Leadership Courses Required in Agricultural Teacher Education Programs

Abstract

Leadership development has been an important component of secondary agricultural education programs since the FFA was first organized in 1928. Student leadership development continues to occur through the FFA; however, leadership has also become an element of the agricultural education instructional program. There was a need to examine how agriculture teachers are being prepared to teach about leadership. This study was conducted to describe leadership courses required in agricultural teacher education programs throughout the United States. Most agricultural teacher education programs did not require courses in leadership. Furthermore, for programs that required leadership coursework, the content topics, grading components, and required textbooks varied widely. Required leadership courses were typically taught in the same department that administered the agricultural teacher preparation program. Based on findings of this study, agricultural teacher educators need to identify a core of leadership content topics that should be taught in secondary agricultural education programs in order to ensure that agricultural teacher education candidates are adequately prepared to teach leadership. Programs that do not require leadership courses should examine their curriculum to determine if their teacher candidates are adequately prepared to teach leadership content in a secondary agricultural education program.