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Socioscientific Issues In School-Based Agricultural Education: Describing And Exploring Factors Of Integration, Michelle S. Burrows

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Socioscientific issues (SSI) are complex issues which are scientific in nature and have societal impacts. Many SSI have connections to agriculture and as such should be included in agricultural education curriculum. A clear understanding of what school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers know about SSI is needed. The purpose of this research was to explore the knowledge and integration of SSI among SBAE teachers by describing and explaining the factors that influence integration. This quantitative survey research was guided by the SSI-based instruction framework and the three-component model of agricultural education. The population for this study was all SBAE teachers in …

Identifying Effective Teaching And Recruitment Strategies Used By Efnep In Reaching Limited Income Audiences In The United States, Alexandria Mcleod

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The two articles presented in this thesis used a researcher-developed literature-based survey instrument to collect data on the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) in the United States. Data was collected on methods of teaching, communication technologies used, recruitment strategies, barriers to attending classes, and program assistant demographic data. There were 803 program assistants working during the 2018-2019 program year. There were 346 program assistants who completed the 35-question survey instrument during data collection.

The first article focused on identifying effective teaching strategies used to increase program engagement by collecting data on program characteristics, methods of teaching, and educational …

Effectiveness Of The Two Plus Two Online Program In Agriscience Education: A Case Study Of Students’ Experiences And Persistence, Ronald M. Howell Jr

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Higher education is changing, and more community colleges find themselves helping to increase the number of students who receive a bachelor’s credential from a 4-year post-secondary institution. This qualitative study was designed to determine the effectiveness of the online two plus two Agriscience Education program at a university in North Carolina. Twelve current and former students provided feedback about their perspectives and lived experiences through semi-structured interviews.

Preliminary findings suggest that both current and former students find the two plus two program very cost-affordable, flexible, and convenient for transferring two years’ worth of credit and courses to earn a bachelor’s …

School Gardening In America And A Survey Of South Dakota Schools, Aminah Hassoun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School gardening has a longstanding history in American education, dating as far back as the mid-1800s. Despite fluctuations in popularity throughout the twentieth century, school gardens have grown into an established method for hands-on teaching. This paper builds upon a historical framework of school gardening in American public education with particular focus on the connections between school gardens and agricultural education. This study offers a descriptive portrait of contemporary K-12 school gardens in South Dakota. Schools across the state were surveyed about their gardens to gain a better understanding of garden-based teaching in practice both in general education and agricultural …

Soil Response Of Helicopter Liming In The Monongahela National Forest, Jarrett Douglas Fowler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Soils in the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) are acidic due to sandstone parent material, acid deposition, uptake of base cations by vegetation, and release of organic acids by organic matter (OM) decomposition. Increases in soil acidity have caused declines in forest health and changed species composition and nutrient status. Liming can neutralize soil acidity, but no large-scale liming projects have been done on acid forest soils in the USA. In anticipation of acquiring funding for a proposed liming project in the MNF, in 2007 and 2009 10 sites were selected to sample and analyze soils before lime was applied. In …

A Snapshot Semester: Students’ Reflections Of Performance And Mental State Throughout A Graduate Course, Bradley D. Borges

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Graduate students are anecdotally reputed to be among the most stressed groups of young adults. Common sources of stress for graduate students have included coursework, assistantships, finances, career preparation, and family (Wyatt & Oswalt, 2013; Mazzola, Walker, Shockley & Spector, 2011; Oswalt & Riddock, 2007). Guided reflection can be used by educators to assist students in both learning (Boud, Keogh & Walker, 2013; Kolb, 1984) and managing stress (Shoulders, Whitehead, & Morrison, 2018). By understanding how students’ progress through a semester in terms of both their learning and their management of stress, instructors and academic advisors can better anticipate times …

Becoming Agricultured: Creating An Agriculture Literacy Podcast For Consumers, Madalyn C. Souza

Agricultural Education and Communication

Today’s consumers want to become more aware of where their food comes from. There is a need and a desire to bridge the gap between consumers and production agriculture. One way to reach consumers is through audio podcasts. Podcasts are digital audio recordings that are streamed online. The podcast Becoming Agricultured will be a platform to show the relationship between agriculture and the environment, food, fiber and energy, animals, lifestyle, the economy and technology. The podcast is aimed to tell agriculture's story through factual research and personal accounts of those involved in different sectors of the agriculture industry and cultivate …

Creating A Livestock Show From The Beginning For The Benefit Of Youth In The Agriculture Industry And Continuing The Tradition Of Showing, Chloé Fowler, Matthew Durian

Agricultural Education and Communication

Youth throughout the country have been shown to benefit through organizations focused on leadership and real-world tangible skills. Organizations such as the National FFA Organization and 4-H Youth Development are key organizations for this growth. Livestock shows are another layer to these organizations and youth development. “Livestock shows provide interactions through different environments that expose participants to different cultures,” (Davis, 1998).

For these reasons it is important to provide more opportunities to the next generation of agriculture. There are currently 28 different livestock jackpots within the state of California throughout one year, (CJLA, 2020). Due to the large geographic landscape …

Graduate Internship Report: Golden West High School, Amber R. Nagel

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship and project report includes documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Golden West High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Golden West High School, the agriculture program and the community.

Design Of A Shallow-Aero Ebb And Flow Hydroponics System And Associated Educational Module For Tri Cycle Farms, Julie Halveland

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Tri Cycle Farms, whose main mission is to reduce food insecurity in their community, is a non- profit urban farm in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The “Tri” in their name refers to the three parts of their foundation: giving a third of their yield to volunteers, giving a third to local food pantries, and selling a third to sustain the farm and demonstrate the economy of local food production. They want to expand on the third part and have a vision of building a hydroponic greenhouse with the intention that it will create more crops to sell and give, as well as …

The Perceptions Of Professionals, Faculty, And Students Regarding The Implementation Of An Agricultural Communications Degree Program In The United Kingdom, Abigail Taylor

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of professionals, faculty, and students regarding the implementation of an agricultural communications degree program in the United Kingdom. It aimed to gather detailed opinions to aid in the planning of future agricultural communications disciplines. This study used a qualitative approach in the form of interviews. Interviews were designed to gain in-depth opinions on four different research objectives. Subjects were pooled from three different subject groups: Professionals, faculty, and students. Subjects expressed that writing and journalistic skills were extremely important for agricultural communications graduates to possess. Interpersonal skills were also useful. …

Student Teaching Internship Experiences And Perceived Success Of First-Year School Based Agricultural Education (Sbae) Teachers, Mary Samoei

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived influence of student teaching internship experiences on the perceived success of school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers in their first year of teaching. An explanatory mixed-methods design was utilized to gather the both qualitative and quantitative data. Census sampling was used to select 30 SBAE teachers teaching within high schools in Arkansas. The researcher collected quantitative data using an adapted questionnaire and online interviews to collect qualitative data. Males (n = 12, 54.6 %) dominate as first-year agriculture teachers. Most teachers (n = 15, 68.2 %) graduated with a major in …

Social Media Use Among 4-H Extension Agents In Kentucky, Misty D. Wilmoth

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Misty D. Wilmoth on April 13, 2020.

Impact Of Teacher Training Programs In Georgia On The Self-Efficacy Of Agricultural Education Teachers In Their First Year, Catrina Pollard, Catrina Pollard

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Teacher self-efficacy is directly tied to teacher longevity. The researcher conducted a causal comparative study to determine self-efficacy in three domains: classroom, FFA, SAE and compared them with demographic characteristics, along with where teachers obtained their teacher training/certification. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between agricultural teacher self-efficacy and the teacher preparation programs that they completed. This surveyed first-year teachers within the state of Georgia that teach agricultural education. The Beginning Agriculture Teacher Assessment determined that there was no connection between teacher self-efficacy and the teacher preparation program. The Beginning Agriculture Teacher Assessment did conclude that …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Experiential Learning In The 3-Circle Agricultural Education Model, Jon C. Schreurs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to describe teachers’ perceptions of experiential learning and its effects on student learning, understanding, and engagement through agriculture education's three-circle model. This paper explores teachers’ perceptions of the value and importance of experiential learning in agriculture education instruction, FFA, and supervised agricultural experience. Further, I explore experiential learning, constructivism, and hands-on learning as the foundational instructional practices used in agricultural education. Agricultural education teachers from southwest Minnesota were surveyed to determine how they are using experiential learning in their agriculture education programs, including classroom instruction, FFA, and supervised agricultural experiences.

Rezistance: Diné Grassroots Organization And Modes Of Activism, Eric Robert Dougherty

Senior Projects Spring 2020

This ethnography looks at themes of Indigeneity and activism as it exists in the everyday realities of young people living in or around the Navajo reservation in the southwest United States. Through work-related projects of hogan construction, land reclamation, watershed management, and language restoration Navajo youth are given opportunities to take control of their present circumstances and imagine a different future for themselves and their families. Besides work, youth and activism are constituted through other mediums and spaces that allow people to express who they are, what they care about, and why these things are important to them. The consistent …

The Impact Of Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences International Programs On Student Motivation For Continuing College And Student Engagement In The Classroom, Olivia Caroline Caillouet

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Colleges aim to increase student achievement, which has been linked to motivation and engagement, as well as increase global partnerships. There is also an increasing demand from students for international programs (IPs) that prepare them to be global citizens. This study aimed to compare student motivation for continuing college and student engagement in the classroom before and after an IP. Students who participated in a Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences IP between January 2018 and August 2018 were surveyed prior to, and two weeks and three months post-program participation (n = 24). The instrument had 51 Likert-scale …

Agricultural Education Teachers' Perceptions And Use Of Environmental Education In Louisiana Schools, Olivia M. Soler

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to describe the status of environmental education (EE) in Louisiana high school agriculture classrooms. A census of Louisiana Agriscience Teacher Association (LATA) members was conducted to understand their perceptions, attitudes, and barriers regarding EE implementation. Icek Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior was utilized as the theoretical framework. Data were collected through an online survey research method and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results suggest that most LATA members incorporate EE into their curriculum relatively sparingly, perceive EE to be beneficial for students, and are in need of funding to incorporate EE into their curriculum as …

Aged 539: Internship In Agriculture Education, Veronica Lemus

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship and project report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Fillmore High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Fillmore High School, the agriculture program and the community.

Graduate Internship Report - Linden High School, Jana Colombini

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship and project report includes documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Linden High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Linden High School, the agriculture program and the community.

Graduate Internship Report - Hanford Agriculture Department, Dominica L. Clisso

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship and project report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Hanford Agriculture Department conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Hanford FFA, the agriculture program and the community.

Graduate Internship Report- Orestimba High School, Briana Vincent

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This Graduate Internship report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are currently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Orestimba High School.The internship project includes the improvement of the recruitment for Orestimba High School. The included information and supporting materials are required to receive local and state funding. An overview of the Orestimba High School Program can be found in the Comprehensive Program Plan that is included in this document.

Creating Online Training Modules For Student Employees At The California Polytechnic State University Dairy Using Train Trac, Olivia K. Taylor

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to create training modules for the Cal Poly Dairy. The author’s goal was to incorporate the safety aspect of dairy work into the modules as well. To properly obtain all the necessary information for the modules, the author first had to compile lists from the Cal Poly Dairy’s written standard operating procedures. From here, the majority of time was used to gather video and picture content using a surface tablet that would later be used in the online modules. Once the content was gathered, it had to be organized into files for each module …

Graduate Internship Report - Chowchilla Union High School, Angie A. Barney

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship and project report includes documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Chowchilla Union High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Chowchilla Union High School, the agriculture program and the community.

Graduate Internship Report - The Accelerated Schools, Los Angeles, Michael Zappulla

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This document focuses on the introduction of an agriculture program into an urban middle school. Current status, improvements made, and future improvements are all included and addressed. The internship project shows the creation of a school garden and farmers market program with support from local businesses and associations.

Graduate Internship Report - Buhach Colony High School, Aubree E. Atwood

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This graduate internship report includes the documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Buhach Colony High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Buhach Colony High School, the agriculture program and the community. This report also contains plans for future program development.

Graduate Internship Report - Kingsburg High School, Allie K. Calvert

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This graduate internship report includes the documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Kingsburg High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Kingsburg High School, the agriculture program and the community.

Graduate Internship Report - Turlock High School, Kevin Mcguire

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship report includes documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Turlock High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Turlock High School, the agriculture program and the community.

From Urban To Agriculture, Jacqueline V. Aenlle

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

"From Urban to Agriculture" is a website utilizing a blog and podcast to connect with consumers and share reliable information about agriculture. In addition to covering specific topics such as organic production, dairy animal welfare, and honey production, this forum also address cross disciplinary topics such as media literacy and critical thinking. The website not only appeals to everyday consumers, it also provides resources for educators seeking to integrate a lesson on agricultural advocacy into their curriculum. The following report details the creation process for this website, development of blog content, acquisition of podcast materials, and future plans for the …

Graduate Internship Report - Stone Ridge Christian High School, Victoria Lewis

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship and project report includes documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Stone Ridge Christian High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Stone Ridge Christian High School, the agriculture program and the community.