An Analysis of Post–Secondary Agricultural Education Students’ Choice to Teach

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe factors that influence senior agricultural education students’ choice to become a secondary agricultural education teacher. The study focused on the extent to which students’ beliefs and attitude about teaching influenced their intent to select teaching secondary agricultural education as a career. An adaptation of the FIT–Choice® Scale instrument was distributed to senior students enrolled at post–secondary institutions within a nine state area that prepare secondary agriculture teachers. One–hundred forty–five students completed the instrument. Overall, negligible to low relationships were found between students’ beliefs about teaching and gender, perceived agriculture experience compared to peers, years enrolled in school–based agricultural education courses, years of FFA membership, participation in SAE, and years of 4–H membership. Negligible to low relationships were found between students’ attitude toward teaching gender, perceived agriculture experience compared to peers, years enrolled in school–based agricultural education courses, years of FFA membership, participation in SAE, and years of 4–H membership. A moderate relationship was found between students’ participation in high school agricultural education courses and their intent to teach agricultural education. Additionally, negligible to low relationships were found with the remaining student characteristics and intent to teach.