Simulator technologies have become more prominent in many educational contexts in recent years. Simulator technologies such as virtual reality (VR) exist in many forms and can be used for different purposes, including weld process training. University-level course students have previously reported using VR technology can positively contribute to a…

Alternative certification is often seen by policymakers and local school districts as the answer to the teacher shortage problem. Yet, little is known about the experiences of alternatively certified teachers in agricultural education. This case study sought to explore the experiences of alternatively certified agriculture teachers through a…

Purpose: This study attempts to determine a set of characteristics for each educational component in the competence-based agricultural education system. Design: This study reviewed 95 articles published in four relevant scientific journals to determine the characteristics of a competence-based higher agricultural education system. These…

Recruitment and retention of agriculture teachers is a major concern in the field of school-based agricultural education (SBAE). A major reason cited for this concern is perceived shortcomings in teacher compensation. To remedy this factor, Illinois implemented an extended contract grant program to provide agriculture teachers with additional…

Service learning is a form of experiential learning that helps students be able to both apply concepts and provide a benefit to an organization, individual, or group other than the learner. The lack of efficacy of our students with the complex skills learned in many agriculture courses brings about a sense of fear and trepidation in students that…

The integration of science within an agricultural education classroom is very important. This study explored the influences CASE professional development institutes had on the teacher-participant's perceptions of science integration and inquiry-based instruction. This study utilized a pre and post-test comprised of the integrative science survey…

In this complementary study, the researchers examine two novice rural teachers' dispositions before and during their participation in the PD-STEP summer professional development sessions which began July 2018 with subsequent sessions on July 2019 and July 2020. Together, Professional Development for Secondary School Teachers and Educational…

There is a defined need to provide accessible and effective professional development for 4-H educators. Lesson study is a Community of Practice-based approach to educator professional development. Prior research has shown lesson study to be effective with 4-H staff, adult volunteers, and teen volunteers. This inquiry, a multisite case study, was…

Farmed animal sanctuaries provide lifelong care to formerly farmed animals. Many strive to educate their community about farmed animals and promote more compassionate lifestyles, such as veganism. Important to this is cultivating empathy and concern for the well-being of individual farmed animals. Essential to well-being is agency, which is the…

This paper considers the influence of course design on the capability of a vocational college to implement a student-centred learning approach to enhance academic student engagement. It is based on an action research project involving a course redesign within a vocational agricultural education setting that created a more student-centred approach…

Cooperative Extension employees and primary volunteers have opportunities to improve agricultural literacy among community members, yet little is known about the agricultural literacy proficiency of these community educators. It is generally assumed that Extension workers and volunteers are agriculturally literate; this study sought to provide…

Agriculture is a significant contributor to the global economy and critical for future food and fibre production. To maximise the industry efficiencies and improve sustainability, a knowledgeable workforce is essential. Today's school-aged youth will be the next generation agriculture workforce. However, there is concern that today's youth are…

Given the shortage of agriculture teachers across the country, understanding individuals' motivation to pursue a career in teaching agricultural education is critical to developing strategies for teacher recruitment and teacher education. Several studies have investigated factors that motivate preservice and in-service agriculture teachers to…

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between career retention factors and selected demographic characteristics of school based agricultural educators within the state of Alabama. Identifying these factors will help state leaders determine what is or is not working and how to make changes that will have the largest impact on…

Facilities are a critical component of an agricultural education program. Yet, there has been limited research done on agricultural educators' perceptions of facilities, especially since the facilities and resources of every agricultural education program can be highly variable. The purpose of this study was to understand the participants'…