JVER v27n2 - Editor's Note

Editor's Note

J. W. Rojewski
University of Georgia

Volume 27, Issue 2 includes five articles that reflect the diverse nature of research on career and technical education issues. Each offers a great deal for us to consider. K. Peter Kuchinke attempts to find common ground between career-technical education and human resource development. He posits that while these two fields currently represent distinct communities of practice, we should consider an integrative approach to develop a comprehensive system of workforce education in the U.S. James H. Adams describes how meaning is ascribed to the notion of work by people involved in welfare-to-work programs. His findings provide a number of issues that professionals in vocational education need to consider. Perhaps the most important contribution Adams' work offers is a poignant reminder that those we serve are, indeed, people with thoughts, concerns, and aspirations. The third article, written by S. J. van Zolingen, outlines the results of a Delphi study that provides information about key qualifications for selected jobs. van Zoligen's results can be enable new employees to work efficiently and provides a basis for considering policy development. From the Netherlands we shift focus to the state of Ohio where Hairston describes what career-technical preservice teacher educators think about the knowledge, use, and implementation of state and national school-to-work initiatives. Her results provide direction for preservice professional development activities. Finally, Kim and Rojewski describe the possibilities for using structural equation modeling (SEM) to address problems specific to workforce education and career development. SEM and other sophisticated quantitative analytic techniques are needed to more adequately consider the complexity of work-based issues and problems.

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