A Needs Assessment to Determine Knowledge and Ability of Egyptian Agricultural Technical School Teachers Related to Supervised Agricultural Experience

Abstract

This research was conducted approximately one year after Egyptian Agricultural Technical School (ATS) instructors attended workshops on integrating placement Supervised Agricultural Experience as an instructional tool in their programs. Following a year of implementation, the purpose of this study was to determine ATS teacher knowledge and ability to apply the 23 placement SAE competencies delivered in the workshops. To some extent, ATS instructors had knowledge of and could apply all 23 placement SAE competencies. However, Mean Weighted Discrepancy Scores for knowledge and ability to apply for all 23 placement SAE competencies were positive, indicating some level of need for future workshops on all topics. Based on the rankings, it was recommended that future in–service workshops should be conducted with this group of ATS teachers that focus on: (a) explaining the process of learning by doing; (b) defining the types of experience programs for ATS students; (c) identifying the role of the community in planning and conducting internships; (d) describing the evolution of supervised experience; and (e) explaining the relationship between internship and classroom instruction.