Concordia University St. Paul DigitalCommons@CSP Concordia University Portland Graduate CUP Ed. Dissertations Research 4-1-2019 The Efficacy of Postsecondary Vocational Curriculum in Preparing Students to Transition from School to Work Peter Brown Concordia University - Portland, pete.edu Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.edu/cup_commons_grad_edd Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Brown, P. The Efficacy of Postsecondary Vocational Curriculum in Preparing Students to Transition from School to Work (Thesis, Concordia University, St.
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Concordia University - Portland CU Commons Ed. Dissertations Graduate Theses & Dissertations 4-2019 The Efficacy of Postsecondary Vocational Curriculum in Preparing Students to Transition from School to Work Peter Brown Concordia University - Portland Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.edu/edudissertations Part of the Education Commons CU Commons Citation Brown, Peter, "The Efficacy of Postsecondary Vocational Curriculum in Preparing Students to Transition from School to Work" (2019).edu/edudissertations/268 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Theses & Dissertations at CU Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ed. Dissertations by an authorized administrator of CU Commons.
For more information, please contact libraryadmin@cu- portland. Concordia University–Portland College of Education Doctorate of Education Program WE, THE UNDERSIGNED MEMBERS OF THE DISSERTATION COMMITTEE CERTIFY THAT WE HAVE READ AND APPROVE THE DISSERTATION OF Peter James Brown, Sr. CANDIDATE FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF EDUCATION Brianna Parsons, Ed., Faculty Chair Dissertation Committee Michael J., Content Specialist Okema Branch, Ed., Content Reader The Efficacy of Postsecondary Vocational Curriculum in Preparing Students to Transition From School to Work Peter James Brown Sr. Concordia University–Portland College of Education Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the College of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Brianna Parsons, Ed., Faculty Chair Dissertation Committee Michael J., Content Specialist Okema Branch, Ed., Content Reader Concordia University–Portland 2019 Abstract Postsecondary vocational education in the United States has become an important part of training in the current knowledge-based economy.
One such program of study is Natural Gas Compression. This industry requires highly trained individuals who maintain and repair the natural gas engines and compressors that gather, process, and distribute natural gas throughout the United States. This qualitative case study addressed two questions. First, how do graduates of a career and technical education (CTE) program perceive and describe how a technical curriculum prepared them for the transition from school to work? Secondly, how do CTE industry partners relate their understanding of how a technical curriculum prepared their employees for on-the-job demands? This study intended to provide valuable insight on the efficacy of the curriculum of a Natural Gas Compression program (NGC) on providing the skills and training needed for a smooth school-to-work transition.
Through semistructured interviews, graduate participants of this study believed that the NGC program curriculum gave them the skills and training necessary to smoothly transition from school to the workplace. In addition, industry partner participants felt that NGC graduates make excellent employees and admire their maturity and skill sets. All participants believed that there was a need for more “hands on” training and that the lack of this training may have caused them to have some problems initially. The implications and recommendations for further research based on the findings from this study are discussed.
Keywords: School to work, postsecondary, career and technical education (CTE), natural gas compression (NGC). ii Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to all those who have supported me during this journey. iii Acknowledgements Thank you to my wife Denise M. Brown for being my sounding board and biggest fan.
Thank you to all my friends and coworkers. Thank you, Dr. You are an amazing person and have helped me through some times when I really wanted to quit. I could not have completed this monumental task without all of you.
iv Table of Contents Abstract. iv List of Tables. ix List of Figures .1 Statement of the Problem .3 Background of the Study .7 Rationale, Relevance, and Significance of the Study .8 Definition of Terms.8 Assumptions, Delimitations, and Limitations .10 Chapter 2: Literature Review .17 Technical-Social Continuum .18 Centralism-Decentralism Continuum .19 Human-Capital Theory .21 Review of Research Literature and Methodological Literature .24 Review of Methodological Issues .26 v Synthesis of Research Findings .33 Stepping-stone to Employment .33 Critique of Previous Research .45 Target Population, Sampling Method, and Related Procedures .49 Data Analysis Procedure .50 Limitations of Research Design .55 Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Results .57 Description of the Sample.58 Research Methodology and Analysis.60 Summary of the Findings .63 Presentation of the Graduate Participant Data and Results .64 vi Theme 1: Curriculum Alignment to Job Demands .65 Theme 2: Lack of Training .66 Theme 3: Transition Problems .67 Theme 4: Recognition of Curricular Strengths and Weaknesses .68 Theme 5: Overcoming Technical Challenges .70 Theme 6: Employer-Provided Education.71 Presentation of Industry Partner Data and Results .73 Theme 1: Understanding Logical Pathways to Employment .73 Theme 2: Quality of Graduates .74 Theme 3: Recognition of Changes from the Perspective of the Industry Partners .75 Theme 4: Qualities of a Good Mentor .76 Theme 5: Understanding Industry Partner Opinions of Lack of Training .77 Theme 6: Analysis of Graduate Transition Problems .77 Theme 7: Educational Gaps Filled by Employer .79 Chapter 5: Discussion and Conclusion .81 Summary of the Results .82 Discussion of the Results .83 Finding #1: The NGC Program Curriculum Is Adequate in Engine and Compressor Rebuild and Repair .84 Finding #2: Lack of Experience is one of the Main Transition Problems .86 vii Finding #3: NGC Program Graduates Make Good Employees .89 Discussion of the Results in Relation to the Literature.94 Implications of Theory and Recommendations for Practice and Policy.94 Recommendation 1: Incorporate More Hands-on Training into the Current Curriculum .97 Recommendation 2: Return to a Two-internship Model to Increase the Amount of Field Training .98 Recommendations for Further Research .100 Recommendation #1: Replicate This Study With Different Students and Industry Partners .100 Recommendation #2: Replicate This Study in a Similar Program and Compare Results .103 Appendix A: Statement of Original Work .111 Appendix B: Graduate informed consent form .113 Appendix C: Industry partner informed consent form .116 Appendix D: Participant interview questions .119 Appendix E: Industry partner interview questions .120 viii List of Tables Table 1: Graduate Demographics .59 Table 2: Industry Partner Demographics .60 Table 3: Graduate Participant Themes and Subthemes .62 Table 4: Industry Partner Themes and Subthemes .73 ix List of Figures Figure 1: Triangulation used in this study .63 x Chapter 1: Introduction High school often marks a transition point in the life of students that moves them from dependence to independence. During these transitional years, there are few mechanisms in place that are designed to provide support for success (Roderick, 2006).
Many choose to continue their education by attending college. They are often met with challenges after completing their program of study and make their first attempts to enter the workforce. In our current knowledge- based economy, the highest paying and most readily available jobs seem to be in the technical and medical arenas (Mupinga & Livesay, 2004). This being said, for some students it may make more sense to pursue a technical degree.
Students who choose to attend an institution of technology to learn a skill or trade may still meet with challenges when transitioning from school to work. Instructors who teach technology-based courses are often tasked with teaching students new skills and concepts that are needed to obtain employment. Being able to recognize and associate prior learning and apply it to new technological concepts is a very important aspect of teaching technology at a university. Instructors should pay careful attention to the needs of the students and design curricula that meet those needs.
Many students have difficulty applying previously learned fundamental concepts to more complex systems, which has a detrimental effect on their training and ultimately on their transition from school to work. There is a fundamental difference between the educational needs of students today and those of earlier generations. Today’s rapidly changing technologies have profound effects on communication and the ways in which people understand and make meaning (Klenowski & Wyatt-Smith, 2014). One Natural Gas Compression (NGC) program at a university in the midwestern United States is preparing students to work in the natural gas production and processing industry.
Many 1 natural gas compression students have little or no technical training before they enroll in the NGC program. These students often have difficulty grasping some of the concepts that are introduced during the first few courses, which include theory, mechanical, and electrical courses. One NGC advisory committee member suggested that a standardized aptitude test be given to categorize all prospective students. This has presented a problem, given that the NGC program is an open enrollment program and enrollment is available to the first applicants, regardless of their mechanical aptitude or experience.
An aptitude test might have an adverse effect on enrollment. Those who were enrolled in vocational training during high school or have some experience working on engines or industrial equipment ultimately have a head start, a better grasp, and are often more successful. Being aware of the nature of a specific type of job enables students to plan for those jobs and arrange their experiences and activities around their specific goal of achieving that particular career. Students who prepare themselves with skills, knowledge, and proper behavior for jobs have better opportunities to successfully obtain those jobs and transition from school to work (Kim, 2009).
The years after a student leaves the secure environment of the college campus are years of choice and change. The choices may be deliberate or they may by implicit, made by action or inaction, but either way students make important career choices during the transitional period moving from school to work. Shavit and Muller (1998), in their research of the school-to-work phenomena, have found there is a weak link between schools and employers, especially in the United States, that causes many students to become disillusioned with the lack of support they receive from prospective employers. Often, the outcome of this lack of support results in the students returning to school to develop skills that are more attractive to employers.
Postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) institutions offer programs that incorporate 2 general education with vocational education that is tailored to specific industries. One such program is the NGC program on which this study focuses. This program offers students specific training needed for employment in the natural gas compression industry. This industry provides a network of plants and stations throughout the United States that processes natural gas from the wellsite to the end user.
This industry employs individuals who are trained to work on engines, motors, and compressors that are used to compress natural gas to move it from one location to another. The NGC program offers fundamental, mechanical, and electrical training to students who are interested in working in the natural gas compression industry. Keeping up to date with current technology and providing world-class training are the goals of the NGC program and, in essence, are the foundation for this study. This study examined the efficacy of the curriculum of the NGC program on providing a smooth transition from school to work through the eyes of the students who were in the program and the industry partners who employed them.
This qualitative case study examined the perspectives of both the students and the industry partners on how effective they felt the curriculum of the program was in providing skills that enabled them to have a successful transition into the industry.