The Teacher’s Noble Sacrifice: An Exploration of Agriculture Teacher Margin

Abstract

Due to the persistence of the school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teacher shortage, research on this issue must continue. Exploring a variety of aspects of how this shortage manifests may be advantageous for devising paths for teachers to be retained in the career. While considerable literature exists on SBAE teacher retention and related topics, there is an absence of holistic, systemic perspectives which may help researchers recognize key drivers of this issue. This qualitative study utilized the Theory of Margin and sought an understanding of how teachers are experiencing their workloads. The overall theme of this study was The Teacher’s Noble Sacrifice, encompassing a holistic picture of teacher load, sources of teacher power, how lacking margin may affect a teacher’s power or load, where and how support networks can be utilized, and how these SBAE teachers identify as agricultural educators. The themes emerging from this research are explored for their impact on the teacher shortage with recommendations for research and practice suggested.