Fulfilling the Vision for SAE: A 30-Year Process

The early 1980\u27s was a tumultuous time for education, and specifically agricultural education. President Regan\u27s A Nation at Risk report (United States National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983) raised concerns about educational preparation of American students. Declining profitability and international competition were affecting the agriculture economy and there was a laundry list of competing forces that were impacting the enrollment in secondary agricultural programs. These production agriculture and agricultural education challenges caused the U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture and Education to charge the National Research Council to study and make recommendations. As a result, in 1985, a committee on agricultural education in secondary schools was established to assess and make recommendations to maintain and improve agricultural productivity and competitiveness

Implementation of Supervised Agricultural Experience Programs: The agriculture teachers\u27 perspective

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to examine how agriculture teachers implement supervised agricultural experience (SAE). A combination of focus groups and individual telephone interviews were conducted. Iowa agriculture teachers offered SAE because it is (a) a means of developing life skills, (b) a component of the FFA award system, and (c) theoretically, one–third of the agricultural education model. Although agriculture teachers were able to talk conceptually and theoretically about the benefits and value of SAE, they did not necessarily practice SAE in that manner. The method in which teachers implemented SAE programs varied considerably as did the means by which they conducted their SAE programs. Five factors were identified that limited SAE: (a) changing demographics and societal attitudes, (b) mechanics and structure of schools, (c) resource availability, (d) image, and (e) the agricultural education system. These findings would indicate that there is dissonance between (a) theory and practice, and (b) experience and learning of SAE. It is recommended that the purpose of SAE be further refined, communication regarding the value of SAE be increased among the stakeholders, creative and innovated approaches to SAE be explored, and the complete experiential learning model be incorporated into SAE programming

Early field experiences in agricultural teacher education

The primary purpose of this dissertation was to describe the nature of early field experience (EFE) in agricultural teacher education programs nationally. The dissertation was divided into three papers. The first paper was a descriptive census study of all active agricultural teacher education programs (N=82). The results of the study provide a general profile of EFE in agricultural teacher education. EFE is a required component of teacher education and offered multiples times. The requirements include completing the experience within agricultural education, a minimum number of contact hours, and minimum number of lessons planned and taught. Placement restrictions and minimum qualifications for cooperating teachers are reported. Many of the similarities among EFE requirements seem to end at broad categorical levels. Most programs report having requirements; however, the means by which each program completes the requirements vary. The second paper described the implementation of EFE. A content analysis of documents (syllabi, handbooks, and forms) from 38 agricultural teacher education programs identified a lack of integration of theory and practice. EFE seemed to focus more on procedural activities and less on the development of critical thinking and reflection. The documents show that few programs define or articulate the intended interaction expected of those involved in the EFE. The third paper presents the Structure and Content of EFE Model, which consists of three primary components (foundation, organization, and implementation). The foundation for EFE is teacher education standards and conceptual framework. The organization of EFE consists of type of experiences, placement, and creation of EFE documents. The implementation addresses participant interaction, learning outcomes, and learning strategies. The model will be useful to teacher education as a framework for the development, reorganization, and evaluation of EFE programs

Over The Edge: Factors Nudging Mid-Career, School- Based Agriculture Teachers Out of the Profession

The field of agricultural education has experienced a consistent labor shortage the past several decades. Consequently, many school districts struggle to fill their open positions, while others are forced to shut down their agricultural programs completely due to inadequate staffing. Teacher attrition has been identified as a predominant factor behind the teacher shortage. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to identify factors influencing mid-career school-based agriculture teachers’ decision to stay in or leave the secondary agriculture teaching profession. Researchers developed and administered questionnaires, as well as conducted interviews, to gather data from current, mid-career agriculture teachers to answer the research questions. The researcher’s discovered mid-career agriculture teachers are satisfied with their careers and significant differences do not exist in overall job satisfaction between those contemplating leaving and those who were not. However, differences existed between groups in areas related to recognition and school policy and administration. Additional findings suggest mid-career agriculture teachers value student and program successes, autonomy and variety, and stakeholder support. Moreover, the researcher’s discovered mid-career agriculture teachers experience similar frustrations as teachers in other professional life stages; however, they seem to struggle more with balancing their personal and professional lives due to changing family dynamics

Undergraduate student mentoring: What do students think?

The purpose of this census study was to explore undergraduate student perceptions of mentoring in a College of Agriculture and Life Science (CALS). An analysis of the responses from 532 respondents found that students believe that faculty in CALS often practice the mentoring functions except for the direct assistance, which students believe sometimes occurs. Undergraduate students take a broad view of mentoring. They view it as an engaging and interactive process where an exchange of ideas takes place and where the focus generally includes, but is not limited to, professional and career development. Students consider faculty members who are supportive, aware of student needs, and show concern for students as mentors. Mentoring functions can occur in a variety of fashions and often during academic advising, informally after class, during office hours, during research and laboratory times, and as part of their involvement in clubs and organizations. Students do perceive faculty as mentors and seem to find themselves drawn to faculty mentors who have similar interests and career goals, are engaged with students outside of the classroom, and are willing to assist students in their personal and professional development. These findings have implications on faculty mentor training and formally organized mentoring programs

The Effect of Undergraduate Extracurricular Involvement and Leadership Activities on Community Values of the Social Change Model

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects that undergraduate extracurricular involvement and leadership activities had on the community values component of the Social Change Model of Leadership Development. Senior students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University completed an online questionnaire about their extracurricular experiences. The Socially Responsible Leadership Scale (SRLS–R2) citizenship scale was used to assess leadership community values. Students who participated in more extracurricular clubs and organizations, students who reported spending more time per week involved in clubs and organizations, students who served as an officer, and females scored significantly higher on the SRLS–R2 citizenship scale. Students who participated in college–wide organizations, Greek organizations, university–wide organizations, and social/recreational organizations scored significantly higher on the SRSL– R2 citizenship scale than students who did not. Participation in major–related organizations, competitive/team based organizations, faith–based organizations, or community–based organizations did not provide significant results on the SRLS-R2 citizenship scale. These findings have implications for leadership development for all students, not just those in positional leadership roles. It is recommended that clubs and organizations revisit their purpose and associated activities to ensure they are aligned to meet espoused student leadership outcomes. It may be that not all clubs are focused on community values

Agriculture safety and health education: Practices, attitudes, and needs of Iowa agricultural educators

This study sought to identify Iowa agricultural educators’ practices, attitudes, and needs regarding agricultural safety and health (ASH). Nearly 85% of high school agricultural educators reported teaching ASH in some capacity. The most commonly taught topics included animal safety, welding safety and power tool safety. Iowa agricultural educators rated, using a Likert scale, the importance of topic within ASH education. All topics presented were believed to be important, with machinery safety, tractors safety, and ATV safety rated the most important. Personal health topics including hearing protection and thermal protection were perceived as less important. Most educators believe the ASH materials available to them were quality and age appropriate. When presented with the statement, “I believe there is adequate training and professional development for teachers on ASH,” nearly 70% of educators disagreed. Lack of time was cited by nearly 75% of teacher as a major limitation to teaching ASH education in their classrooms. These finding have implications for professional development

A model for implementing a college-wide experiential learning program in higher education

ScienceWith Practice (SWP) was conceptualized to provide opportunities for agriculture students to develop a planned learning component as part of their work experiences with faculty and staff in university research laboratories, farms, greenhouses, and other units. This college-wide program was designed and implemented using adult learning theory and best practices found in the literature. Activities included development of learning agreements, individual progress visits, regular student seminars, an end-of-experience symposium, a recognition banquet, and a formal evaluation. Students had opportunities to acquire technical agriculture skills; explore linkages between upperlevel coursework, research, and the world of work; develop skills related to organizing, planning, and conducting research; and consider graduate education and research as a potential career. Students earned academic credit for articulating their personal growth and what was learned. Student expectations included: 1) participation and communication; 2) a journal of activities and experiences; 3) a final report and reflection; 4) a formal 20-minute presentation; and 5) a comprehensive portfolio. Science With Practice developed into a program in which students took more responsibility for their work and connected their learning and work experiences and faculty transitioned from employers to mentors

Economic Impact of Supervised Agricultural Experience in Iowa: A Trend Study

The focus of this article is on the economic impact of Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs in Iowa using longitudinal data collected from 1991 to 2001. In order to accomplish the purpose of the study, student net income growth, growth of SAE program hours, SAE income per student and per program, and return on investment using tax dollars invested per student-derived income were calculated. The results of this study show that there is a substantial economic impact related to SAE consistent over the entire 11-year period of the study. The total value of SAE income peaked in 2000 with over $20.9 million dollars and grew at an annualized rate of 6.05$1,443 on average, whereas each agricultural education program earned $55,984. The return on investment ratio using tax dollars invested per student-derived income through SAE was positive each year of the study. Students earn more money through SAE programs than school districts invest in salaries and travel for agricultural education programs

Fifteen year enrollment trends related to the three components of comprehensive agricultural education programs

The purpose of this study was to identify the agricultural education enrollment trends in Iowa using 15 years of data collected from 1991 to 2005. It was found that agricultural education enrollment, Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) participation, and FFA membership have grown. Using annualized growth rates, agricultural education enrollment (4.06%) grew more rapidly than SAE participation (1.65%) and FFA membership (2.39%). Although growth was realized in all three components, the widening gap between students who only enroll in agricultural education and those who also choose to participate in SAE and FFA is a concern. Increased female participation, 31.96% in 2005, accounted for much of the overall growth in total enrollment. SAE growth was attributed to increased participation in agriscience and agribusiness. The findings have implications for the profession’s ability to put into practice experiential learning theory, the philosophical approach of agricultural education, local program development and management, and the future of agricultural education