How the Quantity of Agricultural Mechanics TrainingReceived at the Secondary Level Impact TeacherPerceived Importance of Agricultural Mechanics Skills

摘要

Preservice teacher candidates in agricultural education have expressed concerns with teachingagricultural mechanics content yet the number of required courses in agricultural mechanics hasdwindled. To determine the root of current teachers’ perceptions, it is important to look at thedevelopmental experiences that have led to those perceptions. The theory of social developmentand knowing that knowledge influences beliefs provided a foundation to describe the relationshipbetween the Iowa agricultural education teachers’ perceived level of importance to teach selectedagricultural mechanics skills and the quantity of agricultural mechanics training received as asecondary student. Data was collected during the Iowa agricultural education teachers’conference. Thirty-two of the 54 selected agricultural mechanics skills exhibited a significant,positive correlation between the teachers’ viewed importance of teaching those skills and theamount of secondary training they received in those skill areas. Experience at the secondary levelhas an impact on content teachers view as important and post-secondary teacher educators andindustry should continue to help beginning teachers receive additional training and support inagricultural mechanics. Additional research should be conducted to determine the factors, inaddition to the quantity of secondary training received, which influence teachers’ perceivedimportance to teach agricultural mechanics skills.