Agricultural Education

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The Division of Agricultural Education is dedicated to serving the needs of all students and agricultural professionals through a dynamic and comprehensive program of rural leadership, technological advancement, and proven scientific and educational practices. The program is grounded in basic and applied research aimed at improving professional and technical skills in the realm of Montana agriculture.

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Agricultural Machinery Safety Behavior Among Youth
(American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, 2023-01) Pate, Michael L.; Lawver, Rebecca G.; Perry, Dustin K.; Smalley, Scott W.; Wille, Celina; Edgar, Don; Hafer, Jim; Young, Marvin
The Supervised Agricultural Experience Safety Award program was launched with Montana, South Dakota, and Utah agriculture teachers. A combination of video conferencing and in-person training workshops were offered to school-based agriculture teachers in Montana, South Dakota, and Utah. Zoom webinar workshops were held with teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The five annual training topics were Year 1) Tractor/Equipment Roll over hazards, Year 2) ATV/UTV operation hazards, Year 3) Tractor/Equipment Operation Hazards, Year 4) PTO/Entanglement hazards, and Year 5) agricultural machinery transport hazards associated with use on public roadways. To assess the influence of agricultural machinery safety training on students’ student work-based, journal reflections were collected through the Agricultural Experience Tracker to qualitatively describe students’ production-based agricultural experiences as coded by NASS Commodity codes, describe students’ safety reporting using Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) journal entries, and quantify teachers’ workshop participation as related to student safety reporting. A total of 2215 journal entries were reviewed from Montana, Utah, and South Dakota. A total of 905 journal entries were associated with a teacher participating in the training program. Most student journal entries focused on machinery operations. A total of 80 journal entries specifically reported safety as the main topic. A total of 204 journal entries reported the use of tractors. A total of 82 entries (25.1%) noted Hay production as the agricultural production work experience. The results provide recommendations for developing an application model for translation using an FFA Award structure.
Effectiveness of Utilizing an Evidence Based Safety Curriculum to Increase Student Knowledge
(American Association for Agricultural Education, 2020-01) Perry, Dustin K.; Smalley, Scott W.; Pate, Michael L.
The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of utilizing an evidence based, “Train the Trainer” approach to increase the safety knowledge and awareness of secondary students. Participating teachers attended a 10-hour,inquiry-basedsummer training workshop utilizing National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operations Program (NSTMOP) materials focusing on roll-overprotection structures, mini-tilt table construction, and on-farm tractor risk assessments. Teachers incorporated workshop lessons into existing curricula. Students completed pretests prior to instruction and posttests after instructional units were delivered. A total of 118 students provided completed pre-and posttests, with most students identifying as male and more than half enrolled in ninth grade.Wilcoxon Sign-Rank test showed students’ posttests were statistically significantly (Z =-5.22, p < .001)higher than pre-tests. Student performance in this study suggests the Fair Labor Standards Act exemption provided for youth between the ages of 14 and 15 years old who have completed specific safety training needs to be revisited. Additionally, increasing the age restriction for hazardous occupations in agriculture would be consistent with other industries. In order for students to learn agricultural safety in the classroom setting, teachers participating in this study may consider preparation and continuing education programs that incorporate more production-based experiences focused on safety.
Impact of sequential professional development of school-based agricultural education teachers: In-service implications for safety training
(American Association for Agricultural Education, 2024-03) Lawver, Rebecca; Smalley, Scott; Perry, Dustin; Pate, Michael L.
Vocational and technical education programs continue to play a pivotal role in developing workers’ occupational safety and health skills in all industries. The Agricultural Safety Education Initiative was first conducted in the summer of 2017 as a multi-year “Train the Trainer” program to improve teachers’ tractor and machinery knowledge. The National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operations Program (NSTMOP) Curriculum was used to develop and organize the training program. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a multi-year agricultural safety education professional development model. A total of 85 teachers participated in the third year of the training program. Over half (57.6%, f = 49) of the participants identified as female. Teachers’ average NSTMOP test score was 41.9 out of 50 (SD = 3.62). Teachers attending the training for the first time in 2019 scored lowered (40.8, SD = 4.41) than teachers who had attended the training during all three offerings (43.2, SD = 3.00). This difference was not statistical significance (Kruskal-Wallis H was 5.91 (2) p = .052). Post-experience qualitative data findings showed many teachers reported curriculum obtainment as a motivating factor for continued attendance. A benefit expressed by participating teachers in this professional development focused on higher-order instructional or alternative assessment methods for tractor and machinery safety. For these SBAE participants, continued involvement in a multi-year approach to professional development is influenced when curriculum is offered. Further data collection is required to determine curriculum implementation follow-through of teachers after the workshop.