Date of Award:

12-2019

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Applied Sciences, Technology, and Education

Department name when degree awarded

Agricultural Extension & Education

Committee Chair(s)

Tyson J. Sorensen

Committee

Tyson J. Sorensen

Committee

Rebecca G. Lawver

Committee

Scott L. Hunsaker

Abstract

Agriculture teachers are responsible for a wide variety of students in their classrooms. It was unclear before this research how much preservice teacher instruction agriculture teachers were receiving to prepare them to teach students identified as gifted. This research aimed to measure teacher attitudes, characterization of gifted students, professional development needs, and related demographic information. Of the agriculture teachers who completed a traditional teacher preparation program, 54.50% felt that they were adequately prepared to meet the needs of gifted students in their classroom.

Participants characterized gifted agriculture students as outstanding problem solvers, quick to memorize information, and excellent in science. They did not characterize this group of students as excellent entrepreneurs, very active in FFA, and excellent leaders. These characteristics have implications for how to work with this population of students, such as using problem-based learning and integrating more science content into the classroom. By analyzing results of the importance and ability needs assessment, professional development is needed in creating challenging classroom content, differentiating instruction, and teaching problem solving skills specifically to teach gifted students in their classrooms.

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