Perceptions of Agricultural Educators Entering the Profession through Alternative Means

With the ongoing national shortage of agricultural educators, alternative certification has become increasingly important. The preparation programs for alternatively certified educators to enter the profession vary in content and length due to state requirements. This study sought to determine South Dakota Alternatively Certified SBAE Teachers’ decisions to teach and describe their perceived satisfaction associated with their decision to become a SBAE teacher. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight SBAE Teachers with alternative certification. Two main themes and two sub-themes emerged from the data derived from the interviews, which included (1) no plan to teach but the opportunity arose and (2) satisfaction with the decision to teach (i.e., regret not being certification sooner and passion for youth and agriculture). Conclusions, implications, and recommendations for future practice and research were provided.