The Impact of Time Spent Student Teaching on the Decision to Enter the Field: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Due to the lack of qualified agricultural education teachers needed to fill yearly vacancies on the secondary school level, educators at Texas Tech University conducted a longitudinal study concerning how student teachers spend their time during their student teaching experience in an attempt to identify if this time spent has an impact on the decision to enter the field. Findings showed student teachers were engaged for a total of 713.83 to 931.23 hours on average during their student teaching experience. Longitudinally, time spent in the classroom, in FFA activities, and in SAE observations varied at different points in the semester. A logistic regression revealed 18-28% of the variance in the decision to teach may be explained by the amount of time grading student work and with laboratory preparation and maintenance. Recommendations for practice include encouraging student teachers to participate in as many activities as possible. Further research should be conducted to identify more factors influencing the decision of student teachers to enter the field.