An Evaluation of the Impact of Professional Development on Agricultural Science Educators' Attitudes, Perceived Control, and Intentions Toward Facilitating Agriscience Fair Projects
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v67i4.3262Keywords:
Agriscience Fair, Research SAEs, Professional Development, Theory of Planned BehaviorAbstract
Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs) are a foundational element of secondary agricultural education as they promote hands-on, experiential learning. Among the various SAE types, agriscience research projects stand out as they develop students' critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and understanding of agricultural science. However, barriers such as limited teacher preparation and self-efficacy hinder the incorporation of these projects. This one-group pre-posttest study investigated the impact of a professional development workshop on agricultural educators' attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and intent to facilitate agriscience fair projects during the 2024-2025 school year. Results showed that while participants' attitudes remained strongly favorable, perceived behavioral control increased significantly (p < .001, Cohen's d = 1.29), suggesting the workshop effectively improved teachers' confidence in facilitating agriscience projects. Although subjective norms regarding stakeholder support remained neutral, intent to conduct agriscience projects increased slightly from 71.9% to 76.6% post-workshop. These findings emphasize the importance of targeted professional development to overcome barriers and promote teacher engagement with research SAEs. Recommendations include expanding training opportunities, reinforcing supportive social norms, and providing ongoing support to sustain educators' participation in agriscience fairs. Further research is needed to explore long-term impacts and best practices for professional development in agricultural education.
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