Factors influencing agricultural education students' choice to teach

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that influence senior level agricultural education students' choice to become secondary agriculture teachers. This study focused on the extent to which beliefs and attitude influenced students' intent to select a teaching secondary agricultural education as a career. The Agricultural Education Factors Influencing Teaching Choice instrument was distributed to senior level students enrolled in institutions with programs to certify secondary agriculture teachers in nine states. A total of 145 students completed the instrument. Overall, negligible to low relationships were found between students' beliefs and selected characteristics. Negligible to low relationships were also found between students' attitude and selected characteristics. A moderate relationship was found between students' participation in high school agricultural education and their intent to teach. Negligible to low relationships were found with the remaining characteristics and intent to teach. Using stepwise regression, results show 11 % of students' intent to teach can be explained by the belief sub-constructs teacher morale and expert career. Sixty-one percent of the students' intent to teach can be explained by the attitude subconstructs fallback career, working with adolescents, intrinsic career value, and job security. Using hierarchical regression revealed that 17 % of students' intent to teach can be accounted for by attitude when controlling for beliefs.