PREPARING FUTURE SECONDARY AGRICULTURE TEACHERS TO WORK WITH STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES
Open Access
- Author:
- Faulkner, Paula Elleen
- Graduate Program:
- Agricultural Education
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- February 27, 2007
- Committee Members:
- Connie Devine Baggett, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Tracy Scheidt Hoover, Committee Member
Patreese Donette Ingram, Committee Member
Kathy L Ruhl, Committee Member
Edgar Paul Yoder, Committee Member - Keywords:
- agricultural education
students with learning disabilities
pre-service teachers
accommodations
vocational education
instructional techniques
teacher education - Abstract:
- The purpose of the study was to examine the practices agricultural teacher educators report to cover in pre-service programs to prepare pre-service teachers to work with students with learning disabilities in secondary agricultural education programs. A secondary purpose was to examine the preparation pre-service teachers report to receive in pre-service programs to work with students with learning disabilities in secondary agricultural education programs. The population of the study included land grant and non land grant institutions with active teacher education programs. Two, four-part survey instruments were developed to collect data. The agricultural teacher educator survey collected data regarding teacher educators’ reported coverage of instructional techniques and accommodations for students with learning disabilities in secondary agricultural education programs, and the federal legislative acts that govern students with disabilities in secondary school settings. The agricultural education pre-service teacher survey collected data regarding the pre-service teachers’ reported preparation to provide instructional techniques and accommodations for students with learning disabilities in secondary agricultural education programs, and the federal legislative acts that govern students with disabilities in secondary school settings. Usable responses were returned by 75% (n=63) of the agricultural teacher educators and 27.3% (n=69) of the agricultural education pre-service teachers. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The majority of teacher educator respondents were male, assistant or associate professors, and pre-service coordinators. Pre-service coordinators covered more accommodations in pre-service programs than the other respondents. Respondents’ whose pre-service programs received accreditation from both the respective State Department of Education and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) covered more accommodations in pre-service programs. Teacher educators covered each of the instructional techniques, accommodations, and federal legislative acts in pre-service programs. Cooperative pairs/groups was reported the most covered instructional technique in pre-service programs. Extra/Extended time was reported the most covered accommodation and The No Child Left Behind Act was reported the most covered federal legislative act in pre-service programs. The majority of pre-service teacher respondents were female and seniors. Over half of the pre-service teachers completed one special education course. The majority of pre-service teachers acquired skills for teaching students with learning disabilities during a field experience. Pre-service teachers reported each of the instructional techniques, accommodations, and federal legislative acts were covered in pre-service programs. Cooperative pairs/groups and differentiated instruction were reported the most covered instructional techniques in pre-service programs. Extra/Extended time was reported the most covered accommodation and The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1997 was reported the most covered federal legislative act in pre-service programs. Collectively, both groups agreed cooperative pairs/groups was the most covered instructional technique in pre-service programs. They also agreed that extra/extended time was the most covered accommodation. The study concluded that both groups agreed to the extent which instructional techniques, accommodations, and federal legislative acts were covered in pre-service programs. However, neither group reported any of the instructional techniques, accommodations, and federal legislative acts as being completely covered in pre-service programs. Taking into account the study’s findings, it is recommended that agricultural education teacher education programs designate one faculty member as the special education contact for the agricultural teacher education program; agricultural teacher education programs provide in-service and pre-service training for pre-service teachers during and after completion of the teacher education program; and agricultural teacher education programs offer special education courses within the department, particularly if courses are not required by the accreditation agency or completed in other colleges and/or departments.