Problems in Recruiting Students into Agricultural Education Programs: A Delphi Study of Agriculture

1
Problems in Recruiting Students into Agricultural
Education Programs A Delphi Study of Agriculture
Teacher Perceptions

• James E. Dyer, Assistant Professor
• University of Florida
• Lisa M. Breja, Director of Graduate Student
  Services
• Iowa State University
• Journal of Agricultural Education Volume 44
  Number 2, 2003

A presentation by Kyle Sharp
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Purpose

• To identify obstacles to recruitment o quality
  students into high school agricultural education
  programs.

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Objectives

• Identification of major problems high school
  agricultural education teachers face in
  recruitment.

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Population

• High school agriculture teachers.
• A purposive sample was taken of expert teachers.
• 275 nominees from around the country.
• Final population was reduced to 24 through
  stratified random sampling.

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Methods

• A four round Delphi student was used.
• The questionnaires were distributed and returned
  via U.S. Mail.

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Instrument

• The first round questionnaire used open ended
  questions to gather information.
• Questionnaire number two used a Likert-type scale
  to rate items found in the first round.
• Round three was used to reach consensus but could
  not be accomplished.
• 10 statements were posed in the 4th round for
  agreement.

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Analysis

• All information was tested for statistical
  significance.
• Data from the Likert-type scales was treated as
  interval data then means and standard deviations
  were reported.
• Nominal data were reported with frequency.

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Results

• Round one identified 35 categories that were
  narrowed to 28 topics for round two.
• The top problems were identified as Guidance
  Counselor Support and Scheduling Difficulties.
  Response Rate 75
• Round two posed these 28 items to the panel to be
  rated from strongly agree to strongly disagree
  Likert-type scale.
• Greatest agreement competition from other
  programs and strongest disagreement was FFA
  activities. Response Rate 75.

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Results

• Round three provided participants with their own
  and group ratings and asked if the agree or
  disagree with each of the now 18 items being
  problematic.
• Greatest agreements of 86.4 scheduling
  difficulties strongest disagreement 58.1 SAE
  participation. This round 22 of the 24
  participants responded
• Round four was needed do to the lacking consensus
  in round three, this round allowed for consensus.
• This round had a response rate of 70.8.

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Findings

• The authors concluded that the major problems are
  scheduling difficulties, finding recruitment
  time, other activities, lack of support,
  graduation requirements, block scheduling.
  Teacher commitment and polices were not seen as a
  problem

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Recommendations

• Share more information possibly through a public
  relations campaign aimed at administrators and
  counselors to educate them on the benefits of
  agriculture education programs.
• It was also recommended that teachers be taught
  time management and recruiting techniques in
  continuing education sessions.

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References

• Dyer, J. E. (2003). Probmels in recruiting
  student into agricultural education programs A
  delphi study of agriculture teacher perceptions,
  Journal of Agricultural Education, 44(2). 75-85

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Thank You

• Any questions?