Why Career and Technical Education Teachers Contribute Intellectual Capital to Open Education Repositories: A Case Study

High quality Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers are necessary in order to prepare students to fill the gap in the nation’s technical workforce. Technical skills taught by high school CTE teachers assist students as they continue their education in post-secondary technical schools. Post-secondary CTE teachers assist students in their preparation for future high-wage, high-demand technical careers. One of the many challenges reported by CTE teachers is the time-consuming development of relevant curriculum. The open education resource (OER) movement has been reported in research to alleviate some of these challenges for teachers, but research is lacking in the area of OER for CTE teachers. This exploratory study will increase the body of knowledge and guide decisions regarding sustainability of OER repositories. This multi-case study was designed to explore the question, “Why do CTE teachers contribute their intellectual capital to OER repositories? ” Six cases were chosen for face-to-face interviews using a maximum variation strategy to gain an in-depth understanding of the influential factors contributing to their desire to contribute to OER repositories. There were four major findings of this study: 1) All cases expressed an understanding of the significance of contributing to OER as a result of a previous experience as a CTE teacher; 2) Most cases expressed the importance of a stipend as an influential factor in their willingness to contribute to OER; 3) All cases indicated time as an influential factor to be weighed when committing to contributing their materials to OER; and 4) All cases reported a previous tie with the entity as an important factor in their decision to contribute to an OER repository. The findings of this study can be used to make evidence-based decisions regarding future growth and maintenance of curriculum within OER repositories. The quality and availability of CTE curriculum can help alleviate challenges of CTE teachers who are important to the preparation of the nation’s future technical workforce. Acknowledgements This journey has helped me to grow personally and professionally, and I could not have have reached my goal without the support of many people. First, my husband, Jayson, has supported me in so many ways I can’t list them all here, but his patience for my never-ending quest to learn more always amazes me. After 31 years, and several degrees later, he deserves a medal of patience for his continual encouragement. I must also express appreciation to my children, my parents, and close friends who have encouraged me along the way and understood when I was obsessing over upcoming deadlines. You are all special to me. My colleagues encouraged me to take this latest quest, and their support and counsel are also appreciated. This group of people continually give of themselves to so many CTE teachers in the state of Kansas, and the opportunity to be a part of this professional community is humbling. A special thank you to Dr. Greg Belcher for offering me such a rewarding career opportunity and for being a leader who encourages growth. Thank you, Dr. Julie Dainty, for serving on my committee, providing invaluable advice, and always being available. You are an inspiration to me and were encouraging to me through every step of this process. To all the others, faculty and staff of the KCCTE, your patience, support, and laughter are always appreciated: Jon Jones, for your constant support as a co-student; Dr. Kevin Elliott, for your encouraging words; Tish Potter, for keeping us all organized; and Tracey Eagon, for always knowing when I needed to take a break. A special acknowledgement must also be made to Joshua T. Schooley, a graduate assistant of the KCCTE, and a source of invaluable assistance to me. He spent hours helping to research topics and analyze data. His enthusiasm and excitement for knowledge was energizing at times when I was losing sight of the goal. My dissertation committee was a blessing to me, guiding me, offering advice, and providing creativity whenever needed. My topic was the result of a brainstorming session with this group, and I am so thankful for that guidance. Thank you for the support you offer through this long and arduous process. Each one of you brought a special level of expertise to the table, and I appreciate you all. And finally, I would like to thank some special teachers in my life: Mrs. Diana Jones, Mrs. Judy Purcell, and Mrs. Myrna Seyfert. Throughout my school years, I was one of the quietest students in the classroom, always doing my work and doing it well, but never speaking up, mostly due to a lack of confidence in myself. In my high school years, though, these three business teachers took notice of my work and encouraged me to become involved at the state level of the Future Business Leaders of America organization. This experience and those ladies changed the direction of my life, and I truly give credit to them that I have reached this level of education. Thank you for believing in one of your students and providing her the opportunity to build some bigger dreams. Dedication This study is dedicated to my children: Brandon and Morgan, Justin and Chelsea, and Colby. The pursuit of this degree was a goal of mine for many years, one I had almost forgotten until an unexpected opportunity arose. My hope for you all is that you will reach for your dreams when opportunities arise and trust that those opportunities are God’s plan for you. Table of