Backtracking Middle Technicians: Exploring College-to-Career Success Among Two-Year Information Technology Degree Holders

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Crafting Mixed-Methods Research Designs for Unique Educational Contexts and Purposes (Table 4)

Abstract

To understand students’ college-to-career experiences, we study pathways of computing and technology degree recipients and seekers. Middle-skill technicians require specific education and training, though not to the extent gained through a four-year Bachelor’s degree curriculum. We backtrack a cohort of computing-related AS degree completers back to high school completion to explore critical junctures in workforce entry. Informed by academic performance, demographic, and other contextual data to identify critical junctures in students’ experiences, we use the Backtracking Technique, an IR-informed sequential mixed method, to understand student pathways. Findings can result in empirical retention and employability pathways models that can be used by other IHEs to determine how best to support their programs and students.

Authors

• Faye R. Jones, Florida State University

• Marcia Mardis, Florida State University