School-based Agricultural Education 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

Filling the Gap: Factors Influencing Individuals with No School-based Agricultural Education Background to Enter the Profession

Filling the Gap: Factors Influencing Individuals with No School-based Agricultural Education Background to Enter the Profession

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.

School-Based Agricultural Education Industry Certifications: Part 1—Introduction to Industry Certifications

"Introduction to Industry Certifications" briefly discusses the history of agricultural education and the Smith-Hughes Act. It also provides an explanation as to what industry certifications are, as well as recognizes the organizations and the different types of certifications available to students within the Agriculture and Natural Resources pathway.

School-Based Agricultural Education Industry Certifications: Part 2—Getting Started

"Getting Started" discusses how to get involved with industry certification testing organizations and entities. It also explains the registration process for many different testing organizations and entities to better prepare students for test day.

School-Based Agricultural Education Industry Certifications: Part 3—Resources and Regulations

"Resources and Regulations" discusses where to find test prep and study materials to better prepare students for industry certification testing. This article also discusses a few important rules and reminders to follow while preparing for and distributing industry certification tests.

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.

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.

Benefits, barriers, and implementation strategies experienced by teachers adopting FFA affiliation membership: A case study

Although FFA affiliation has been piloted and in practice for several years, there is limited formal research on the program and strategies for best practice. We used a descriptive case study design to examine and describe the experiences of nine teachers in three states who had specific expertise related to FFA affiliation. We conducted semi-structured interviews to uncover the benefits and challenges those teachers experienced while adopting the innovation of affiliation. We analyzed those data using open, deductive and inductive coding to determine common themes of impact and benefits, strategies for implementation, and continuing issues and challenges. Participants in our study shared how affiliation made life easier and improved the participation of their students, but changed how their students think about membership (i.e., choosing to join vs. part of the class), how they graded social-emotional learning and FFA, how they interacted with administration and partner groups, and the demographics of their program. Continued adoption of the innovation of FFA affiliation may present financial challenges and problems finding opportunities for all students, which has notable implications for School-Based Agricultural Education and the National FFA Organization, specifically the elimination of dues, as FFA works toward its goal of 100% membership by 2028.

Purposeful STEM Integration in School-Based Agricultural Education Programs

Purposeful STEM Integration in School-Based Agricultural Education Programs

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

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.

Implications of Science Illumination on Student Motivation to Learn Science in Agriculture

Public perception of agriculture represents a significant barrier in preparing people to enter the agricultural sector because careers in agriculture are outdated, low paying, or less desirable. However, emphasis on science has been shown to attract students to school-based agricultural education (SBAE) programs. Research has shown that offering science credit for SBAE courses can be a motivational factor. Science illumination with SBAE can make scientific core ideas meaningful by providing opportunities to apply concepts to real-world scenarios. Using convenience sampling, the population for this study consisted of students of agriscience teachers who applied to be part of the [name] program. Students’ motivation to learn science was evaluated using a modified version of the Student Motivation Questionnaire-II (SMQ-II). The SMQ-II measured: 1) self-determination, 2) self-efficacy, 3) career motivation, 4) grade motivation, and 5) intrinsic motivation. Students from three groups displayed similar levels of self-efficacy throughout the study. As self-efficacy is positively correlated with academic success, observing students’ beliefs in themselves is encouraging. Overall, the students in this study were generally motivated to learn the science in agriculture. This study should be replicated with a larger sample size. To assist with potentially increasing student motivation, we recommend that agriscience teachers focus curricula on making content relevant to students to support students’ interests and align content with career opportunities in agriculture.

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.

Here are the keys, go teach: How alternatively certified agriculture teachers learn to be agriculture teachers

Teacher shortages in agricultural education are one reason for an increase in alternatively certified teachers, with 22.8% of new hires in school-based agricultural education (SBAE) being alternative licensure route completers in 2018. While prior research in SBAE has provided insight into the needs of alternatively certified teachers, we do not know how alternatively certified agriculture teachers are acquiring the practices of the profession. The purpose of this study was to explore how alternatively certified agriculture teachers acquire the practices of agriculture teachers using Wenger’s social learning theory, Communities of Practice. Data analysis resulted in four themes regarding how the participants acquired practices and the context of acquisition: (1) here are the keys, go teach; (2) connectors to the community, (3) in it for the kids, and (4) agricultural education is different from anything else. These findings highlight the social aspects of acquiring the unique practices of agriculture teachers through experience and mentors, as well as the dedication of participants to supporting students. Consequently, we recommend state leaders in SBAE to acknowledge the importance of social learning as they develop programming and supports for alternatively certified agriculture teachers.

Recruitment strategies used by school-based agricultural educators in Michigan

There are many benefits to being involved in a school-based agricultural education program (SBAE). Engagement of students in SBAE programs provides students with a milieu of opportunities; as such, it is imperative to determine strategies for recruitment and retention that are impactful. Research surrounding the recruitment and retention of SBAE students is sparse. This study explored the ways that SBAE teachers are recruiting students and the perceived efficacy of those recruitment strategies to pinpoint which strategies teachers are using and perceived success. Hands-on learning and learning outdoors are the two strategies teachers are using most commonly in their programs and perceive to be most effective. The results of this study are compared to scholarship within the discipline on student recruitment as well as the Recruitment Theory.

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.