New England Feasibility Study for a Regional Agricultural Teacher Education Program.

Overview & Synopsis

A study determined the feasibility of implementing a regional teacher education program in agricultural education using distance learning techniques. Information was obtained in 1991 in the six New England states through interviews with 29 administrators and faculty at land grant universities and 19 administrators and staff in state governments. Results showed that 112 secondary school programs employed 261 licensed teachers. Usually, 10-16 new teachers were needed each year during the 1980s; that need was expected to increase. Five states had teacher education programs in agricultural education, with a total of 36 students enrolled in teacher licensing programs. Within these five states were an equivalent of 5.05 full-time-equivalent teaching faculty; the equivalent of 2.9 faculty spent full time preparing students to teach agricultural and natural resource subjects. Key elements necessary to success of a regional program were commitment, incentives, and teacher education program change. Recommendations related to teacher education include implementation of a regional distance learning program and identification of a common core of pedagogical learning in agricultural teacher education for the region. Recommendations for public school programs include providing leadership to facilitate restructuring of agricultural education in public schools. (Appendixes include additional comments, eight graphs, and executive summary with highlights.) (YLB)