Presenter Information

Olivia Hile, Utah State University

Class

Article

College

College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

Department

School of Applied Sciences, Technology and Education

Faculty Mentor

Tyson Sorensen

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Abstract

Agriculture classes are heterogeneous in ability level, and agriculture teachers have the responsibility of teaching a wide range of students but it is unclear how much preservice teacher training undergraduates receive regarding gifted students in their future classrooms. Preservice agriculture and technology engineering education teachers were surveyed using Gagné and Nadeau's (1991) Opinions About the Gifted and their Education questionnaire on a 6-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree), as well as additional questions to assess their preservice teacher education program. When asked if their Education of Students with Disabilities course (SPED 4000) addressed teaching gifted and talented students (n =16), 8 reported that it did and 8 reported that it did not. When asked about their level of agreement with the following statement "Utah State University has adequately prepared me to teach students identified as gifted and talented in my future classroom" (n =18), when aggregated into agree and disagree, 8 disagree and 10 agree. The 3 questionnaire statements with the most agreement were: Gifted persons are a valuable resource for the agriculture industry (M = 4.7647), Tax-payers should not have to pay for special education for the minority of children who are gifted (M = 4.3235), In order to progress, a society must develop the talents of gifted individuals to a maximum (M = 4.2647). The 3 most disagreeable statements were: The gifted waste their time in regular agriculture classes (M = 1.6471), Gifted children are often bored in agricultural education classes (M = 1.8824), some agriculture teachers feel their authority threatened by gifted children (M = 2.500). While it is clear that preservice agriculture and technology engineering education teachers think that gifted students are a valuable resource to the industry, it is unclear whether they are truly prepared to challenge gifted and talented students in their classrooms.

Location

Room 154

Start Date

4-11-2019 1:30 PM

End Date

4-11-2019 2:45 PM

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Apr 11th, 1:30 PM Apr 11th, 2:45 PM

Preservice Agriculture Teacher Attitudes Toward the Education of the Gifted

Room 154

Agriculture classes are heterogeneous in ability level, and agriculture teachers have the responsibility of teaching a wide range of students but it is unclear how much preservice teacher training undergraduates receive regarding gifted students in their future classrooms. Preservice agriculture and technology engineering education teachers were surveyed using Gagné and Nadeau's (1991) Opinions About the Gifted and their Education questionnaire on a 6-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree), as well as additional questions to assess their preservice teacher education program. When asked if their Education of Students with Disabilities course (SPED 4000) addressed teaching gifted and talented students (n =16), 8 reported that it did and 8 reported that it did not. When asked about their level of agreement with the following statement "Utah State University has adequately prepared me to teach students identified as gifted and talented in my future classroom" (n =18), when aggregated into agree and disagree, 8 disagree and 10 agree. The 3 questionnaire statements with the most agreement were: Gifted persons are a valuable resource for the agriculture industry (M = 4.7647), Tax-payers should not have to pay for special education for the minority of children who are gifted (M = 4.3235), In order to progress, a society must develop the talents of gifted individuals to a maximum (M = 4.2647). The 3 most disagreeable statements were: The gifted waste their time in regular agriculture classes (M = 1.6471), Gifted children are often bored in agricultural education classes (M = 1.8824), some agriculture teachers feel their authority threatened by gifted children (M = 2.500). While it is clear that preservice agriculture and technology engineering education teachers think that gifted students are a valuable resource to the industry, it is unclear whether they are truly prepared to challenge gifted and talented students in their classrooms.