Abstract
With U.S. school districts spending an average of $18,000 per teacher per year on professional development and teachers themselves spending approximately nineteen full school days participating in it per year, a significant gain in teacher effectiveness or development of student skills has not been seen (The New Teacher Project, 2015). This could be attributed to the 60% of teachers who responded that they did not think that the professional development they received was effective or a good use of their time (The New Teacher Project, 2015). This is alarming as a crucial element of teaching secondary FCS is maintaining relevant curriculum and course content. Without effective professional development, secondary FCS teachers do not have the appropriate information to teach their students and successfully prepare them to enter a competitive and rapidly evolving workplace environment. To work toward resolving this issue, needs assessments must be conducted to find the areas where teachers need professional development assistance.
This study was a quantitative descriptive study which utilized a survey instrument based on the Borich Needs Assessment Model, containing multiple choice, Likert scale, and text entry questions. It collected data to determine the perceived importance and competence of secondary FCS teachers, in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming, in relevant education components, including technology; course, curriculum, and standards development; teaching; and professional development, programs, and organizations. It collected data on their perceived needs for relevant and applicable professional development and access to other programs/organizations. It also collected data on motivators, deterrents, and preferred methods for participating in professional development. Using this data, the study compared the differences in perceived needs for professional development of secondary FCS teachers based on their professional and personal demographics. Lastly, it collected data on their personal opinions of how frequently state and national FCS standards should be updated.