Understanding Interest in Career and Technical Education Course-Taking: Exploring the Impact of Students’ Perceptions of Intrinsic and Utility Value

Previous research has linked student participation in Career and Technical Education (CTE) to a variety of factors, including student and family demographic characteristics. Less attention has been paid to how students’ attitudes – including their perceptions of the value of CTE courses – impact interest in CTE course-taking. Results of the current study indicate that perceptions of the value of CTE courses are strong and increase with grade level, but primarily among students who have plans to attend college after high school. Although perceptions of both the intrinsic value and utility value of CTE courses predict interest in CTE course-taking, the relationship is strongest for perceptions of intrinsic value. Together, these findings suggest that attention to students’ perceptions of both the intrinsic value and the utility value of CTE courses should be an important part of recruitment efforts.