"“Why Do I Have to Do This?”: Examining General Education for CTE Stude" by Jennifer Hough
 

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Availability

Open Access Dissertation

Abstract

Student complaints regarding their general education courses are nothing new. Research has shown students often do not see the value and view them as obstacles to their degrees (Reardon et al., 1990; Vander Schee, 2011). Unsuccessful completion of general education courses can keep students from attaining their degrees. Although research regarding student perceptions exists at the 4-year institutional level, little to no research exists focusing on community colleges or career and technical education (CTE) students connected to general education. For CTE students in particular, the question remained regarding complicating factors affecting their experiences in their general education courses. Social, economic, individual, and practical implications regarding successful general education exists for society, and more importantly, for the students themselves. Using semistructured interviews, the current critical phenomenological study explored CTE student experiences to help higher education administrators and faculty better serve CTE students. Data were analyzed using in vivo, emotions, and value coding before being organized into themes. Four major themes emerged revealing participants’ preference for hands-on, real-world learning, tension with the foundational skills taught in general education courses, valuing instructor-student connection and investment, and a belief that education is practical.

Year of Submission

2025

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Department of Educational Leadership and Postsecondary Education

First Advisor

Morgan Anderson

Date Original

5-2025

Object Description

1 PDF (x, 135 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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