An approach to providing professional development with an environmental education component to agriculture teachers in Costa Rica

In 1993 the University of Costa Rica carried out a needs assessment which indicated a widespread need for in-service professional development for high school agriculture teachers. Information was also collected that indicated areas of interest and concern to teachers and the Ministry of Public Education. Subsequently, the University of Costa Rica's Atlantic Regional Center elected to undertake the development and implementation of professional development programs for agriculture teachers. It was determined that the areas to be addressed would include agriculturally oriented environmental education, sustainable agriculture, pedagogy, and methodology useful for information transfer.;The objective of this developmental study was the development, implementation, and evaluation of an approach for the University of Costa Rica's Atlantic Regional Center (UCRSA) to provide professional development opportunities for agriculture teachers working in Costa Rica's Professional Technical High Schools.;The research examines the approach developed through UCRSA working in collaboration with the Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education, the World Wildlife Fund, and Iowa State University, and describes the following: (1) Development of an approach to provide professional development opportunities for secondary agriculture teachers in Costa Rica; (2) Implementation of the professional development programs provided the teachers; (3) Evaluation of the programs provided the teachers including follow-up research after teachers had returned to their school sites; (4) Analysis of the approach developed with a model and summary of steps taken to develop and implement the programs.;The research findings present and discuss data related to the resultant successful approach that was used for UCRSA to provide two groups of agriculture teachers with in-service professional development in 1994 and 1995.;Recommendations are made for more professional development opportunities to be provided by UCRSA following the approach developed. The approach model and description of the steps involved are recommended as guidelines for providing similar professional development programs for Costa Rican high school agriculture teachers. Suggestions for future teacher in-service programs and recommendations for further study are also presented.