Agricultural Education Teacher Leaders'Development of Ownership and Responsibility for theProfession through Participation in ContinuingProfessional Education Program Planning: A CaseStudy

摘要

Historically, planning and delivery of professional development for public school teachers wascentralized in state departments of education and universities, with teachers having little input or controlover the content. For many years the literature in adult and continuing education has reflected anemphasis on learner participation in program planning (Houle, 1980; Knowles, 1980; Richey, 1957).Contemporary adult learning theory holds that when adults are integral to the program planning process(Cervero & Wilson, 2006; Little, 1993) they are empowered to address their educational needs in thecontext of their practice (Cochran–Smith & Lytle, 1999). The purpose of this case study was to examineteacher participation in the planning of continuing professional education within the small field ofagricultural education in New York. The over–arching theme that emerged from this study was that whenthe teachers took primary responsibility for planning their own professional development they, seemed toassume an increased sense of ownership for practice in their profession.