Choosing a Life of Impact: A Grounded Theory Approach to Describe the Career Choice of Becoming a High School Agriculture Teacher

Abstract

The purpose of this grounded theory qualitative research was to identify the influences on students’ decisions to pursue a career as a high school agriculture teacher and develop a proposed theoretical model to conceptualize this career decision. Two samples of students – one sample of high school students and one sample of college students – were the participants in this study. Each participant included in the two samples was either considering teaching as a career or was currently enrolled in a university teacher licensure program. Data were collected from individual interviews, focus groups, and writing samples. The findings from this study suggested that when participants were motivated by role models with whom they could socially identify, became familiar with the profession through relevant experiences, and were affirmed of their career capabilities through people in their social environment to whom they were emotionally connected, they pursued a career path to become a high school agriculture teacher.

Keywords

• career development
• career choice
• teacher career choice
• teaching
• agricultural education
• grounded theory