A Case Study of an Agricultural Teacher's Planned Behavior When Working With Students With Special Needs

Students with special needs are often placed in agriculture and other CTE classes. Literature has shown that teachers often feel unprepared to deal with this population of students. The Theory of Planned Behavior framed this case study of an exemplar agriculture teacher. Evidence of the teacher's planned behavior was supported by triangulation of interviews with the teacher, special education coordinator, special education aide, and lesson plans. This triangulation also showed that the teacher is an exemplar agriculture teacher in his work with students with special needs.

Multiple themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews. An important theme was the need for agriculture teachers to participate in IEP meeting either by attending in person or by providing feedback prior to the meeting. Another important theme was the need for materials to be adapted for students with special needs both within lesson plans and as needed while the teacher is teaching the lesson. Recommendations for practice include providing information about special education laws, disabling conditions, and information on utilizing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to pre-service and in-service teachers. It is also recommended that teacher preparation programs include having pre-service teachers work with students with special needs. Professional development workshops that discuss best practices for teachers when working with students with special needs can be beneficial. It is important for teachers to realize that not all students are the same but that everyone is better served if all teachers do their best at helping students achieve their highest potential. Because in the end, we all just want to be accepted for who we are.