Minnesota Agricultural Educators Inservice Needs Related to Program Design, Leadership and SAE Development

High-quality professional development programs are important to all agricultural education teachers, regardless of their stage in the teaching profession. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perception of Minnesota SBAE teachers in the areas of program design and management, leadership, and Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) development. A modified Borich Needs Assessment Model was used to assess the current professional development needs of current SBAE teachers. The primary sources of professional development included agricultural education teachers’ association workshops, professional organizational workshops, and graduate coursework. Teachers reported highest perceived ability in developing relationships with administrators and fellow teachers and coordinating activities with local agricultural organizations. The highest priority professional development priorities were identified as repairing and maintaining laboratory equipment, organizing alumni/agricultural booster program, and utilizing advisory committees. To further explore variation by experience level, one-way ANOVAs were conducted by career stage. Results revealed significant differences in needs. Early-career teachers reported great needs in program logistics, while mid-career teachers expressed stronger needs in developing SAE and career readiness opportunities. Late-career teachers consistently reported fewer needs across all areas. These findings support the development of differentiated professional development aligned with teacher career stages to provide targeted support to enhance teacher competence, motivation, and retention within the SBAE profession.