Teaching Values In Agricultural Education

Abstract

This study determined perceptions of agricultural education teachers nationwide as to what values should be taught to students enrolled in high school agriscience courses. The population was secondary agricultural teachers who taught in public secondary schools in the United States during I99 7-98. Most of the teachers were middle-aged, white males who taught agriculture for an average of 14 years. The average school size where these agriculture teachers taught was 750 students, andenrollment in agriculture represented nearly 20% identified in this study were important characteristics that should be taught to youngpeople studying high school agriculture. They perceived the most important values were responsibility, honesty, courtesy, and respect. Although agriculture teachers perceived the FFA as the best component number program. Teachers tended to agree on the importance characteristics. In general, teachers who perceived they exhibited a certain behavior tended to have a positive perception toward including that value (or a related one) in the agricultural education curriculum of the total school population. Agriculture teachers agreed that the 21 valuesfor teaching values, aof values can be taught in the classroom, laboratory, and Supervised Agricultural Experienceof the 21 values regardless of teacher characteristics. In general, teachers who perceived they exhibited a certain behavior tended to have a positive perception toward including that value (or a related one) in the agricultural education curriculum.