“Not just go into a field to turn the soil over, they’ve got to understand the science behind it.” using pedagogic content knowledge to uncover teaching practice in agriculture

ABSTRACT This study explores the approach taken to teaching agriculture in further education colleges in England. There is almost no literature that focuses specifically on this group and therefore little is known about the teaching of this specialist subject area. The article begins by providing background both to the FE sector and agriculture. It then considers pedagogic content knowledge and its use as a tool for investigating and understanding practice. The findings from interviews with 17 practitioners involved in teaching agriculture are presented. These focus on beliefs on preparing learners for a career in the sector, the decision-making process when planning sessions and accounts of teaching practice. The findings suggest that there are a number of features that make teaching agriculture distinct from a more general pedagogical approach. These include the impact of context on pedagogical decisions, the value placed on theoretical and practical aspects and proximity to industry through resourcing. It is hoped that making these visible will enable the transfer of knowledge within the teaching community and promote a greater understanding of this area of provision within the further education sector.