Teacher Shortage in School-Based, Agricultural Education (SBAE): A Historical Review

Abstract

Ongoing teacher shortages in SBAE have been a concern dating back to the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 (Hillison, 1987). This historical inquiry identified the longitudinal trends revealed by data derived from the supply and demand studies of SBAE teachers over a 51-year period, and how the studies and their reporting procedures evolved. On average, between 50% and 60% of graduates prepared to teach SBAE nationwide did so during their first year after graduation. The studies’ research teams changed eight times, including 12 lead investigators from eight institutions and, in the case of two reports, the National FFA Organization assisted. Reporting cycles also changed over time. Perhaps the long-term graduates-to-entrants trend should be accepted as canon and stakeholders redouble efforts to recruit a larger pool of future teachers and improve the likelihood of graduates who enter the profession also choosing to remain.