This unique thought experiment invites the field of agricultural education to a critical dialogue on issues related to making teaching a career. Leveraging elicitation techniques, we introduce a series of nine letters on agriculture teacher retention. Written by agriculture teacher education faculty with expertise in teacher retention, these…

The purpose of the study was to explore the definition of fidelity in the delivery of the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE). The conceptual framework utilized in this study was the key domains affecting curriculum fidelity. This framework has four parts focusing on (1) school context, (2) curriculum implementation systems, (3)…

There are many benefits to being involved in a school-based agricultural education program (SBAE). Engagement of students in SBAE programs provides students with a milieu of opportunities; as such, it is imperative to determine strategies for recruitment and retention that are impactful. Research surrounding the recruitment and retention of SBAE…

The purpose of this research was to describe the factors that motivate high school agriculture teachers to teach. The motivation to teach included intrinsic motivations, extrinsic motivations, and altruistic motivations. This was a census study using an online questionnaire that was sent to all (N = 252) high school agriculture teachers in Iowa.…

Teacher attrition is a historic problem that is now an educational crisis. School-based agricultural education (SBAE) is not exempt from this crisis, with teacher shortages dating back to the passing of the Smith-Hughes Act. For the past three decades, researchers have studied this phenomenon to better understand the needs of SBAE teachers to…

Agricultural Education teacher licensure programs face a growing list of coursework needed to meet requirements with a shrinking number of credit hours available. A new course -- 'Greenhouse and Landscape Fundamentals for Educators' was developed at Purdue University with an Agricultural Education Teacher Licensure B.S. degree program. Data…

Teacher connectivity represents a relatively new and exciting construct within school based agricultural education. Existing research identifying a relationship between teacher connectivity and career commitment illuminates the need for additional research on teacher connectivity within school-based agricultural education. Framed using the…

Research has shown 21st century skills are essential to a student's success outside of the high school classroom. The 21st century skills prepare students to enter the workforce or higher education with the ability to think critically and creatively, collaborate with others, take the initiative when approached with a task, and use technology to…

The purpose of this grounded theory qualitative research was to identify the influences on students' decisions to pursue a career as a high school agriculture teacher and develop a proposed theoretical model to conceptualize this career decision. Two samples of students -- one sample of high school students and one sample of college students --…

Professional development (PD) programs for science and agriculture teachers designed around the inquiry-based learning (IBL) teaching strategy could help to improve science proficiency amongst our high school students. PD that continues over a longer period of time is more effective than short-term workshops. The purpose of this study was to…

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of motivation for tasks associated with program standards for beginning agriculture education teachers in Georgia. The participants in the study were middle and high school agriculture education teachers who had a minimum of one year of teaching experience in agricultural education. Study…

The Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) is a national curriculum model used to promote inquiry-based learning, with a focus on facilitating student development of critical thinking skills through hands-on application. However, limited research has been conducted on how agriculture teachers are using the curriculum after completing…