The purpose of the study was to determine the perceived level of self-efficacy of preservice and beginning agricultural education teachers in Ohio. The researcher was also interested in studying factors that may account for variation among the levels of self-efficacy. Personal characteristics, personality types, and learning style may be associated with levels of self-efficacy of preservice and beginning agricultural education teachers.
The target population for this study consisted of preservice teachers majoring in Agricultural Education at The Ohio State University and first and second-year Agricultural Education teachers in Ohio. A census was conducted (N=53).
The Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) (Oltman, Raskin, Witkin, 1971) was used to determine the preferred learning style of the student teachers as either field-dependent, field-neutral, or field-independent. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Form G(MBTI) was used to assess psychological type differences (Myers & McCaulley, 1985). The Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale was used to measure the two dimensions of personal teaching efficacy (PTE) and general teaching efficacy (GTE).
Data were collected by mail questionnaire. Secondary data already compiled from the Agricultural Education 530 course, "Methods of Teaching Agriculture" were also used.
The overall mean summated rating on a six-point Likert scale for PTE and GTE were 4.7 and 3.6 respectively. No significant differences were detected among the groups in personal or general teaching efficacy. Respondents were categorized as field neutral with a mean score of 11.4. For all groups, the perceiving function is related to sensing types and the judging function is related to thinking types. Overall, seventy-five percent of the population preferred the judging function of thinking while 73% preferred the perceiving function of sensing. Of the respondents, 54% were males and 46%) were females. The respondents' mean grade point average was 2.90.
Learning style showed a statistically significant negative moderate association with personal teaching efficacy. No other correlations were statistically significant.
The following conclusions were attained: Personal teaching efficacy (PTE) is higher than general teaching efficacy (GTE) in preservice and beginning teachers. No significant differences exist among the four groups of preservice and beginning teachers in relation to personal or general teaching efficacy. Preservice and beginning teachers in Ohio are field neutral with higher tendency toward field independence. In Ohio, preservice and beginning teachers are extroverts while preferring the judging function of thinking and the perceiving function of sensing (type ESTJ). Males represent the major portion of preservice and beginning teachers in Ohio. The general grade point average is 2.76. Preservice and beginning teachers in Ohio with high personal teacher efficacy are mostly field-dependent.