The purpose of this study was to examine the issue of career and family balance for Georgia agricultural teachers by gender. The research objectives included describing career and family responsibilities, exploring barriers to fulfilling career and family responsibilities, and perceived abilities of teachers to maintain the balance of career and family expectations. The study was conducted as a census of all Georgia agricultural teachers on an extended day/extended year contract via an online survey. It was determined that Georgia agricultural teachers are working an average of 57 hours per week and 39 days per summer, with both genders being similar in the amount of time spent on the job. Teachers carried out traditional gender roles in family responsibilities, with females handling the majority of the housework and childcare and males handling the majority of farm and yard work. Both males and females viewed their job responsibilities to be significant barriers to fulfilling family responsibilities and one third of respondents found it was always difficult to balance career and family. It was concluded that Georgia agricultural teachers are feeling torn between meeting job expectations and spending adequate time with their families, with females feeling the strain slightly more than males.

In Agricultural Education, teachers are experiencing increased student diversity within their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to identify the confidence levels of high school agriculture teachers and to determine what strategies they are using when working with students with special needs. The population of this study consisted of secondary agriculture teachers in the United States. One state was randomly selected from each region of National Association of Agriculture Educator (NAAE) regions and a stratified random sampling method was used to ensure representation from all states. A random sample size of 333 was selected with a total response rate of 62%. Participants completed a survey instrument that measured teacher confidence, identified which strategies they used most often, how effective they felt those strategies were and collected demographic information. Analysis of the collected data showed that teachers are using recognized practices in their classes though they are more likely to use techniques associated with good teaching practices rather than strategies that are specifically designed to benefit students with special needs. This research also showed that teachers are confident in their abilities, however they generally disagreed that their teacher training program prepared them to work with students with disabilities. Multiple regression was used to identify predictors of teacher confidence. The best fitting prediction model consisted of three variables: participating in in-service opportunities related to special education, age, and having a friend or family member with a disability. This model had a total R2 of .118 accounting for almost 12% of the total variance in predictors of total confidence Teacher training programs should focus on providing opportunities for teachers to gain experience by working with students with special needs and to learn specific strategies for teaching students within this population.

<p>ABSTRACTCoil, Krist Tina. Effects of Block Scheduling on the Level of Student Achievement of Agricultural Education Students in North Carolina. Under the direction of Dr. Jim Flowers. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the impact of block scheduling on VoCATS scores of Agricultural Education students in North Carolina. The research objectives of this study were to determine if block scheduling affects student performance on VoCATS assessments and to determine if there is a relationship between size of school and level of achievement of students on block scheduling. Data were collected using the survey method. Surveys were mailed to VoCATS coordinators of identified schools. The data were collected during the late summer of 1999. The use of block scheduling is prevalent in high schools in North Carolina. According to analysis of data, overall block scheduling does not have a significant affect on student achievement, however there were areas of significant differences noted. School size as an interaction with schedule type does not affect student achievement, however data analysis of schedule type reveled that it was significant in the interaction between schedule and school size of Horticulture I mastery scores. More research to determine effects of block scheduling other than just student achievement was recommended. <P>

<p> This study was an evaluation of a 4-H Youth DevelopmentProgram that provided a series of weekend camps and a weeklong summer camp to underprivileged youth. This programattempted to provide the youth with additional knowledge, skills, and aspirations necessary for a successful educational and employment future. This program took place in Carteret County, NC. The major purposes of this study were: (1) to determine whether or not the youths' knowledge, skills, and aspirations increased due to their participation in this program; and (2) to provide recommendations for the program so that the program may increase its effectiveness and possibly be replicated by other counties in North Carolina. A case study research design was used to gather data for this evaluation, with a variety of different data collected from program staff, local schools, parents and guardians of the program participants, and the participants themselves. Surveys, pre- and post-tests, interviews, and observations were the tools used to collect the data. A control group of inactive participants (who had rarely attended program activities) was used as a comparison for the group of youth that were active program participants. An analysis of the data determined if any trends or patterns existed that supported the program's objectives of increasing the youth's knowledge, skills, and aspirations. The major findings of this study were that: (1) the program, while providing some benefits to the children in terms of support and relationship-building, did not completely achieve its objectives; and (2) a number of recommendations, including increased family involvement in the program, could help to improve and possibly achieve the program's initial objectives. <P>