Literature Review
Chapter 5 Discussion
5.4 Curriculum Leaders and Professional Identity
An individual’s professional identity is influenced by both social relationships and social expectations (Shoulders & Myers, 2011). A study from Shoulders and Myers (2011) suggested that teachers of Agriculture are influenced to do so by their background.
Those experiences shape the relationship with their subject matter, which influences
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their professional identity. Roberts (2017) used the analogy of the black swan to describe agriculture teachers. “Though proud of their distinctiveness, the black swans also strive to make significant contributions to their flocks – the agricultural education discipline” (p.
9). Shoulders and Myers (2011) wrote that Agriculture teachers who are committed to their profession maintain a united front and ‘stick together’ through supporting each other.
All five participants from Phase Two spoke of their appreciation of the HATA and the importance of having this supportive community. The HATA has played a crucial role in supporting them, not only in a professional capacity, but also through the collegial networks formed.
Within the teaching role of an AHS teacher, there are many responsibilities, and a large amount of service attached to the leadership and teaching of the subject area. It is through this service that recognition and validation from others is evident. This can be seen through student growth and achievement, acknowledgement from the SLT, fellow colleagues, and within the community, all of which have a positive impact on job satisfaction (Van der Vyver et al., 2020). This can play a pivotal role in how a teacher feels about their competence and value, which also impacts the students they teach (Traini et al., 2021).
Roberts (2017) also found that a source of pride in their careers was engaging students, and helping them discover a passion for Agriculture. Comments from participants in Phase Two such as “inspiring young people into new things”, “knowing that you were a part of their journey”, and “you get a lot of community support” further highlight this.
Roberts (2017) added that it is not just the academic side, but the ability to guide students through life decisions, or situations that allows teachers to feel that they are making a significant contribution to those who they teach. Participants from this study spoke about the enjoyment of the relational aspect of teaching the subject, and how they really get to know the students through teaching them over consecutive years and through the extracurricular aspects that the subject offers.
Being responsible for the extracurricular aspects of the subject, for example the Young Farmers Club, directly links back to their students being the reason that sustains AHS teachers within the profession. Three of the five participants in Phase Two of this study shared the enjoyment that they get from subject related extracurricular activities. Whilst taking up time outside of the teacher’s classroom role, these help the subject and are of benefit to students. This also showcases teacher passion through social modelling and reinforces the interest that the teacher has in the subject, which can build the students’
self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997). Through being a curriculum leader and having an active
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interest in their students outside of the classroom, the relationship can be further developed which will only benefit the students’ learning, engagement, motivation and consequently their success. Quinn affirmed that the “extracurricular stuff you do with the students is great for your relationships because they know that you are interested in them, and passionate”. Findings from this study support those from Bowling et al. (2022):
“Teachers identified these extra hours as a critical component to developing student relationships...Due to this extra time spent with students, teachers were able to develop strong relationships and use these relationships to better understand students” (p. 8).
The ability to engage with students by being genuine and inspirational, along with being a role model, are transformational leadership qualities (Al Barwani, 2018; Bandura, 1997;
Bass & Riggio, 2006; Humphreys, 2005). The positive effects of transformational leadership in the classroom are consistent with leadership elsewhere, in that transformational leaders will have a positive influence on students’ effort, satisfaction, and performance (Currie & Lockett, 2007). Participants in this study also actively sought out and took on leadership roles that aligned with the subject, rather than the more formal leadership hierarchy in the school system. From Phase One, all but one of the respondents held other roles linked to the subject of AHS in their school or within New Zealand, with four of the five Phase Two participants having active roles with NZQA, and/or the MOE. This shows a dedication to leading within the curriculum space and servant leadership characteristics where the needs of others are put ahead of the individual (Humphreys, 2005). This intrinsic motivation influences the self-efficacy and agency of the curriculum leader, with self-efficacy being an indicator of a teacher’s professional identity (Gates et al., 2020). It is through engaging with leadership roles that align with the subject that teachers can have the largest influence and directly impact those taking the subject.
The formal leadership hierarchy found in the school system did not appeal to three of the five interview participants because taking on SLT roles would mean less time in the classroom. The SLT utilise both transformational and transactional attributes in their roles and can have a positive effect on professional wellbeing (Van der Vyver et al., 2020); however, less time in the classroom reduces the relational aspect with the students they teach. The AHS teachers in this study appear to embrace transformational leadership attributes and are leaders of learning in their classroom. Booth et al. (2021) echoes the perspective that an increase in leadership and responsibilities would decrease effectiveness within the classroom. In addition, Kelchtermans (2017) suggests that often the only career progression is to move vertically. However, many teachers are not seeking this traditional career movement. Only 16.2% of respondents from Phase
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One indicated that they would look to head into the SLT in the next 5-10 years. Leading learning and leading in the curriculum space adds to the professional identity of AHS teachers. It is through this professional commitment that teachers’ growth occurs, which has a positive impact on teacher self-efficacy (Räsänen et al., 2020).
There are two related constraints that influence a teacher’s ability to lead in their curriculum area effectively: subject perception and hierarchy of the subject within their school. Communities play a vital role when it comes to what they perceive as important.
As Dhindsa and Md-Hamdilah (2015) wrote, “the word agriculture has been used synonymously with the word farming” (p. 442). This societal perception is linked to poor knowledge and understanding of the subject, and means that people do not always fully realise its importance. Often it is not understood or acknowledged that the subject of AHS spans multiple curriculum areas including science, business, and technology.
Findings from this study highlighted that there appears to be a lack of understanding and awareness of what the subject entails and how it differs from the Primary ITO units or courses that some schools offer alongside outside partners. The subject is also in direct competition with other subjects and career pathways that students, administrators, parents, and the community view as more prestigious and promising, such as veterinary science, law, or medicine (Dhindsa & Md-Hamdilah, 2015). Taylor from Phase Two in this study echoed this thought.
The curriculum hierarchy sits at the meso level within the school. Subjects such as agriculture or PE, often struggle to gain acceptance among the traditional academic curriculum (Shoulders & Myers, 2011). Over 50% of respondents in this study identified that they found being overlooked as a subject a challenge. This makes SLT and BOT support for the subject essential (Redpath, 2018). As Taylor commented, the SLT needs to “look at what it’s actually teaching, and the relevance of what it’s teaching. And then be sometimes really brave about going about how to deliver for those students.”
It was the negative comments and opinions from others about the subject that were identified as a challenge faced by respondents in Phase One of this study. They felt that more support from the SLT would be of first and foremost benefit, followed by that of colleagues, and then the community. Over 50% of respondents agreed that more support from the SLT and colleagues would be of benefit, and found negative comments and opinions from others to be a challenge. Delving deeper into this finding in Phase Two, three of the five participants felt that being a part of the Science Faculty meant they were viewed more academically and had more support when it came to their subject; however, one participant shared that even though they were within the Science Faculty, hierarchy
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was still present with AHS being viewed as the least academic science. Phase One findings indicated that the perception that the subject is a ‘dumping ground’ for those students is still a challenge that many have either experienced or are currently faced with in their schools. Positively, all five Phase Two participants spoke about how the perception of the subject has changed at their schools. It is no longer seen as a ‘dumping ground’, with them as the curriculum leader and, in many cases, the community working to change that perception. The stigma is being challenged (Roberts et al., 2007), and it could be suggested that the SLT within the school continue to work to address this to support their teachers.