Advocating for agricultural education: A mixed methods examination on the role of opinion leadership on teachers’ advocacy intentions

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to describe the role of opinion leadership on Louisiana teachers’ intentions to advocate for agricultural education. As a result, we found that the quantitative and qualitative data strands were largely complementary. We concluded that the agricultural education teachers in Louisiana reported only a marginal level of opinion leadership. Regarding their intentions to advocate for agricultural education, most teachers indicated they would be likelier to engage in low-stakes advocacy, such as joining their professional organization, meeting with decision-makers, or attending FFA Day at the Capital rather than participating in advocacy considered more professionally risky. The teachers also recognized that they exhibited a deficiency in advocacy knowledge and skills. Going forward, we recommend that future research examine the approaches that teachers use to champion various issues and causes that may affect their programs. We also call for greater emphasis on helping teachers learn how to tell agricultural education’s story in ways that motivate decision-makers to become allies for the profession. Finally, we call for greater professional development experiences designed to help teachers advocate for agricultural education.