Abstract
Industrial, technological, and societal changes require teachers to be continually engaged in professional learning activities that promote new scientific approaches to education and content. Providing teachers with current and relevant professional development is an important task in secondary education. This study sought to identify the professional development needs for educators who teach forestry and forest ecosystem content to secondary students. Researchers used the Delphi method with two participant groups to investigate the diversity of thought held throughout the southeastern United States. Participants were agriculture and environmental science teachers, state department of education administrators, foresters, and environmental scientists. Participants identified eleven areas of educational need: 1. Forestry career days, 2. Tree diseases and pathogens, 3. Graduation requirements limit student opportunities to take electives, 4. Career counseling in forestry jobs, 5. Educate students about degrees needed for forestry careers, 6. Over commitment of students to extra-curricular activities, 7. Lack of foundational forestry knowledge, 8. Lack of forestry /agriculture programs in schools, 9. Develop forestry electives in middle school, 10. Lack of foundational forest management knowledge, and 11. Connect classroom content to FFA and Envirothon extra-curricular activities.
Highlights
Undergraduate forestry programs in the United States have experienced a steady decline in enrollment over the past three decades, which corresponds with a reciprocal increase in enrollment in environmental studies programs (Sharik et al, 2015)
A challenge for recruiting students into forestry programs is the perception that forestry courses are less welcoming to women and minorities than environmental studies programs (Rouleau et al, 2017)
Agriculture and environmental science teachers have a continuing need for in-service training ensuring that they are current with industry standards (Barrick et al, 1983)
Summary
Introduction and Problem StatementUndergraduate forestry programs in the United States have experienced a steady decline in enrollment over the past three decades, which corresponds with a reciprocal increase in enrollment in environmental studies programs (Sharik et al, 2015). A challenge for recruiting students into forestry programs is the perception that forestry courses are less welcoming to women and minorities than environmental studies programs (Rouleau et al, 2017). This reduction in students pursuing forestry degrees coincides with a peak in employment opportunities for recent forestry graduates (Connaughton, 2015), which leaves forestry undergraduate programs struggling with recruitment of students and looking towards secondary educators as a pipeline for potential forestry students. Agriculture and environmental science teachers have a continuing need for in-service training ensuring that they are current with industry standards (Barrick et al, 1983). This study examines the professional development needs of educators assisting with increasing their abilities to teach forestry concepts and encourage students to enter the forestry profession
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