Benefits, barriers, and implementation strategies experienced by teachers adopting FFA affiliation membership: A case study

Abstract

Although FFA affiliation has been piloted and in practice for several years, there is limited formal research on the program and strategies for best practice. We used a descriptive case study design to examine and describe the experiences of nine teachers in three states who had specific expertise related to FFA affiliation. We conducted semi-structured interviews to uncover the benefits and challenges those teachers experienced while adopting the innovation of affiliation. We analyzed those data using open, deductive and inductive coding to determine common themes of impact and benefits, strategies for implementation, and continuing issues and challenges. Participants in our study shared how affiliation made life easier and improved the participation of their students, but changed how their students think about membership (i.e., choosing to join vs. part of the class), how they graded social-emotional learning and FFA, how they interacted with administration and partner groups, and the demographics of their program. Continued adoption of the innovation of FFA affiliation may present financial challenges and problems finding opportunities for all students, which has notable implications for School-Based Agricultural Education and the National FFA Organization, specifically the elimination of dues, as FFA works toward its goal of 100% membership by 2028.