The purpose of this study was to identify, examine, and validate the various components and systems in agriculture while investigating three objectives related to Careers, Industries, and Systems using the Delphi technique over three rounds. Three similar but different instruments were used to gather information from the expert panel. The following questions were considered: 1) What are the different Careers associated with agriculture? 2) What are the Industries that play an important role in the input segment of agriculture? and 3) What are the System components needed to depict the industry of agriculture? Twenty-one expert panelists from nine states with varied backgrounds such as Church/Religion, Education, Government, Insurance, Manufacturing, Natural Resources, Pharmaceutical, and Public Policy participated in this study. The expert’s years of service total 370 years in their respected occupations with a mean of 17.6 years of experience. Raw data submitted by the expert panelists in round one identified 477 Career items, 157 Industry items, and 130 System items, totaling 764 pieces of initial information. Over the course of the subsequent two rounds, duplicates were eliminated, items were categorized, and consensus was reached for 317 Careers associated with agriculture. There were 30 Industries recognized and validated to play an important role in the input segment of agriculture and 21 System components depicted in agriculture. In all, 368 items reached consensus and were confirmed in the study. Findings indicated: 1) It is difficult to find a comprehensive diagram that visually conveys the different Careers, Industries, and Systems to assist in recruiting efforts by colleges and universities; 2) Not all websites found in the literature convey an accurate distinctiveness of what agriculture is today; 3) More research is needed regarding the impact of agriculture on career education used in agricultural literacy initiatives; and 4) The information found in this study can be used to begin further development of models to aid in the visualization of how Careers, Industries, and Systems are interconnected in order to help the public better understand the complex and diverse agricultural sector and challenges facing the agricultural industry in all its dimensions.

The purpose of this study was to identify, examine, and validate the various components and systems in agriculture while investigating three objectives related to Careers, Industries, and Systems using the Delphi technique over three rounds. Three similar but different instruments were used to gather information from the expert panel. The following questions were considered: 1) What are the different Careers associated with agriculture? 2) What are the Industries that play an important role in the input segment of agriculture? and 3) What are the System components needed to depict the industry of agriculture? Twenty-one expert panelists from nine states with varied backgrounds such as Church/Religion, Education, Government, Insurance, Manufacturing, Natural Resources, Pharmaceutical, and Public Policy participated in this study. The expert’s years of service total 370 years in their respected occupations with a mean of 17.6 years of experience. Raw data submitted by the expert panelists in round one identified 477 Career items, 157 Industry items, and 130 System items, totaling 764 pieces of initial information. Over the course of the subsequent two rounds, duplicates were eliminated, items were categorized, and consensus was reached for 317 Careers associated with agriculture. There were 30 Industries recognized and validated to play an important role in the input segment of agriculture and 21 System components depicted in agriculture. In all, 368 items reached consensus and were confirmed in the study. Findings indicated: 1) It is difficult to find a comprehensive diagram that visually conveys the different Careers, Industries, and Systems to assist in recruiting efforts by colleges and universities; 2) Not all websites found in the literature convey an accurate distinctiveness of what agriculture is today; 3) More research is needed regarding the impact of agriculture on career education used in agricultural literacy initiatives; and 4) The information found in this study can be used to begin further development of models to aid in the visualization of how Careers, Industries, and Systems are interconnected in order to help the public better understand the complex and diverse agricultural sector and challenges facing the agricultural industry in all its dimensions.

Throughout the construction of the United States, agriculture and education have been closely intertwined—until recent years. In 1981, agricultural professionals, educators and policy makers noted the decline in standard agricultural curriculum and a need was established for accurate, realistic and representative materials of American agriculture for the classroom. This issue of agricultural literacy has become an imminent concern in today’s agricultural industry. With these rising concerns of agricultural literacy and the future of agriculture as a whole, this study was aimed at measuring and identifying elementary school educators’ perceptions of the current agricultural literature that is available in their classrooms. In order to assess the knowledge and perceptions of the agricultural-related literature in classrooms, a study of kindergarten through fourth grade teachers was performed. This study utilized a descriptive summated scale instrument. This study focused on elementary school teachers’ perceptions of the available agricultural related literature in their classrooms. This study determined the educators’ perceived accuracy of the literature as well as their perceived perceptions of the elementary school students’ knowledge of modern day agriculture. The accuracies and inaccuracies of the literature, how the literature affects the students’ knowledge of agriculture, and if the teachers perceive a need for agricultural literature in their classrooms were also identified through this descriptive survey. This paper explores these perceptions of agricultural-related literature as well as student knowledge of agriculture and makes recommendations for Agriculture in the Classroom programming.

The role of agriculture in the economy and society remains relevant as the industry provides 11% of employment and affordable access to healthy food which promote health and wellbeing. However, without adequate agricultural literacy, individuals may not be able to make safe and healthy food choices. To explore the level of agricultural literacy of college students, a 43-item questionnaire was developed and will be administered at a Liberal Arts University in the Southeastern United States. The aim of the study is to determine agricultural literacy scores and the importance of agricultural practices among college students who are not and will not be enrolled in agricultural courses and who do not plan to pursue a career in agriculture. Data collected will be examined to determine whether agricultural literacy is related to the importance of agricultural practices and whether relationships between demographic characteristics and agricultural literacy scores are present

Michigan’s Food, Agriculture, and Resources in Motion (FARM) Science Lab is a 40-foot mobile classroom outfitted with 10 learning stations including scientific equipment and iPads. This quasi-experimental study analyzed preexisting data provided by Michigan Agriculture in the Classroom to evaluate the effectiveness of the FARM Science Lab mobile classroom as a method of teaching agriculture-themed, standards-based lessons to third- through fifth-grade students in order to increase their understanding of agriculture. From January through June 2018, more than 1,258 students participated in these lessons and completed the pretest and posttest and 72 teachers completed the post survey. Research questions not only addressed student learning but also teacher’s perceptions of the mobile classroom program and measured differences between rural, suburban and urban student populations. Four lessons were offered to students in third through fifth grade during the time of this study. Each lesson had a unique pretest and posttest provided to each school by Michigan Agriculture in the Classroom using Google Forms. Students and teachers participated in the agricultural lessons within existing classroom groups; therefore, this was not a random sample of either population. During the timeframe of this study, all sections of each grade level for each participating school were engaging in FARM Science Lab programming; therefore, no control groups were used in this research. The student and teacher data were analyzed using standard statistical tools including t-tests and Cohen’s d.Difficulty and item discrimination values provided more confidence in the reliability of the question as a measure of knowledge change after participation in the FARM Science Lab intervention. Results indicated there were statistically significant differences in knowledge between pretest and posttest scores for nearly all grade level/lesson groups. Each individual question was analyzed for statistically significant change in addition to overall test scores. Some questions did not see statistically significant changes from pretest to posttest for each group. These results suggested the FARM Science Lab was making a difference in students’ agricultural understanding, at a basic knowledge level, after a short intervention. The assessment questions tested the recall of facts rather than an understanding of a whole concept about science or agriculture. Teacher surveys indicated the FARM Science lab did address appropriate educational standards for their respective grade levels. Teachers also believed agriculture could be very effectively used to contextualize science concepts. The final research question addressed differences in rural, suburban and urban student gains from pretest to posttest. The FARM Science Lab did not visit any urban schools during the time of this study. Of the grade/lesson groups which did have a rural and suburban population to compare, there were some differences in scores between students’ responses in each geographic location. These populations were small therefore these differences may not be generalized to the larger population.

This study was conducted to develop a standardized agricultural literacy assessment using the National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes (NALOs) as benchmarks. The need for such an assessment was born out of previous research, which found that despite numerous programs dedicated to improving agricultural literacy, many students and adults remain at low or very low levels of literacy. Low literacy levels lead to negative associations with the production and processing of food, clothing, and shelter, as well as misinformed public perceptions and policies. Agricultural literacy researchers recognized that the development of a standardized assessment for post-12th grade, or equivalent, could unify both research and program development efforts. The assessment was developed by forming two groups of experts. Teaching experts and agricultural content experts worked together in an iterative process. They crafted 45 questions using research methods and models. The 45 items were placed in an online survey to be tested for validity by a participant group. During the Fall 2018 semester, 515 Utah State University students between the ages of 18-23 years old participated in the online assessment. The participant data assisted in determining which questions were valid and reliable for determining agricultural literacy, as aligned to the NALO standards. Additional demographic information was also collected from participants. The demographic items asked students to self-report their level of exposure to agriculture and their self-perceived level of agricultural literacy. The study concluded that two separate 15-item Judd-Murray Agricultural Literacy Instruments (JMALI) were valid and reliable for determining agricultural proficiency levels based on the NALOs. Participant scores were reported as a single proficiency stage: exposure, factual literacy, or applicable proficiency. The study also determined that students who had a “great deal” or higher level of exposure to agriculture also had a strong, positive correlation with a “good” or higher level of agricultural literacy. Findings show participants who reported a “good” level of agricultural literacy shared a positive correlation with either performing at a factual literacy (middle) or applicable proficiency (highest) level on the assessment. The results suggest JMALI instruments have the potential to assist in improving current agricultural education endeavors by providing a critical tool for determining the agricultural literacy proficiency stages of adult populations.

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions middle school students had about agriculture and gardening as part of the GrOW (Gardening and Overall Wellness) Program. This included multiple constructs, including students’ gardening efficacy, perceptions of those who had already completed the GrOW Program, perceptions of those who had not completed the GrOW Program, and students’ future interests in gardening. The population for this study was sixth-grade students at the Partnership Middle School in Starkville, Mississippi. A quantitative instrument was used to assess the perceptions of the students (n = 222). Overall, students had positive perceptions about the GrOW Program. They believed it would help them in being able to assist their families in raising a garden. Students understood that watering and weeding were important in keeping a garden healthy, and they liked being outdoors. Several recommendations for future research were revealed through this study. Surveying other middle schools that also have gardening programs with similar and different demographics would provide a complete evaluation of gardening perceptions. For future studies on this program, having sixth-grade students complete the survey at the beginning and end of the school year would provide a more detailed view of what the students perceptions of the GrOW Program were for that school year. Finally, since students’ views tend to change over time, a longitudinal study to better explain student perceptions of agriculture and gardening. The GrOW program has potential in serving as a model and providing resources for other schools wanting to develop a curriculum-based gardening program.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a teacher professional development program as measured by the extent that participants have continued to use lessons and materials up to three years after the professional development experience. The professional development program was delivered online and structured by five key characteristics of effective professional development. Sixty-five participants of Food, Land, and People (FLP) professional development completed an online survey answering certain demographic variables and indicating the number of lessons and activities they had used from the FLP professional development. An implementation and continued use measurement model was used to create weighted FLP use scores and compare participants within each group. Results suggest that the FLP professional development program was effective in obtaining long-term continued use of materials.

Agriculture touches the lives of individuals every day, and some do not even realize it. As a means to educate society, agricultural education programs, such as "AgVenture," have been established to educate youth about the importance of agriculture to both the individual and to society. This study examined the direct impact that one agricultural education program, specifically "AgVenture," had on youth perceptions and knowledge of agriculture. Youth's perceptions and knowledge of agriculture were examined using a pre-test and post-test instrument administered to 41 fourth grade students who participated in the "AgVenture" program. The questions covered the basic agricultural material that the students would be exposed to at the program. Based on findings, it was concluded that the "AgVenture" program had a positive impact on the knowledge of the students regarding agriculture. It was also concluded that the students gained an understanding of what agriculture encompasses and that almost all students were impacted, in a positive manner, in regard to their perceptions of agriculture. Findings revealed that the need continues for agricultural programs to inform youth about agriculture.

The Virginia Governor's School for Agriculture (VGSA) is a summer enrichment program for gifted and talented students from throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. The program is sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education, and it takes place at Virginia Tech during the month of July each year. The program is housed in the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Students who participate in the program receive hands on, cutting edge instruction in the broad fields of agricultural sciences, natural resources, and veterinary medicine.The nature of agriculture has and continues to evolve. Farmers comprise a very small portion of the population; however there are many careers in agriculture which require a steady supply of well-trained and highly educated professionals. It is projected that the demand for qualified college graduates to fill agricultural jobs will exceed supply. The VGSA has been developed as an agricultural literacy tool, to expose gifted and talented students to the diverse careers in the industry.The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the VGSA on the students who have completed the four classes. Specific objectives were to develop demographic information; to ascertain the perception of the influence of the VGSA on alumni choice of college, major, and career; and to ascertain the perception of the influence of the VGSA on alumni knowledge and perception of the agricultural industry.A survey instrument was sent to all students who had completed the VGSA (N=316). Over half of the alumni (n=182) returned the instrument. No significant difference was found between early, late, and non-responders. The findings show that the average VGSA student is a white female that resides in an urban area with a population greater than 20,000. This student has a high school GPA of 3.93 and is in the top 6% of her high school graduating class. She has an SAT math score of 627 and an SAT verbal score of 630. She is not a member of the FFA or 4-H.The findings show that the VGSA does not have an overwhelming influence on alumni choice of college or college major. The VGSA does not have an overwhelming influence on alumni career goals. The findings show that the VGSA does have much influence on alumni knowledge and perception of the agricultural industry. / Ph. D.