Vol. 60 No. 01 (2010)

The manuscripts in Volume 60, Issue 1 (2010) of the Journal of Southern Agricultural Education Research (JSAER) present a focused examination of the challenges facing beginning and alternatively certified agricultural educators, alongside studies on inclusive teaching, Extension volunteer effectiveness, youth program retention, and agricultural communication.

Teacher Stress and Retention

• Job Stressors of Beginning Georgia Agriscience Teachers: A quantitative study of new and beginning agriscience teachers in Georgia finds that time constraints, overburdened workloads, and demands on class load are the most significant stressors, that administrative support is the most stressful construct overall, and that only 31% of respondents had access to a school district mentor program, recommending targeted inservice training in FFA applications, time management, and communicating with administrators to reduce early-career burnout.
• Forecasting Job Stress Among North Carolina Agriculture Teachers: A quantitative study of 201 North Carolina agriculture teachers using the Job Stress Survey finds that while teachers overall are not in a state of extreme stress, 48% fall in the stressed category, and that gender is a statistically significant predictor of stress with female teachers reporting higher stress levels, recommending continued attention to work-life factors for women in the profession.
• Regional Comparison of Stress in Central and West Texas: A quantitative study comparing beginning agriscience teachers in two Texas regions finds that western region teachers report significantly higher time management stress than their central region counterparts, while no significant differences are found on other stress subscales, recommending professional development targeting time management as a priority for teacher retention efforts.

Alternative Certification and Inservice Needs

• First-Year Alternatively Certified Teachers in Oklahoma: A qualitative study of six alternatively certified (AC) Oklahoma agriculture teachers finds that they define effective teaching around classroom control, student motivation, and engagement, but that none of their beliefs directly addressed student achievement, recommending that professional development for AC teachers emphasize pedagogical and methodological skills tied to measurable student outcomes.
• Inservice Needs of Traditionally vs. Alternatively Certified Louisiana Teachers: A quantitative study finds that while no significant differences exist between the two groups on broad inservice need constructs, differences do emerge on specific competency items, recommending that other states replicate this research to build a more complete national picture of the distinct needs of alternatively certified beginning agriculture teachers.

Inclusion and Special Populations

• Readiness for Inclusive Learning Environments: A descriptive survey of state agricultural education directors and supervisors finds that secondary agriculture teachers are perceived as prepared to serve women and students from varied socioeconomic backgrounds, but less prepared for ethnic minority students, students with special needs, gender identity diversity, and learning style diversity, recommending preservice and inservice multicultural education training and stronger community partnerships to advance inclusion.
• Early-Career Teachers' Perceived Success with Special Needs Students: A quantitative comparison of beginning agriculture teachers in Missouri and North Carolina finds that teacher self-efficacy is the strongest predictor of perceived success in teaching students with special needs, accounting for 27% of variance in Missouri and 40% in North Carolina, with preservice special education coursework requirements not producing significant differences between the two states.

Technology and Curriculum Integration

• Graphing Calculators and the Texas FFA Agricultural Mechanics CDE: A quantitative census study of Texas FFA Agricultural Mechanics Career Development Event participants finds that most students had access to graphing calculators and perceived them as improving achievement in math and agricultural science, though most did not consider themselves expert users, with student classification and calculator ownership positively associated with higher CDE scores.

Extension Education and Communication

• County Program Reviews in Cooperative Extension: A quantitative study of Florida Extension agents in eight counties that participated in a county program review finds that agents increased their knowledge of program strengths and improvement opportunities, with increased use of technology being the most common resulting action, recommending that Extension leadership communicate the importance of program reviews more clearly and hold counties accountable for post-review actions.
• Master Gardener Teaching Efficacy: A quantitative study of Tennessee Master Gardener volunteers finds that participants — predominantly older white women with higher education degrees — report feeling only "some influence" in their teaching effectiveness, recommending that Extension agents better understand volunteer motivations and invest in strategies to retain high-quality Master Gardeners to maximize program impact.
• Source Credibility and Opinion Leader Information Diffusion: A quantitative study of Florida agricultural leadership program alumni finds that opinion leaders find most credible the information from organizations in which they are most involved, and are most likely to diffuse messages when the organization presents supporting evidence, recommending that agricultural organizations prioritize evidence-based communication strategies to maximize reach through trusted opinion leaders.
• Teen 4-H Member Retention Factors in Pennsylvania: A qualitative content analysis of teen 4-H members' open-ended survey responses identifies events, friendships, and recognition as the most memorable 4-H experiences, while access to friends, resources such as money and transportation, and better event information are identified as the top factors that would encourage greater participation, recommending that program planners focus on social connection and logistical accessibility to improve teen retention.