Inservice Needs of Utah Agriculture Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify and prioritize the inservice needs of agriculture teachers in the state of Utah. A list of 31 modified competencies from previous research and from the Utah State Office of Education was developed to assess the needs of Utah agriculture teachers. The Borich needs assessment model was used to determine the perceived level of importance and ability of agricultural instructors regarding the 31 competencies. All inservice needs were analyzed and ranked using mean weighted discrepancy scores (MWDS). The top five competencies in which agriculture teachers were most in need of inservice were: (a) utilizing the community in providing opportunities for students i.e. advisory committees, agricultural organizations, etc.; (b) developing supervised agricultural experience (SAE) opportunities for all students; (c) identifying and preparing FFA proficiency award applications; (d) planning and implementing student recruitment activities; and (e) teaching learning disabled students. In contrast, the five competencies in which agriculture teachers required the least amount of inservice were: (a) describing how to set up the meeting room; (b) conducting parent/teacher conferences; (c) explaining the history and organization of the FFA; (d) explaining FFA degree areas; and (e) explaining proper dress and characteristics of a good FFA leader.