The purpose of this study was to describe the views student teachers in agricultural education at Oklahoma State University had regarding their 12–week student teaching internship. Using Q– methodology as a research approach, 28 interns rank–ordered a Q–set of 36 statements describing various aspects of teacher responsibilities and performance. The completed Q–sorts were factor analyzed resulting in three distinct teaching views found in the sample: Emerging Teacher, Self–Assured Teacher, and Determined Teacher. The Emerging Teacher view recognized areas needed for growth and development but also recognized their progress toward becoming a professional. The Self–Assured Teacher view had a high level of comfort and confidence in their teaching ability, which extended to their views on developing lessons and teaching across the agricultural education curriculum. The Determined Teacher view recognized confidence but not comfort in their teaching ability. Teaching did not always come easy for them, but they recognized they were getting better. Study results suggested all three groups attained their views from different sources of self–efficacy. Recommendations were made to provide continued training and/or professional development tailored to each view, as well as, to seek the viewpoints of the cooperating teachers.
This causal comparative study assessed differences in the way fall and spring semester student teachers spent their time performing various duties: observing, teaching specific curricula, laboratory instruction, activities outside of school, and supervision of Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs). It was found that fall semester student teachers spent more time observing than spring semester student teachers. Additionally, fall semester student teachers spent more time in school overall than spring semester student teachers; spring semester student teachers spent significantly more time out of school during school hours. In terms of curriculum, both fall and spring semester student teachers devoted the most instructional time to teaching Agriscience I and II. Both groups spent approximately the same amount of time instructing in a classroom or laboratory setting. It also was found that spring semester student teachers devoted more time to supervising students' SAEs than did their fall semester counterparts.
Several studies in agricultural education have assessed teacher self-efficacy of novice, first-year, and veteran teachers. Likewise, numerous studies have assessed the time students spend at their cooperating centers. However, a need existed to understand the influence of time allocation on teacher self-efficacy in a way that enabled human subjectivity to be considered, i.e., Qmethodology. The study found that three intern views existed at Oklahoma State University in agricultural education: Self-Assured Teachers, Determined Teachers, and Emerging Teachers. The Self-Assured Teachers spent the most amount of time teaching when compared to the other two views. Determined Teachers spent the most amount of time observing, and Emerging Teachers spent the most amount of time in school. The findings have implications for student teacher placements in cooperating centers and pre-service teachers' early field-based experiences in agricultural education.
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