| The main goal of this study was to determine the extent to which teachers of production agriculture used a variety of teaching methods in teaching livestock production, crop production and agricultural mechanics. This study included three groups of Ohio production agriculture teachers, i.e., teachers who taught 7 or more years, cooperating teachers, and first year teachers. The senior students of these production agriculture teachers were also asked to what extent their teachers used the various teaching methods as a way of attempting to cooroborate teacher self reported data.;Furthermore, this study sought to determine: (1) the extent to which frequency of use of teaching methods was associated with teaching experience, teachers knowledge of subject matter, professional training, level of education, adequacy of equipment and age; (2) the relationship between teacher reported use of teaching methods with their students reported perception of use of teaching methods; (3) teachers use of specific guidelines when selecting teaching methods; and (4) the extent to which the three groups of teachers differed on the variables of frequency of use of teaching methods, subject matter knowledge and professional training.;The results showed that, even though the intensity of use of teaching methods varied from teacher to teacher, teachers did vary methods when teaching production agriculture. Lecture/discussion and general class discussion were used most frequently when teaching the four areas of production agriculture. Furthermore, results indicated that professional training and subject matter knowledge were highly associated with frequency of use of teaching methods. The students reported extent of use of methods was related to teacher self reported data to varying degrees. Teachers paid more attention to subject matter, teaching material availability and availability of time when selecting teaching methods than they did with "nature of the students" and with matching domains of learning with students intellectual development. |
