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,…

Many universities and professional associations recognize excellence in teaching with awards; however, research findings on the impact of an award on teaching identity are mixed. The objective of this study was to qualify the impact of receiving a National or Regional United States Department of Agriculture Teaching, Extension, and Research Award…

Entrepreneurship in rural areas has been seen as a potential tool to mitigate rural outmigration. Entrepreneurship has long been a part of the comprehensive model for school based agricultural programs in the United States, often emphasized through Supervised Agricultural Experience Programs (SAEP). Using case study methodologies, this study…

This study was designed to describe the experiences of National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Outstanding Young Member award winners. These teachers were asked about the concepts that they were most and least prepared for upon entering the teaching field. A modified Delphi method was used to collect data utilizing three rounds of…

The purpose of this study was to identify the perception of students enrolled in an initial early field experience (EFE) in relation to the components of the agricultural education model. The students enrolled in the initial field experience were freshmen and sophomore students. The initial field experience course consisted of four face-to-face…

In our increasingly competitive and rapidly changing world, it is critical that college graduates enter the workforce with the requisite skills for lasting success. However, recent studies suggest employers increasingly identify a workforce readiness gap in core applied skills, which must be bridged by company investment. Teaching strategies that…

The purpose of this study was to examine student motivation for SAEs through the lens of the Self-Determination Theory. Self-Determination Theory proposed that human beings are more genuinely motivated when driven by internal factors as opposed to external factors. We used historical research and general qualitative interpretative methods to…

Within school-based agricultural education, supervised agricultural experience (SAE) programs remain an integral component of the total program. However, researchers have reported that SAE programs lack focus and direction. Furthermore, SAE programs lack a current definition of successful SAE programs. This study was conducted utilizing…

As our economy calls for improved employment skills, educational institutions must provide quality teaching to prepare students for success. Researchers purport that an important factor in determining student learning is the teacher, and that one of the most prominent factors in student achievement is teacher quality. The search for the…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the phenomena of effective teaching for award winning faculty instructors at the University of Missouri. Nine university faculty members were selected to participate in this study based on their recognition as award winning instructors and by nomination from their respective college's…

A survey of 127 teachers in Ohio and North Carolina with district Future Farmers of America proficiency winners, and in Pennsylvania with state winners, and of 230 teachers without winners in class received 163 responses. A significant relationship appeared between teacher attitudes toward proficiency awards and supervised agricultural experience.…

A study explored the occupational aspirations of 300 (of 503) students with high levels of participation in Future Farmers of America's (FFA) Computers in Agriculture (CIA), Proficiency Award (PA), and Prepared and Extemporaneous Speaking (PES) contests. CIA and PES winners aspired to professional occupations more than PA winners. PES winners…

Winners of the National Future Farmers of America Agriscience Teacher of the Year Award (n=131) generally believed that integrating science helps students understand concepts and their agricultural applications and that integration would increase enrollment. They felt teachers needed more preparation time for integration. (SK)

Responses from 131 of 187 National Future Farmers of America Agriscience Teacher of the Year winners indicated that they had an average of 18 years of experience; had a higher percentage of females than the national average of agriculture teachers; were trained in integrating science; and had specialized courses that attracted more females than…