An Assessment of the Needs of Middle School Agricultural Education Instructors in Georgia

Abstract

Like their students, middle school agricultural education instructors are a unique group with special needs and concerns. However, the needs of middle school teachers and their programs may be misunderstood and overlooked in the professional world when compared to secondary teachers and programs. While middle school programs are still relatively new to the world of agricultural education and are expected to continue to grow across the country, little focus has been placed on the needs of these programs and their teachers. In order to ensure the success of these teachers and to promote the longevity of quality middle school agricultural education programs, it is necessary to identify what teachers need to be successful. This study focused on Georgia middle school agricultural education instructors’ perceived levels of needs in various competency areas. A needs assessment was used to gather data from current Georgia middle school agricultural education instructors. The findings of this study indicate that Georgia middle school agricultural education instructors’ greatest overall needs for in-service training were in community and FFA competency areas. Determining the needs of this group of teachers will help provide adequate in-service instruction to ensure that middle school teachers have ample opportunities to be successful both inside and outside of the classroom.