Differences Between General and Talented Students’ Perceptions of Their Career and Technical Education Experiences Compared to Their Traditional High School Experiences

Career and technical education represents an important and understudied educational option for high school students. This qualitative study utilized data from one exemplary career and technical education (CTE) center to address the question of how talented and general education students’ part-time CTE experiences differed from their traditional high school experiences. The secondary students in this study simultaneously attended both the CTE center and a traditional high school. Through interviews with students, a trend emerged: students explicitly compared these two educational experiences. Both talented and general students commented favorably on their CTE experiences and negatively on their traditional high school experiences. The four major themes from their comments included autonomy; effective, caring teachers; students with similar interests; and relevant content in an applied setting. Students appreciated the ability to choose courses and determine the order or type of assignments, to self-pace the curriculum, and to experiment with a profession (autonomy). They also commented on the presence of teachers who had high expectations, sought student's strengths, showed personal interest in the students, and had professional experience (effective, caring teachers) in the CTE setting. The student's perspectives included the observation that at the CTE center they were exposed to other students who demonstrated mature and committed behaviors, showed interest in their course of study, and participated in Career and Technical Student Organizations (students with similar interests). Finally, the learning environment at the CTE center offered curricular connections to the profession, hands-on learning, and professional treatment of students in a job-like setting (relevant content in an applied setting).