Perceptions of Agriculture Teachers Regarding Education about Biomass Production in Iowa

With the growth of biorenewable energy, biomass production has become an important segment in the agriculture industry (Iowa Energy Center, 2013). A great workforce will be needed for this burgeoning biomass energy industry (Iowa Workforce Development, n. d.). Instructional topics in agricultural education should take the form of problems and questions faced by the agriculture industry itself (Phipps, Osborne, Dyer, & Ball, 2008). This study sought to determine the perceptions of agriculture teachers regarding biomass production education in Iowa. Results of this study indicated that teachers held strongly to moderately positive perceptions toward biomass production and teaching about biomass production. In addition, participations in workshops related to bioenergy were found to have a positive impact on teachers’ perceptions regarding teaching about biomass production. Teachers indicated a need for in-service training on teaching about biomass production education. It is recommended that institutes, extension organizations and corresponding professional organizations hold more workshops and training programs related to biomass production education for teachers.