Career and Technical Education (CTE), including agricultural education, has been suggested as a platform for delivering Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics (STEM) content in secondary classrooms (Stone, 2011). The purpose of this descriptive study was to describe agriculture teachers' perceptions and confidence levels for integrating the four STEM disciplines in agricultural education courses, along with perceptions and use of instructional methods for STEM integration. A stratified random sample (n =280) was drawn from agriculture teachers in three states (N =1,049), one state representing each of the American Association for Agricultural Education regions. Overall, teachers perceived each of the four components of STEM integration as important. Teachers had high levels of confidence in integrating science and mathematics, and reported lower confidence levels for technology and engineering. Although teachers reported spending most of their teaching time in lecture (M = 23.46; SD = 15.34) and ranked lecture first in overall confidence, lecture ranked seventh out of ten in effectiveness for student learning. Differences existed between gender and confidence integrating engineering, and perceptions of instructional method effectiveness. Results of this study suggest stakeholder examination of instructional methods which are most effective at integrating STEM concepts, and investigate how to increase teacher confidence with effective instructional methods for STEM concepts.

Accidents happen; however, the likelihood of accidents occurring in the agricultural mechanics laboratory is greatly reduced when agricultural mechanics laboratory facilities are managed by secondary agriculture teachers who are competent and knowledgeable. This study investigated the agricultural mechanics laboratory management in-service needs of Wyoming secondary agriculture teachers who are responsible for managing agricultural mechanics laboratories. Data were collected with a Web-based questionnaire designed to determine teachers' perceptions of the importance of 70 selected agricultural mechanics laboratory management competencies and their self-assessed ability to perform those competencies. The Borich (1980) needs assessment model was used to assess and evaluate the in-service needs of the teachers. This study found that Wyoming secondary agriculture teachers were in need of agricultural mechanics laboratory management in-service education in the areas of: first aid, correcting hazardous laboratory conditions, and general laboratory safety. Wyoming teacher educators, state agricultural education supervisory personnel, and local professional development coordinators should provide pertinent and continuous in-service education for Wyoming secondary agriculture teachers in the area of agricultural mechanics laboratory management through technical workshops, summer professional development conferences, and university instructed agricultural mechanics courses.

According to the National Research Agenda for Agricultural Education and Communication, preservice agriculture teacher education programs should "prepare and provide an abundance of fully qualified and highly motivated agricultural educators at all levels" (Osborne, 2007, 8). The lack of preparation of entry career agricultural educators is no more apparent than in the curriculum area of agricultural mechanics. Saucier and McKim (2010) stated that all school-based agriculture educators who instruct agricultural mechanics must be technically competent and be able to safely manage the school laboratory for effective student instruction. The model for teacher preparation in agricultural education (Whittington, 2005) served as the conceptual framework. The study sought to determine the essential agricultural mechanics skill areas that Missouri agriculture educators must possess prior to beginning a career in agricultural education. Results of this study identified essential agricultural mechanics skill areas that range from laboratory management to soldering. Teacher educators and state supervisory staff should review these skill areas and plan professional development education for current Missouri agricultural educators who have in-service needs in these skill areas. In conclusion, preservice programs in Missouri should be evaluated to determine if they are indeed effectively preparing teachers in the curriculum area of agricultural mechanics.

Skills needed to manage a laboratory are essential knowledge for all school-based, agriculture teachers who instruct agricultural mechanics curriculum (Saucier, Terry, & Schumacher, 2009). This research investigated the professional development needs of Texas agricultural education student teachers regarding agricultural mechanics laboratory management. Data were collected with a mailed questionnaire to determine student teachers' perceptions of the importance of 70 agricultural mechanics laboratory management competencies and their self-assessed ability to perform those competencies. The Borich (1980) Needs Assessment Model was used to assess and evaluate the professional development needs of these student teachers. The study found that these student teachers were in need of professional development in many areas of laboratory management, such as diagnosing malfunctioning laboratory equipment, repairing laboratory equipment, and administering first aid.

Agricultural mechanics laboratory management skills are essential for school-based agriculture teachers who instruct students in an agricultural mechanics laboratory (Bear & Hoerner, 1986). McKim and Saucier (2011) suggested the frequency and severity of accidents that occur in these laboratories can be reduced when these facilities are managed by educators who are competent and knowledgeable in the area of laboratory safety and facility management. This study investigated changes in Missouri agriculture teachers' perceived agricultural mechanics laboratory management competency from 1989 to 2008, percent changes between 1989 and 2008 and effect size were used to describe changes in importance and ability of the selected competencies. Results indicated that teachers in 2008 had more teaching experience than their predecessors, less university semester credit hours of agricultural mechanics instruction, taught courses with greater student enrollment in laboratories that had less working space per student. Further, teachers' perceptions of the importance of agricultural mechanics laboratory management competencies had a negligible change. However, the changes in teachers' perceived ability to perform development, writing, and planning competencies were notable.