Dissertation Archive, WMU Graduate College

Dissertation Defense

Candidate: Brenda S. Clark

Degree of: Doctor of Education

Department: Teaching, Learning and Leadership

Title: Sustaining Innovation in Career and Technical Education

Date: Thursday, April 29, 2004 1:00-3:00 p.m.
3014 Kohrmann

Committee: Dr. Carl Woloszyk, Chair
Dr. Linda Dannison
Dr. Sue Poppink

Abstract: There has been little research done in career and technical education to determine what makes programs sustainable once the person who started the program has left or funding has decreased or disappeared. Innovative and successful programs are frequently started only to close or to reach a dead end. This study will seek to determine what components are necessary to sustain and grow a Career and Technical Education program. The primary audiences for the research study will be community college and university teacher preparation departments and career and technical education departments.
A survey was sent to Occupational Education Studies (OES) students and to OES professionals ant the 14 partnered community colleges and WMU. Follow-up surveys were sent to students and professionals who did not respond to the original surveys.
Three major themes were identified: (1) the recruitment strategies that were most successful in getting students into the OES degree program, (2) the levels of satisfaction for OES students and the professionals from the community colleges and WMU staff that have participated with the OES teacher education program, and (3) the factors that affect sustainability of a program.
Respondents were satisfied overall with the OES program and its components. Students were very satisfied with the convenience and variety of course formats available. Students were least satisfied with understanding the steps needed to complete the OES degree. The most successful recruitment strategies were the OES brochures and WMU guidance staff. Additional information shows that occupational instructors and secondary administrators, guidance, and staff need to understand the OES program so that they can share information with potential students. One are of concern is the lack of direct communication between CTE staff and OES students.
The factors that will affect the sustainability of the OES program include level of communication, commitment to the program from deans of occupational education, and marketing techniques used by the community colleges.

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