The Influence of CASE on Agriculture Teachers' Use of Inquiry-Based Methods

Abstract

The Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) is a national curriculum model used to promote inquiry-based learning, with a focus on facilitating student development of critical thinking skills through hands on application. However, limited research has been conducted on how agriculture teachers are using the curriculum after completing the required professional development training and its impact on their future classroom instruction. The central research question that guided this study was: how does completion of the Southwestern Land Grant University CASE professional development institute influence behavior patterns of agriculture teachers for incorporating inquiry-based learning through science integration? This research was conducted utilizing a multi-case study design. Nine certified CASE teachers who completed a summer 2018 institute were interviewed, observed, and had lesson plans analyzed. Five major themes emerged from the data: 1) barriers to CASE implementation exist that impacted teacher behavior, 2) experience in industry leads to increased teacher efficacy for inquiry-based strategies, 3) traditionally certified teachers are more likely to fall back on didactic teaching orientations, 4) a disconnect exists between student capacity and CASE expectations of inquiry-based methods, and 5) in state training and networking plays a vital role in teachers’ perceptions of CASE. Further research recommendations include expanding the scope of this study to provide insight on how lead teachers, regions, and/or curriculum pathways affect implementation of inquiry-based learning and purposeful science integration. Recommendations for practice include increased collaboration among CASE certified teachers, development of a state wide online platform, and additional funding opportunities for teachers.