Profiling Female Teachers of Agricultural Education at the Secondary Level

In a traditionally male dominated field, like agricultural education, artificial barriers based on attitudinal bias often prevent qualified women from reaching their potential. Due to the late entrance of women into this field, there are very few role models for young women entering the profession. This descriptive study was designed to create a demographic profile of the women in secondary and middle school level agricultural education across the United States. Although the women surveyed reported high levels of satisfaction in their profession, the actual ratio of women to men is still quite low (1:6). The large percentage of women that felt they had experienced some barriers due to their gender may provide some explanation for this discrepancy. Acceptance by peers, community and administrators combined with the challenge of balancing family and career appear to be areas of concern for these women.