Abstract:
Due to workforce skill gaps in the modern economy, our nation is focused on college and career readiness (Hughes, Rodriguez, Edwards, & Belfield, 2012). In a world where most jobs at a living wage require at least some postsecondary education or training, earning a high school diploma is a necessary but insufficient step toward supporting oneself and one’s family (Carnevale, Strohl, Chea, & Ridley, 2017).
Participation in dual-enrollment programs has been found to help individuals view themselves as college students, leading to increased student enrollment in post-secondary programs after high school (Hooker & Bland, 2010). Although dual-enrollment options cannot assure a student’s success, insights from the dually enrolled students in this study can play a role in understanding barriers such as costs of enrollment, student apathy, advising missteps, and distrust among educational partners (Howley, Howley, Howley, & Duncan, 2013). This study is one of the few conducted in a technical college environment, and distinctive in its focus at a college and career academy setting.
This qualitative study was designed to describe dual-enrollment experiences at a technical college, and identify factors that motivate or inhibit high school students’ decisions to participate in dual-enrollment classes in such an environment. The study addressed perceptions and experiences of students who were currently enrolled in such programs through one technical college. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were utilized to gather perspectives on this topic among participants in dual-enrollment classes at a technical college/career academy. The findings of this study suggest the positive value of dual-enrollment programs at a technical college as perceived through the lens of currently enrolled students.