ERIC Number: EJ1489243
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Sep
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1042-0541
EISSN: EISSN-2162-5212
Available Date: 0000-00-00
An Agricultural Literacy Assessment of Social Studies Teachers in South Carolina Participating in an Immersive Agricultural Experience
Journal of Agricultural Education, v66 n3 Article 20 2025
Studies in the career development of youth identify middle school as the optimum time for career exploration, as it advances young adolescents' self-awareness, knowledge of prospective careers, and goal setting. In South Carolina, only 5% of public middle schools provide agricultural education. The purpose of this study was to measure the agricultural awareness and literacy impact of social studies teachers participating in a five-day study tour through mixed method procedures. A pre- and post-tour survey given to participants indicated a significant increase in knowledge and perception of agriculture after the tour. The qualitative analysis included collecting photographs and reflections from participants at the end of each tour day. A codebook was developed, and after three rounds of coding, the five themes that emerged from participants' experiences were: 1) 21st-century agriculture production, 2) a need for agricultural literacy, 3) dissemination of information for greater agricultural literacy, 4) sustainable agricultural practices, and 5) the historical impact of agriculture. The major finding of this study was that the tour improved agricultural literacy. Participants recognized the extent of the agricultural knowledge they gained on the tour and described their intentions to enhance the social studies curriculum by exploring the state's historical and contemporary agricultural systems.
Descriptors: Agricultural Education, Social Studies, Knowledge Level, Multiple Literacies, Middle School Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Program Effectiveness, Faculty Development, Experiential Learning
American Association for Agricultural Education. P.O. Box 7607, Department of Agricultural and Extension Education, Raleigh, NC 27695. Web site: https://jae-online.org/index.php/jae/index
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Carolina
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

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