The purpose of the study was to identify perceptions of Indiana 4-H livestock members enrolled in beef, sheep and swine projects regarding their ability to perform project skills and develop life skills. A questionnaire was mailed to a sample of 420 4-H beef, sheep, and swine members, with a response rate of 41.9%. Members were able to accomplish project skills in the areas of sportsmanship, safety, animal grooming, and animal selection. Respondents are not as confident in their abilities related to animal health care. Members who exhibited at the state fair have higher skill levels in the areas of animal health care, animal grooming and animal selection, than 4-H members who exhibited only at the county fair. Members use the responsibility skills they developed from raising 4-H animal projects to complete homework assignments, be on time at work, and care for younger siblings. These skills are benefiting youth in school, at home, and on the job to be more dependable, confident, and qualified individuals. Conceptual Framework John Dewey is regarded as the most influential educational theorist of the twentieth century (Kolb, 1984). According to Dewey (1938), "There is an intimate and necessary relation between the process of actual experience and education" (p. 19-20). William Heard Kilpatrick, an educational philosopher and a student of Dewey, believed that education becomes involved in teaching children how to live (Tate, 2001). Kilpatrick was responsible for coining the term "project method". He argued that learning should take place in settings outside of school. Leadership of the 4-H organization wants its members to receive more from their projects than ribbons, trophies, trips, and monetary gains. More importantly, the 4-H leadership wants its members to acquire project and life skills. Many 4-H alumni attribute their success in later life to the skills they gained through the 4-H program (Lang, 2000). 4-H members enrolled in animal projects typically develop project skills such as record keeping, health care, proper drug use, ration development, and marketing (Gamon, Laird, & Roe, 1992). According to Sawer (1987), acquiring knowledge and skill are the most important aspects of successfully raising an animal. Sawer identified animal science knowledge and life skills developed by Oregon 4-H beef, sheep, and swine members. Researchers determined that knowledge acquired and experience gained in the animal science projects were closely related. More than half of the respondents indicated they had learned about: training and grooming their animals, good sportsmanship, choosing proper equipment
The authors investigated attitudes toward agriculture of minority and non-minority students to identify reasons for enrolling and perceived enrollment barriers. A stratified random sample of all students enrolled in two introductory agriscience courses in 60 agriscience programs was selected and surveyed using a five-part questionnaire. The major findings and conclusions were that: 1) the majority of students and teachers were white males; 2) minority students, especially minority females, were underrepresented; 3) minority students tended to be from non-farm, non-rural areas; and, 4) minority students had more negative perceptions regarding agriculture and agricultural education, and were more likely to perceive their reasons for enrolling as being beyond their control, perceived more barriers to enrolling, and were less likely to see opportunities for themselves in agricultural careers or to perceive agriculture as diverse. The following recommendations were offered: 1) the agricultural education profession should focus awareness and informational activities on the elementary grades and should conduct recruitment activities no later than the middle school grades; 2) efforts should be conducted to recruit more minorities into agriscience teaching; and, 3) activities should be conducted to reduce the perceived barriers for minority students.
This study investigated how agricultural education programs prepare teacher education students for work in diverse situations. It assessed the extent to which agricultural education programs are infusing diversity, multiculturalism, and pluralism into their curriculum as courses, field experiences, and in-service for current teachers. This census study included all universities with an agricultural education program as identified in the 2005 Directory of Agricultural Education on the American Association for Agricultural Education (AAAE) website. The instrument was web based and was accessed by 57 program leaders. The program leaders indicated their agricultural education programs provided students with instruction on diversity through required courses, optional courses, or infusion of these topics into agricultural education courses. Results showed that students are involved in early field experiences and student teaching in settings where agricultural education undergraduates interact with people different from themselves. Coursework on diversity and in-service offerings for current teachers showed more mixed results.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.