Exploratory evaluation of the agricultural career experiences curricular resource

Abstract

This exploratory evaluation explored Oklahoma SBAE students’ perceived knowledge, experience, interest to learn more, and motivation to pursue a career in the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) Career Pathway (The National Council for Agricultural Education, 2015) areas while engaging the Agricultural Career Experience (AgCE) Curricular Resource. The study also sought to evaluate the resource by obtaining SBAE students and teachers’ perceptions of their experience. Ajzen’s (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior guided the evaluation’s attempt to understand the influences impacting SBAE students and teachers experience with the resource. Using a convergent, parallel mixed-methods design (Creswell, 2012), data were collected through questionnaires and interviews with students (n = 30) and teachers (n = 10). Descriptive statistics and eclectic coding strategies (Saldaña, 2016) were used to explain the quantitative and qualitative findings. Quantitative and qualitative data were then analyzed to evaluate the curricular resource. The evaluative study found the resource to meet curricular needs associated with Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs) and AFNR exposure. However, challenges such as usability of the resource, student engagement, and timing impacted the students’ and teachers’ perceptions of the resource. It was concluded that the resource serves as a viable tool for SBAE teachers to implement with their students. It is recommended that the resource is improved and re-released to SBAE teachers.