Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Vocational Teacher Preparation: The United States

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Handbook of Vocational Education and Training

Abstract

The first federal legislative and financial involvement in the development of formal vocational education programs in the United States, the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917, required teacher preparation in vocational education. Historically, there have been two pathways to vocational teacher certification/licensure. The first is focused on a traditional teacher preparation model, using colleges and universities with degree programs consisting of general education, technical content, and teacher pedagogy, including student teaching. An alternative pathway has relied on work experience in the discipline in which certification/licensure is sought, supplemented by a teacher education program at a university. These differing pathways have existed for over 100 years. Vocational education in the United States has suffered from negative perceptions of quality and effectiveness, and vocational teachers have also been subject to concerns regarding their teaching abilities. The alternative preparation route has had widely diverse requirements and pedagogical preparation from state to state, due to the decentralized US educational system. As a result, vocational teacher preparation is not standardized across the United States. In addition, vocational schools using the alternative route to employ teachers have faced challenges in recruiting and retaining teachers from private industry. Another current challenge facing vocational teacher preparation in the United States is the reduction in financial support for vocational education programs, despite the need for skilled labor throughout the country. This has led to a corresponding reduced number of colleges and universities providing vocational teacher preparation programs. At a time when high-quality vocational teachers are needed, these and other concerns and challenges face the field.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adams E (2010) A framework for the preparation of accomplished career and technical education teachers. J Career Tech Educ 25(1):23–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Advance CTE (2017) ACTE, Advance CTE statement on Perkins reauthorization. Silver Spring, MD: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson B (1986) The status of vocational teacher education in University Council for Vocational Education member institutions. Colorado State University, Fort Collins

    Google Scholar 

  • Applebaum B (2017, May 21) Lack of workers, not work, weighs on the nation’s economy. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/21/us/politics/utah-economy-jobs.html?mcubz=3

  • Armstrong E, Stinnett TM (1962) A manual on certification requirements for school personnel in the United States. National Education Association, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker S (2017, September 29) Salaries are still low: teacher shortage leaves schools searching for new ways to recruit. Chicago Tribune. http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/news/ct-nvs-teacher-shortage-experts-st-0924-20170926-story.html

  • Barlow M (1967) History of industrial education in the United States. Bennett, Peoria

    Google Scholar 

  • Boesel D, Hudson L, Deich S, Masten C (1994) Participation in and quality of vocational education. National Assessment of Vocational Education, vol II. Office of Educational Research and Improvement, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonsu P, Bowman N, Francis C, Larsen E, Polar R (2013) Career and technical education teacher licensure requirements: 50 states and the District of Columbia. Midwest Comprehensive Center, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruening T, Scanlon D, Hodes C, Dhital P, Shao X, Liu S (2001) Characteristics of teacher educators in career and technical education. The Ohio State University, National Dissemination Center for Career and Technical Education, Columbus

    Google Scholar 

  • Camp WG (1998) A national study of the supply and demand for teachers in agricultural education in 1995. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg

    Google Scholar 

  • Carver-Thomas D, Darling-Hammond L (2017) Addressing California’s growing teacher shortage: 2017 update. Learning Policy Institute, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Cramer K (1994) The vocational teacher pipeline: how academically well-prepared is the next generation of vocational teachers? U.S. Department of Education, Policy and Program Studies Service, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Donnelly G (2017, September 18) Construction industry still suffering from a labor shortage. Fortune. http://fortune.com/2017/09/18/hurricane-maria-hurricane-jose-construction-jobs/

  • Dykman A (1993) Who will teach the teachers? Vocat Educ J 68(6):23–27, 53

    Google Scholar 

  • Fletcher E, Gordon H (2017) The status of career and technical education undergraduate and graduate programs in the United States. Peabody J Educ 92(2):236–253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fletcher E, Gordon H, Asunda P, Zirkle C (2015) A 2015 status study of career and technical education programs in the United States. Career Tech Educ Res 40(3):191–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gray KC, Walter RA (2001) Reforming career and technical education licensure and preparation: a public policy synthesis. The Ohio State University, National Dissemination Center for Career and Technical Education, Columbus

    Google Scholar 

  • Gray K, Wang D (1989) Performance of beginning trade and industrial instructors on state-mandated basic skills tests: the Connecticut experience. J Ind Teach Educ 26(3):50–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartley N, Mantle-Bromley C, Cobb RB (1996) A matter of respect. Vocat Educ J 71(1):25

    Google Scholar 

  • Humphrey D, Wechsler M (2007) Insights into alternative certification: initial findings from a national study. Teach Coll Rec 109(3):483–530

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinney L (1964) Certification in education. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein R (2013, October 14) These countries respect teachers the most, new survey finds. Huffpost. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/03/countries-respect-teacher_n_4032354.html

  • Lewis M (1926) The status of trade & industrial teacher training in the United States in the year 1926. Am Vocat News Bull 1:22–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynch R (1991) A national database on vocational teacher education. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED329733. University of California, Berkeley, National Center for Research in Vocational Education, Berkeley

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynch R (1996a) In search of vocational and technical teacher education. J Vocat Tech Educ 13(1): 5–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynch R (1996b) The past, present and future of vocational teacher education. In: Hartley N, Wentling T (eds) Beyond tradition: preparing the teachers of tomorrow’s workforce. University Council for Vocational Education, Columbia, pp 1–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynch R (1997) Designing vocational and technical teacher education for the 21st century: implications from the reform literature. Columbus, OH: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career and Vocational Education. Information Series No. 368. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED405499)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mattingly P (1975) The classless profession: American schoolmen in the nineteenth century. New York University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayersohn N (2017, April 27) Shortage of auto mechanics has dealerships taking action. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/27/automobiles/wheels/automobile-repair-jobs.html?mcubz=3

  • McCaslin N, Parks D (2002) Teacher education in career and technical education: background and policy implications for the new millennium. J Vocat Educ Res 27(1):69–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller AJ (1982) Certification: a question of validity. VocEd 57(2):27–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulhere K (2017, August 15) People think teachers are underpaid – until you tell them how much teachers earn. Money. http://time.com/money/4900091/teachers-average-salary-underpaid-poll/

  • National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) (2017) Teacher testing. http://www.nocti.org/ATC.cfm

  • Ohio Department of Education (2017a) Career-tech teacher preparation and licenses. http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Teaching/Licensure/Prepare-for-Certificate-License/CTE-Teacher-Prep-and-Licensure

  • Ohio Department of Education (2017b) Senate Bill 3 FAQ. http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Teaching/Resident-Educator-Program/Senate-Bill-3-FAQs

  • Ohio Department of Education (2017c) Ohio assessments for educators. https://www.oh.nesinc.com/

  • Partelow L (2016) There’s no excuse for low teacher pay. U.S. News and World Report. https://www.usnews.com/opinion/knowledge-bank/articles/2016-04-13/altruism-is-no-excuse-for-low-teacher-pay

  • Pinchak J (2007) Career and technical teacher education in Ohio. In: Shoemaker B, Parks D (eds) A history of vocational and career education in Ohio. iUniverse, New York, pp 98–105

    Google Scholar 

  • Podolsky A, Kini T, Bishop J, Darling-Hammond L (2016) Solving the teacher shortage: how to attract and retain excellent educators. Learning Policy Institute, Palo Alto

    Google Scholar 

  • Pratzner F, Ryan R (1990) Vocational teacher education. In: Houston R (ed) Handbook of research on teacher education. Macmillan, New York, pp 782–794

    Google Scholar 

  • Prosser C, Quigley T (1949) Vocational education in a democracy. Chicago: American Technical Society

    Google Scholar 

  • Public Broadcasting Service (2001) Only a teacher. https://www.pbs.org/onlyateacher/timeline.html

  • Ravitch D (2003) A brief history of teacher professionalism. https://www2.ed.gov/admins/tchrqual/learn/preparingteachersconference/ravitch.html

  • Rojewski J (2002) Preparing the workforce of tomorrow: a conceptual framework for career and technical education. J Vocat Educ Res 27(1):7–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruhland S, Bremer C (2002) Alternative teacher certification procedures and professional development opportunities for career and technical education teachers. National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, St. Paul

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruhland S, Bremer C (2003) Perception of traditionally and alternatively certified career and technical education teachers. J Vocat Educ Res 28(3):285–302

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaffhauser D (2014) The problem isn’t teacher recruiting: it’s retention. Journal. https://thejournal.com/articles/2014/07/17/the-problem-isnt-teacher-recruiting-its-retention.aspx

  • Silverberg M, Warner E, Fong M, Goodwin D (2004) National assessment of vocational education: final report to congress. U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Strauss V (2017, September 18) Where have all the teachers gone? The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/09/18/where-have-all-the-teachers-gone/?utm_term=.cacdc58acf79

  • United States Department of Labor (2017) Career and technical education teachers. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/career-and-technical-education-teachers.htm

  • Walter R, Gray K (2002) Teacher preparation/licensure in career and technical education: a public policy analysis. J Vocat Educ Res 27(1):131–153

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westervelt E (2016) What are the main reasons teachers call it quits? Podcast. http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/10/24/495186021/what-are-the-main-reasons-teachers-call-it-quits

  • Zirkle C (2015) Requirements as a qualified vocational teacher and principal in the U.S. Paper presented at the Conference to Broaden Teacher’s International Vision, Shanghai, China

    Google Scholar 

  • Zirkle C (2016) A qualitative analysis of high school level vocational education in the United States: three decades of positive change. In: Pilz M (ed) Youth in transition: vocational education and training in times of economic crisis. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Zirkle C, Martin L (2012) Challenges and opportunities for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the United States. In: Pilz M (ed) The future of vocational education and training in a changing world. Springer, New York, pp 9–24

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Zirkle C, Martin L, McCaslin NL (2007) Study of state certification/licensure requirements for secondary career and technical education teachers. University of Minnesota, National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, St. Paul

    Google Scholar 

  • Zirkle C, Fletcher E, Sander K, Briggs J (2010) Certification and licensure requirements for career and technical educators. In: Wang V (ed) Definitive readings in the history, philosophy, practice and theories of career and technical education. Information Science Reference – IGI Global, Hershey, pp 147–166

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Chris Zirkle

Authors
  1. Chris Zirkle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chris Zirkle .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, University of Nottingham School of Education, Nottingham, UK

    Simon McGrath

  2. Education and Competence Studies Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Gelderland, The Netherlands

    Martin Mulder

  3. Faculty of Education, University of the Western Cape Faculty of Education, Bellville, South Africa

    Joy Papier

  4. School of Education, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

    Rebecca Suart

Section Editor information

  1. No affiliation provided

    Volker Wedekind

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Zirkle, C. (2019). Vocational Teacher Preparation: The United States. In: McGrath, S., Mulder, M., Papier, J., Suart, R. (eds) Handbook of Vocational Education and Training. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49789-1_31-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49789-1_31-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-49789-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-49789-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference EducationReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Education

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation