Collaborative Research: Improving the Educational Experiences, Outcomes, and Career Pathways of Welding Technology Students

尽管地方、地区和国家层面对焊接技术专业人员的需求不断增加，但焊接技术(WT)毕业生的数量却在下降。本项目旨在满足这一需求，并帮助加深对WT职业道路的理解。为此，项目团队将调查在社区大学开始教育和培训的WT学生的经历和看法，以及WT教师、高等教育管理人员和雇主的期望。这项探索性研究研究的目的是：(1)确定影响WT学生职业道路和他们决定获得证书(副学位、证书)并进入四年制课程的个人/社会/生活因素；(2)确定导致WT学生流失的障碍和问题；以及(3)创建材料和活动，以支持焊接技术2+2计划的保留、副学士学位获得和入学。该项目是密歇根大学、马科姆社区学院、门罗县社区学院和韦恩州立大学的研究人员和技术教育工作者的合作项目。在借鉴Hisrchy、Bremer和Castellano(2011)和菲尔普斯和Prevost(2012)工作的概念框架的指导下，这个定性和定量的探索性混合方法研究项目以一个总体问题为指导：与焊接技术专业学生的职业道路相关的因素和经验是什么？研究小组将调查(1)具体的焊接技术项目特点(例如，衔接的双学分高中课程、实习等)。与最佳学生成绩(例如，留校、学位完成、升学、就业)相关的因素。他们还将研究关键利益相关者(例如，教职员工、管理人员)如何使用调查结果为战略性项目改进和决策提供信息。将对定性数据进行专题分析，以发现和测试职业道路框架的要素。将使用方差分析对调查数据进行分析，以检验职业道路框架的变量/要素之间可能出现的平均差异和交互影响。这种方法将确定不同的学生群体、变量和机构之间的非显著和显著差异，并提供对教育和职业发展的现象学方面的见解。该项目由高级技术教育计划资助，该计划专注于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Despite the increasing demand for welding technology professionals at local, regional, and national levels, the number of welding technology (WT) graduates has declined. This project aims to address this need, as well as to help develop a deeper understanding of WT career pathways. To do so, the project team will investigate the experiences and perceptions of WT students who begin their education and training at community colleges and the expectations of WT faculty, higher education administrators, and employers. The purpose of this exploratory research study is to: (1) identify personal/social/life factors that affect the career pathways of WT students and their decision to obtain credentials (associate degrees, certificates) and matriculate into a four-year program; (2) identify obstacles and issues that contribute to WT student attrition; and (3) create materials and activities to support retention, associate degree attainment, and matriculation into a 2+2 program in welding technology. The project is a collaboration between researchers and technician educators from the University of Michigan, Macomb Community College, Monroe County Community College, and Wayne State University.Guided by a conceptual framework that draws on the work of Hisrchy, Bremer, and Castellano (2011) and Phelps and Prevost (2012), this qualitative and quantitative exploratory mixed methods research project is guided by the overarching question: What are the factors and experiences associated with the career pathways of welding technology students? The research team will investigate (1) specific welding technology program features (e.g., articulated dual-credit high school courses, internships, etc.) that are associated with optimal student outcomes (e.g., retention, degree completion, matriculation, employment). They will also examine ways in which key stakeholders (e.g., faculty; administrators) can use the findings to inform strategic program improvement and decision-making. Thematic analysis of qualitative data will be applied to uncover and test the elements of the career pathways framework. Survey data will be analyzed using analysis of variance to test the mean differences and interaction effects that may occur among variables/elements of the career pathways framework. This approach will identify non-significant and significant differences across different groups of students, variables, and institutions and provide insights into the phenomenological aspects of education and career development. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.