The effects of agricultural education on students battling adverse childhood experiences: a qualitative case study

While agricultural education has positively impacted millions of students since its inception, many of its students have experienced adverse childhood experiences. This study aimed to describe the perceptions of participating New Mexico and Arizona agricultural educators regarding the benefits of agricultural education for students with trauma and to outline the challenges of teaching students experiencing ACEs. We used a qualitative case study design to conduct interviews with 14 agricultural educators. We determined that agricultural educators frequently encounter students with ACEs and that agricultural education offers numerous benefits for students facing ACEs, including hands-on career preparation, access to a responsible role model in their teacher, and positive activities that engage them outside the home. We concluded that teaching these students can lead to challenges such as behavioural issues, teacher secondary traumatic stress, and cultural nuances that can exacerbate the effects of ACEs.