Teachers must possess a deep understanding of subject matter to effectively teach content. Historically, Agricultural Education degrees were technical agriculture degrees with a specialization in education. Degrees consisted of one-third technical content, with an additional one-third of the coursework in integrative studies, where students…

The COVID-19--induced moratorium on campus visits allowed faculty from University of Missouri's Agricultural Education & Leadership (AEL) program and Missouri Extension time to reconsider our campus visit structure and be more purposeful in our recruitment efforts. We organized a showcase to expose high school students to career paths and help…

Beginning and small-scale growers face significant challenges to maintain their economic sustainability, including maintaining a sufficient level of income. Despite this growing problem, there is little information currently available on what kind of education and/or skills beginning farmers need in order to make their operations profitable. The…

The objective of this study is to explore the stereotypes that students have about agribusiness students. We seek to determine the nature of these stereotypes and how they compare relative to marketing and accounting students. Our intent is to reveal the degree of fit of the agribusiness major within a college of business, as personality…

This study's purpose was to determine the influence of involvement level, autonomy, and reflection during FFA civic engagement activities on students' self-perceived civic responsibility levels. The study utilized a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent comparison group design. The treatment consisted of two groups: an experimental reflection group…

The purpose of this study was to examine factors impacting college student leadership development within a college of agriculture at the University of Missouri. This study employed descriptive relational survey methods to examine the impact of involvement factors (participation in organizations, community service and leadership education) on…

Women farm operators continue to be underserved by traditional models of agricultural education and training. In addition, limited research exists on the specific content and format of educational programs that addresses the needs and roles of farm women. In order to effectively address the needs of farm women, it is necessary to evaluate and…

Strong literacy skills are needed to be successful in the 21st century. All teachers are charged with developing students' literacy skills and abilities. To help better prepare preservice teachers for this task, students at the University of Missouri are required to take a Reading in the Content Area (RICA) course. This intrinsic case study…

Contemporary youth development requires a new approach to involving youth in more active, engaging, and influential leadership roles. Teens and youth program professionals recognize the need young leaders have for more mentorship and accountability from adults to grow into their leadership potential. This paper specifically addresses how youth…

Agricultural mechanics instruction includes a broad array of machinery, structures, and technical systems, as well as a diverse workforce. Virtually every aspect of agriculture has a mechanics component and a large portion of secondary agriscience curriculum is devoted specifically to teaching agricultural mechanics. Further, the agricultural…

School Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) teachers can experience physiological stress through their various roles and responsibilities, including preparing Career Development Event (CDE) teams. Through CDE participation, students can encounter numerous benefits, but these academic competitions could be catalysts for stress. The purpose of this…

The purpose of this study was to identify the processes School Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) teachers utilize to support students' psychological needs and motivation. SBAE teachers were sampled who taught for five or more years and displayed a range of SBAE successes. Within the five participating schools, all FFA members were recruited to…

This grounded theory study explored the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of experienced agriculture teachers in the plant sciences. The central phenomenon that emerged during data collection and analysis was the influence of beliefs on shaping participants' PCK. This finding guided subsequent collection and analysis that resulted in the…

This grounded theory study explored the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of experienced agriculture teachers in the plant sciences. The most emergent phenomenon to surface from the data was the influence of beliefs on participants' PCK. This central phenomenon became the cornerstone for the model of what was shaping experienced agriculture…

This study explored first and second year agriculture teachers' job satisfaction and teacher selfefficacy through their perceived levels of school culture support. Prior research indicated one possible contributor to poor teacher retention is a lack of belonging teachers feel to their schools. Data were collected from beginning teachers in three…