VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE TEACHERS' OPINIONS RELATIVE TO SELECTED AGRICULTURAL MECHANICS COMPETENCIE

The main purpose of this study was to determine the importance of selected agricultural mechanics competencies in the preparation of vocational agriculture teachers. More explicitly, answers were sought to four major questions concerning the vocational agriculture teachers relative to: (1) What opinions do vocational agriculture teachers have relative to the importance of selected agricultural mechanics competencies identified and validated by the National Agriculture Occupations Study? (2) What capabilities do vocational agriculture teachers possess in performing in the selected agricultural mechanics competencies? (3) Where did vocational agriculture teachers obtain their capabilities to perform the selected agricultural mechanics competencies? (4) What attitudes do vocational agriculture teachers have toward their pre-service and in-service, agricultural mechanics training programs? Through the development of specific objectives, this study answered the above questions.;A five-page, 323 variable survey was used to collect data for this study. The research instrument was composed of three sections: demographic, opinions, and attitude scales.;The population used in this study was 175 randomly selected vocational agriculture teachers from Region II of the National Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association.;Statistical tests used included one-way analysis of variance and Pearson Product Moment to determine differences and relationships.;The following conclusions were drawn from this study: (1) Vocational agriculture teachers ranked the agricultural mechanics competencies higher relative to importance than the national study. (2) Vocational agriculture teachers can perform the selected competencies at about the same level of ability as expected of entry-level agriculture employees as identified by the national study. (3) Vocational agriculture teachers agree with the findings in the national study. (4) When vocational agriculture teachers perform well, they believe the competency to be important. (5) When vocational agriculture teachers perform with less competence, they have a lower opinion relative to the importance of the competency. (6) It makes no difference where a vocational agriculture teacher is teaching relative to the importance, ability to perform, or source of ability to perform the competencies. (7) Vocational agriculture teachers with positive attitudes toward their pre-service and in-service agricultural mechanics training programs perform with a higher ability. (8) Vocational agriculture teachers with negative attitudes toward their pre-service and in-service agricultural mechanics programs perform with a lower ability.