Student teaching is arguably the most beneficial aspect of teacher preparation programs. The student teaching experience is shaped by several key components. One of the most important, yet least well defined component is the cooperating center at which a student teacher will gain his or her experiences. Very little research has been published regarding the characteristics of good cooperating centers for agricultural education. This study was designed to create a list of the key elements of cooperating centers for agricultural education student teachers.

Qualitative research was conducted within the population of cooperating teachers and first-year teachers of agricultural education employed in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Two nominal groups were conducted on October 15, 1998, each having ten participants. One group was comprised of ten cooperating teachers and the other of ten first-year agricultural education teachers. The responses from these participants were used to create a prioritized list of the characteristics of cooperating centers that they felt were most important for a successful student teaching experience.