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Future efforts must first account for middle school students' age, maturity, and exposure to strategies to address or integrate SAEs and meet the students where they are. [...]efforts to develop future middle school SAE curriculum and implementation strategies should focus on exploratory experiences that allow students to see the potential in educational investment (Ross, 2021). Efforts to increase instructor effectiveness must also respect the number of students each teacher is responsible for. [...]it is recommended that middle school SBAE teachers and supporters seek purposeful professional development opportunities specific to their needs to further the implementation of middle school SAEs. Professional development should engage teacher leaders, teacher educators, state staff, school administrators, and guidance/counseling professionals, as each group has a shared interest in the success of middle school programs, focusing on identified perceptions, barriers, and best management strategies.
School-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers are inundated with various responsibilities in and out of the classroom as they provide a comprehensive program. Supervised Agricultural ences (SAEs) considered an intracurricular component where students receive, develop, and enhance industry and career-based competencies through experiential learning (NCAE, 2012). To facilitate SAE in SBAE, instructors employ experiential learning as teaching strategies (Baker et al, 2012). Unfortunately, teachers have often reported lacking the ability to plan and implement SAE in their programs (Hanna, 1992). Looking specifically at middle school programs rather than their high school counterparts, we encounter a vastly different scenario and demands on instructors to deliver a comprehensive program (Talbert et al., 2013). Growth in middle school programs will only increase as states utilize Perkins V funds to expand CTE programs (Hanover Research, 2020). Supervised
Agricultural Experiences have been an integral component of SBAE for over a century (Rubenstein et al., 2014). These experiences have been documented as increasing the employability skills of students (Haddad & Marx, 2018; Ramsey & Edwards, 2012; Thiel & Marx, 2012). As part of middle school Career and Technical Education (CTE), SBAE provides opportunities for students to develop skills and explore potential careers (Ireland, 2022). Nationally, many middle school CTE programs integrate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to engage and prepare students for future careers (Godbey & Gordon, 2019). Middle school also prepares for high school and career success, with grades, attendance, and engagement as predictors of future success (Balfanze, 2009; Godbey & Gordon, 2019; Hoff et al., 2015).
A recent research study reached consensus on the perceptions, barriers, and best practices for integrating SAE into middle school SBAE programs by experienced middle school teachers. Table 1 identifies the current SAE perceptions, Table 2 provides a list of SAE barriers, and Table 3 outlines best practices.
An apparent observation is that middle school teachers are implementing SAE as a part of their comprehensive agricultural education program. However, there is little consensus on the selected states' depth, breadth, or level of exposure. Future efforts must first account for middle school students' age, maturity, and exposure to strategies to address or integrate SAEs and meet the students where they are. Therefore, efforts to develop future middle school SAE curriculum and implementation strategies should focus on exploratory experiences that allow students to see the potential in educational investment (Ross, 2021).
Furthermore, the implications of middle school teachers' inputs should also be considered an educational investment. In addition to managing numerous responsibilities, middle school instructors typically coordinate these duties for more students than their high school counterparts, depending on their scheduling system. Sixty percent of respondents reported single-teacher programs with over 100 students. It is time to consider a specific middle school SAE that accounts for the unique needs of middle school teachers.
By reviewing the most persistent barriers, it is apparent that future efforts to address SAE in middle school programs must meet the students where they are in terms of age, maturity, exposure, and access to resources. This speaks to the need for teacher preparation to implement experiential learning opportunities as a pedagogical approach.
To fully engage the agricultural education three-component model, particular focus should be placed on using the FFA student organization to enforce student achievements in SAE through awards, degrees, and leadership opportunities. Many states in the southeast have created or increased opportunities for middle school students to be recognized for their success in SAE, which is also evident in best management practices.
SAE is shown to increase the economic impact of middle school students through higher productivity, social stability, and healthier lifestyles. Efforts to increase instructor effectiveness must also respect the number of students each teacher is responsible for. Therefore, it is recommended that middle school SBAE teachers and supporters seek purposeful professional development opportunities specific to their needs to further the implementation of middle school SAEs. Professional development should engage teacher leaders, teacher educators, state staff, school administrators, and guidance/counseling professionals, as each group has a shared interest in the success of middle school programs, focusing on identified perceptions, barriers, and best management strategies. While the potential list is extensive, a topic for professional development could include the best management practices and coping strategies to address barriers for middle school SAE adoption. As stated before, it may also be an opportunity for national policy leaders and partners to collaborate with state leaders and middle school instructors to develop specific middle grades curricula for SAE, focusing on exploratory-type opportunities to prepare students for immersive opportunities in secondary programs. Differences exist between middle school and high school students, thus SAEs should be tailored as a part of the comprehensive SBAE program.
References
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