The Perceptions of Career and Technical Education (CTE) Teachers on the Influence of CTE on Student Engagement

Abstract

Learning in school requires active engagement. Student engagement is an important aspect for all students, whether urban, suburban, or rural, and regardless of socioeconomic background. Students enter Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs for a multitude of reasons and CTE programs offer unique support for student success by increasing student engagement. This study will focus on CTE teachers' perceptions of the influence that CTE programs and industry credentialing have on student engagement.

Utilizing information on student engagement will help educators develop strategies to promote student motivation and student engagement, thus leading to student academic success. This study is a quantitative, descriptive statistical study in which the researcher examined studies that focused on student engagement and student engagement predictors. The research identified six qualities of student engagement: positive conduct and absence of disruptive conduct, school attendance, academic progress, social membership, high expectations in students' ability to achieve, and emotional support. The researcher developed a survey to examine teachers' perceptions of CTE influence on student engagement by including the six qualities of student engagement as guidelines for questionnaire development.

Results of the survey indicate that CTE teachers identify all six domains of student engagement as represented within their course structure. Responses of all groups were similar, while their levels of industry involvement different. Additional results of all teacher responses are provided in the paper.