Christopher Zirkle

Dr. Chris Zirkle is an Associate Professor in Workforce Development and Education within the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University, where he currently teaches courses in career and technical education and human resource development. Dr. Zirkle has taught in a variety of positions at the middle school, high school, community college and university level. He also has experience as a building administrator at the high school level. He holds current Ohio teaching and administrative licenses in nine different fields.

• PhD, Comprehensive Vocational Education, Ohio State University, 1995
• EdS, Educational Leadership, Wright State University, 1990
• MS,  Personnel Counseling and Management, Wright State University, 1987
• MAE, Technology Education, Ball State University, 1984
• BS, Industrial Technology Education, Central State University, 1983

• International and Comparative Education
  • International technical-vocational education
• Secondary Education and Teaching
• Teacher Education
• Technology Teacher Education
• Vocational Education
  • Teacher education
• Workforce Development and Education
  • Workforce policy

• 2008-present: Associate Professor, College of Education and Human Ecology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
• 2001-2007: Assistant Professor, College of Education, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.     
• 1998-2000: Assistant Professor, School of Technology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN.
• 1997-1998: Assistant Professor, College of Education, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.
• 1994-1997: School Administrator, Eastland-Fairfield Career-Technical Schools, Columbus, OH.
• 1991-1994: Vocational Graphic Arts Instructor, Ohio Hi-Point Joint Vocational School, Bellefontaine, OH.
• 1990-1991: Manager, Center for Human Resource Development, Clark State Community College, Springfield, OH.
• 1984-1990: Technology Education Teacher, Springfield City Schools, Springfield, OH.

• Visiting Scholar, National Taipei University of Technology, November-December 2023
• Fulbright Scholar, 2021 (Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki, Finland)
• Visiting Scholar, Beijing Normal University, May-June 2015
• Meritorious Service Award, University Council for Workforce and Human Resource Education, 2014
• Omicron Tau Theta National Service Award, 2012
• Visiting Scholar, Nagoya University (Japan), December 2010-March 2011
• Outstanding Service Award, Ohio State University College of Education, 2005

• Ohio Career and Technical Education Teacher Recruitment and Retention Grant (FY 2024), Ohio Department of Education, Total grant award: $112,000
• Additive Manufacturing Materials Safety Training (11/2022 – 06/2023). America Makes, sponsor. Total Grant Award: $273,057
• Ohio Career and Technical Education Teacher Recruitment and Retention Grant (FY 2023), Ohio Department of Education, Total grant award: $112,000
• Ohio Career and Technical Education Teacher Recruitment and Retention Grant (FY 2022), Ohio Department of Education, Total grant award: $112,000

• Zirkle, C., & Thompson, C. (2023). The status of CTE administrative leadership requirements and programs: An ongoing examination. Career and Technical Education Research, 48 (2), 2-18. https://doi.org/10.5328/cter48.2.2 
• Zirkle, C., Laukia, J., Mauffret, D., & Prudent-Vilches, S. (2022). A comparative examination of vocational education teacher qualifications and preparation between Finland and the state of Ohio in the United States, Journal of Research in Technical Careers, 6 (2). https://doi.org/10.9741/2578-2118.1117
• Zirkle, C. (2021). Trends and issues in career and technical education in the United States. In: Lee, Y., Lee, L.S. (Eds.), Trends and issues in international technical and vocational education in the Indo-Pacific region. Taipei, Taiwan: Wu-Nan Books (Funded by the Technological and Vocational Education Research Center, National Taiwan Normal University).
• Zirkle, C., & Plasman, J. (2021). Vocational/career and technical education (4th  ed.) New York: Oxford Bibliographies Online, Oxford University Press.
• Zenner, L., Harris, R., Zirkle, C., & Pilz, M. (2021, May). Employability skills: a comparative study of the expectations of employers recruiting young people in Germany, Australia and the United States. International Journal of Training and Development. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijtd.12214Zirkle, C., Jeffery, J., & Schrewe, L. (2019). A longitudinal study of alternatively licensed career-technical teachers. Career and Technical Education Research, 44 (1), 23-47. https://doi.org/10.5328/cter44.1.1
• Keller, A., Zirkle, C., & Barabasch, A. (2019). Focal points of VET teacher training: A comparison of VET teacher education in the USA and Switzerland. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2019.1682519
• Zirkle C. (2018). Vocational teacher preparation: The United States. In: McGrath S., Mulder M., Papier J., Suart R. (eds). Handbook of vocational education and training. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer.
• Zirkle C., & Jeffery, J. (2018). Vocational student organizations and student success. In: McGrath S., Mulder M., Papier J., Suart R. (eds). Handbook of vocational education and training. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer.
• Zirkle, C., & Jeffery, J. (2017). Career and technical education administration: Requirements, certification/licensure, and preparation. Career and Technical Education Research, 42 (1), 21-33.
• Zirkle, C. (2016). A qualitative analysis of high school level vocational education in the United States: Three decades of positive change. In M.Pilz (Ed.), Youth in transition: Vocational education and training in times of economic crisis (pp. 321-337). New York: Springer.
• Zirkle, C. (2016). Student safety and liability: A primer for career-technical and technology education instructors TechDirections, 76 (4), 16-19.
• Fletcher, E., Asunda, P., Gordon, H., & Zirkle, C. (2015). A 2015 status study of career and technical education programs in the United States. Career and Technical Education Research, 40 (3), 25-48.
• Zirkle, C., & Martin, L. (2012). Challenges and opportunities for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the United States.  In M.Pilz (Ed.), The future of vocational education and training in a changing world, (pp. 9-24). New York: Springer.
• Zirkle, C. (2011). The multi-tiered CTE/VET system in the United States – from high school to four year colleges. In F. Rauner & A. Barabasch (Eds.), Work and education in America: The art of integration (pp.33-51). New York: Springer.

• Smeplass, E., & Zirkle, C. (2023, June). Participation through vocational education and training: Comparing the Norwegian and Ohio systems. Presented at the Annual Conference of the Nordic Research Network on Vocational Education and Training (NordYrk), Bergen, Norway. 
• Zirkle, C. (2023, April). Roles and cooperation between secondary schools, community/technical colleges, universities and companies in the development of career pathway curriculum. Presented at the World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference, Shanghai, China (held virtually). 
• Plasman, J., & Zirkle, C. (2022, September). Informal work-based learning in the United States. Presented at the 4th International German Research Center for Comparative Vocational and Training conference, Cologne, Germany. 
• Zirkle, C. (2022, August). Transforming the student experience: A second-year mentoring program. Presented at Pedaforum 2022: Days of Higher Education Pedagogy, Helsinki, Finland. 
• Zirkle, C. (2022, June). Recent trends and issues in vocational education in the United States and their effects on vocational teachers: A qualitative analysis. Presented at the Annual Conference of the Nordic Research Network on Vocational Education and Training (NordYrk),  Norrköping, Sweden. 
• Zirkle, C. (2022, February). An analysis of the 2018 U.S. federal legislation on career and technical education and its impacts on policy and practice in vocational education and training in the United States. Presented at the 7th International Vocational Education and Training Congress, Bern Switzerland (held virtually).
• Zirkle, C. (2021, September). Business and industry professionals entering teaching as a second career: A case study. Presented at the European Conference on Educational Research, Geneva, Switzerland (held virtually).
• Zirkle, C. (2020, November). Vocational-Technical Education in the United States. Presented at the 7th International Conference on Vocational and Technical Education and Training, Padang State University, Padang, Indonesia (Virtual Conference).
• Zirkle, C. (2019, December). The recent reform and modernization of career and technical education (vocational education) in the United States. Presented at the International Forum on Vocational Education Modernization, Nantong, China.
• Zirkle, C. (2019, March). Retention of vocational teachers in the United States: A longitudinal case study of one university. Proceedings of the Fifth Congress on Research in Vocational Education and Training. Bern, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training.
• Zirkle, C. (2018, December). Current curricular and instructional practices in VET in the United States. Keynote presentation at the International Conference on Flipped Learning for Technological and Vocational Education, Taipei, Taiwan.
• Zirkle, C., & Jeffery, J. (2018, November). A longitudinal study of alternatively licensed career-technical teachers. Paper presented at the Career and Technical Education Research and Professional Development Conference, San Antonio, TX.
• Zirkle, C. (2017, March). Articulation and transfer in career and technical (vocational) education for career progress: A U.S. case study of a community college and a research university in an urban setting. Paper presented at the 5th Congress on Research in Vocational Education and Training, Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, Bern, Switzerland.
• Zirkle, C. (2016, November). The use of work-based learning experiences in U.S. colleges and universities: A discussion and case study. Paper presented at International Conference on Work-Based Learning, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
• Zirkle, C. (2016, May). Program and curriculum articulation of secondary and post-secondary career and technical education. Paper presented at 2016 Taiwan Symposium on Humanities, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan.
• Zirkle, C. (2015, May). An analysis of the workforce development and education system in the United States. Presented at Beijing Academy of Educational Sciences. Beijing, China.
• Zirkle, C. (2014, September). A qualitative analysis of high school vocational education in the U.S. Paper presented at 2nd International Conference of the German Research Center for Comparative Vocational Education and Training, The University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
• Zirkle, C. (2013, May). The recent reform of vocational education in the United States. Paper presented at the 2013 International Language Education Conference, Transworld University, Yunlin, Taiwan.
• Zirkle, C. (2012, December). An analysis of the workforce development and education system in the U.S. Paper presented at the 2012 International Conference on Industrial Workforce Development & Education in the Asia-Pacific Region, Cheonan, Korea.