There is an increased demand for motivated high school students to enter postsecondary STEM fields. Agriscience education is an innovative curriculum that can motivate students and spark interest in STEM. To recruit students to such programs, we must understand what motivates them. The purpose of this study was to determine how the secondary agriculture students conceptualized their motivation to learn agriscience. A descriptive-correlational research design was utilized with a modified version of the Science Motivation Questionnaire II (SMQ II) used as the survey instrument. Overall, students were found to have moderate levels of motivation in agriscience courses. Grade motivation and self-efficacy were found to be the motivational constructs that meant the most to students. Students were least motivated by self-determination. Getting an A and the chance to receive higher grades in their agriculture science courses were found to be the highest motivators. Researchers found that there were no significant correlations between gender or grade level and motivation to learn science. Females generally had higher motivation within selfdetermination and grade motivation than males. Additional research is needed in this area to determine what factors may exist that are preventing highly efficacious females from choosing STEM careers.
For students to be successful in the online learning environment, change from passive learners to active learners is essential. Students who successfully regulate and change their learning know where and how to acquire the knowledge necessary for success in the online environment. Introducing students early through dual enrollment programs can ensure students have the necessary skills for success. This project sought to determine the self-regulated learning level of students in an online agriculture course. Students were found to have the highest self-regulation within environmental structuring and goal setting. The lowest online learning self-regulation was in the area of task strategies. Females had a higher level of self-regulated online learning while there was found to be little difference by ethnicity. Low correlations were found between student experience with online courses and their perceived online self-regulated learning level. Students in an online agriculture dual enrolment course are encouraged to develop goals and at the conclusion complete a self-evaluation of their learning. Research should continue to help researchers understand and properly identify any personal, behavioral or environmental factors that influence secondary students' self-regulated learning in an online agriculture dual enrollment course.
There continues to be a shortage of qualified graduates for agriculture jobs within the United States. One reason for this shortage is the decline in student enrollment in colleges of agriculture. One tool that can increase college preparation for future graduates and help students succeed is the agriculture dual-enrollment program. Dual enrollment allows high-school students to take courses while dually enrolled in a corresponding college course. The program was found to have a positive impact on students taking more rigorous courses and gaining in-depth knowledge of agriculture. Teachers felt that this program helped in establishing higher standards in coursework and in feeling satisfied about their job. It enhanced prestige and program reputation. Dual enrollment was seen to have little to no impact on school counselors. Research focused on the pedagogical approaches of these course offerings will benefit the creation of future high-quality dual credit courses.
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