Examining the Implementation of Competition by Minnesota School-Based Agricultural Education Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers implement competition within their programs. A quantitative instrument was designed to carry out the four research objectives of the study. The instrument was distributed to a non-probability convenience sample of 72 SBAE instructors who attended the [state] agricultural educators’ association conference. Data were interpreted and analyzed utilizing descriptive statistics. The results of this study revealed that teachers tend to have a desire and the skills to implement competition within their classroom, but lack the physical resources, curricular materials, and in some cases, the professional development experiences to implement competition to their desired extent within their classroom settings. Further research is needed in order to more fully explore how we can better support teachers who wish to implement competition within the classroom and the motives teachers have in selecting competitive elements within their classrooms. Further research should also be done to understand how teachers modify curricular resources to meet the goals and desires of their students and their programs.