** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** IN RESPONSE TO THE CHALLENGES OF MEETING LOCAL, NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEEDS FOR EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT, INNOVATIVE, AND LONG-RANGE AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION, A CURRICULUM FOR AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION WAS CALLED FOR BY THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION (THE COUNCIL) AND THE CURRICULUM FOR AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION (CASE) WAS DEVELOPED IN 2007. THE OBJECTIVES FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT ARE AS FOLLOWS: A) IMPROVE FIRST-YEAR TEACHERS' COMPETENCY TO TEACH AGRICULTURAL MECHANICS. B) IMPROVE FIRST-YEAR TEACHERS' SELF-EFFICACY TO TEACH AGRICULTURAL MECHANICS. C) PREPARE SECONDARY AGRICULTURAL EDUCATIONS STUDENTS TO FILL THE SKILLS GAP IN THE AGRICULTURAL MECHANICS WORKFORCE. D) IMPROVE SECONDARY AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS' RETENTION RATE. TO ADDRESS THESE OBJECTIVES, BEGINNING TEACHERS WILL ENROLL IN THE CASE AGRICULTURAL POWER & TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE HELD AT TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY. THE INSTITUTE ALLOWS FOR UP TO 20 TEACHERS TO ENROLL AND CONSISTS OF 80 HOURS OF INSTRUCTION OVER TWO WEEKS LED BY CASE CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS. IN ALL CASE INSTITUTES, TEACHERS PARTICIPATE AS STUDENTS IN HANDS-ON, IMMERSIVE LESSONS THAT THEY TAKE BACK TO THEIR SCHOOLS AND IMPLEMENT WITH RELATIVE EASE SINCE THEY HAVE ALREADY DONE WHAT THEY WILL TEACH THEIR STUDENTS. RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE APT INSTITUTE AS PARTICIPANTS DEVELOP AND CONDUCT INDUSTRY APPROPRIATE INVESTIGATIONS.

Texas State University, San Marcos TX

Investigators