Understanding the perceptions of upperclassmen pre-service elementary education teachers on agriculture

Abstract

Agriculture plays a critical role in society, yet many Americans have limited knowledge about where their food, fiber, and natural resources come from. Elementary school teachers, who introduce foundational concepts to young learners, are in a position to help address this gap in agricultural literacy. However, little is known about how pre-service elementary education teachers, those still in teacher preparation programs, perceive agriculture and their role in teaching it. Without this understanding, opportunities to strengthen agricultural literacy in early education may be missed. This study investigated the agricultural literacy, confidence, and perceptions of pre-service elementary education teachers at Montana State University. Using a cross-sectional survey, participants completed a researcher-adapted Agricultural Literacy Instrument, which measured knowledge across multiple agricultural constructs, as well as Likert- scale items on confidence in teaching agriculture and open-ended questions about agriculture's role in education. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations, and thematic coding of qualitative responses. Results showed that participants were moderately literate in agricultural content and concepts, with higher scores in areas related to agriculture's societal role and lower scores in technical production concepts. Confidence in teaching agriculture was generally low but positively correlated with higher literacy scores. Qualitative responses indicated that while participants recognized agriculture's importance for daily life and sustainability, many viewed it primarily through a food production lens. Several participants noted that they had limited prior exposure to agriculture, which influenced their confidence in teaching it. These findings suggest that pre-service teachers may enter the profession without the content knowledge or self-assurance needed to integrate agriculture into their classrooms. Strengthening teacher preparation programs by embedding agricultural concepts and providing hands-on learning opportunities could help build both competence and confidence. Given elementary teachers' influence on shaping early student attitudes and understanding, improving agricultural literacy among pre-service teachers has the potential to positively impact future generations' awareness of and engagement with agriculture.