Browsing by Author "Lichtenberger, Eric J."

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    The Accuracy of Meta-Stereotypes Applied to Career and Technical Education
    Lichtenberger, Eric J. (Virginia Tech, 2004-05-04)
    This study identified the accuracy with which local career and technical education (CTE) administrators perceive the stereotypes of CTE students, teachers, and programs held by Virginia Department of Education administrators. In order to measure the aforementioned meta-accuracy: (a) the stereotypes of CTE students, teachers, and programs held by (VDOE) administrators were determined, (b) the meta-stereotypes of local CTE administrators regarding the stereotypes of CTE programs, students, and teachers held by VDOE administrators were established, and (c) the stereotypes and the meta-stereotypes were compared. Data analyzed revealed that some of the traditional stereotypical descriptors of CTE teachers, students, and programs were held by VDOE administrators. Some stereotypes of note were: (a) CTE students do not plan to go to college, (b) CTE students are good with concrete concepts, (c) CTE students enjoy nonacademic classes more than academic ones, (d) CTE students are not from middle to upper socioeconomic class, (e) CTE teachers have lots of on-the-job experience, and (f) CTE programs are isolated from the rest of the school. Local CTE administrators possessed meta-stereotypes that indicated that VDOE administrators would stereotype CTE students as: (a) not being leaders in school, (b) not having college-educated parents, (c) being motivated by material rewards, (d) enjoying nonacademic classes more than academic ones, (e) being easily influenced by peers, and (f) not being from middle to upper socio-economic class. Local CTE administrators had meta-stereotypes that indicated VDOE administrators would stereotype CTE teachers as: (a) being more of a practitioner than a theorist, (b) being good with concrete concepts, and (c) not possessing master's degrees. Local CTE administrators had meta-stereotypes that indicated VDOE administrators would stereotype CTE programs as: (a) being a good return on investment, (b) providing for the education of the whole person, (c) being beneficial to all students, (d) being expensive to maintain, (e) having enrollment typically of students from blue-collar or agriculture background, and (f) being for students who work better with their hands. Local CTE administrators were accurately able to predict the way VDOE administrators would respond to the statements depicting stereotypes of CTE students, teachers, and programs for 45 of the 62 items. Conversely, they were not able to accurately predict 17 out of the 62 statements. Overall, the accuracy of the meta-stereotypes (meta-accuracy) of local CTE administrators varied depending upon what was being measured. The meta-accuracy in relation to CTE teachers was highest (11 out of the 12 items) and the meta-accuracy was lowest in relation to CTE programs (10 out of 17 items). In relation to CTE students, local CTE administrators were accurate in predicting 24 out of the 33 items.
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    Benefits and Challenges Associated with Using Virtual Labs and  Solutions to Overcome Them
    Ngoyi, Luka (Virginia Tech, 2013-05-06)
    This study investigated the benefits and challenges associated with the use of virtual labs to teach students, as well as solutions to overcome the challenges.  This study was because of the need to develop and implement virtual labs in Zambian institutions of learning.  There are plans in Zambia to use virtual labs to supplement the existing laboratory infrastructure and their application would be in a blended type of setting. The study comprised the use of interviews of ten career and technical education (CTE) teachers and five CTE administrators who were from various local school systems and one community college in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  The researcher conducted the interviews, analyzed the data, and determined conclusions. The CTE administrators and teachers all agreed that the benefits of virtual labs included flexibility, hands-on learning, and convenience.  With regard to challenges, CTE administrators indicated the following: inadequate teacher preparation for virtual teaching; constant technological changes, which meant more training for them; software problems; and teachers' resistance to the changes in their curricula.  Teachers, on the other hand, had the following challenges: inadequate communication between them and the technology centers in the schools, frequent failure of laboratory equipment and software, incompetent students allowed to study virtually, and inadequate training to teach in a virtual environment. CTE administrators identified three solutions to the challenges which they had faced.  In order to ensure that their virtual programs were running smoothly, they felt that adequate funding needed to be obtained and kept in the budget for training new and older teachers in the use of new teaching software.  They identified various venues for training teachers, including attendance at conferences, technological expositions, and bringing in software vendors to train the teachers on site.  The administrators also thought that providing adequate and prompt technical support when teachers had technical problems could help overcome the identified challenges.  On the other hand, CTE teachers thought that collaborating with other teachers who were facing similar problems would be an excellent way to overcome challenges.  They also indicated that initial training and continual training to update their skills would help them overcome problems.
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    Career and Technical Education (CTE) Directors' Experiences with CTE's Contributions to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education Implementation
    Nkhata, Bentry (Virginia Tech, 2013-11-25)
    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.
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    Curriculum Track And Its Influences On Predicting High School Dropout Likelihood
    Mohd Kamalludeen, Rosemaliza (Virginia Tech, 2012-07-06)
    Dropping out of school is a major concern as high school graduation credentials have been used as an important measurement tool to define post-secondary success. Numerous researchers presented a multitude of factors that predict dropouts at individual and school levels. Curriculum track choice, or high school course-taking sequence, defines students' schooling career and ultimately the post-secondary path that they choose (Plank, DeLuca, & Estacion, 2008). Scholars have debated on various outcomes related to dropouts influenced by various curriculum choices, namely academic, career and technical education (CTE), dual enrollment, and general curriculum. Several argued students following academic tracks are more likely to graduate. Others claim that CTE benefits students who are at-risk and suppresses dropout likelihood (Rumberger & Sun, 2008). New vocationalism or dual enrollment has proven successful at reducing dropout rates. This study attempted to investigate the influence of curriculum track and CTE program areas on dropout likelihood while controlling for possible individual differences. Analysis was conducted via Hierarchical Generalized Linear Modeling (HGLM) due to the nested data structure of Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS). Variables included were academic background, academic and career aspiration, school-sponsored activity participation, school minority composition, school average student socio-economic status (SES), school type (private or public), school urbanicity, CTE courses offered at the school, and demographic indicators (gender, race, and SES). Findings reflect higher dropout likelihood among general curriculum participants than academic and occupational concentrators after controlling for all possible individual differences. Dual concentrators had 0% dropout rate, and therefore comparison with other curriculum tracks was not possible via HGLM analysis. Results suggest substantial importance of academic background, post-secondary education plans, and school-sponsored activity participation in predicting dropout likelihood. Comparing CTE program areas, Family and Consumer Sciences, Human Services, Public Services, Health and Education (Human Services area) participants were more likely to drop out than other program areas while Technology Education participants were less likely to drop out than Human Services and 2 or more CTE program area participants. Results suggest 9th grade overall GPA and school-sponsored activity participation as substantial predictors of dropout likelihood among occupational concentrators. Variability across schools was insignificant.
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    The Relative Importance of Selected Variables on the Employment Consistency of Virginia Ex-Offenders
    Onyewu, Chinonyerem Nonye Chidozie (Virginia Tech, 2009-02-06)
    To decrease the steady rise in the prison population, we must deter ex-offenders from re-offending and recidivating, once they have been released. For ex-offenders, finding employment is critical to successful post-release re-integration which can help reduce the chances of them recidivating. Ex-offenders who are consistent in their employment patterns are less likely to return to a life of crime. This study investigated the relative importance and significance of 11 selected variables on four separate levels of employment consistency. The selected variables were chosen based on what has been identified in the literature as effecting employment patterns of ex-offenders and the general population, and what data was reliable and available. The study group consisted of 2,314 male Virginia ex-offenders released in fiscal year 2001. The results revealed that the variables of time served, career and technical education program completions, educational level, age at release, race, and being convicted of a violent offense were positive predictors of employment consistency. On the other hand, having a record of minor infractions and being a repeat offender were associated with decreasing employment consistency in the analysis. The findings of the study suggest that it is important for offenders to make changes in the ways they think and their attitudes. This can be accomplished by taking advantage of opportunities in prison to participate in rehabilitative services and educational programs. In addition, as offenders get older they tend to abandon criminal ways of thinking, and once released they are more apt to stay employed. Furthermore, the influence of the race variable did not affect the study group of ex-offenders as anticipated.