Award Date

12-15-2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Teaching and Learning

First Committee Member

Xue Xing

Second Committee Member

Tina Vo

Third Committee Member

Marla Goins

Fourth Committee Member

Federick Ngo

Number of Pages

275

Abstract

Career and Technical Education (CTE) has a deeply troubling history in the United States dating back to the early 19th century. Formally known as manual training, the new educational system offered opportunities to learn a trade and empower recently freed enslaved people during the Reconstruction era. Political, social, and academic decisions since then have tainted the reputation of formal secondary CTE programs today for Blacks through unfair tracking practices into low-wage servitude careers. In the late 20th century and beyond, CTE has become a pathway to certifications and, in recent years, a college- and career-readiness platform for some learners seeking to expand their knowledge, social status, and earning potential. Marrying historical and contemporary ideals, this study turns a critical lens to the development of educational initiatives in the United States and how they have often excluded Black females at every stage of life. Employing an exploratory, cyclical, mixed-methods format, this project includes three studies. The first study is a quantitative analysis examining STEM-centered CTE participation among Black females and the systemic barriers they face in pursuing lucrative vocational programs. The second study is qualitative and explores the integration of culturally responsive methods in STEM-centered secondary settings by Black female educators. The final qualitative inquiry investigates ways to use place-based education as a culturally responsive teaching tool in STEM-centered CTE settings. Through this work, the author finds that CTE programs in secondary settings are an important stepping stone to STEM-centered careers and that Black female educators are essential role models for future Black female STEMists. Paired with a critical analysis of state data, the lived experiences and restorative pedagogies of Black female educators can transform program initiatives, research agendas, and educational policies.

Keywords

Anti-racist; Black Females; Career and Technical Education; Culturally Responsive; Intersectionality; STEM

Disciplines

African American Studies | American Studies | Curriculum and Instruction | Curriculum and Social Inquiry | Educational Methods | Race and Ethnicity | Vocational Education

File Format

PDF

File Size

2100 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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Available for download on Tuesday, December 15, 2026


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