Date of Award

Fall 9-24-2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Philip O. Pendley

Second Advisor

Martinrex Kedziora

Third Advisor

LaFaye Platter

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify what expert high school Career Technical Education (CTE) administrators see as challenges to creating gender-balanced classes across all high school CTE pathways, to rate the significance of the identified challenges according to the experts, and to describe the most effective strategies for addressing the five most significant challenges identified in creating balanced CTE enrollment across all high school pathways. Methodology: This study used a three-round Delphi method to collect data from expert high school CTE administrators. In Round 1, the expert panel was asked to identify challenges to creating gender-balanced classes across high school CTE pathways. In Round 2, the identified challenges were rated on a Likert scale survey to determine the significance of each challenge. In Round 3, the expert panel identified strategies to address the most significant challenges discovered in Round 2. Findings: After the input from the expert panel, there were nine themes identified for challenges to creating gender-balanced classes across all high school CTE pathways. Those nine themes were then ranked, and the five most significant were: (a) CTE pathway perceptions/stereotypes, (b) teacher recruitment practices, (c) student awareness/exposure/understanding about certain CTE pathways and/or fields (occupations), (d) gender perceptions/stereotypes (conscious and unconscious biases), and (e) lack of gender role models in certain CTE pathways/fields (occupations). The vi panel experts recommended a minimum of two strategies to address each challenge within Round 3. Conclusions: For high school administrators to create gender-balanced classes across all high school CTE pathways, they need to address challenges such as student misperceptions and stereotypes, teacher recruitment practices, and a lack of gender role models in many CTE pathways. Additionally, to overcome those challenges, teachers and counselors need to improve marketing and recruiting efforts, including utilizing guest speakers and field trips and actively recruit people from the workforce who defy gender norms to be CTE teachers. Recommendations for Action: Based on the information collected in this Delphi study, 11 key recommendations were identified to create gender-balanced classes across all high school CTE pathways.

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