Although FFA affiliation has been piloted and in practice for several years, there is limited formal research on the program and strategies for best practice. We used a descriptive case study design to examine and describe the experiences of nine teachers in three states who had expertise related to FFA affiliation. We conducted semi-structured…

Agricultural Education relies heavily on national and state professional associations to serve School Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) teachers. Because there is not 100% membership in these organizations across the country, it is vital to learn what is holding teachers back from joining and identify the needs of current members to encourage…

Career Development Events (CDEs) have been part of the National FFA Organization since its beginning and are still an integral component of school-based agricultural education (SBAE) programs. A priority of the organization is to "Expand equitable opportunities for all students to develop their potential for premier leadership, personal…

While it presents many opportunities, the National FFA Organization faces a variety of obstacles toward achieving a more diverse membership. Research has recognized the role of social identity, or the way a person perceives belongingness to a larger group, in how individuals select groups for hopeful inclusion. Photos indicate who is part of a…

FFA, School-Based Agricultural Education's student leadership organization, has experienced significant membership growth in recent years. From 1990-2010, FFA membership increased 31%, yet has experienced a similar increase (28%) in just the last eight years, the same time affiliation became a membership option. The purpose of this study was to…

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers implement competition within their programs. A quantitative instrument was designed to carry out the four research objectives of the study. The instrument was distributed to a non-probability convenience sample of 72 SBAE instructors…

Agriculture organization (AO) members are key stakeholders within the agriculture and natural resources (ANR) sector, and their engagement in policy decisions can help direct future policy formulation and implementation. Such policies and regulations are often determined by and voted upon by elected officials, and, therefore, the decisions made by…

In order to fill the need in the agriscience teacher shortage, preservice agriscience teacher education needs to seek preservice teachers who may not have had a traditional school-based agriculture background. The influx of new teachers without a school-based agricultural education background brings both opportunities and challenges. Gaps in needs…

Dr. Gregory Thompson presented the 2015 AAAE [American Association for Agricultural Education] Distinguished Lecture at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Agricultural Education in San Antonio, Texas in May, 2015. The article is a philosophical work based upon the author's experiences in the agricultural education profession.

The emergence of women agriculture teachers over the past 50 years has opened opportunities while revealing issues which females still face in agricultural education. Issues such as lack of female role models, gender stereotyping, and gender bias have been documented in agricultural education research. The purpose of this study was to explore the…

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of FFA activities on critical thinking skills of Texas FFA members in three-star FFA chapters. This descriptive study was conducted in eight purposively selected three-star FFA chapters throughout Texas. Three-star chapters are those chapters who have emerged as outstanding programs…

Research has found levels of engagement in environmental behaviors and participation in Extension programming around environmental issues are directly associated with political affiliation. Democrat and Independent parties encourage members to vote for stricter environmental regulations, such as water conservation efforts, while Republicans…

Advising an urban FFA chapter can be a challenge for urban agriculture teachers. The contextual differences between the rural-oriented FFA and urban FFA members can make bridging the gap difficult. This narrative study sought to explore how the urban context shapes the work of an FFA chapter from the perspectives of two FFA advisors at the same…

The study sought to identify the benefits of FFA membership based on the fulfillment of three basic human needs: love and belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization. The study focused on the fulfillment of FFA members' basic human needs as defined by Abraham Maslow. The three needs on which this study focused are: love and belonging,…

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors influencing FFA members to continue their FFA experience beyond high school. Two focus groups were conducted, one for collegiate FFA members and one for past/current state officers. Participants provided several areas of improvement for collegiate and alumni FFA membership. Participants noted…