Determining the Classroom Needs of School-Based Agricultural Education Teachers in Minnesota
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v66i1.2769Keywords:
needs assessment, competence, professional development, agricultural education teacherAbstract
Retaining quality SBAE teachers is key to the success and growth of the agricultural industry. Given the connection between SBAE teacher perceived competence and professional commitment (Palmer, 2020; Rada, 2023), it is vital to explore the perceptions of competence of teachers concerning their classroom. Using a Borich needs assessment model, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the perception of Minnesota SBAE teachers in the areas of teaching, classroom management, and technical agriculture to identify professional development needs. The SBAE teachers who participated in this study utilized various sources of professional development to enhance their competence as educators. Agriculture teachers' association workshops and school in-service workshops were their main sources of professional development. Most respondents (69.2%) had also participated in the Teacher Induction Program (TIP) as an early-career teacher. Managing student behaviors, motivating students to learn, proper implementation of IEPs for students with disabilities, integrating current advances in agricultural technology into the curriculum, teaching in an agricultural mechanics laboratory, and teaching knowledge and skills in biotechnology were identified as the top six professional development needs. Our results showed limited differences in professional development based on years of SBAE teaching experience. In addition to continued content-focused trainings, professional development focused on pedagogy and student engagement are recommended as focus areas for professional development.
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