| Brief No. 4 | Fall 1996 |
. . . in programs linking education and work
Attempting to fill this void, this paper presents preliminary findings of a national longitudinal study of students enrolled in both secondary and postsecondary programs featuring key elements of current reforms in vocational education (e.g., programs such as Tech Prep, integrated academic-vocational learning, and career academies). The findings of this study feature students' voices and perspectives on critical events and learning experiences which seem to influence their career development.
In this brief, three objectives are addressed:
| During freshman year, you can take a class that integrates all the
labs so every kid experiences each of them. It gives you an idea of what you
want to do in the future. You work in the bio-tech lab, clone violets, and
isolate DNA. In the CAD lab you can draw objects, and in the prototyping lab
you could build a mousetrap. You can take AP biology which does more
complicated labs and DNA bio-technology. Jeff |
Concurrently, connecting activities with postsecondary institutions provided students with motivating experiences to pursue advanced coursework in academic or technical areas (e.g., mathematics or electronics). Through these experiences, students begin to develop an appreciation for both academic preparation and future applications to career paths.
| Participating in an internship is much better than the classroom
experience because you are actually doing instead of seeing. If there is
something to be worked on, you get to see how everything happens from the
management down to the workers, how that department works. It provides you with
a good knowledge base and gives you work experience also. Lynn |
These opportunities to provide students with learning experiences beyond the classroom are possible through a partnership with a two-year college and a consortium of cooperative businesses in the community.
Across all sites where these connecting activities were in place, students developed a strong sense of career direction and had identified steps to accomplish their goals either through further education or work.
These connecting activities provide an ideal medium for mentors, program coordinators, work supervisors, teachers, and counselors to integrate career counseling services in more meaningful contexts.
Authentic learning experiences initially serve as extrinsic motivational reinforcements by engaging students in active participation in the classroom, applying and producing knowledge in and out of the classroom activities, and by exposing them to early postsecondary education and work experiences.
As students continue participating in these career-oriented and integrated activities, authentic learning experiences become intrinsic motivators which foster in students a personal appreciation for academic and technical knowledge.
Supporting this process, counselors and teachers were instrumental in guiding and encouraging students to identify and develop career plans. The pervasive motivational influence of teachers, in particular, was apparent within and across participant sites.
| By starting in this program in high school, you get a really good
understanding for possible future careers in manufacturing. And if that's
really what you want to pursue, fine. If not, you still have nothing to lose. Maria |
Because students are challenged with more rigorous coursework and exposed to more authentic learning activities in and out of the school, they are constantly required to exercise critical thinking, problem-solving, team work, communication, and interpersonal skills.
| I have opened up a lot because I was really shy for a long time.
This program has helped me to open up and try to speak my mind a little bit
more. Ron |
To a different extent, students indicated that input from their parents and relatives throughout their participation in their programs further helped them form career aspirations. Collectively, all these experiences seemed to increase students' self-confidence and perceptions of competence.
The impact on career development is, in some cases, dramatic. For instance, Alejandra, a senior in a Manufacturing Apprenticeship program, had no practical experience whatsoever in manual work before entering the Manufacturing program. Therefore, she was doubtful of her ability to produce parts in the Manufacturing Academy. However, after a couple of successful projects and continuous support from teachers and parents, her self-confidence increased.
Alejandra's case is typical of students participating in this Manufacturing Academy. Her perception of competence improved as she progressed in the program and she was able to identify career opportunities in a field which she may not have considered otherwise.
Across sites, students' perspectives suggested a number of important considerations for improvement to ensure that schools have quality and holistic career development services involving connecting activities with instruction and work-based learning.
Suggestions for improvement include the following:
In some cases, teachers encourage students to look beyond bachelor degrees and consider graduate programs with specializations in such fields as bio-technology, agricultural engineering, medicine, or international marketing.
All teachers and counselors should encourage students to explore and identify career paths they wish to pursue, formulating a coherent plan for study in technical and professional programs at the postsecondary level.
In order to provide all students with a smooth transition for further education or work, equity, access, and quality of parental involvement need to be considered.
In most cases, students have a chance to explore various positions within an organization, thus giving them a good idea of how an industry works, the type and levels of education required to advance in particular positions, and the aptitudes needed to function effectively in different positions.
The evidence supports the view that students find these "real world experiences" to be invaluable in charting future career plans. Clearly, secondary schools should eliminate the practice associated with "career studies," which traditionally involve students in a library research project examining and writing a report on their career of interest.
Clearly, most careers will require students to pursue further education throughout their lifetime. For students from families where their parents or siblings have not attended college, these experiences are particularly important.
Research apprenticeship programs and "career camps" held at colleges and universities during the summer are two of the nontraditional connections that students find enlightening for their career planning. These experiences can help students understand the importance of academic performance and enable them to select majors which appropriately match their career goals.
Along with career development, teaching and learning experiences (and curricular materials) should include opportunities for all students to explore career options and begin making initial decisions regarding careers.
In addition to teaching content and skills, learning experiences and instructional materials should help students answer a variety of important questions (e.g., How does this information get used in various careers? To what extent would I enjoy doing this for a living?). The work on authentic instruction by researchers of the Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools (CORS) and the mathematics standards developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) may be useful as a frame of reference for instructional and curriculum development purposes.
Students who are permitted to aggressively pursue their career of interest and goals will ask about the relevance of particular academic subjects. They will ask evaluative questions about the value and application of particular knowledge and skills--to which teachers must provide consistent responses.
In many ways, students' voices enrich the ongoing discussion among high school teachers regarding the importance of integrating curriculum.
The potential applications of the benchmarking concept to educational practices are significant. Through benchmarking, educators can develop a clear understanding of what they want their programs to accomplish by establishing meaningful comparisons that create alternative ways to continuously improve processes and practices.
The most important implication for program improvement centers is the use of benchmarking strategies. Teachers, counselors, administrators, and students can collectively build a shared vision of career development by checking their progress in providing the career development processes and program components mentioned above. Annual reviews of the school's climate for career development can help teachers and counselors set new performance standards for career development services and outcomes.
An in-depth examination of the personal experiences encountered in education and work is crucial in understanding how students make decisions to enter education for work programs. Further, how students from different genders and ethnic backgrounds differentially experience vocational education is also central to understanding the impact of policies and practices on overcoming barriers to full participation in the economy.
Based on these premises, the study was grounded in four major research questions.
At the secondary level, five programs were included representing the following curriculum orientations: business, technical arts, manufacturing, science and technology, and agricultural sciences. At the postsecondary level, four programs participated in this study representing the fields of biomedical technology, environmental sciences, international trade, and computer-aided design technology.
Overall, 65% of the participating students are male and 35% female. Participation by ethnicity is as follows: African-American, 26%; Asian, 8%; Hispanic, 18%; Native American, 2%; and Caucasian, 46%.
For an in-depth description of the project design, participants, and procedures, please refer to Voices of Diversity, Brief No. 1.
Brief No. 1: Learning From Students' Perspectives on Programs Linking Education and Work
This report provides background information on the study design, characteristics of research participants, research procedures, and analytical techniques. Brief descriptions of the students' programs are also provided.
Brief No. 2: Quality Indicators of Programs Linking Education and Work
This report provides high school students' perspectives on the three core components undergirding current reforms in vocational education: (1) integration of vocational and academic education, (2) integration of secondary education, and (3) linkages between school and work.
Brief No. 3: Building a School Climate Conducive to Learning: Students' Perspectives
This report provides a description of three critical elements of school climate as identified by high school students enrolled in five programs linking education and work. These three elements are (1) authentic program context, (2) teaching and learning context, and (3) a supportive environment conducive to learning.
Brief No. 4: Grounding Career Development in Authentic Learning Activities
Important considerations for enhancing students' career development are highlighted in this report. A benchmarking approach for program improvement is suggested.
Brief No. 5: Connecting Education and Work Through Authentic Instruction
Problem-solving, research projects, and critical thinking activities that are integrated into authentic teaching and learning are addressed in this report.
Brief No. 6: Gender Perspectives on Programs Linking Education and Work
This reports addresses the question of equity and access to programs linking education and work based on gender perspectives. High school students, both male and female, talk about their experiences in five career-oriented programs.
Other Voices of Diversity Briefs will be forthcoming. These reports will address high school students' perspectives on their schooling and transitional experiences. Briefs describing two-year college students' perspectives on similar issues will also be produced.
Detailed descriptions of project findings can be found in both published journal articles and in papers presented at national conferences. The following are available:
Producing knowledge in career- oriented programs: Students' perspectives on schooling experiences (1996, December). Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Vocational Association (AVA), Cincinnati, Ohio.
Developing career and academic aspirations in school-to-work programs: A qualitative study of gender perspectives (1996, April). Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of American Educational Research Association (AERA), New York.
Developing career and academic aspirations: Creating new and different doors for students in school-to-work programs (1995, July). Paper presented at the National Leadership Forum on School-to-Work Transition, Boston, Massachusetts.
Voices of diversity in emerging vocationalism: Students' perspectives on school climate (1995, April). Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), San Francisco, California.
Staff
Project Directors
Project Assistants
Voices of Diversity Briefs,
Research Advisory GroupPenny Burge Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityColleen Capper University of Wisconsin-Madison Clifton F. Conrad University of Wisconsin-Madison Lizanne DeStefano University of Illinois Jane Plihal University of Minnesota Christine E. Sleeter University of Wisconsin-Parkside Sandra M. Mathison SUNY-Albany James Stone, III University of Minnesota Janet Washbon Wisconsin Technical College System Board Wendy L. Way University of Wisconsin-Madison
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