Analyzing Moir’s Curve: A Quantitative Look at Attitudinal Changes in Induction-Year Agricultural Educators

Abstract

With the challenge of creating a competent workforce to fill the shortage of agricultural educators nationwide, researchers have suggested a detailed examination of induction-year teachers to increase retention is critical. Multiple studies have depicted the importance of examining attitudes of induction-year and early career agricultural educators to develop quality induction-level support for this group. Moir (1990) conducted a qualitative study that resulted in the suggestion of six attitudinal phases all induction-year teachers experience, and described a predictive curvilinear relationship between attitude and time over the course of their first year teaching. As part of a larger study, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among demographic variables and induction-year teachers' attitudes toward teaching. Using a repeated measures design, induction-year teachers' (n=197) attitudes were measured at six points during the 2011-12 school year in relation to the Moir's (1990) model. Findings showed that although minor changes in attitude among respondents occurred, respondents were generally positive in attitude toward their career and did not experience the high levels of fluctuation as suggested by Moir (1990). Additionally, upon completion of a forced entry linear regression, demographic characteristics were not found to be significant predictors of induction-year teachers' attitudes toward teaching.

The art of the journey: utilizing travel as a means to transform the unintentionally ethnocentric tendencies in the worldview of students from a private, Christian high school

“…Students were encouraged to connect each journal reflec2on throughout the journey to one or more of these four broad ques2ons in order to be able to track how, if at all, their thinking was transformed as a result of their journey abroad. In addi2on, all par2cipants were asked to document their aktudinal curve throughout the journey to provide empirical evidence as to how one's response to nega2ve experience facilitated growth (Boogren, 2021;Rayfield et al, 2014). These entries provided opportunity for par2cipants to make steps toward achieving the desired outcome of asking deeper ques2ons in pursuit of one's iden2ty and purpose, as well as the desired outcome of developing a more nuanced understanding of God's world (van der Kooji et al, 2016;Pearcy, 2008).…”

“…In par2cular, one aspect of the in situ reflec2ons which demonstrated a transforma2on of thought was the trajectory of each par2cipants' aktudinal curve. Deriving from the work of Moir (2011), the prac2ce of par2cipants' no2ng changes in their emo2onal state based on external factors such as a site visited, fa2gue, or an interac2on with a stranger, provided rich data to determine how, and from what, they were growing (Rayfield et al, 2014;Boogren, 2021).…”

“…In an effort to evaluate solu2ons based on Cycle 1 findings and a review of the literature, special emphasis was given to direct students to note moments where they experienced discomfort and interacted with French na2onals. Dis2nctly, par2cipants were asked to trace their aktudinal curve based on Moir's model (Rayfield et al, 2014) in order to measure and evaluate how the well-being of par2cipants affects their ability to benefit and grow from travel. Par2cipants were given designated 2me each day to complete these tasks in situ and were required to submit their journal every three days in order to provide necessary accountability.…”