| dc.description.abstract | This study sought to describe the self-efficacy, locus of control (LOC), sex, age, teaching experience, and number of teaching partners of school-based agricultural educators (SBAE) in Southeast Missouri and the relationships between those variables. A census of teachers in the district was conducted using the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale and Teacher Locus of Control Scale during district Career Development Event competitions. Descriptive and inferential statistical tests were used to analyze data. The average SBAE teacher in Southeast Missouri is male, 38 years old, has taught for 12 years, is in a single teacher program, has a high teacher self-efficacy, and external teacher locus of control beliefs. Although self-efficacy was not found to hold statistically significant correlations with LOC, relationships with age and experience level were statistically significant. The SBAE teachers' LOC differed based on their age, experience level, and program type. Male and females were found to be statistically significantly different in age, experience, and number of co-teachers. A relationship was found between the SBAE teachers' age and each of the research variables. No other relationships were deemed statistically significant. In Southeast Missouri, as male SBAE teachers in single programs age and gain experience, they gain self-efficacy and become more external in LOC. To improve self-efficacy of younger teachers, SBAE leaders in Southeast Missouri should create a coaching and mentoring program to follow Bandura's modeling social learning theory. Researchers should develop an instrument to assess the LOC of SBAE teachers and compare the data across populations. Additional research is necessary in agricultural education literature to understand fully these results. | |
