Personal resilience of first-year, alternatively certified agriscience teachers

Debra Barry,Sarah Larose,Anna J Warner,Edward Osborne,Blake Colclasure

doi:10.37433/aad.v3i1.183

Abstract

A wide range of challenges continues to exist in delivering school-based agricultural education (SBAE) programs. Among the most pressing challenges are the recruitment and retention of high-quality agriculture teachers (Guffey & Young, 2020). Teacher educators and researchers in SBAE are tasked with meeting the nationwide demand for teachers, while also better understanding the status of alternatively certified agriculture teachers (Foster et al., 2020). This study explored the challenges, coping strategies, and personal resilience of first-year agriscience teachers in Florida who held a temporary teaching certificate. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, seven alternatively certified Florida agriculture teachers were interviewed. The personal resilience framework developed by Hoopes (2017) guided this study, as researchers examined alternatively certified teachers’ experiences and responses to challenges in their teaching. Emergent themes included prior plans to teach, overwhelming expectations, supportive networks, aspects of resilience, and feelings of motivation and inspiration. This study highlights the need for proactive professional development and support systems for first-year, alternatively certified agriculture teachers.

Highlights

Introduction and Problem StatementThe recruitment and retention of agriculture teachers has been a long-standing issue (Guffey & Young, 2020)
Working from a philosophical perspective of constructivism (Crotty, 1998), we used a qualitative approach and phenomenological design (Creswell & Creswell, 2018) to examine how agriculture teachers respond to the challenges they encounter during their first year of teaching
Not My First Choice The first-year agriscience teachers in our study had a wide range of backgrounds

Summary

Introduction

Introduction and Problem StatementThe recruitment and retention of agriculture teachers has been a long-standing issue (Guffey & Young, 2020). Data collected in 2019 from state agricultural education supervisors nationwide indicated more than 25% of new hires were either alternatively certified or not currently licensed (Foster et al, 2020). Due to the continued growth and expansion in SBAE programs and the inability to fill vacancies with qualified candidates, the demand for teachers has outweighed supply (Foster et al, 2020; Lawver et al, 2018), further contributing to the increase of non-licensed or alternatively certified SBAE teachers (Lawver et al, 2018). Emotional burnout is a challenge that many teachers face, with contributors such as an unfulfilled commitment, lack of efficacy, unsupportive administrators, and feelings of overwhelming responsibility (Day & Gu, 2014; Hong, 2010). When given a supportive workplace environment, many teachers learn to respond positively when faced with challenges, become resilient over time, and can build their resilience in their workplace (Day & Gu, 2014)

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