Trends in Career and Technical Education Research

Abstract

Career and technical education is an integral part of secondary and postsecondary public education and is designed to educate about, through, and for careers. Career technical education provides students and adults with the technical skills, knowledge and training necessary to succeed in specific occupations and careers. It also prepares students for the world of work by introducing them to workplace competencies that are essential no matter what career they choose. And, career technical education takes academic content and makes it accessible to students by providing it in a hands-on context. (National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium, 2003, p. 1) Given this broad mission, the purpose of this literature review was to identify current trends and issues in research focusing on career and technical education. The term career and technical education (CTE) was viewed from a broad perspective that included workforce education, technical education, secondary CTE, 2-year postsecondary CTE, technical college, and community college. Results should allow researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to identify immediate and emerging research needs in career and technical education, build on or fill gaps in existing knowledge, support similar research efforts, allow researchers to position particular projects within a broader research framework, and provide potential funding agencies a list of priority areas in need of investigation along with a rationale for their importance (Reddy, 2001).