Florida Preservice Agricultural Education Teachers’ Mathematics Ability and Efficacy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the mathematics ability and efficacy of Florida preservice agricultural education teachers. Results indicated that the preservice teachers were not proficient in solving agricultural mathematics problems. On the other hand, the preservice teachers were efficacious in personal teaching efficacy and personal mathematics efficacy, and moderately efficacious in their mathematics teaching efficacy. Additionally, the associations between mathematics ability and mathematics coursework suggest that preservice teachers that completed an advanced mathematics course in high school and/or college scored higher on the mathematics assessment than preservice teachers that completed a basic or intermediate mathematics course in high school and/or college. However, only a small percentage of the preservice teachers completed an advanced mathematics course in high school and/or college. Based on the data collected in this study, the teacher education program at the University of Florida may need to further evaluate its mathematics coursework requirements.

Factors Related to Teachers' Intention to Leave the Classroom Early

“…The male majority of agriculture teachers in this study was expected and in line with other research (Camp, Broyles, & Skelton, 2002;Foster, 2001), but this trend, combined with the consistent findings that at least half of most teacher preparation students are female, makes gender an important demographic to consider when predicting retention (Stair, Warner, & Moore, 2012;Stripling, Ricketts, Roberts, & Harlin, 2008;Stripling & Roberts, 2012;Wingenbach, White, Degenhart, Pannkuk, & Kujawski, 2007). Ethnicity has been examined with much less frequency in the literature, and it cannot be addressed here either, as the number of minorities participating in this study was so low that the variable could hardly be expected to be part of any predictive model for teacher retention.…”

Exploring the Disconnect Between Mathematics Ability and Mathematics Efficacy Among Preservice Agricultural Education Teachers

“…Furthermore, the participants averaged 26.5% on the mathematics ability instrument, which indicated the preservice teachers were not proficient in solving agricultural mathematics problems. This disconnect between mathematics efficacy and mathematics ability is consistent with prior research (Stripling & Roberts, 2012a, 2012b, 2013a, 2013b and supports the use of the sample.…”

“…Four studies (Stripling & Roberts, 2012a, 2013a, 2013b, 2013c were found in the agricultural education literature related to mathematics efficacy and mathematics teaching efficacy. Stripling and Roberts (2012a, 2013a, 2013b found preservice teachers at the University of Florida were efficacious in personal mathematics efficacy and moderately efficacious in mathematics teaching efficacy. Furthermore, Roberts (2013a, 2013b) found the incorporation of mathematics teaching and integration strategies based on the Math-in-CTE model (Stone, Alfeld, Pearson, Lewis, & Jensen, 2006) into an agricultural education teaching methods course did not significantly affect mathematics efficacy or mathematics teaching efficacy.…”

“…Furthermore, Gall, Gall, and Borg (2007) stated a convenience sample is appropriate as long as the reasons for using the selected sample are described by the researcher. Therefore, the sample utilized in this study was selected based upon Stripling and Roberts (2012a, 2013a, & 2013b studies, which discovered preservice agricultural education teachers displayed a disconnect between mathematics efficacy and mathematics ability. To further validate the use of the sample, participants were given the Mathematics Ability Test (Stripling & Roberts, 2012b) and the Mathematics Enhancement Teaching Efficacy Instrument (Jansen, 2007) to determine if the sample exhibited a disconnect between mathematics efficacy and mathematics ability before proceeding with the study.…”

Factrs Influencing Agricultural Leadershp Students' Behavioral Intentions: Examining the Potental Use of Mobile Technology in Courses

“…Stripling and Roberts (2012) used self-efficacy as the framework in a study of Florida preservice agricultural education teachers' math ability. Selfefficacy framed a study on Oklahoma agricultural education teachers' use of interactive whiteboards (Bunch, Robinson, & Edwards, 2012).…”