An analysis of the agricultural education BS graduates from 1981-1989 and their perceptions of the teacher education program at Iowa State University

The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics and academic ability of Agricultural Education graduates from Iowa State University who chose to teach and those who did not and their perceptions concerning the Teacher Education Program. The population studied consisted of 294 graduates from the 1981-1989 academic years. Data relevant to this study were extracted from a longitudinal research project conducted by the Research Institute for Studies in Education at ISU. Graduates were surveyed at time of graduation, and one and five years following;Teachers and nonteachers were compared on four measures of academic ability: ACT scores, high school rank, GPA when admitted to teacher education, and GPA at time of completion of teacher certification. Those graduates choosing to teach and those not were equal in terms of overall academic ability;There were generally no significant differences between teachers\u27 and nonteachers\u27 mean ratings of adequacy of their training in professional teacher preparation. Both groups felt best prepared in preparing and using media, and planning and developing instruction. Both groups felt somewhat underprepared in assessing and dealing with learning problems and classroom management. Those areas of teacher preparation rated most important to both groups in preparing them for their current jobs were planning and developing instruction, interpersonal relationships, classroom management, teaching basic skills, and using written communication effectively. The majority of graduates would prepare to be a teacher again regardless of their long-range career plans. Throughout the study, data revealed nonteachers were drawn to careers that provided them with greater extrinsic rewards and advancement opportunities. Discriminant analysis failed to show measures of academic ability or adequacy of preparation to be major contributing factors in differentiating between graduates who aspired to enter teaching and those who did not