Agricultural Education
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/8
The Division of Agricultural Education is dedicated to serving the needs of all students and agricultural professionals through a dynamic and comprehensive program of rural leadership, technological advancement, and proven scientific and educational practices. The program is grounded in basic and applied research aimed at improving professional and technical skills in the realm of Montana agriculture.
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Item Effectiveness of Utilizing an Evidence Based Safety Curriculum to Increase Student Knowledge(American Association for Agricultural Education, 2020-01) Perry, Dustin K.; Smalley, Scott W.; Pate, Michael L.The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of utilizing an evidence based, “Train the Trainer” approach to increase the safety knowledge and awareness of secondary students. Participating teachers attended a 10-hour,inquiry-basedsummer training workshop utilizing National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operations Program (NSTMOP) materials focusing on roll-overprotection structures, mini-tilt table construction, and on-farm tractor risk assessments. Teachers incorporated workshop lessons into existing curricula. Students completed pretests prior to instruction and posttests after instructional units were delivered. A total of 118 students provided completed pre-and posttests, with most students identifying as male and more than half enrolled in ninth grade.Wilcoxon Sign-Rank test showed students’ posttests were statistically significantly (Z =-5.22, p < .001)higher than pre-tests. Student performance in this study suggests the Fair Labor Standards Act exemption provided for youth between the ages of 14 and 15 years old who have completed specific safety training needs to be revisited. Additionally, increasing the age restriction for hazardous occupations in agriculture would be consistent with other industries. In order for students to learn agricultural safety in the classroom setting, teachers participating in this study may consider preparation and continuing education programs that incorporate more production-based experiences focused on safety.Item In-Service Agricultural Mechanics Needs of Montana Mid-Career Agricultural Educators(American Association for Agricultural Education, 2021-11) Toft, Joshua T.; Perry, Dustin K.; Falk, Jeremy M.Agricultural mechanics—a pillar of many secondary agricultural education programs—is a dynamic, constantly changing field, requiring educators to continually evolve their programs to maintain relevance. This study explored the in-service agricultural mechanics needs of Montana mid-career agricultural educators. We used mean weighted discrepancy scores and descriptive measures to analyze demographics and perceived levels of importance and competency to teach agricultural mechanics content areas. The areas of highest perceived importance of teaching were welding safety, mechanical safety, and construction and shop safety. The areas that educators felt least competent to teach were differential leveling, profile leveling, and cleaning motors. Mean weight discrepancy scores revealed the greatest discrepancies between importance and competence to teach in the areas of electrical safety, computer aided design, and differential leveling. Agricultural educator associations and industry experts should collaborate with advisory groups, local businesses, and organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce to determine the relevance of low-ranking content areas and create professional development opportunities for educators in these areas.Item Differences in Critical Thinking Ability According to College Entry Pathway(2018-06) Perry, Dustin K.; Paulsen, Thomas H.; Retallick, Michael S.The purpose of this study was to determine if entry pathway-direct from high school versus transfer from community college-influenced the critical thinking abilities of agricultural education students. Seventy-five senior-level agriculture undergraduate students completed a critical thinking assessment test. Although students entering the four-year university directly from high school had statistically significant higher ACT scores and semester GPA\'s (which are known predictors of critical thinking ability), there were no statistically significant differences in critical thinking abilities between the two groups. When comparing students\' performance to national norms, regardless of entry pathway, students scored statistically lower than national norm data in the skill areas of identifying additional information needed to evaluate a hypothesis and providing relevant interpretations for a specific set of results. Further, agricultural education transfer students were shown to have a greater ability to think creatively than students who entered the four-year university directly from high school. Recognizing the importance of creative thinking to student success and overall critical thinking skill, curriculum and instructional development within agricultural education should focus on intentionally integrating creative and critical thinking.