The purpose of this study was to determine early career agricultural teachers' preparation and practice of various instructional methods in agricultural education. Training received in instructional methods and percentage of time spent using instructional methods were examined. Two-thirds of the participants of this study reported receiving…

Inquiry-based learning supports constructivism theory and has been used by both Comenius (1592-1670) and Dewey (1859-1952) in early educational settings. Incorporating inquiry-based instruction into the agriculture classroom, while beneficial, brings with it challenges for teachers and learners. Numerous studies have been conducted to examine…

As novice teachers gain experience, they are more efficacious and likely to overcome adversity. The more authentic, rigorous, and frequent the experience in preservice methods coursework, the better prepared candidates are to teach. We used a mixed methods, convergent, nested design to examine the Teacher Self-Efficacy (TSE) of 21 SBAE preservice…

The purpose of this preexperimental study was to determine the effects of a blended learning environment on school-based agricultural education students' ability to identify 30 species of trees by leaves. Louisiana agriculture teachers were recruited based on district policy regarding whether students could use smartphones for learning in the…

Service-learning's (SL) discourse is written as a story of victory, achievement, and transformation in school-based, agricultural education (SBAE). The resources dedicated to improving both learning and communities through SL can be significant. Little work, however, has been put forth to examine this victory narrative's underlying assumptions and…

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the lecture and discussion teaching methods and digital game-based learning on student achievement in agriculture and mathematics regarding a unit on swine diseases in animal science courses offered through secondary agricultural education programs in Oklahoma. Three research questions…

United States science scores have remained stable over the past 12 years, and as a result secondary school students have been deemed less proficient than international peers. Additionally, there has been increased pressure for accountability from both teachers and students. This highly competitive performance-based classroom environment has…

To meet the needs of the 21st century student, college instructors have been challenged to transform their classrooms from passive to active, "minds-on" learning environments. This qualitative study examined an active learning approach known as a flipped classroom and sought to explore student perceptions of flipping a teaching methods…

The National Research Council (NRC) has indicated that effective instruction in colleges of agriculture should prepare students to enter a dynamically changing workplace by helping students learn to be proficient in 21st century skills. The NRC suggested that effective instruction in colleges of agriculture should encompass a hospitable learning…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of inquiry-based agriscience instruction on student argumentation skills. Argumentation is defined as the student's ability to establish a claim, provide a rationale for steps taken, provide and justify data, recognize alternate conclusions, and provide evidence why the conclusion is correct or…

Experiential learning allows students to connect previous experiences with new ideas. Second Life (SL) is a virtual world that allows students to simulate real-world experiences. SL was utilized as an educational tool in an agricultural risk and crisis communications course. Weekly journal entries pertaining to the SL simulation were analyzed to…

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…

Educating students with special needs in school based agricultural education (SBAE) is a problem that should be addressed. While many students in SBAE classes have special needs, contradicting research exists establishing the best method of instruction for students with special needs. Inquiry-based instruction shows some promise, but little is…

Although students today will need to rely on text more than in the past, American students are struggling to read and comprehend text. Research has supported the ability of content area reading strategies (CARS) to increase students' ability to read and comprehend text. The purpose of this research was to assess agriscience educators'…

Testing to build research-based evidence to support teaching methodologies that promote student learning has become increasingly important in a standards-based educational system in the United States. One challenge is the lack of studies that support specific methodologies so teachers and administers can make professional development and…