Characteristics of Beginning Agriculture Teachers and Their Commitment to Teaching

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of beginning agriculture teachers and their perceived likelihood of teaching secondary agriculture in the future. Information was gathered from secondary agriculture teachers across the U.S. who were in their second year of teaching agricultural education during the 2003–2004 academic year. A survey instrument was created specifically for this study through which information about the experience of beginning teachers, the demographic characteristics of the beginning teacher, and the perceived likelihood of teaching secondary agriculture in the future was gathered. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a multiple regression analysis. While nearly three–fourths of the respondents reported they were highly likely to teach secondary agriculture one–year from the time of the survey, less than one–third reported they were highly likely to do so at five years, and only 15% reported they were highly likely to do so twenty years from the time of the survey. No statistically significant relationship was found between the characteristics of beginning teachers and their perceived likelihood of remaining in the profession.