AN EXAMINATION OF SELECTED PRESERVICE AGRICULTURAL TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES

Abstract

The researchers surveyed department heads of purposefully selected agricultural teacher education programs to determine the curricular structure of agricultural teacher education in the United States. Nominations of programs to examine were sought from members of the profession. Graduation checklists and course syllabi for all professional agricultural education courses were analyzed. The authors concluded that programs vary greatly across the country. Courses on teaching methods and program and curriculum planning are generally available. Separate courses on serving as FFA advisors or in managing Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs are offered in only a few of the selected institutions. FFA was listed as a topic in 9 of the 10 institutions. SAE, or an equivalent topic was listed in all of the institutions studied. The authors offer a potential composite structure based on the programs studied.