ERIC Number: EJ1488962
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Sep
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1042-0541
EISSN: EISSN-2162-5212
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Influence of Secondary Agricultural Education Student Supervised Agricultural Experience Participation on Career Decision Self-Efficacy
Journal of Agricultural Education, v66 n3 Article 22 2025
As experiential learning can play an important role in an individual's career decision self-efficacy, this descriptive study sought to describe and compare secondary agricultural education students' and secondary non-agricultural education students' perceptions of career decisions with the intent of improving access to experiential learning opportunities at the secondary level. Using a descriptive research design, the study utilized the Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale (CDSES) to measure the five subscales of career decision-making: self-appraisal, occupational information, goal selection, planning, and problem-solving. Data was collected from two sample populations. The first sample was drawn from a population of secondary Agricultural Education students enrolled in one of eight programs in Central Pennsylvania. The second sample was drawn from a population of secondary students not enrolled in Agricultural Education from one suburban high school in Central Pennsylvania. Agricultural Education students reported higher means in all five subscales of the CDSES compared to the non-Agricultural Education students. Both the Agricultural Education and non-Agricultural Education populations reported the highest means in Self-Appraisal (M=3.83, M=3.69) and Problem-Solving (M=3.78, M=3.72), respectively. Data for overall SAE participation were consistent with prior research. Agricultural Education students with greater participation in SAE activities reported higher means in all areas of the CDSES. Recommendations from study results include a greater inclusion and implementation of Foundational SAEs into Agricultural Education programs, expand experiential learning opportunities for non-CTE students, and further research into quantifying the impact of experiential learning participation on future employment of high school graduates.
Descriptors: Agricultural Education, Secondary School Students, Experiential Learning, Career Choice, Self Efficacy, Decision Making, Self Evaluation (Individuals), Goal Orientation, Problem Solving, Occupations, Occupational Information, Planning
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: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Pennsylvania
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Career Decision Making Self Efficacy Scale
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

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