Teachers' Use of Experiential Learning Strategies in Agricultural Laboratories

Abstract

Experiential learning in agricultural laboratories has been a foundational component of secondary agricultural education. While inclusion of the four stages of the experiential learning cycle can enhance student learning in laboratory settings to help students reach various goals related to scientific literacy and higher-level thinking, agricultural laboratories have traditionally been sites of psychomotor skill development. This exploratory study used a nonexperimental survey design to assess NAAE members' use of the stages of Kolb's experiential learning cycle (1984) during lessons involving agricultural laboratories. Results indicated that respondents incorporated concrete experience activities and those associated with grasping information more frequently and for longer durations than they included active experimentation activities or those associated with transforming information. Further, over half of the respondents reported designing lessons in laboratory settings that engaged students in fewer than all four stages of the experiential learning cycle. Recommendations include further study in order to gain a more holistic understanding of how experiential learning is used in agricultural laboratories.

The Influence of Agriscience Research SAEs on Perceived Self-Efficacy of 21st Century Skill Attainment

“…While utilizing experiential learning experiences, agricultural educators rarely provide opportunities for active experimentation or internal reflection (Osborne, 1994). In a study by Shoulders and Myers (2013), the most commonly omitted stage of experiential learning was active experimentation. The statement "learning by doing" is commonly utilized within agricultural education (Phipps et al, 2008), however, that practice only uses part of the experiential learning theory as it places the entire focus on concrete experiences, rather than on the holistic process of experiential learning, which should also include reflection and active experimentation (Clark et al, 2010).…”

Understanding Characteristics, Uses, Perceptions, and Barriers Related to School Farms in Oregon

“…"Due to the increasing gap between the general public and production agriculture there is an increasing need for agricultural education taught utilizing the experiential learning theory" (Gilbert, 2013, p. vi). Agricultural education teachers have utilized laboratories as a means to facilitate Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) programs and experiential teaching and learning since the inception of the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 (Croom, 2008;Shoulders & Myers, 2013). It has been recommended teacher preparation and in-service teacher programs reconsider the breadth and depth of SAE and experiential learning education (Retallick, 2010;Shoulders & Myers, 2012).…”

Effects of the Order of Abstraction and Type of Reflection on Content Knowledge when Teaching Experientially in a High School Classroom

“…Many agriscience teachers have been unaware of the experiential learning cycle and have needed instruction to develop curricular plans (Arnold, Warner, & Osborne, 2006;Shoulders & Myers, 2013) which would guide students through a series of four cyclical events that include a concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation (Kolb, 1984;Roberts, 2006). Typically, formal experiential learning behaviors arise in classrooms and laboratories (Etling, 1993).…”

“…As education has been reformed, the role of the teacher has changed from delivering information in a passive teacher-centered environment to facilitating learning in an active studentcentered environment (Padron & Waxman, 1999). Research has indicated that teacher knowledge of the experiential learning cycle and how people learn has become increasingly important to assess what was learned (Arnold et al, 2006;Baker et al, 2014;Knobloch, 2003;Shoulders & Myers, 2013). Baker, Robinson, and Kolb (2012) suggested the need to compare students who are engaged in a series of agricultural education experiences to those who experience similar concepts delivered in a lecture-based approach.…”

“…Similarly, Baker et al (2014) posited the need to train inservice and preservice teachers to be cognizant of reflection-in-action techniques. Shoulders and Myers (2013) cautioned that researchers also need to assess potential perceived barriers for teachers' incorporation of reflective or experimental activities. Arnold et al (2006) indicated class enrollment, time, supervision, and management of student activities as potential challenges faced by teachers when utilizing the experiential learning model.…”