FEMALE LEADERSHIP IN RURAL FLORIDA FFA CHAPTERS

The purpose of this investigation was to explain the factors supporting the emergence of females in leadership roles in rural Florida FFA chapters. Six schools, seventeen female leaders, six agriscience instructors, and nine parents participated in the qualitative portion of the study, and 51 additional students provided quantitative data. The findings suggested that females were more active in career development events, officer positions, and other leadership development activities. The emergent themes devised from the qualitative data indicated that female leaders in local FFA chapters were more willing workers, more achievement oriented, felt a greater need for power, were more mature, had a greater need for affiliation, and were more willing to work outside their comfort zone than male FFA members. In addition, participants believed that female FFA members are more active in FFA activities that are based upon the non-production content areas of today’s agriscience curriculum