Student teachers' experiences during their internship are crucial in their development as a teacher. In agricultural teacher education programs, it is common for student teachers to record where their time is allocated each week on categorized timesheets. The purpose of this study was to examine the preservice teachers' performance over the…

When educators collaborate to create different products, construct knowledge, and solve problems, they develop their collegiality and it motivates them to return each year. Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory (1962) aided in the understanding of pre-service teachers' experiences related to collaboration during their teacher preparation program. The…

This exploratory study assessed the perceived levels of importance and competence of student teachers in agricultural education regarding their ability to teach across the National Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) Career Pathways. Using a congruent, parallel mixed-methods design, data were collected from 16 student teachers through…

School-based agriculture teachers (SBAE) hold many roles inside and outside of the school. Identifying and understanding the many roles an agriculture teacher may have in their career is an important part of an early field experience (EFE). In this study, EFE students (n = 18) submitted written reflections focused on the role of an agriculture…

The student teaching experience is one of the most impactful and formative experiences of any preservice teachers' career. Student teaching provides preservice teachers with the professional knowledge and skills needed to be successful teachers through concrete experiences, which formalize professional behaviors. This longitudinal linear mixed…

The profession of agricultural education is experiencing shortages across the nation. Texas is critically impacted due to the renewed emphasis of career and technical education. This leads to questions about the preparedness of recent college graduates to handle the demands placed upon agricultural educators. Starting in 2012, Texas Tech…

The traditional student teaching experience includes a complex, triadic relationship between student teacher, cooperating teacher, and the university supervisor. Studies seeking to understand this experience from the perspectives of the student teacher and cooperating teacher are commonly found in the literature; yet research specific to the…

The purpose of this descriptive survey study was to determine the extent to which student teachers deem traditional student teaching skills and activities relevant as part of the capstone student teaching experience. The study population consisted of all (N = 140) fall 2012 and spring 2013 agricultural education student teachers in the North…

This research sought to evaluate the use of the self-efficacy theory in agricultural education. A total of 30 studies, published between 1997 and 2013 using self-efficacy as a theoretical foundation were compiled and analyzed. The findings of these studies were compared to expected outcomes identified by the self-efficacy theory, specifically the…

Teachers are constantly being evaluated based upon their ability to provide the best education for their students. These evaluations are done at a macro level, where teachers must meet state and national mandates that deem them highly qualified, and at a micro level, where teachers must display proficiency as effective teachers through teacher…

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which cooperating teachers deem required student teaching skills and activities relevant to the agricultural education student teaching experience. The population for this descriptive study consisted of individuals who served as cooperating teachers in Iowa and South Dakota during the last 5…

As teachers search for ways to improve their craft through reflection, critical friendships have proven to be effective at improving preservice and inservice teachers' reflective behaviors. This qualitative study sought to understand the experiences of agricultural education preservice teachers participating in critical friendships with other…

Self-adequacy during the student teaching experience is high on the list of concerns expressed by student teachers (Fritz & Miller, 2003; Ng, Nicholas, & Williams, 2010). That factor, in combination with others, determines student teachers' goals and sparks their motivation to engage in effective instructional planning (Baylor &…

The purpose of this study was to describe the views student teachers in agricultural education at Oklahoma State University had regarding their 12-week student teaching internship. Using Q-methodology as a research approach, 28 interns rank-ordered a Q-set of 36 statements describing various aspects teacher responsibilities and performance. The…

Agricultural education cooperating teachers (mentors) are idealized as seasoned professionals, proficient in their craft, and able to transmit tacit knowledge to pre-service teachers (mentees) through demonstration, conversation, and coaching. When the relationship is successful both parties experience positive outcomes that may last a lifetime.…