Investigating the Effects of a Math-Enhanced Agricultural Teaching Methods Course

Abstract

Numerous calls have been made for agricultural education to support core academic subject matter including mathematics. Previous research has shown that the incorporation of mathematics content into a teaching methods course had a positive effect on preservice teachers' mathematics content knowledge. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a math-enhanced agricultural education teaching methods course on preservice agricultural education teachers' mathematics ability, personal mathematics efficacy, mathematics teaching efficacy, and personal teaching efficacy. Results indicated that preservice teachers' mathematics ability increased after the math-enhanced teaching methods course. Interestingly, personal mathematics efficacy decreased while mathematics teaching efficacy and personal teaching efficacy increased slightly after the math-enhanced teaching methods course. Based on the results of this study, peer-teaching that utilizes the seven components of a math-enhanced lesson may be an appropriate means to improve the mathematics ability of preservice agricultural education teachers.

Exploring Relationships between Presage Variables of Florida Preservice Agricultural Education Teachers Related to Teaching Contextualized Mathematics

“…The researchers discovered preservice teachers in their final year of a teacher education program were efficacious in personal mathematics efficacy and personal teaching efficacy and moderately efficacious in mathematics teaching efficacy, which is also consistent with Jansen and Thompson (2008). Furthermore, Stripling and Roberts (2013a) reported Florida preservice agricultural education teachers were efficacious in personal mathematics efficacy and personal teaching efficacy and moderately efficacious in mathematics teaching efficacy, and this finding is in agreement with Jansen and Thompson (2008) and Stripling and Roberts (2012a). Additionally, Stripling and Roberts (2013a) investigated the effects of a mathenhanced teaching methods course on personal mathematics efficacy, mathematics teaching efficacy, and personal teaching efficacy.…”

“…In an effort to improve the mathematics ability of preservice agricultural education teachers, Stripling and Roberts (2013a) investigated the effects of a math-enhanced teaching methods course on mathematics ability. Stripling and Roberts reported a 12.15% increase in mathematics ability scores after the math-enhanced teaching methods course.…”

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.…”