A Comparison of Curricular Resource Use of Florida School-Based Agricultural Education Teachers by Career Stage

Abstract

There is considerable variability in the design and quality of resource provided to teachers. There is also a lack of empirical backing guiding the process of curricular resource design, specifically as it relates to teachers in different stages of their careers. The purpose of this study was to explore curricular resource use by Florida SBAE teachers based on experience level. A census of Florida school-based agricultural education teachers was conducted. The instrument asked teachers to identify which resources they used and provided follow-up instruments for the resources selected to determine the pedagogical design capacity related to each resource. Respondents were found to use similar amounts of resources across all career stages. When comparing means related to PDC, a significant difference was only found for one resource. Overall, these findings showed that teachers use similar amounts of resources regardless of career stage and PDC for various resources remains stable across career stages. There is a slight increase in the frequency of use for teachers in the early career stage. This study provides an overview of how PDC changes depending on the resource being used across career stages. Resources should continue to be developed to teachers across all career stages.