ASSESSING TEACHER SELF-EFFICACY AND JOB SATISFACTION OF EARLY CAREER AGRICULTURE TEACHERS IN KENTUCKY

Abstract

The United States is currently facing a shortage of qualified teachers; specifically, agricultural education has recorded shortages for several years. A high percentage of agriculture teachers will leave the profession well before retirement. Those teachers who leave the profession are often dissatisfied with their chosen career and exhibit low levels of teacher self-efficacy and job satisfaction. The purpose of this census study was to describe the current level of teacher self-efficacy and job satisfaction among all early career agriculture teachers (within the first 6 years in the profession) in Kentucky (N = 80) and to determine if a relationship existed between teacher self-efficacy and job satisfaction among these teachers. Teacher self-efficacy was measured through three constructs: student engagement, instructional practices, and classroom management. Early career agriculture teachers in Kentucky are efficacious and satisfied with teaching. A variety of relationships exist between each construct and overall job satisfaction between each group of teachers.