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…

Extension Professionals have varying expectations of academic publication depending on tenure and promotion. And, the field of Extension needs the contributions of professionals across the system to support the translation and dissemination of the impacts of and findings from their Extension programming for academic and practitioner audiences. A…

Retaining quality SBAE teachers is key to the success and growth of the agricultural industry. Given the connection between SBAE teacher perceived competence and professional commitment (Palmer, 2020; Rada, 2023), it is vital to explore the perceptions of competence of teachers concerning their classroom. Using a Borich needs assessment model, the…

One of the tools middle school SBAE teachers can use to deliver the total program is research-based SAEs, for which students can receive recognition through the FFA Agriscience Fair. This study examined why middle school SBAE teachers implemented the FFA Agriscience Fair into their programs. This study built on previous literature in this area,…

School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) has served students with special needs for decades. The impact of Career and Technical Education (CTE), such as SBAE, can lead to higher earning potential, increased employment rates, and career exploration opportunities for students with special needs. However, many agricultural educators feel unprepared…

With the perpetual increase in STEM-related jobs and a renewed focus on the importance of these content areas, school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers shoulder the important task of implementing inquiry-based learning opportunities to prepare students for future STEM careers. The Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) is…

Recent trends in agricultural education have demonstrated that the number of middle school programs and students has been increasing. Despite this, middle school agricultural education students, teachers, and programs have been underserved. For example, middle school agricultural education teachers lack the training and resources to meet the needs…

School-based agricultural education (SBAE), like many other subject areas, suffers from a critical teacher shortage. Oklahoma has chosen to combat this shortage by offering temporary emergency teaching certifications with minimal qualifications and no requirements for professional development. Recruitment is only half of the solution to teacher…

Cooperative Extension strives to provide agricultural producers with non-formal educational opportunities designed to positively impact agriculture (NIFA, 2021). Therefore, a team of Extension professionals at the University of Nebraska -- Lincoln developed and facilitate an ongoing professional development program designed to enhance the…

Literature supports benefits of mentoring for induction-year school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers. Yet for the past 15 years, no structured mentoring program has been offered for Oklahoma SBAE induction-year teachers. This study sought to find consensus among an expert panel representing Oklahoma SBAE regarding the impact on…

School-based agricultural education programs have the potential to prepare students for successful lives and enhance career skills related to agriculture. For students to achieve instructional goals, they must have relevant materials. The teacher's thoughts on how a subject should be taught influences their choice of curriculum resources, as well…

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…

Agriscience teachers help support the mission of the American Floral Endowment to inspire people to pursue careers working with plants by providing curricula related to ornamental horticulture. Nevertheless, an overall understanding of how the horticulture industry is connected to the studies of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics…