SEEDS: SOURCING EFFICACIOUSLY AND ENGAGING DYNAMIC SUSTAINABILITY IN ELEMENTARY AGRICULTURE EDUCATION

The sustainability of the educational system is under threat, with teacher stress leading tohigh attrition. This dissertation advocates for a holistic development framework that nurtures teacher well-being, essential for sustaining effective learning environments. This study contributes to educational strategies that promote teacher resilience and well-being within Elementary Agricultural Education (EAE). It investigates EAE’s potential impact on agricultural education trajectories. Employing a trio of scholarly articles, the research explores the EAE teachers challenges and growth opportunities, factors influencing teaching self-efficacy, and the Holistic Teaching Approach (HTAs) through a novel Phenological Descriptive and Interpretative Transpersonal Analysis (PDITA) framework. Conducted among EAE teachers in Georgia using purposive sampling, the study utilizes data triangulation via interviews, observations, and data analysis. The findings highlight a synergetic interaction among the “EduSphere Mindset,” “Rituals of Rigor,” and “CueCon Horizon,” suggesting a paradigm shift towards a more dynamic and resilient educational model that prioritizes well-being and adopts a “whole person” approach to teaching.