The Preparation of Vocational Teachers in America
This paper presents an overview of vocational education in America and then focuses on vocational teacher preparation. Career and Technical Education (CTE), as it is now known, is organized into 16 broad clusters of occupations at the national level. Students in secondary and technical schools take courses in traditional areas such as building trades, and in more recent curricula like health occupations and information technology. Statistics on student enrollments are included. CTE programs use industry standards as their foundation and include work-based experiences for students. Teacher preparation programs typically consist of a bachelors degree in a teachable major, pedagogy courses, and relevant work experience. Several current issues with vocational education are also discussed.