“What Do We Have to Do?” Community College CTE Faculty Perceptions, Preparedness, and Propositions in Supporting Disabled Students’ Employment Opportunities

Abstract

Objective/Research Question: The purpose of this grounded theory study is to explore how community college CTE faculty members aim to support disabled students in their career pursuits. Methods: This constructivist grounded theory study entailed interviewing 20 faculty members across two southeastern United States community colleges. Results: Findings unveil the prominence of community college faculty holding mixed perceptions and limited understandings of disabled individuals’ experiences in CTE fields, tending to weed disabled students out of these professions, and possessing various ideas for how to better enable disabled students’ success, including bolstering disability awareness and acceptance. Conclusions/Contributions. These insights contribute to the formation of the 3Ps Model of Faculty Professional Engagement with Minoritized Students that will guide researchers in how to understand the processes that shape faculty engagement with minoritized students. The study also reveals opportunities for growth in how community college faculty and practitioners address issues surrounding building up disabled community college students’ employment pathways.