Perceptions of Career and Technical Education Programs at the Wellsboro Area School District

This quantitative research study examines perceptions of Career and Technical Education (CTE) at Wellsboro Area School District (WASD) utilizing the Inventory of Vocational Education (IVE) instrument to collect data from business and industry members (BIM), teachers, students, and parents. This research aims to identify patterns of support, uncertainty, and disagreement within and among these stakeholder groups to inform CTE program improvement and better align with workforce needs. A comprehensive quantitative analysis of survey responses, employing both descriptive and inferential statistics, indicated that BIM participants consistently demonstrated the highest levels of support and positive perceptions toward CTE, while teachers and parents reported moderate, neutral to generally positive attitudes. In contrast, students reported the lowest levels of support and the greatest uncertainty and disagreement regarding CTE programs. The data indicate that parents and high school teachers are the primary influencers in students’ career decisions. The study concludes with actionable recommendations, including strategies to address neutral to negative views of CTE among parents and teachers, enhance academic integration, promote effective information sharing, and strengthen communications.
Keywords: Career and Technical Education (CTE), vocational education (VE), Image of Vocational Education (IVE), business and industry