector science learning, and playing health sciences-related games.

Texas Perspectives on College and Career Readiness: An Examination of CTE-Supported Endorsements in Public High Schools

Maria Adamuti-Trache, Yi Leaf Zhang, Staci Barker — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:53:22 -0500

The Texas Legislature passed House Bill 5 in 2013 to adopt the Foundation High School Program, a new graduation program intended to support youth college and career readiness. Texan students entering grade 9 were guided to enroll in one or more endorsements with specific curriculum designed to introduce them to STEM, Business & Industry, Public Services, Arts & Humanities, or Multidisciplinary areas of study and future career pathways. This research was based on analysis of restricted-use Texas longitudinal administrative and transcript data for 9^th graders enrolled in Texas public schools in the academic year 2015/16. We examined the complementary roles that exposure to core academic subjects and career and technical education courses has on making endorsement choices, with focus on STEM, Business & Industry, and Public Service CTE-supported endorsements. The study contributes to the literature on college and career readiness by examining specifically how the academic and vocational dimensions are reflected in the Texas high school endorsements. The study also addresses social equity issues by inquiring who participates in which endorsements and whether student endorsement choices are marked by sociodemographic and academic differences that exacerbate educational inequalities.

Factors Influencing Student Enrollment in Career Academy Programs

Whitney Ketchledge, Michael Kosloski, Philip Reed — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:53:28 -0500

There is considerable research demonstrating strong benefits of the career academy model to students and teachers, but there is little indicating why students enroll in academies and what methods of recruitment may work best. This study assessed factors influencing students’ decisions to enroll in career academy programs by looking at factors that influence students to apply for academy programs and reasons students have for choosing not to enroll in academy programs. A survey was used to collect the necessary data with n = 401 responses from students enrolled in an academy and n = 2,421 responses from students not enrolled in an academy. A factor analysis resulted in two larger groupings linking items together based on program experience and student attitudes. A Pareto analysis indicated that counselors were the greatest influencing factors on student decisions to enroll in career academy programs. Parents, teachers, other students, the course catalog, website, and brochure also played a considerable role in how students learned about the academies. The most influential reasons students have for not applying included not knowing, not interested, and missed deadline.

Texas High School Counselor Perceptions of Agricultural Education

William Doss — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:53:38 -0500

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of high school counselors across the state of [State] toward agricultural education. This study was descriptive in nature. High school counselors had an overall positive attitude toward agricultural education. They did not believe agricultural education courses were intended for lower-performing students. High school counselors agreed their local agricultural education program was valuable for college bound and non-college bound students. An overwhelming majority (85%) of high school counselors reported that student interest was their top priority when advising students to enroll in an agricultural education course. They had low to very low awareness of many opportunities available for agricultural education students. It is recommended that agricultural education teachers continue to develop strong, positive relationships with school counselors to provide education and awareness of the agricultural education program opportunities.

Occupational Safety and Health Education in Post-secondary Career Technical Education Construction Programs

kimberly rauscher, Diane Bush, Charlotte Chang, Douglas Myers — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:53:45 -0500

Construction is one of the most dangerous industries in the US. Career Technical Education (CTE) programs are important vehicle for educating new construction workers about occupational safety and health (OSH) and are sometimes the only place where these workers will encounter such training. We set out to examine the quality of OSH education received by students in post-secondary CTE construction programs by conducting a survey of instructors teaching in these programs across the country. The goal was to learn the extent to which previously identified “essential elements necessary for providing effective safety and health education” are spread across these programs. Our findings show instructors in these programs prioritize hands-on training, make efforts to stay current in best practices in safety and health, and regularly update their curricula. We also found that instructors need more training on effectively teaching safety and health to more meaningfully integrate such content into their trade skill courses. Finally, we found that instructors need to better model effective safety and health management systems within their classrooms to help keep students safe and set students’ expectations for safe work when they enter their chosen trade.

The landscape of career and technical education faculty data use for decision-making and program improvement in National Science Foundation – Advanced Technical Education programs in Washington State

Elizabeth Meza — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Over the last ten years, in Washington community and technical colleges (CTC) there has been a great leap forward in access and use of data for setting and measuring goals, monitoring progress, and identifying equity gaps. Despite much progress, faculty members in technical education (CTE) programs still often have difficulty accessing and using data that would drive program improvements. The purpose of this research is to gain knowledge about the current state of affairs surrounding technical education faculty access to and use of student-level data; second, we seek to shed light on the constraints CTE faculty face in accessing and using data for data-informed decision making. Our research revealed much variation in faculty access and use of data, with some creating customized solutions for daily use and others only accessing data for external needs such as accreditation or mandated program review processes. While the need for data may be exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis, faculty report data use on campus has dropped during the crisis and been replaced by immediate concerns over financial health, enrollment, and instructional delivery challenges. Rather than continue to advance data-driven decision-making, we may be seeing colleges retrench to past organizational norms and customs.

Latent Paths of Career and Technical Education in Young Adulthood: Precursors and Career Outcomes

Sugene Baker — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:54:04 -0500

Given the challenges in pursuing postsecondary education, Career and Technical Education (CTE) has recently gained national attention as a means of college and career readiness. However, little is known about the CTE trajectories spanning across both high school and college years. Using the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002, we conducted latent class analyses to examine CTE pathways from high school to the workforce and also investigated their precursors and later career outcomes. Three latent pathways were identified, defined as: a) sustained CTE pathway b) BA-focused pathway and c) high-school-to-work pathway. Individuals’ educational performance and parental socioeconomic backgrounds were associated with a higher likelihood of taking the BA-focused as opposed to the sustained CTE pathway and taking the CTE pathway compared to the high-school-to-work pathway. Males and students with a disability showed an opposite trend. BA pursuers had relatively higher earnings and job satisfaction compared to the other latent paths.

Preparing Students to be College and Career Ready: Examining the Relationship between Career Academy Participation and Student Engagement in College and Career Preparatory Activities

Edward Fletcher, Amber Dumford — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:54:10 -0500

Federal legislation has attempted to move career and technical education (CTE) from a narrow focus on low-wage job attainment for non-college bound youth to programs of study that prepare students for college and career readiness. However, few studies have demonstrated CTEs potential to prepare students for college. Using propensity score matching, we examined the relationship between student participation in a high performing NAF IT academy compared to a traditional, comprehensive high school on students’ engagement in college and career preparatory experiences. We found that students in the NAF academy engaged in both college and career preparatory activities at significantly higher levels than their traditional, comprehensive student counterparts. Our findings provide implications for policy and for future studies concerning the potential of the career academy model to prepare students to be college and career ready.

Do High School Industry Certifications Reflect Local Labor Market Demand? An Examination of Florida

Ben Dalton, Elizabeth Glennie, Roger Studley, Siri Warkentien, Erich Lauff — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:54:17 -0500

Industry-recognized credentials, or certifications, provide one path to match people with jobs effectively. Certifications are nationally recognized, standardized credentials created by businesses and industry groups to demonstrate proficiency in skills related to specific jobs. State education systems increasingly provide students the opportunity to earn certifications in secondary school. In this study, we examine whether local labor market demand for certifications influences the likelihood of high earning a certification in high school. Using comprehensive administrative data on a cohort of first-time ninth graders from the state of Florida, which has legislation encouraging certification attainment in high school, we find limited evidence for a relationship between certification demand and certification earning. However, high school students are more likely to earn certifications in some fields, such as health science, when local labor market demand for those certifications is high.

Using Student with Disability Participation in Career and Technical Education as a Baseline for Access, Equity, and Inclusion

Michael Harvey — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:54:24 -0500

Secondary career and technical education (CTE) provides opportunity for high school students to gain valuable occupational skills for in-demand jobs of the 21^st century economy. Educators and workforce development professionals are well aware of the link between college and career readiness (CCR) and CTE. All students, including those with a disability, can benefit from participation in CTE. Secondary CTE has value as a predictor of positive post-school outcomes for students with disabilities (SWD) (Mazzotti et al., 2021). We explored the Perkins Collaborative Research Network (PCRN) data associated with SWD participants in secondary CTE from school years 2014-15 to 2018-19 to establish a baseline in enrollment. The data provides a point of reference with trends to better understand serving SWD in CTE. It also sheds light on the need to address access, equity, and inclusion focused on policy, practice, and research.

Special Issue: Improving Measurement in Career and Technical Education Research

Shaun Dougherty — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:54:31 -0500

Nationwide in 2013, more than half of all high school graduates (58%) earned two or more credits in a career and technical education (CTE) subject area. Among college students, more than two thirds of all undergraduate credentials (68%) were awarded in an occupational area. Yet although CTE is well subscribed, little is known about the efficacy of this programming. Most studies of CTE have not used research designs that support causal inference, relying instead on information from nationally representative or statewide datasets to estimate relationships between students’ CTE course taking and subsequent education and employment outcomes. These studies tend to associate students’ in-school experiences and postprogram results with levels of credit accumulation, but they do not account for other measures of experience that educators and policymakers argue are likely to contribute to any potential impact. As a result, the literature has failed to fully capture the effect that CTE programming has on individuals who concentrate their studies in a comprehensive, high-quality CTE program of study. Reauthorization of federal CTE legislation and increasing attention to the career preparation of youth will continue to draw attention to the field; for this reason, there is a need to strengthen the rigor of CTE research to estimate the impact of CTE exposure on students. We catalog the measures of CTE exposure used in prior studies, document measures and outcomes in more recent causal studies, and offer a framework for how to measure CTE exposure and outcomes in the future to contribute to this work.

Special Issue: Harnessing State Longitudinal Data Systems to Assess Career and Technical Education Outcomes

Steve Klein — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:54:37 -0500

Statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDS) contain individual record-level data on public school students that can be used to assess their progress and outcomes in and across education levels. Moreover, when student-level identifiers can be linked to national data clearinghouses and state unemployment insurance wage record systems, relationships can be established among students’ K–12 educational preparation, postsecondary enrollment, in-state labor market outcomes, and attainment of industry-recognized credentials, transforming SLDS into comprehensive, cross-sector P20/workforce data systems.

Unfortunately, transferring existing career and technical education (CTE) data elements into states’ larger SLDS is not a simple task. Since states’ CTE data systems were not designed with SLDS in mind, linking records without adequate documentation and controls can create problems. Consequently, until CTE elements are fully integrated into SLDS, education researchers will need to merge education data from multiple sources.

This paper examines the potential role SLDS can play in providing a more complete picture of education and workforce development for CTE researchers and stakeholders.

Special Issue Identification and Counterfactuals for Program Evaluation of Career and Technical Education

Stephen Ross, Eric Brunner, Rachel Rosen — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:54:43 -0500

This paper considers recent efforts to conduct experimental and quasi-experimental evaluations of career and technical education programs. It focuses on understanding the counterfactual, or control population, for these program evaluations, discussing how the educational experiences of the control population might vary from those of the treated population and the ways in which the treatment and control populations used for evaluation may differ from each other. The paper begins by discussing the key identification strategies and the associated assumptions used to identify program effects, including regression and propensity score matching, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity designs, randomized controlled trials, and lottery-based admissions. It then presents a series of case studies evaluating the counterfactual for specific studies that used each identification strategy.

Exploration of the training, educational experiences, and technical competencies of entry-level manufacturing engineers in the commercial space industry

Tracy Yother, James Greenan, Stephanie Masta — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:54:57 -0500

The commercial space industry is facing a shortage of qualified workers due to the aging and retirements of the workforce and the inability to find qualifed candiates. The purpose and objective of this study was to explore the training, educational experiences, and technical competencies of entry-level manufacturing engineers. This research was completed as part of a Ph.D. dissertation. All the participants in the study worked as a manufacturing engineer in the commercial space industry. There were five expert level and three entry-level manufacturing engineers (n = 8). This qualitative descriptive study involved interviewing the participants to explore their experiences. Six findings were identified: (a) mentoring used as a teaching tool, (b) you’re going to be doing pretty good, (c) worst case is millions of lives, (d) understand, be familiar, or proficient, (e) the interpreter or the bridge between the design engineer and the shop floor, and (f) the storyteller or make your data tell a story.

Employer Perspectives of Community College Career and Technical Programs A Manufacturing and Engineering Focus Group Exploration

Thomas Gauthier — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:55:05 -0500

Community colleges are the leader in the facilitation of career and technical education (CTE) and workforce development programs (WD), but the quality of the education provided is being questioned by employers who hire recent graduates of these programs. This qualitative study used a focus group comprised of manufacturing and engineering industry professionals in Florida to explore their perspectives on the skills required for recent graduates to be successful in their industry. Ten participants took part in an audio-recorded focus group discussing CTE and WD programs at community colleges. Findings include three themes, integration of knowledge, practical skills, and soft skills. The study's implications are concerned with State and policy in terms of funding a funding structure that supports quality and value, and local implications are focused on curriculum development, program format, and the habits of mind.

Perceptions of Race in Career and Technical Education: Moving Toward Critical Consciousness

Ellen Stoddard, Corliss Thompson, Shariva White — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:55:13 -0500

Career and technical education (CTE) gives students access to skill development and greater economic opportunity, but challenges in the CTE system are pervasive for students of color, specifically Black and Latinx students. This study examines Black and Latinx high school student and teacher experiences with race in a profession-based learning program that awards CTE credits. This basic qualitative study is built around a conceptual framework that starts by examining what racism is in CTE and how it creates barriers for people of color. Findings reveal student and teacher perspectives about defining race as skin color, strong beliefs in meritocracy, and individualized approaches that lead to a lack of awareness of systemic racism. Teachers play a critical role in supporting students through challenges, but they stop short of using their positions to elevate those challenges toward more meaningful systemic change. The recommendations for CTE programs are (a) examine the ability of students and teachers to identify and discuss barriers that exist because of race and (b) take action to increase sociopolitical awareness and critical consciousness.

CTE as Crime Prevention: The Link Between Career and Technical Education and Arrest for Criminal Behavior

Jay Plasman, Al Passarella — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:55:21 -0500

While prior work has explored the relationship between career-focused educational programming on deviant and criminal behavior for incarcerated and delinquent individuals, there is little empirical evidence as to how career and technical education (CTE) participation in traditional high school settings may link to later interaction with the criminal justice system as measured by arrest for criminal behavior. We examine how different CTE pathways through high school may predict later arrest for criminal behavior. Using nationally representative, longitudinal data, we found CTE participation was associated with fewer post-high school arrests and lower likelihood of ever being arrested after high school. Notably, these relationships differed based on intensity of CTE participation. Implications highlight the unique association between CTE and criminal behavior and provide further evidence as to the wide-ranging benefits of CTE participation.

Induction By Quarantine: Stages and Effects of New Career and Technical Education Teachers’ Development

Jeffrey Sun, Heather Turner — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:55:31 -0500

Based on a qualitative study of 19 new career and technical education teachers’ induction during COVID, we asked: how did the new teachers develop their identity and manage their working environment during an academic disruption from an external force? Although challenges these teachers encountered were relatively consistent with prior studies (e.g., frustrated with decisions and policies, placed on the fringes of the school’s operations), our findings reveal that induction challenges and effects became more pronounced, requests to remedy matters became more urgent, and the role of induction became more significant than it may have been during other academic years. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

How multi-level governance frameworks assist community colleges in identifying education-related sustainable development goals

Jeffrey Matu — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:55:37 -0500

Promoting inclusive and equitable postsecondary learning environments is a global priority. Postsecondary institutions, particularly community colleges’ career and technical education (CTE) programs, are increasingly held accountable for achieving education-related sustainable development goals (SDGs) and are expected to provide knowledge of the SDGs and implement them through practice and action. Community colleges rely on multi-level governance frameworks such as voluntary local review (VLR) to substantiate and institutionalize education-related SDG objectives. Though the VLR has been identified as a process for facilitating multi-level collaborative learning, the nature and process of implementing the approach has not been clearly defined and is not well understood. To identify key concepts and main research themes that present sustainability education and inclusive and equitable learning in community colleges, as well as to identify research gaps, a systematic literature review on sustainability education in workforce education and development (WFED) as well as inclusive and equitable learning in community colleges was conducted. The review found that VLR is critical for obtaining new knowledge about education-related SDGs and suggests that community colleges use the VLR to improve organizational contextual features and organizational change, internal structural features and organizational design, and external environment and influencing factors.

Relationship Between Technology Student Association Participation and Soft Skills Development

Lauren Lapinski, Michael Kosloski, Philip Reed — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:55:47 -0500

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between student participation in Technology Student Association and the development of soft skills necessary for gainful employment. This study specifically sought information on relationships between soft skills development and (a) time spent on Technology Student Association activities, (b) competitive event success, (c) assumption of leadership roles, and (d) gender. Data were provided by Pennsylvania Technology Student Association and consisted of survey responses from middle and high school students who are active Technology Student Association members across the state (n = 229).

In addition to descriptive data, a multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable of soft skills score. The independent variables collectively accounted for a significant 16% (R² = .16) of the variance in soft skills score. Time spent per week was a significant predictor of soft skills score (b = .19) as was the assumption of leadership roles (b = .22). Gender was also a significant predictor of soft skills score as females scored higher than males, after controlling for leadership roles assumed, competitive event success, time spent per week, and years of participation.

The Impact of Long-Term International Experiences on Career and Technical Educators: A Mixed-Methods Examination of the International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program

Meikah Dado, Jessica Spence, Jack Elliot — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:55:54 -0500

In 2020, the [Organization 1] established the [Organization 2] funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service. The [Organization 2] provided an opportunity for nine fellows to live in Ghana and implement the school-based agricultural education system, originally based on the vocational agricultural education model from the 1917 Smith Hughes Act. A mixed methods approach examined the impact of a 10-month international fellowship experience on the fellows and their perceived impact on the rural communities they served. Using a convergent parallel method, qualitative and quantitative data were collected concurrently, analyzed separately, then compared to examine the phenomenon and draw conclusions. Themes from the qualitative data include programmatic adjustments, international development, challenges, personal and professional growth, and personal positivity’s. Quantitative results suggest participants had significant growth in professional formation. The qualitative results confirm the quantitative statistical significance of professional formation growth and disconfirms the statistical insignificance growth in cultural awareness and agricultural enhancement.

Secondary Non-Traditional, Urban Agriculture Students Of Color And Their Motivation To Stay In Agriculture: A Study Of Retention

Callan Hand, Barry Croom, James Anderson, II, Ashley Yopp, Aaron Golson — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:56:00 -0500

This study describes the internal values that motivate non-traditional urban agriculture students to stay in the field and the external factors influencing the motivation of non-traditional urban agriculture students to remain in the field of agriculture. We employed a phenomenological approach to gathering information on student motivation and engagement, background, knowledge, lived experiences, and plans after graduation. Based on the findings, we concluded that urban students of color have a favorable opinion of agriculture when provided with a systematic course of instruction in the agricultural sciences, especially when learning experiences are closely aligned with their academic and career interests. We further concluded that instruction in the agricultural sciences and positive agricultural youth organization experiences lead urban students of color to have a favorable opinion of the agriculture industry but do not lead to a career preference for agriculture. Urban students of color had a favorable view of local agricultural youth organization experiences but perceived that the FFA Organization above the school level is not inclusive of urban students of color. Finally, agriculture teachers, mentors, and role models support positive academic performance and career development choices in urban students of color.

Practical and Pertinent: Describing the Need for Meaningful Professional Development Among Agricultural Educators

John Norris, Kirk Swortzel, OP McCubbins — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:56:06 -0500

Throughout agricultural education’s 100+ year history, teacher effectiveness/confidence has remained a consistent factor in student achievement. Furthermore, targeted professional development is a common modality in improving teacher effectiveness/confidence. Throughout an agricultural educator’s career, their professional development needs change. In addition, the teacher shortage has been reported throughout the current literature. This study aimed to assess the perceptions of [State A], [State B], and [State C] agricultural educators on various FFA/SAE, Teaching Methods/Financial, and Instructional professional development topics and the impact they would have on their confidence. Each participant rated the impact of the professional development topics on a Likert scale ranging from 1 = No Impact at All to 5 = Extremely Impactful. Overall, early career teachers, mid-career teachers, and late career teachers collectively chose Career Development Events, Leadership Development Events, teaching in a greenhouse/wood-working shop/classroom, managing facilities, classroom management, and instructional/curricular development in animal science, agricultural mechanics, plant systems, and natural resources as the most impactful professional development areas. In addition, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was utilized to reduce the thirty original professional development topics down to seven principal components named 1.) Curriculum PD, 2.) SAE Progression and SAE Record Keeping PD, 3.) Classroom Instruction Progression PD, 4.) FFA Management PD, 5.) Agricultural Mechanics Instruction PD, 6.) Animal Science Instruction PD, and 7.) Plant Science Instruction PD. Within each principal component, the correlation of individual professional development topics was assessed.

Facilitator STEM Teaching Identity Development Via Online Informal STEM Education During the COVID-19 Era

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:56:13 -0500

Informal STEM education (ISE) programs are known to foster heightened student engagement due to leveling the student-teacher hierarchy, free choice, self-directed learning experiences, and hands-on pedagogies. ISE has also been shown to be effective in helping to prepare the K-12 STEM teacher workforce by fostering STEM teaching identity. The COVID-19 pandemic forced most ISE programs to move their activities to virtual formats which changed the ways facilitators provide meaningful informal STEM learning for students, and as such, moving online had implications for how their STEM teaching identity developed. The objective of this study is to examine the role that COVID-19 mandated virtual learning played in the STEM teaching identity development of facilitators in an ISE program which had historically been offered in-person. Using a naturalistic inquiry design, we identified three themes that contextualize the STEM teaching identity development for 5 facilitators participating in online ISE: (1) Navigating Difficulties Engaging Students; (2) Building Bonds; and (3) Perspective Taking. This paper concludes by discussing implications these themes have for informal STEM programs, online ISE educators, and the environments supporting ISE educators going forward.

Implications of Science Illumination on Student Motivation to Learn Science in Agriculture

Natalie Ferand, Catherine DiBenedetto, Brian Myers, Debra Barry — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:56:19 -0500

Public perception of agriculture represents a significant barrier in preparing people to enter the agricultural sector because careers in agriculture are outdated, low paying, or less desirable. However, emphasis on science has been shown to attract students to school-based agricultural education (SBAE) programs. Research has shown that offering science credit for SBAE courses can be a motivational factor. Science illumination with SBAE can make scientific core ideas meaningful by providing opportunities to apply concepts to real-world scenarios. Using convenience sampling, the population for this study consisted of students of agriscience teachers who applied to be part of the [name] program. Students’ motivation to learn science was evaluated using a modified version of the Student Motivation Questionnaire-II (SMQ-II). The SMQ-II measured: 1) self-determination, 2) self-efficacy, 3) career motivation, 4) grade motivation, and 5) intrinsic motivation. Students from three groups displayed similar levels of self-efficacy throughout the study. As self-efficacy is positively correlated with academic success, observing students’ beliefs in themselves is encouraging. Overall, the students in this study were generally motivated to learn the science in agriculture. This study should be replicated with a larger sample size. To assist with potentially increasing student motivation, we recommend that agriscience teachers focus curricula on making content relevant to students to support students’ interests and align content with career opportunities in agriculture.

Listening to Rural Community Experts

Rosemary McBride — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:56:25 -0500

Rural communities are diverse, with unique postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) needs. Comprehensive local needs assessments (CLNA), required by Perkins V, were introduced so CTE programs would address the diverse realities their programs served. However, insufficient research has described the differences in the viewpoints of rural individuals with different racial and ethnic backgrounds and their perceptions of postsecondary CTE needs in these communities. Using a transformative paradigm that challenges prevailing forms of inequality and poverty, this research sought to center minority voices. Integrating qualitative and quantitative data from Indigenous and non-Indigenous experts in rural areas highlighted points of consensus about what the labor force needs are while also highlighting the dissensus about how to meet community needs in a culturally appropriate way. This study contrasts how Indigenous community leaders recount their perceived view of the importance of postsecondary CTE programs to non-Indigenous views and local labor force data.

Student Decision Making and the Choice of Non-degree Postsecondary Pathways

Estefanie Aguilar Padilla, Rachel Baker, Sarah Beu — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:56:31 -0500

Non-degree postsecondary programs are often seen as complements to, rather than substitutes for, other postsecondary credentials. However, many of these programs could serve as entry points into high-wage, stable careers for students right out of high school. Increasing and equalizing participation in high-quality non-degree postsecondary programs requires better understanding the student choice process; a nuanced understanding of this choice process could lead to better-targeted and more effective interventions to increase participation. In this paper we use unique survey data that asked high-school students about their beliefs and perceptions about specific postsecondary programs, including non-degree pathways. We make two main contributions. First, we present some of the first descriptive evidence of student perceptions of the costs and benefits associated with non-degree postsecondary pathways. Second, using data on the postsecondary pathways students stated they were currently considering, we examined the factors most associated with students selecting non-degree postsecondary pathways. This study provides important insights into potential student sorting across programs and can also help us to understand how this decision-making process might have implications for future economic, social, and civic outcomes.

VTE Student Burnout from Covid-19 Pandemic: Exploring Student and Family Risk and Protective Factors

Gen Li, Xilong Jing, Tony Tan, Hongyan Ban — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:56:37 -0500

Due to China’s three years of “Zero Covid” containment policy, vocational and technological high school students could not participate in work-based learning, had to take classes online and often were isolated from their families. The impact of the unprecedented disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic on students’ wellbeing is well documented, but little is known about the experiences of vocational and technical high school students whose vocational identity development depends heavily on work-based learning experiences. In our study, we focused on student burnout because it is an important aspect of student wellbeing. Specifically, we tested how variations in perceived impact of Covid-19 pandemic, career adaptability, psychological capital, academic performance, and parental career guidance contributed to differences in Chinese vocational and technical high school students’ sense of burnout. Academic data were obtained directly from school, while other data were directly obtained from 302 high school students from one vocational and technical high school in Eastern China. Regression results showed that student burnout was significantly predicted by father’s education level, parental career support, academic performance, perceived impact of Covid-19 pandemic, but not by student career adaptability, the student’s parent’s career interference, or parental lack-of-engagement. Overall, the variables accounted for 53.6% of the variance in student burnout.

An Exploratory Evaluation of the Agricultural Career Experiences Curricular Resource

Emily Sewell, Shane Robinson, Jon Ramsey, Rob Terry, Ki Cole — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0500

This exploratory evaluation of [State] SBAE students’ perceived knowledge, experience, interest to learn more, and motivation to pursue a career in the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) Career Pathway (The National Council for Agricultural Education, 2015) areas while engaging the Agricultural Career Experience (AgCE) curricular resource. The study also sought to evaluate the resource by obtaining SBAE students’ and teachers’ perceptions of their experience. The Theory of Planned Behavior guided the evaluation’s attempt to understand students and teachers experience with the resource. Using a convergent, parallel mixed-methods design, data were collected through questionnaires and interviews with students and teachers. Descriptive statistics and eclectic coding strategies were used to explain the quantitative and qualitative findings. Findings were then analyzed to evaluate the curricular resource. The evaluative study found the resource to meet curricular needs associated with Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs) and AFNR exposure. However, challenges such as usability of the resource, student engagement, and timing impacted the students’ and teachers’ perceptions of the resource. It was concluded that the resource serves as a viable tool for programs.

Influencing the Next Agriculturalists: Impacts of Study Abroad Experiences in Agricultural Education Classrooms

Joy Morgan, Alyssa Degreenia, Melissa Hendrickson — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:57:05 -0500

With the increasing globalization of companies and the workforce, specifically within the agricultural industry, educators seek to prepare workers with technical and soft skills that will allow employability in multicultural environments (Heinert & Roberts, 2016). Using the lens of Transformative Learning Theory and Self Determination Theory, the researchers examined the impacts of an undergraduate study abroad experience on the motivations of agricultural educators to incorporate global awareness into their curriculum. A basic qualitative approach guided the study with twelve agricultural educators to derive meaning and understanding from their experiences. Semi-structured interviews yielded the emergence of six themes: Power of Storytelling, Broadened Perspective, Influence of People, 21st Century Skills, Reflection and Application, and Food and Agriculture as a Universal Language. “A-ha” moments during their study abroad gave teachers the initial reflection leading to the need to apply international agriculture concepts within their curriculum. Today, these teachers desire to lead their own students through those “a-ha” moments while also encouraging them to participate in a study abroad experience just as they were influenced to participate. Further, through their exposure to diverse perspectives, these teachers see the value in teaching students from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

An Analytical Framework to Measure Participation in Secondary Career and Technical Education

Oscar Aliaga — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:57:14 -0500

Research results on participation in secondary career and technical education (CTE) have shown important differences that relate to the content of what is being analyzed and the type of measures used. Those differences hide the complexity of CTE, depict an inadequate portrayal of students’ participation in CTE, and hinder the possibility of having comparable analyses. At the core of such differences resides the assumption that CTE is a monolithic model and that CTE is offered equally in all schools across the country. I propose a two-pronged framework to better understand student participation in secondary CTE. First, I propose to focus research on specific CTE programs or occupational areas (like manufacturing, agriculture, architecture, and so on) instead of examining CTE as an aggregate, overarching category. Second, I suggest using levels of CTE credit-taking, which better reflect the different models of CTE delivery. By using 2 credits, more than 2 credits, 1.0 to 1.5 credits, and 0.5 credits or less, research can better examine the impact of those levels in learning and acquiring knowledge and skills in CTE programs. This analytical framework can become a research tool for a more realistic analysis of CTE participation.

Exclusive STEM-CTE Teaching: Teacher Typologies and Student Outcomes

Jay Plasman, Monique Harrison, Xiaoxue Zhou — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:57:21 -0500

Teacher workload is a key consideration in supporting student outcomes. We investigate whether this factor applies to CTE teachers as well—with a specific focus on STEM-CTE (i.e., STEM-focused career and technical education). We examine teacher characteristics associated with teaching only STEM-CTE coursework in high school (i.e., “STEM-CTE exclusivity”) as well as student outcomes related to having a STEM-CTE exclusive teacher. We use data from the Maryland Longitudinal Data System (MLDS)—employing school and cohort fixed effects techniques—to identify potential benefits of having a STEM-CTE exclusive teacher. We find STEM-CTE exclusive teachers were more likely to be male, older, and have alternative teaching certifications. With respect to student outcomes, students who have STEM-CTE exclusive teachers are expected to have higher STEM-CTE grades and likelihood of STEM-CTE pathway completion. They are also more likely to have a higher GPA in advanced math courses and graduate on time. Implications are discussed.

Refusing the Master’s Tools: An Abolition Feminist Framework for Career and Technical Education for Black Girls

Riley Drake, Renae Mayes, Carla Cheatham, Dominique Simms — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:57:29 -0500

Contemporary reconceptualizations of Career and Technical Education (CTE) often emphasize the need for more post-secondary opportunities for racially marginalized students. However, CTE, ostensibly enacted to facilitate access to opportunities, functions as a mode of social control for the racial capitalist project, and increased exposure and more CTE for students of color, particularly Black girls who have been notoriously neglected across the profession, without a refusal of its extractive purpose, will not radically shift possibilities for their futures. In this article, we apply Critical Race Feminism to analyze the current contextual landscape for Black girls in CTE, and argue that CTE educators and school counselors must turn toward the politics of abolition feminism to radically transform future possibilities for and with Black girls. We offer five life-affirming tenets of abolition feminist praxis that refuse the master’s tools (Lorde, 1984) of traditional CTE and center and elevate the humanity and world-making of Black girls.

Predicting High School Students’ Transportation Career Intentions: The Roles of Gender and Belonging

Pat Garriott, Bo Hyun Lee — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:57:38 -0500

Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics is one of the 15 occupational areas covered under the National Career Clusters© Framework and is projected to grow in the next decade. The exclusion of women in transportation is a significant barrier to ensuring a robust and equitable workforce. This study examined predictors of transportation career intentions in a sample (N = 263) of high school students. Participants completed measures of: attitudes toward transportation careers, social norms, ambient belonging, and transportation career intentions. Results of structural equation modeling indicated a model with attitudes, social norms, and ambient belonging as predictors of intentions provided a close fit to the data and that the path from ambient belonging to transportation career intentions was significant. The final structural model explained 66% of the variance in intentions. A multiple group analysis indicated that the relationship between ambient belonging and intentions was stronger for females than males. Results have implications for the role of belonging in transportation career and technical education.

Experience of STEM-Interested Students in a Career Planning Course: A Qualitative Inquiry

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:57:45 -0500

Postsecondary retention of students in STEM continues to be a challenge. Access to mentorship, experiential learning activities, and lack of intentional K-12 preparation impact retention in STEM for students of color in particular. Career development interventions that provide focus on self-exploration, career decision-making, and career thoughts can increase retention and decidedness for students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to illuminate the experiences of undergraduate STEM interested students (specifically students of color) in a STEM focused career planning course. Our primary research question was, “How do students in a STEM focused career planning course describe their experiences from the course?” The researchers found that, overall, students had a positive experience in the class and it helped them find mentorship, become more decided in a major, and learn about the world of work.

Influence of Community Cultural Wealth on Undergraduate Hispanic and Black Women's Persistence in the STEM+C Workforce Pipeline

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:57:52 -0500

To promote racial and gender equity in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computing (STEM+C), we investigated prominent influences on historically underrepresented minority (HURM) women’s persistence in undergraduate education. With the underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic women in the computing workforce, this study focused on the experiences of this population as they persisted in their undergraduate education at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in Texas. This mixed-method study employed the [deidentified text] survey instrument and the [deidentified text] interview protocol to illuminate the community cultural wealth (CCW) factors and relevant lived experiences that influenced Black and Hispanic women’s persistence in undergraduate computing education. To center justice and equity, we utilized a revised CCW framework as the theoretical framework to provide an anti-deficit understanding of how women of color access their strengths to persist in postsecondary education. The CCW framework was modified to include spiritual capital as a critical source of fortitude and resilience in Black and Hispanic communities. Our findings highlight ways in which CCW factors influenced Black and Hispanic women’s persistence in undergraduate computing education in response to better understand this population in their attainment and representation in STEM+C disciplines.

Books 2 Basketball: Linking Sports, Education and Career Success Using an After-school Program

Sam Steen, Hung-ling Liu, Melissa Chang — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:57:59 -0500

In this article we describe the Books 2 Basketball (B2B) program along with the outcomes examined after its implementation. This program was not evaluated for effectiveness but to determine if the program was feasible. The B2B program is an after-school program geared toward exposing youth to college preparatory dialogue using the development of basketball and academic skills. The overarching goal of this program was to promote students’ potential for academic success which enhances post-secondary options, by teaching children basic basketball and basic arithmetic/mathematical skills (i.e. how to calculate fractions, percentages, decimals, and ratios). The findings illustrate the implications of sport and recreation-related programs used for students of color to promote their learning, career development, and physical health. The B2B engages students in a popular game to demonstrate the link between engaging in difficult work in the classroom and success on the basketball court and vice versa. We conclude this article with implications for research, practice and policy.

An Examination of Race/Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status in Career and Technical Education: Technical Skill Assessment as a Predictor of Postsecondary Success

Michelle Lynn Conrad, Michael Pantleo, Krystle Gremaud, Shelby Cobb — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:58:08 -0500

This quantitative study was conducted to determine if a relationship exists between former Missouri Career and Technical Education (CTE) concentrators’ Technical Skills Assessment (TSA) performance and attaining related placement after high school, specifically analyzing for differences among racial/ethnic and socioeconomic status (SES) groups. The study included data from 65,606 students who graduated over a five year time frame. To investigate these relationships, multiple descriptive models were run and disaggregated by gender, race/ethnicity, and SES. Students who passed their TSA were more likely to attain related placement compared to those not passing, but disadvantaged (lower SES) and Black students across all CTE program areas had decreased odds of attaining related placement compared to not disadvantaged or other racial/ethnic students. Additional analysis to determine the relationship by CTE content areas included multiple binary logistic regression models. The findings demonstrate positive impacts of secondary CTE programs, but equity concerns are raised that may need further examination.

Safety Issues and Accident Occurrences Reported by P-12 Engineering Educators in the Middle Atlantic United States

Tyler Love — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:58:18 -0500

Many state education departments categorize P-12 engineering programs within their career and technical education (CTE) career clusters. While these valuable hands-on programs often have inherent safety risks, they are essential for developing important skills (e.g., safety practices) that students will transfer into post-secondary engineering and technical programs as well as the workplace. Therefore, this study examined a broad range of safety issues and accident occurrences reported by 117 P-12 engineering teachers from the middle Atlantic (mid-Atlantic) United States (U.S.). Analyses identified numerous safety factors that were significantly associated with accident occurrences, and significant differences were discovered in regard to the types of tools/items that were involved in accidents. Moreover, there was a significant difference in the occurrence of accidents between different P-12 engineering courses. This research provides implications for proactively identifying significant safety issues, that when addressed, should help to reduce the occurrence of accidents in P-12 engineering courses. Identifying significant safety issues at the P-12 level can also assist post-secondary engineering/technical programs and employers with focusing their safety instruction on the areas of greatest need for incoming students and young workers. This can help foster collaborative safety instruction and outreach efforts among post-secondary programs, P-12 programs, and business/industry partners.

Partnerships Establishing and Sustaining High-Quality Youth Pre-Apprenticeship: Exploring Key Roles and Skills

Michelle Elizabeth Bartlett, James Bartlett, II, Rusty Parker — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:58:32 -0500

Apprenticeships provide pathways to postsecondary education that lead to careers with a livable wage, without requiring bachelor’s degrees from four-year colleges. However, in the United States apprenticeship have remained underutilized. Youth Pre-apprenticeships provide a pathway that prepares individuals between 16-24 years of age to enter a Registered Apprenticeship. These programs provide additional means to career exploration opportunities to better prepare youth for careers, provide hands-on learning experiences, increase potential earnings, and meet the workforce needs. However, there is not much research to understand how organizations have established and sustained the youth pre-apprenticeship. The purpose of this study is to examine partnerships for youth pre-apprenticeship to better understand the roles of partners in starting and sustaining a pre-apprenticeship program, and how youth pre-apprenticeships are evaluated. The findings highlight the functional areas needed for pre-apprenticeship programs, the required roles, and how evaluation is conducted. Based on this study, the roles include a champion as well as individuals with the skills of business functions such general management, sales and marketing, finance and accounting, customer service, and human resources. This study provides implications for research and practice.

“We want to give people skills that will get them jobs”: Community college career and technical education faculty members’ teaching strategies

Brett Nachman, Christopher Wernimont — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:58:39 -0500

Increased attention toward filling skills gaps have prompted community colleges to prepare a new wave of employees. Community colleges have long turned to former industry professionals, now serving as career and technical education (CTE) faculty, to train students for fruitful careers. This narrative inquiry study featured interviews with 20 community college CTE faculty and aimed to address this research question: what teaching approaches do community college CTE faculty, as practitioners-turned-educators, implement with their students? Findings showcased five strategies that CTE faculty implement: 1) drawing on professional experiences to shape curriculum; 2) looking to industry for current needed skills; 3) leveraging how students learn to promote practical industry skills; 4) prioritizing students’ humanity; and 5) assisting with internship acquisition. We offer implications to researchers on how to further unravel these participants’ distinct perspectives, as well as provide recommendations to practitioners on how to support CTE faculty in their vital campus capacities.

How Student Teaching and Degree Level Impact Perceived Preparedness for Beginning CTE, Math, and Science Teachers

Bradley Bowen, Thomas Williams — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:58:54 -0500

Understanding how beginning teachers feel about their preparation before entering the classroom is critical in developing teacher supports. Two specific aspects of teacher quality and preparation include student teaching, or the ability to practice teaching before entering the classroom, and the highest degree obtained. This study analyzes data from the 2020-2021 National Teacher and Principal Survey to determine if there is a difference in the perceived preparedness of beginning CTE, math, and science teachers. The analysis also includes looking at how the teacher’s degree levels impact their level of preparedness. The results show that beginning CTE, math, and science teachers who had the opportunity to practice teaching before entering the classroom had a statistically significant difference in perceived preparedness compared to the teachers who did not have the opportunity to practice teaching. Regarding degree level, overall, there was no difference between those teachers with a bachelor’s degree or lower compared to those with a master’s degree or higher. Of the teachers with a bachelor’s degree or less, beginning math teachers had a statistically significant higher perceived preparedness than CTE teachers.

Self-Efficacy and STEM Education

Charlene Smith — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:59:06 -0500

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has become widely promoted. Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) uses science to improve home life while reinforcing technology, engineering, and mathematics principles. However, FCS is not usually recognized as a STEM subject. The purpose of this study was to determine what factors may affect FCS teachers’ level of self-efficacy in teaching STEM to provide supports that improve teaching practices. This quantitative study surveyed secondary FCS teachers in Pennsylvania using the T-STEM Survey for Elementary Teachers. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The first research question explored the level of self-efficacy of FCS teachers regarding teaching STEM concepts. The second research question explored how each of the teacher demographic variables respectively predict the level of self-efficacy of FCS teachers when teaching STEM concepts. The five independent variables were participation in FCCLA, number of STEM courses taken, education level, number of years in teaching, and gender. Overall, FCS teachers scored highest in 21st century learning attitudes and lowest in STEM instruction. Results indicated the independent variable, number of STEM courses taken, was a significant predictor of 21st century learning attitudes (b = .02, SE = .01, p = .019).

Earning industry certifications in high school:

Elzabeth Glennie, Ben Dalton , Roger Studley, Erich Lauff — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:59:16 -0500

Industry certifications can help people prepare for jobs in a range of careers. Many state educational systems have given students the opportunity to earn certifications in secondary school. Earning a certification may help students prepare for college, but benefits may differ by career cluster or the demographic characteristics of the certification-earner. Using comprehensive administrative data on two cohorts of first-time ninth graders from Florida, we examine whether earning a certification is associated with postsecondary educational enrollment and attainment in 2 and 4-year colleges for separate groups of certification earners. Earning a certification in high school not only prepares students for jobs -- but it also prepares them for success in both 2 and 4-year colleges. The patterns of certifications and college enrollment and degree attainment were similar across career clusters and demographic groups of students, suggesting that certifications have a role to play in supporting equitable outcomes for high school graduates.