Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Agricultural Literacy Elementary Preservice Teacher Workshop

The Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) program seeks to increase agricultural literacy through K-12 education. The use of the Agricultural Literacy Logic Model, as an organizational tool, is the framework for determining how to increase agricultural literacy among teachers and students. Preservice education is one of the prescribed outputs or interventions for improving literacy. Annually, the AITC program conducts elementary preservice workshops for nearly 700 teachers at eight higher education institutions. The workshops have been conducted for nearly a decade and to date, no evaluation data of this program has been collected or analyzed. Rather, program leadership considered invitations back each year, by professors, as indicators of impact. This research examines the perceived increases in agricultural literacy among preservice teachers (after engaging in a three-hour workshop), the overall workshop experience, participant interest in a follow-up survey, and the use of materials among the preservice participants after their first year of teaching. Results indicated that participants reported an increase in agricultural understanding in all surveyed areas. The highest averages occurred in topics related to gaining a deeper appreciation for agriculture; increasing understanding in the resources that produce food, clothing, and shelter; and the value of agriculture in daily life. Participants further reported that the topic of agriculture was relevant for their teaching and that they were more likely to explore the website than commit to using specific resources. Lastly, it was determined that participants were likely or very likely to integrate agriculture into their instruction and planned to use the AITC website and related curriculum resources. Twenty-four percent stated they would be willing to be part of a follow-up study