Agricultural Education Early Field ExperienceThrough the Lens of the EFE Model

摘要

The purpose of this national study was to describe agricultural teacher education early field experience(EFE) practices using the EFE model. The population for this study was all agricultural educationteacher preparation programs (N = 83) listed in the AAAE Directory of University Faculty inAgricultural Education. Data were collected via an online survey sent to a single point of contact (i.e.,the agricultural teacher education coordinator) at each institution. For this study, EFE was defined asall field experiences that occur prior to student teaching; the experiences could be offered within oroutside of the agricultural education curriculum. Programs required a minimum number of contacthours and a minimum number of lessons to be taught while in the field. The most common forms ofassessment were the university supervisor’s review of documents, cooperating teacher signatures,reflective writing, and student journaling. This study has implications for agricultural teacher educationprograms that are planning to evaluate or revamp their current EFE programs. Developing consistencyacross programs will provide a better experience for all students involved in agricultural education EFE.