Theses and Dissertations
Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
<-- Please Select One -->
Department
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice
Advisor
Gary Reglin
Committee Member
Shery Bennett
Committee Member
Kimberly Durham
Keywords
vocational training, career technical education, high school, at-risk youth, career pathways, college and career readiness
Abstract
The problem was that there was no evidence of a formal evaluation of a vocational intervention program in The Bahamas. The purpose of the qualitative exploratory case study was to examine an established vocational intervention program. The study explored its impact on the career readiness, vocational skills, and academic success it provided its participants.
The study had three research questions: 1. To what extent has the vocational training intervention program been successfully implemented to improve students’ academic success? 2. To what extent has the high school dropout rate improved because of completion of the vocational intervention program by the students? 3. To what extent has the employability of the students improved because of completion of the vocational intervention program by the students?
The research approach was a qualitative approach and design an exploratory case study design. Five program instructors were purposefully selected. Each selected staff member must be involved in the program for a minimum of 2 years. Additionally, participants must be: (a) an instructor or administrator, (b) completed at least one course or program cycle in their position, and (c) willing to participate in the interviews. Data was collected using the adult vocational interview.
For Research Question 1, themes, aligned with students receiving a stipend, students were learning new skills, and instructors were engaging and invested in student success. For Research Question 2, themes aligned with students becoming more future oriented, career focused, and a more positive outlook toward school and their future. For Research Question 3, themes, aligned with past participants of the program were top industry leaders, students were receiving valuable skills and qualifications, and they received hands-on experience.
NSUWorks Citation
Mariyandi C. Strachan. 2025. Exploratory Case Study of a Vocational Intervention Program for High School Students in The Bahamas. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. (680)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd/680.
