ERIC Number: EJ1280264
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2168-8281
EISSN: N/A
Professional Development Participation by Teachers Facilitated Student Exposure to Agriculture
Natural Sciences Education, v49 n1 e20034 2020
The use of modern technological advances to aid with agricultural production has led to many new career opportunities in the agricultural industry especially for those with strong science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) training. However, limited exposure to agricultural content in middle and high school education may affect how many students enter the industry. Professional development sessions and post-session surveys for teachers were designed to raise teacher awareness of careers in agriculture and current agricultural facts, quantify use of professional development materials in the classroom, and measure change in behavior of teachers and student perceptions in response to participation. Four professional development sessions were offered from 2017 to 2019 for teachers of grades 6-12. Sessions consisted of presentations, hands-on activities, and reflection and discussion on topics related to technology in agriculture. Although direct knowledge of agricultural facts did not increase (P = 0.2), teacher comfort in teaching about technology in agriculture and career opportunities did increase both in the short term and long term (P < 0.02). Curriculum related to nitrogen cycling and soil properties were most widely used, and 90% of survey respondents reported positive changes in student perceptions of careers in agriculture. These results suggest the professional development sessions were effective at enabling teachers to teach on these subjects, and student perceptions were positively impacted from teachers participating in the sessions.
Descriptors: Faculty Development, Agricultural Education, Middle School Teachers, High School Teachers, Agricultural Occupations, Career Awareness, Program Effectiveness, Student Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes, Middle School Students, High School Students
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 20176801025959