PERSPECTIVES OF RURAL HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS REGARDING CAREER READINESS SKILLS

Abstract

Preparing students to enter a changing workforce is one of the most critical missions for K-12 educational institutions in the United States. As business and industry continue to evolve, so too must the skills obtained by high school students. In response to ever developing workplace expectations and updated federal education regulation, Indiana established new graduation mandates in the spring of 2017 that included the requirement that students demonstrate career readiness skills. This qualitative descriptive case study will provide baseline data from small rural schools in Indiana regarding teacher perceptions surrounding career readiness and classroom practices. Previous research recognizes the skills needed to be successful in the workplace and post-secondary education overlap, including mathematics, writing skills, and language comprehension skills. However, skills including self-discipline, time management, communication, and collaboration are valued by employers but rarely fostered or assessed in high school classrooms. This study explored rural high school teachers’ perceptions as they incorporate career readiness skills into classroom practices along with the obstacles they face in the process. To address the research questions, the study included three phases: (1) semi-structured face-to-face interviews with nine teachers, responsible for implementing career readiness skills at the high school; and (2) one focus group of six teachers, who also participated in the semi-structured individual interviews, and (3) a review of artifacts and documents from multiple sources including building level and district college and career readiness documentation; to provide a shared perspective of the overall consensus of career readiness knowledge and building level embedment. Data from these three phases were combined and coded to identify significant themes among Hoosier high schools’ career readiness practices.