The Status and Need for Plant Biotechnology Education in Texas Secondary Agricultural Curriculum

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine biotechnology education in Texas secondary Agriscience programs. Historical trends in enrollment, and the current status of the curriculum utilized were assessed. This study serves to describe biotechnology education in secondary programs of agricultural education in Texas, and is part of a larger effort to improve biotech education. This project involved analyzing enrollment data, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources classes (AFNR), and the curriculum available to address these competencies. The extent of enrollment of biotechnology courses versus existing AFNR courses was also examined. The extent of biotechnology concepts incorporated into horticulture and advanced plant and soil science courses across the State of Texas was also explored. Our findings indicate biotechnology education, specifically plant-based biotechnology, are lacking in the curriculum; most surprisingly in the §130.21: Advanced Plant and Soil Science and §130.20: Horticulture Science courses, where the technology is most commonly implemented. Additionally, there was a significant gap of enrollment of biotechnology courses in comparison to overall AFNR enrollment. This study provides a starting point and benchmark data for future research in the field of biotechnology education in Texas.