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Research has shown 21st century skills are essential to a student's success outside of the high school classroom. The 21st century skills prepare students to enter the workforce or higher education with the ability to think critically and creatively, collaborate with others, take the initiative when approached with a task, and use technology to its fullest potential. This study examined school-based agricultural education teachers' perceived knowledge, ability, and importance of implementing 21st century skills into the classroom. Upon identifying teachers perceived level of importance, knowledge, and ability, results were analyzed to determine the professional development needs of school-based agricultural education teachers in particular 21st century skills. Results concluded professional development is needed to further educate and equip agriculture teachers with specific and applicable strategies to implement Critical Thinking, Communicating, and Technology Literacy skills into their classrooms.

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Research on effective teaching has been conducted in a variety of settings for more than 40 years. This study offers direction for future effective teaching research in secondary agricultural education and has implications for career and technical education. Specifically, 142 items consisting of characteristics, behaviors, and/or techniques considered indicative of effective teaching, identified in the qualitative strand of this sequential mixed - method study, were assessed using quantitative methods to identify constructs of effective teaching in agricultural education. A total of 1,631 secondary agriculture teachers, from 37 states, served as the population. Fifty perceived indicators of effective teaching were identified, representing 10 constructs. Psychometric evaluation of the items yielded 10 constructs with associated Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from .83 to .93. A panel of experts reviewed the construct items and loadings; item constructs were developed to reflect the summated item descriptions. Many items aligned with effective teaching concepts identified in previous research.

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