SAE for All in Developing Student Efficacy of Career Development: SBAE Teacher Perceptions

Abstract

A primary purpose of School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) programs is to prepare students for successful careers in agriculture, food, and natural resource-related industries. Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) is a component of SBAE and is regarded as a valuable experience for students. However, SAE is often viewed as a weakness stemming from declining student participation over several decades. In 2015, the National Council for Agricultural Education established new principles guiding SAE, and in 2017, resources were developed for a new approach titled SAE for All. This phenomenological study describes teacher perceptions of SAE for All relating to student efficacy in career development.  Findings reveal that teachers are positive about what SAE for All does for their students. Implementation was common among participants, though it required teachers to find, create, or adapt resources to meet their preferred teaching approach and local needs. Most teachers maintained that student participation was a graded expectation. Documentation, or record-keeping, remains a common expectation of teachers for their students. Teachers were optimistic about SAE for All’s ability to make participation accessible to more (or all) students, especially those without access to resources or transportation, those not interested in production agriculture-based projects, and students not consistently enrolled in an agriculture course. SAE for All provides a useful structure for teachers to incorporate career awareness and exploration into their SBAE program, which included students contacting professionals in career fields based on interest and job shadowing local professionals. Teachers aimed for 100% student participation in SAE for All.