Are Technology and Engineering Educator Programs Really Declining? Reexamining the Status and Characteristics of Programs in the United States

Abstract

Decades of research have reported declining trends in undergraduate industrial arts, industrial technology education, technology education, and technology and engineering (T&E) teacher preparation programs (TPPs) (Love et al., 2016; Moye, 2017; Scott & Buffer, 1995; Volk, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2019). Numerous reasons have been cited for this declining trajectory, such as steep costs associated with program materials and equipment, not replacing faculty upon retirement, political action by education departments, lucrative competing industry employment options, negative perceptions of teaching as a career, and other outside factors (Volk, 2000, 2019). However, there are several certification, degree, and coursework pathways preparing T&E educators beyond traditional undergraduate TPPs. Past studies have not accounted for these other preparation pathways and programs. Therefore, this study used content analyses and descriptive statistics to identify active programs offering certification coursework or degrees related to T&E education in the United States (U.S.). Additionally, this study examined various characteristics of those programs. The findings revealed more T&E educator-related undergraduate and graduate programs than reported in previous studies, and there was an increase in the number of bachelor’s degrees conferred. The study also found a noticeable difference among program characteristics in areas such as title and focus. This study provides implications for higher education institutions, state departments of education, teacher educators, and researchers to reevaluate the supply of T&E teachers in the U.S. while also reflecting on the focus and characteristics of T&E educator programs.