Turning the Gears: Assessing Agricultural Educators' Perceptions of Importance and Competence to Teach Agricultural Mechanics

The power, structural, and technical systems (PST) pathway has been a key source of developing vital technical and employability skills in secondary-level students. While developing these skills is essential for success in the workforce, many educators report being unconfident in teaching within this pathway. Furthermore, several studies indicate that there are differences in how male and female educators perceive their ability to teach agricultural mechanics. This study aimed to assess the professional development needs of agricultural educators and evaluate the differences in how male and female educators value the importance of agricultural mechanics and their ability to teach agricultural mechanics. We utilized a descriptive correlational research design by distributing a quantitative survey to agricultural educators in Alabama and Georgia. We utilized the PST national agriculture, food, and natural resource (AFNR) standards to measure educators’ professional development needs. The instrument used a modified Borich model to assess the professional development needs of educators. We found that educators needed professional development within the PST pathway. Additionally, the results indicated that female educators valued the PST content significantly more than their male colleagues but rated their ability to teach within this pathway considerably lower. The results also showed that female educators have different professional development needs than male educators. We recommend providing professional development specifically targeting the needs of female educators, and that agricultural education stakeholders evaluate the professional development offerings to ensure they are practical and pertinent.