The essence of agricultural education teachers motivational beliefs across career stages

The purpose of this study was to examine the belief systems of agriculture teachers related to student motivation across career stages. We employed a phenomenological approach of focus groups to capture teachers’ lived experiences. Data analysis revealed differences among teachers regarding locus of motivation, belief origination, motivational context, and student outcomes focus. Additionally, shared motivation beliefs included fostering caring relationships, differentiated motivational strategies, struggles with implementation of experiential learning, and success breeds success. Recommendations include professional development for early career teachers, increased focus on intrinsically-based motivational strategies, and additional research on the transitional period between career stages for motivational beliefs.