Perceptions of secondary principals in Texas concerning leadership skills attained through membership and participation in the FFA

Abstract The primary purpose of this study was to determine Texas secondary principals' perceptions of leadership skills attained through membership and participation in the FFA program. The target population consisted of Texas secondary principals located at schools with an agricultural science program and chartered FFA chapter. A stratified sample of 288 principals was selected. A questionnaire was developed by the researcher concerning leadership skills and the FFA program. After pilot testing of the questionnaire, it was mailed to the participants of the study to complete. Overall, secondary principals in Texas agreed that membership and participation in the FFA program offers students the opportunity to develop leadership skills. Principals surveyed also agreed that participation in the FFA program helps students to generate goals, establish priorities, develop responsibility, enhance social skills, improve problem solving abilities, listen to others and develop honesty and integrity. The conclusions drawn from this study have opened the door for further research. Now that Texas secondary principals' perceptions of the attainment of leadership skills by students through membership and participation in the FFA program have been gathered and analyzed, their perceptions regarding other important issues such as curriculum, course offerings and graduation requirements should be collected and analyzed. The results from this study and future studies can be used to build and create relationships between agricultural science teachers and secondary principals allowing them to work together more efficiently to the benefit of the student