Agricultural Education Teachers Research Articles

A content analysis of SBAE preservice teacher disposition assessments

Effective teaching is complex as it encapsulates professional, interpersonal, and intrapersonal knowledge. Professionalism is often tied to dispositions, although ambiguous definitions and cultural sensitivity make it a difficult task. Therefore, this study aimed to establish a comprehensive list of dispositions associated with SBAE teacher preparation. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of dispositions assessments in school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teacher preparation programs in the North-Central Region of the American Association for Agricultural Education by conducting a content analysis. The sample frame included 22 dispositions, and all of them appeared in the assessments at least once, resulting in 554 dispositions across the documents. This study contributes to our understanding of teacher dispositions, an important facet of teacher education preparation programs. However, we are left with additional questions relating to practice, research, and theory. According to prior research, students bring their dispositions into their learning experiences, but those learning experiences and other factors influence changes concerning the decision to teach as a career.

Identifying the perceptions, barriers, and implementation of middle school supervised agricultural experiences

Although School based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers have a variety or responsibilities within a comprehensive program, supervised agricultural experience (SAE) programs are considered an intracurricular component. Unfortunately, the ability for teachers to plan for and facilitate SAEs has been reported as lacking. The purpose of this study was to identify the current perceptions, barriers, and implementation of current middle school SAEs in the Southeast United States, which was carried out by a modified Delphi approach to reach consensus on the perceptions, barriers, and implementation of middle school SAEs from a panel of experts. After three rounds, 18 items achieved consensus related to perceptions of Middle School SAE integration, 19 items outlining barriers for Middle School SAE implementation, and 22 items indicating best practices for Middle School SAE integration. When we consider the uniqueness of middle school SBAE programs, the overall list of perceptions, barriers, and best practices is of great value for future implementation as additional programs are added. Recommendations for practice begin with purposeful professional development opportunities specific for middle school SBAE teachers.

Impact of sequential professional development of school-based agricultural education teachers: In-service implications for safety training

Impact of sequential professional development of school-based agricultural education teachers: In-service implications for safety training

School-based agricultural education teachers’ lived experience of integrating virtual reality into their classroom

Agricultural Education uses a combination of classroom and laboratory instruction, experiential learning, and leadership education to prepare students for jobs in industry. With the recent promotion of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) as an option for educational programs, this technology allows teachers to incorporate experiential learning and give students real experiences who otherwise might not have the opportunity. VR has been used across many industries, such as medicine, construction, manufacturing, military training programs, tractor and machinery operation, as a form of training. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore [state] SBAE teachers’ lived experiences of incorporating a VR experience and technology into their curriculum. Eleven teachers participated in semi-structured interviews to describe their lived experiences. Three themes and 11 sub-themes emerged from those results. Participants described their experience as one that provided valuable benefits, introduced new challenges, and a semi-realistic interpretation of a hands-on activity. VR can be successfully integrated into skill-based instruction by ensuring that teachers and students have positive user experiences, addressing students’ performance, and providing a realistic interpretation of a hands-on activity.

Strategy of designing additional educational programs in the field of teachers’ digital competencies of the higher agricultural education

The article presents a strategy for designing additional educational programs in the field of teachers’ digital competencies of higher agricultural education. The relevance of the research topic is substantiated (based on a brief review of modern publications of Scopus knowledge-intensive database), we developed theoretical approaches to the empirical part of designing additional educational programs to improve teachers’ digital literacy. As part of an expert survey (347 people – representatives of the pedagogical community of higher agricultural education in the South of Russia) we identified the most relevant areas of improving the digital competencies of scientific and pedagogical workers of a modern agricultural university: the ability to develop their own means of digital communication; the ability to create virtual platforms for study groups; improving the skills of developing interactive tasks in Web-2 services.0; ability to create visually interesting interactive materials; development of goal-setting skills in the process of choosing, changing, combining and creating digital learning resources, taking into account the educational context, educational goals and target audience. The results of the study allow us to identify important information sections for the development of a professional development program in the field of digital competence of teachers of agricultural education.

Determining professional development needs of school-based agricultural education teachers for working with English language learners

English Language Learners (ELLs) are one of the fastest growing student populations in the United States. However, teachers, including school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers, report being underprepared to teach ELLs. Skills needed to teach ELLs were identified and categorized using Coady et al.’s model for preparing effective teachers of ELLs. The purpose of this study was to describe current SBAE teacher perceptions and needs related to strategies for working with ELLs in the agriculture classroom. This was accomplished through a Borich needs assessment using an online survey of [State] SBAE teachers. Less than half of respondents reported receiving training in 37 out of the 41 ELL teaching strategies. The greatest professional development need was communication with ELLs and their parents. The results of this study were consistent with previous research, which reported that SBAE teachers received little training in working with ELL students. When examining teachers’ competence for working with ELL students, there were no teaching and learning strategies where teachers felt more than somewhat competent. Professional development should be provided to help improve teachers’ communication with ELL students and their parents, and teacher preparation programs should provide experiences to allow preservice teachers to work with ELL students.

The state of agricultural mechanics in the preparation of school-based agricultural education teachers

Agricultural mechanics is a primary subject area in school-based agricultural education (SBAE). Despite a high prevalence in SBAE, preservice and in-service SBAE teachers have frequently expressed concerns regarding teaching agricultural mechanics. Early 21st century research documented the characteristics of preservice SBAE teacher training in agricultural mechanics, although more recent studies have suggested that the agricultural mechanics training requirements have changed. This study sought to compare the agricultural mechanics preparation of preservice SBAE teachers between 2000 and 2021. A survey instrument was distributed to a representative of every institution with an undergraduate SBAE teacher preparation program in the contiguous United States, resulting in an 86.7% response rate. The results were compared to previous studies from 2000 and 2005. A reduction in the average number of required agricultural mechanics credit hours was found. Faculty perceptions of importance and preservice teacher preparation had increased slightly; however, deficits were found in all competency groups. Further research is warranted to determine the perceptions of preservice and in-service SBAE teachers regarding agricultural mechanics. Recommendations include that teacher educators evaluate current preparation methods for preservice SBAE teachers and provide professional development in the areas where the greatest training deficits were observed.

Technical agriculture skills teachers need to teach courses in the animal systems pathway

Fundamentally, agricultural teacher education programs and their faculty are tasked with preparing competent teachers capable of teaching students enrolled in public schools. As part of their design, an important facet of these programs is ensuring pre-service teachers are ready to provide educational opportunities in aspects of school-based agricultural education (SBAE), including teaching technical agriculture skills to students. We used a three-round Delphi technique to identify the technical agriculture skills SBAE teachers in Illinois and Iowa need to effectively teach courses in the Animal Systems pathway within the broader Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) Career Cluster. Thirty-four SBAE teachers who were nominated by state-level SBAE leaders and other SBAE teachers in their states contributed data for our study. Twenty-two teachers participated in all three rounds. In total, we identified 35 technical agriculture skill items. To help ensure teachers are competent and prepared to teach courses in the Animal Systems pathway, we outline several approaches agricultural teacher educators should contemplate: (1) facilitating opportunities to foster technical agriculture skill development within agricultural teacher education programs, (2) collaborating with agricultural faculty who teach technical agriculture courses to pre-service teachers, and (3) using our list of 35 skills to facilitate future scholarly investigation on the topic. While not generalizable beyond the SBAE teachers in these two states, we do believe our findings have value for SBAE stakeholders. To overcome the limitation of generalizability and to delve deeper into teachers’ technical agriculture skill needs, we suggest that our study be replicated in other states.

A national study assessing the influence of perceived challenges faced by school-based agricultural education teachers on their ability to do their job

A national study assessing the influence of perceived challenges faced by school-based agricultural education teachers on their ability to do their job

Preparing pre-service agricultural education teachers to teach agricultural mechanics: Are we doing enough?

Agricultural mechanics is a technical skill area that poses numerous challenges for teacher preparation programs due to safety, time needed to learn technical skills, and credit hour requirements. The skills required to manage a laboratory are crucial for instructors of agricultural mechanics curriculum. Agricultural mechanics is a popular course in secondary schools, but studies found that pre-service teachers were ill-equipped to teach the courses effectively. Determining the level of readiness of graduates of teacher preparation programs to teach agricultural mechanics was the purpose of this study. Certifying institutions for agricultural education teachers across the nation comprised our target population. A questionnaire was used to collect data for this study, resulting in 48% response rate (n = 52). Of the nine agricultural mechanics curriculum content areas most teachers reported they had five in their state curriculum. The nine content areas were determined to be “Important” by the teachers in this study. Hand/Power Tools (M = 3.69) was the only content area that institutions ranked their graduates as “Prepared” to teach. The remaining content areas were ranked as “Somewhat” or “Poorly” prepared. Most institutions stated that they required at least one course in agricultural mechanics in their program, with the average requirement being five to eight hours. It can be concluded that agricultural mechanics course requirements have decreased since 2005, even though the content is heavily taught at the secondary level. This study has shown that we must re-evaluate how we prepare students to be competent to teach agricultural mechanics.

Sustaining Global Food Systems with Youth Digital Livestock Production Curricula Interventions and Adoption to Professionally Develop Agents of Change

Improving the sustainability of global food systems requires competent and impactful change agents who are tasked with disseminating knowledge to stakeholders in local communities. Agricultural Extension agents and agricultural educator, who provide mentorship and preparation of youth, are pivotal for the positive outcomes of youth livestock production programs. Digital professional development, as one intervention for both formal and nonformal educators, can be a more effective use of an educator’s time. This study examined the needs and competency levels of agents and teachers related to their capacity for training youth livestock exhibitors. Through an online course, participants completed a pre-posttest within an interactive module. The data revealed that agents and agricultural teachers were proficient in Texas, USA, youth livestock production programs. This study found that the majority of both groups scored over 90% on the curricula’s assessment. There was a significant difference; agricultural education teachers reported higher mean scores than Extension agents on the Effective Teaching assessment. Both groups reported agreement with the Time to Complete, Tool Navigation, and Effective Teaching assessments. The data indicated that participants should additionally receive training materials on ethics policy and livestock validation. Livestock production digital professional development for nonformal agents of change is essential for sustaining global food chains.

Identifying school-based agricultural education teacher needs and support gaps

The school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teacher attrition crisis dates back to the passing of the Smith-Hughes Act in 1917. For the past three decades, researchers have studied this phenomenon to better understand the needs of SBAE teachers in order to increase retention as well as improve work-life balance. While several needs are recurring, current efforts are not resulting in actionable change for SBAE teachers. To gain perspectives on the problem, an expert panel of SBAE supporters were invited to participate in a Delphi in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, focused on the perceived needs of SBAE teachers. The Conceptual Model of Support for SBAE Teachers was introduced as a potential lens to meet the human needs of SBAE teachers. The Delphi resulted in 42 items being identified as areas of need for 21st century SBAE teachers. All align with the historical needs of SBAE teachers and demonstrate gaps in support in the areas of wellness, resources, work-life balance, relationships, and the need for purposeful professional development. Further research is recommended to evaluate the identified needs.

Course Development to Address Gaps in Horticulture Content Standards for Students in an Agricultural Education Undergraduate Degree Program

Agricultural Education teacher licensure programs face a growing list of coursework needed to meet requirements with a shrinking number of credit hours available. A new course – ‘Greenhouse and Landscape Fundamentals for Educators’ was developed at Purdue University with an Agricultural Education Teacher Licensure B.S. degree program. Data utilized in creating the course included: 1) an evaluation of current Agricultural Education coursework; 2) a review of state and national Agricultural Education content and academic standards; and 3) a survey of current Indiana Agriculture teachers. Responses from the survey (n=72) of high school teachers of horticulture and/or landscape management show 61% of respondents had teaching greenhouses at their schools, and 62% reporting they were not confident with operating and maintaining a greenhouse based on bachelor level coursework they took. Respondents indicate needing more coursework in several topics: greenhouse management landscape design, landscape installation and maintenance, and plant identification. Results pointed to gaps in existing required coursework. The new course was specifically tailored to meet the needs of the Agricultural Education undergraduate students, and equip them with information and resources to call upon when they begin their teaching careers.

Evaluating the preparation of pre-service school-based agricultural education teachers in laboratory-based courses

This study sought to examine laboratory-based instruction for pre-service school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers at various institutions across the nation. While research has indicated that laboratory-based instruction in SBAE programs is commonplace (Shoulders & Meyers, 2012), a myriad of literature has noted SBAE teachers are not adequately prepared to teach, manage, and facilitate learning activities in SBAE laboratories upon completing their teacher education programs (Burris et al., 2005; Hainline & Wells, 2019; Shoulders, 2012). 
 To better understand the current state of SBAE pre-service teacher training in laboratory instruction, we surveyed 33 agricultural education certifying institutions across the country. Many of these institutions indicated they required pre-service teachers to take two laboratory-based instruction courses in the areas of agricultural mechanics (96.9%) and welding metal fabrication livestock (83.9%). However, only 46.7% of the responding institutions required students to take a greenhouse management course, and 29% required pre-service teachers to take a meat science course. The findings of this study also highlight if the laboratory-based courses had a pedagogical component, and the teacher educators were asked to provide their perceptions for a need for expansion of instruction in each context. Recommendations for practice and further investigation were provided.

Attitudes and professional development needs of school-based agricultural education teachers related to inclusion, diversity, and equity

This study aimed to describe school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers' attitudes regarding inclusion, diversity, and equity (IDE) and prioritize the need for IDE-related professional development. A series of survey questions were used to describe the sample of SBAE teachers and their attitudes toward IDE and inclusive teaching practices. Most participants agreed that their programs should create an inclusive environment where all students can benefit from their program, have equal opportunities, and demographically mirror their school's student population. However, the profession remains split on whether there are problems with IDE and whether changes are needed. This response is likely the result of today's polarized culture. The Borich Needs Assessment Model was used to determine the perceived level of importance and ability of SBAE teachers regarding 11 professional development statements related to IDE. All professional development needs were assessed and ranked using mean weighted discrepancy scores (MWDS). The top three IDE-related professional development need areas among SBAE teachers were (a) tapping into students' lived experiences (cultural capital) when teaching, (b) identifying curriculum resources to enhance inclusivity, and (c) advocating for minority students.

What is in it for me: Reasons to join the teachers’ professional association

Agricultural Education relies heavily on national and state professional associations to serve School Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) teachers. Because there is not 100% membership in these organizations across the country, it is vital to learn what is holding teachers back from joining and identify the needs of current members to encourage continued membership. The purpose of this descriptive survey study was to determine teacher motivations to join their state ag teacher professional association and identify priority areas for initiatives. Data were collected from 245 SBAE teachers through a Qualtrics survey using skip logic to gather information from members and non-members. Results indicated most members were joining for networking opportunities and professional savvy. Cost and communication were indicated as limiting factors for non-members. Current members identified that curriculum resource sharing, new teacher resources, and teacher retention efforts should be very high on the list of priorities for the association. State association leaders should utilize this research to focus on networking and professional development initiatives as well as opening the lines of communication with stakeholders. Future research investigating demographic differences in decision to join and qualitative follow-up with members who have left may also be warranted.

Comparison of preservice teachers’ time allocation and performance evaluations while student teaching: An exploratory study

Student teachers’ experiences during their internship are crucial in their development as a teacher. In agricultural teacher education programs, it is common for student teachers to record where their time is allocated each week on categorized timesheets. The purpose of this study was to examine the preservice teachers' performance over the 14-week student teaching experience and how their performance was affected based on their weekly allocation of time. It was found that hours spent on observation had a small, positive effect on teacher professionalism and reflective and autonomous practitioner performance constructs. In addition, hours logged for direct student contact had a small positive effect on the reflective and autonomous practitioner construct. However, the measures of model fit suggest that these effects were trivial. Time allocations were excessive and sporadic. Therefore, discussion regarding the expectations of appropriate thresholds and distributions of time for student teachers and trainings on time management strategies should be conducted across the profession. Additionally, continued research should be conducted on student teachers’ time allocation and its effect on their performance.

External Perceptions of the Oklahoma Youth Expo's March 2020 COVID-19 Response

Livestock shows are a prevalent part of youth agricultural programs in the United States, but they are not well understood, particularly in terms of risk and crisis communication. Through in-depth qualitative interviews, this study evaluated the perceptions of Oklahoma agricultural education instructors, Extension agents, and parents of youth exhibiting at the 2020 Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE). The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caused the stock show to cancel in the middle of its schedule. The study evaluated perceptions of the event through the lens of crisis communication as it relates to brand reputation and crisis management. The study was guided by situational crisis communication theory. The results of the interviews indicate that OYE’s brand reputation was not harmed as a result of the crisis, and some responses indicate that participants may have increased their respect of the organization. Instead, participants directed fault toward city officials who cancelled the stock show. Future research is recommended to evaluate how other stock shows responded to the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak, as well as assessing how stock shows continued to deal with the pandemic in subsequent years.

Determining the professional development needs of Iowa school-based agricultural education teachers related to program design, leadership, and SAE development

School-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers face challenges and difficulties while working in the agricultural education profession. Burnout, work and family life balance, and time management are just a few of the challenges. The professional development needs of agricultural educators should be addressed. Fessler and Christensen (1992) indicated a teachers’ work and personal lives change throughout their career, therefore, professional development differs from the beginning of their profession. Malcolm Knowles' (1980) theory of andragogy was utilized as the conceptual framework for this study. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the professional development needs of SBAE teachers in the state of Iowa. The SBAE teachers are perceived to have some level of professional development needs for topics related to program design and management. Leadership and SAE development were reported to represent areas of need. Professional development focusing on the development and use of advisory councils should be provided for Iowa SBAE teachers at various venues. The Iowa SBAE teachers should use the SAE For All (National Council for Agricultural Education, 2017) guide as a resource for developing and advising students on SAE projects.

A national review of state standards relevant to SBAE teacher performance and program quality

Because of discrepancies among U.S. states regarding how they assess school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teacher performance and program quality, little knowledge has existed regarding how these differences might influence critical decisions regarding hiring, pay, promotion, and dismissal. In response, the purpose of our study was to examine commonalities and differences in state-level program quality standards of teacher and program performance expectations for SBAE in the U.S. To accomplish this, we analyzed documents containing teacher and program standards used by state SBAE leaders. Using cognitive sensemaking as our lens, we found states that measured SBAE teacher and program standards using a variety of formats and methods, emphasizing teacher engagement in professional development, organization of course syllabi and lesson plans, program safety, and health protocol adherence. We also found little mention of instructional practice as a prominent metric for success and no delineation regarding standards for teachers' years of experience. We discuss the merits of these documents and encourage practitioners to critically examine their intent and use them moving forward.