High school student and teacher perceptions of an online learning experience integrating STEM and poultry science

Abstract

Recent policy reports have demanded more effective education resources to support workforce needs and address deficiencies in STEM and agricultural literacy among U.S. citizens. This research assessed an education al program for secondary students contextualizing STEM education with in poultry science. We designed seven 30 - minute online modules to be integrated into existing agriculture and biology courses. Module content included basic hen management and welfare principles presented through text, videos, and interactive games. Participants were 499 students in 23 classrooms who used the modules in the Fall 2018 semester and served as a single treatment group in a mixed - methods study assessing program effectiveness. After the program, students completed an online questionnaire assessing motivation during the program . In addition, students completed ten 1 - point content question s before and after the first six modules. Following the program, teachers responded to open - ended prompts. After excluding incomplete entries, data were analyzed from 1 69 student responses matched from pre - to post - questionnaire (3 4 .1%) and 9 teacher respondents (56.2%). For each of the six content quizzes, significant increases in students’ knowledge were observed after completing the modules. Students reported low to moderate interest and enjoyment in the modules and moderate perceived autonomy . Qualitative responses from both students and teachers indicated that the program’s contextualization of STEM and interactive features enhanced student learning and interest.

New Decade, Same Concerns: A Systematic Review of Agricultural Literacy of School Students

“…Of these, nine studies targeted school students in grades K-8. The remaining evaluation impact studies targeted students in grades 9-12 [20,27,[29][30][31][32][33]. Bayer, Travis, and Wang (2020) and Luckey et al (2013) evaluated the 'Kids Growing with Grains' and, 'AgVenture' programs respectively, both short field trips with multi-station demonstrations and hands-on activities to expose students to a range of agricultural activities.…”

“…Whilst online modules were found to increase agricultural knowledge, Erickson et al (2020) recommended the incorporation of prompts for brief discussion or hands-on activities following each module. Ensuring teachers have full access to the online resources and support prior to implementation, will allow teachers to provide further guidance to students during the module completion, and prepare for discussion and activities postcompletion [32].…”