Exploring Relationships between Personal Variables, Programmatic Variables, and Self-Efficacy in School-Based Agricultural Education

Abstract

The educational importance of teacher self-efficacy necessitates research into variables presumed to significantly influence teacher self-efficacy. In the current study, the role of personal and programmatic variables on the self-efficacy of school-based agriculture teachers was explored. Self-efficacy was measured in five aspects of the agriculture teaching profession: (a) classroom management, (b) instructional strategies, (c) leadership, (d) science teaching, and (e) math teaching. Early career agriculture teachers in five western states were used as the population for the study. Backward deletion model selection was completed for each of the five self-efficacy areas and multiple linear regression was used to analyze final models. The number of teachers within an agriculture program, years of teaching experience, number of students in the agriculture program, science credit being offered, and CASE certification were all statistically significant, positive predictors of one or more of the five self-efficacy areas. Additionally, a significant, negative relationship between additional teachers and math teaching self-efficacy was discovered, suggesting predictors are influenced by positive or negative vicarious experiences and/or social persuasion. Findings are explored using concepts from broader self-efficacy literature.