Assistance needed for elementary school teachers in Texas to implement programs of agricultural literacy

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to assess fourth grade teachers' understanding and use of agricultural concepts and to determine if assistance is needed to help them implement programs of agricultural literacy in their classes. The study was conducted during the academic year beginning in the fall of 1989 and ending in the spring of 1990. The population was fourth grade teachers in the State of Texas employed during that time. The sample was all fourth grade teachers at 300 schools selected at random. Descriptive statistics were used to report personal and professional characteristics of the teachers as well as their tendencies to teach agriculture, use of concepts related to agriculture in their teaching, and their preference in assistance programs to help them teach about agriculture. Frequencies and percentages were computed and used to develop a profile of the teachers. Correlational techniques were used to determine and measure relationships between and among personal and professional characteristics of the teachers as well as their tendencies to teach agriculture, use concepts related to agriculture in their teaching, and their preference in assistance programs to help them teach about agriculture. Comparative techniques were used to detect differences between teachers based upon their personal and professional characteristics. The major findings of the study were as follows: (1) Fourth grade teachers had few background characteristics that involved agriculture. (2) Teachers had an unacceptably low knowledge about agriculture. (3) Almost all fourth grade teachers perceived agriculture to be farming and ranching only. (4) Most teachers taught about agriculture or used agricultural concepts in teaching. (5) The primary source of materials teachers used to teach about agriculture was chapters related to agriculture in text books. (6) Teachers were most interested in assistance programs that are less structured and allow them to work on their own. (7) Of the more highly structured assistance programs, teachers preferred short non-credit workshops to longer non-credit workshops, and graduate courses for three credit hours to graduate courses worth less credit. (8) Teachers who had training in certain agricultural education programs had greater knowledge about and more accurate perceptions of agriculture.