Like any other agricultural industry, many different career paths in the equine field are becoming more technologically advanced. To adapt to technological progress, current standards need to be integrated into school-based agricultural education courses to properly train and teach students about current industry standards. In addition to equine science curriculum development, emphasis must also be focused on providing assistance to secondary-school-based agriculture teachers so they can effectively teach industry-based equine science objectives in their programs. The equine curriculum objectives were measured in terms of perceived importance by equine professionals and post-secondary equine educators as well as Arizona school-based agriculture teachers. Further, the Arizona school-based agriculture teachers indicated their self-perceived ability to teach the objectives. Demographics for each group (equine industry professionals and Arizona school-based agriculture teachers) were also collected. A Borich needs assessment was calculated to prioritize areas needed for professional development of school-based agriculture teachers. Recommendations include the importance of bringing secondary-school-based agricultural education equine science curricula in line with industry standards. Further, providing professional development to secondary-school-based agriculture teachers is key to increasing teachers’ competence and ability to teach industry-based equine science.

There has been little research conducted related to how school-based agricultural (SBAE) teachers perceive the utilization of volunteers in the classroom. The United States is facing a shortage of SBAE teachers, and with turnover rates that are not sustainable, solutions for support and reduction of the SBAE teachers’ workload must be sought with diligence. There is potential for volunteers to reduce some of the responsibilities that the SBAE teacher is faced with. The purposes of this study are to determine the demographic characteristics of the volunteers being utilized and of the SBAE teachers, determine the perceived benefits, barriers and beliefs SBAE teachers hold towards volunteer utilization, and determine if there is a relationship between these perceptions teachers hold and their choices in the utilization of volunteers. The research questions guiding this study were: 1. What are the demographic characteristics of SBAE teachers and programs in the United States? 2. What is the current utilization of volunteers in SBAE programs in the United States? 3. What are the perceptions and beliefs of SBAE teachers regarding volunteer utilization within SBAE programs in the United States? 4. What are the intentions of volunteer utilization among SBAE teachers in the United States? 5. What is the relationship between volunteer utilization and selected teacher/program characteristics and perceptions of SBAE teachers? The total population of this study was all of the SBAE teachers in the United States. A simple random sample of this population was be taken (n=500), provided by the National FFA Association based on the 2017-2018 membership (N = 11,000). This descriptive study utilized survey research to accomplish the purpose, assessing the current utilization of volunteers, and the perceptions that SBAE teacher hold. Study participants were identified as SBAE teachers who held a part or full-time assignment to teach agriculture. Descriptive statistics were utilized to determine the demographic information of the volunteers utilized, the SBAE teachers, and program characteristics. These statistics were reported with frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Regression analysis was conducted to determine if any relationships existed between the program and teacher characteristics, and between the program and volunteer utilization.

In recent years, School-Based Agricultural Education has been facing a shortage of secondary teachers, due in part to low retention rates of these valuable educators. In light of this shortage, a multitude of research has been conducted throughout the country on challenges faced by agricultural educators, some as indicators of intent to leave the profession. This thesis sought to synthesize the research conducted on job satisfaction, retention, and attrition of School-Based Agricultural Educators order to identify prevalent problems facing these teachers which may contribute to the decision to leave the classroom. From the research, seven themes emerged as job-related factors contributing to agriculture teacher job satisfaction, retention, and attrition: Work-Life Balance, Workload, Time Management, Student Discipline, Administrative Support, Salary, and Student Motivation.

This three-article dissertation examined the perceptions of school-based agricultural education teachers in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama on self-efficacy and professional development activities since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first article was an examination of teacher self-efficacy in delivering instruction in three classroom settings: face-to-face, remote, and hybrid, which is a combination of face-to-face and remote simultaneous instruction. The second was a descriptive study of teacher experiences and perceptions of professional development activities related to instructional technology over the past two years. The third article examines the correlation between each of the teacher self-efficacy instructional setting constructs and perceptions of professional development experiences. The last chapter ties the three research articles together, concluding that teacher self-efficacy is stronger in face-to-face instruction and weakest in remote instruction. Key areas of low efficacy are in managing the hands-on components of an SBAE program, such as managing an agricultural mechanics laboratory and a greenhouse. When teachers receive follow-up and individual feedback from professional development leaders, higher self-efficacy is possible.

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<p>  </p> <p>School-based agricultural education programs use laboratories to develop cognitive, psychomotor, and procedural skills (Phipps et al., 2008). It is important to help preservice teachers develop the ability to design instruction to cultivate skills that are taught in laboratory settings. Shulman (1986) authored a term called Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), which is a teacher’s knowledge of teaching. Animal science dissection was the topic chosen for this study, as PCK is topic-specific (Chan & Hume, 2018). There are many interpretations of PCK. The Refined Consensus Model (RCM) of PCK in Science Education (Carlson et al., 2019) was the conceptual model used in this study, as it is the most recent PCK model, and was developed by experts in science education from multiple countries. This model asserts that PCK is comprised of three realms: Collective PCK (cPCK), Personal PCK (pPCK), and Enacted PCK (ePCK). The first purpose of this study was to describe preservice agriculture teachers' Professional Knowledge Bases (which informs pPCK), before and after instruction, on the topic of animal science dissection in a Laboratory Practices in Agricultural Education (LPAE) course. The second purpose was to describe preservice agriculture teachers' cPCK, after instruction, on animal science dissection in an LPAE course. Content Representations (CoRes), a common tool used for PCK research, were used identify evidence of the Professional Knowledge Bases (PKBs) in preservice agriculture teachers’ instructional planning. Results from this study showed elevated descriptions of Professional Knowledge Bases, and participants collectively gained new ideas and collaboration skills. Overall LPAE dissection experience appeared to push the depth of student thinking and ability to make connections with future learning. Future research recommendations include using the RCM of PCK (Carlson et al., 2019) and CoRes in agricultural education; more PCK research, specifically exploring the development of Curricular Knowledge, on preservice teachers in agricultural education; and PCK research on other topics in agricultural education. It is recommended to not only include PCK development in teacher preparation programs but also have more than one exposure to PCK development.</p>

<p dir="ltr">At present, formal and non-formal agricultural spaces, including agricultural education, do not provide opportunities for individuals from historically and contemporarily marginalized communities to develop a strong sense of belonging. An increase in sense of belonging may increase retention for all individuals interacting with agricultural programs and more effectively disseminate tools and resources to a wider audience, which can help solve agricultural issues such as the hunger crisis. The Garden Sun Institute (GSI) is a non-formal agricultural education program that is changing this narrative, with many staff and students of marginalized populations expressing a deep sense of belonging not only with others at GSI but also feeling a sense of belonging in the field of agriculture. The purpose of this case study was to explore whether there is a sense of belonging at this location and to determine what factors may contribute to it. The questions guiding this study are: 1) How do youth describe a sense of belonging at GSI? 2) How does GSI engage with youth, family, and staff? and 3) How do those engaging with GSI describe a sense of belonging within agriculture broadly? Results from this study showed that utilizing elements of the Critical Pedagogy of Agriculture along with practices such as trauma-informed pedagogy, student-led and student-centered learning, and gentle parenting have led to this program developing a culture of belonging. Future research recommendations include determining accountability strategies and investigating the impacts of the incorporation of strategies into formal education programs.</p>