A Philosophical, Qualitative, and Quantitative Examination of Transformational Leadership in Secondary Agricultural Education

Abstract

Leadership has been a foundational component of secondary agricultural education and teachers are recognized as the program leader; furthermore, agriculture teachers are expected to develop leadership in their students. However, research examining the leadership style of agriculture teachers has not been fully vetted. The purpose of this study was threefold: to examine transformational leadership in secondary agricultural education from philosophical, qualitative, and quantitative perspectives. The study was conducted through a qualitative case study of an agricultural education program at the local level and through a quantitative study of secondary agricultural educators at the national level. The philosophical portion of the study gave an overview of the agricultural education model and the transformational leadership approach. A dynamic model was developed for agricultural education which places an emphasis on the leadership approach of the agricultural educator. The Transformational Leadership and Community Impact (TLCI) Model was developed to provide a more holistic approach for operating a high quality secondary agricultural education program. The qualitative portion of the study was a case study to examine the leadership styles of two agriculture teachers in a high quality secondary agriculture program. The transformational leadership approach of Bass and Avolio provided the framework to explore the leadership styles of the agriculture teachers as perceived by those closely associated with the agriculture program. The results of this case study suggest that the transformational leadership style of the agriculture teachers was a positive and effective way to lead. The quantitative portion of the study sought to identify the preferred leadership style of a random sample of agricultural educators across the nation who taught secondary agriculture during the 2008-2009 school year. Data were collected online using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). Descriptive statistics were used for reporting the demographic and personal characteristics of respondents. Mean scores were calculated to determine the leadership style and leadership factors of the agriculture teachers. The study concluded that secondary agricultural educators were more transformational in their preferred style in contrast to transactional and laissez-faire leadership styles. The highest mean score for a factor in transformational leadership was Individualized Consideration and the highest mean score for a factor in transactional leadership was Contingent Reward.