um ‘00 U1Q \., 5.. 5.511... I .l 1?... 7!. . luv}. ‘ 4:7 : r7? lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 1293 01019 0977 This is to certify that the thesis entitled ATTITUDES OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION TEACHERS IN NORTH CAROLINA TOWARD INTERNATIONALIZING AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS presented by Erica Marylyn Battle has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for M. S. degree in Agricultural and Extension Education {flat/L; j. W Major professor Date 7/52/ as / / 0-7639 MS U is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution ATTITUDES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION TEACHERS IN NORTH CAROLINA TOWARD INTERNATIONALIZING AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS BY Erica Marylyn Battle A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Department of Agricultural and Extension Education 1993 ABSTRACT ATTITUDES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION TEACHERS IN NORTH CAROLINA TOWARD INTERNATIONALIZING AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS BY Erica Marylyn Battle The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of African American agricultural education teachers toward various aspects of making their programs more internationally focused. Specific objectives were to (a) determine the attitudes of these teachers toward student-related, teacher-related, and educational—linkage aspects of making their programs more internationally focused; (b) examine selected demographic characteristics of these teachers; and (c) provide information about these teachers’ attitudes and demographic characteristics that will assist in planning and implementing future inter— national agricultural education program thrusts in North Carolina. A Likert-type scale was used to assess respondents’ attitudes. Content validity of the instrument was established by a jury of experts. The instrument was sent Erica Marylyn Battle to all 36 African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina, and completed responses were received from 34 (94.4%). The African American agricultural educa— tion teachers in North Carolina expressed positive atti- tudes toward making their programs more internationally focused. Thesis advisor: Dr. Eddie A. Moore This thesis is dedicated to my father, the late John Dorsie Battle; my mother, Nellie Mae Battle; and my fiance, Bernard Bobbitt. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Eddie A. Moore, my academic advisor and chairman of the thesis committee. His guidance, support, and encouraging remarks guided me through completion of my master’s degree. I also would like to thank the members of my thesis committee: Dr. Frank Bobbitt, Dr. Kirk Heinze, and Dr. Gloria Kielbaso. A special thanks is expressed to Dr. A. P. Bell, Dr. Larry Powers, and Dr. Ronald Smith for their support. Sincere thanks is expressed to my parents, Nellie Mae Battle and the late John Dorsie Battle, for without their love, support, guidance, and protection, I would not be all that I am today. I would like to thank my wonderful fiance, Bernard Bobbitt, who has supported and stood by me since the beginning of my academic endeavors. I only hope I can be as supportive of him as he has been of me. I also would like to thank my sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, and relatives for their love and support. The love and support received from these wonderful people will not be in vain. Thank you, God. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter I. II. III. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY . . . . . . . . Background . . . . . . . . . . Nature of the Problem . . . . . . . . . Purpose of the Study . . . . Specific Objectives of the Study . . . Limitations of the Study . . . . . . Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . Definitions of Terms . . . Overview of the Remainder of the Thesis REVIEW OF LITERATURE . . . . . . . . . . Introduction . Definitions of Attitudes and Attitude Theory . . . . . . . . The Measurement of Attitudes . . . . International Agricultural Education . Major Findings From Studies Regarding Attitudes of Agriscience Teachers and students Toward Internationalizing Agricultural Education . . . . . . . DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY . . . . . . . Introduction . . . . . . Conceptual Design of the Study . The Independent and Dependent Variables The Study Population . . . . . . . . . Instrumentation . . . . . . . . . Development of the Instrument . . . . Validity and Reliability . . . . . . Human Subjects Approval . . . . . . . . Collection of Data . . . . . . . . Data-Analysis Procedures . . . . . . . vi Page ix \O\l\lO’\U’lUlLa-)l-' l'-| H H 11 ll 13 15 IV. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION . . . . . . . . . . . Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Teaching Experience . . . . . . . . . Membership in Professional Societies/ Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cosmopolitanism . . . . . . Reading Agricultural Education Magazine . Interest in Receiving IAEP Instruc- tional Materials . . . . . . Reading of Newspapers for Agricultural Information . . . . . . . Residence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mobility . . . . . . Participation in .National and Inter- national Seminars/Conferences . . . . . Primary Teaching Area . . . . . . . Respondents’ Attitudes Toward Various Aspects of Making Their Curriculum More Internationally Focused . . Respondents’ Attitudes Toward Student- Related Aspects of Making Their Curriculum More Internationally Focused . . . . . . . Respondents’ Attitudes Toward Teacher- Related Aspects of Making Their Curriculum More Internationally Focused . . . . . . . . . Respondents’ Attitudes Toward Educational- ~Linkage Aspects of Making Their Curriculum More Internationally Focused . . . . Differences in Attitudes Based on Respondents’ Demographic Character— istics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V. SUMMARY, MAJOR FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Major Findings . . . Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 33 33 40 40 41 42 43 45 45 47 49 51 53 55 55 57 57 Attitudes Toward Student-Related Aspects of Making the Curriculum More Inter- nationally Focused . . Attitudes Toward Teacher— Related Aspects of Making the Curriculum More Inter- nationally Focused . Attitudes Toward Educational— —Linkage Aspects of Making the Curriculum More Internationally Focused . . . . Comparison of the Findings With Those From Hossain’ 5 Study . . . . . . . . . . Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Implications . . . . . . . . . Recommendations for Further Study . . . . . APPENDICES A. LETTER TO JURY OF EXPERTS AND COMMENT SHEET B. LETTER OF APPROVAL FROM THE MSU COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS C. COVER LETTER AND SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE . . D. FIRST FOLLOW-UP LETTER . . . . . . . . . . . E. SECOND FOLLOW-UP LETTER . . . . . . . . . . F. SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii Page 59 59 60 61 63 65 66 69 72 83 84 85 95 Table LIST OF TABLES Page Distribution of African American Agricul— tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Their Age . . . . . . . . . 34 Distribution of African American Agricul- tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Their Gender . . . . . . . . . 35 Distribution of African American Agricul— tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Their Teaching Experience . . 36 Distribution of African American Agricul- tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Their Membership in Profes— sional Societies/Organizations . . . . . . 37 Distribution of African American Agricul- tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Their Cosmopolitanism . . . . 38 Distribution of African American Agricul- tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Their Reading of Agricultural Education Magazine . . . . . . . . . . 39 Distribution of African American Agricul— tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to the Number of Issues of Agricultural Education Magazine Read During 1991-92 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Distribution of African American Agricul- tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Their Interest in Receiving IAEP Instructional Materials . . . . . 40 Distribution of African American Agricul- tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Their Reading of Newspapers for Agricultural Information . . . . . 41 ix 10. ll. 12. l3. 14. 15. l6. l7. l8. 19. Page Distribution of African American Agricul- tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Newspapers Read . . . . . . . 42 Distribution of African American Agricul— tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Their Residence . . . . . . . 42 Distribution of African American Agricul— tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Their Changes in Residence During the Past 10 Years . . . . . . . . . 43 Distribution of African American Agricul- tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Their Participation in National Seminars/Conferences . . . . . . 44 Distribution of African American Agricul- tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Their Participation in Inter— national Seminars/Conferences . . . . . . . 44 Distribution of African American Agricul— tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Their Primary Teaching Area . 45 Distribution of African American Agricul- tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Their Mean Ratings of Student- Related Aspects of Making Their Curriculum More Internationally Focused . . . . . . . 48 Distribution of African American Agricul— tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Their Mean Ratings of Teacher- Related Aspects of Making Their Curriculum More Internationally Focused . . . . . . . 50 Distribution of African American Agricul- tural Education Teachers in North Carolina According to Their Mean Ratings of Educational-Linkage Aspects of Making Their Curriculum More Internationally Focused . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Comparison of the Findings From Hossain’s Study with Those From the Present Study . . 62 Page F.1 Means and Standard Deviations of North Carolina African American Agricultural Education Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Student-Related Aspects of Making Their Programs More Internationally Focused . . . 85 F.2 Means and standard Deviations of North Carolina African American Agricultural Education Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Teacher—Related Aspects of Making Their Programs More Internationally Focused . . . 89 F.3 Means and Standard Deviations of North Carolina African American Agricultural Education Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Educational-Linkage Aspects of Making Their Programs More Internationally Focused . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 xi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY Background Since October 1, 1987, the Department of Agricultural Education and Extension at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&T) and the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education at Michigan State University (MSU) have been involved in a collaborative effort to give greater attention to international agriculture. Even though North Carolina has experienced some difficulty in funding an international effort, the state is most interested in providing high school graduates with an orientation to international agriculture. This is particularly true for the agricultural education faculty at NCA&T. In a North Carolina proposal, Bell (1990) noted that in order for high school graduates to be prepared for the world in which. they live, international programs need to be implemented in the vocational agriculture curricula in the high schools. Martin (1989) gave several reasons for including instruction relative to international agriculture in local vocational agriculture programs. He wrote: Students need a global perspective if they are to be functional and vital citizens of the world. The truly educated person in today’s world cannot function within narrow perspectives. We need Citizens who have a knowledge of world agriculture, geography, and the uses of products from around the world. For the economics of agriculture to work in this world, all citizens need to have an understand- ing of the cultural differences and similarities of all those involved. Only then can we expect to strengthen communication. (p. 4) Teachers in North Carolina must be prepared to teach students subjects that involve international agriculture. According to Smuckler and Sommers (1988), if graduates of secondary schools in the next decade are to be prepared for the world in which they live, teachers must be prepared to teach subjects with an international orientation. Bell (1990) stated that a number of benefits would result from internationalizing agriculture education programs in North Carolina, including: 1. Instructional materials that are usable in North Carolina’s agricultural education programs. 2. Agricultural education professionals who can pro— vide state leadership for internationalizing agricultural education programs. 3. Teachers who have resources to make international concepts relevant and meaningful. 4. A functioning network within the agricultural and educational systems to provide services relating to inter- national agriculture. Bell (1990) identified several benefits that teachers and students would receive from internationalized agricultural education programs: 1. An increased awareness about international rela— tionships and their effect on agriculture in North Carolina and the United States. 2. An increased awareness that agriculture is an important part of a global economy. 3. Increased participation in the National Future Farmers of America (FFA) international program and, more specifically, participation in the United States—Japan student exchange program. 4. Inservice activities (state and district teacher meetings) relative to how to use the instructional manual and experiences that are related to cultural diversity. 5. Instruction and hands-on experiences provided for students, with a particular focus on international agri— culture and global education. Nature of the Problem The state of North Carolina has not been successful in obtaining adequate funds to implement a comprehensive international agricultural education program thrust throughout the state. Thus, the need to internationalize agricultural education programs in North Carolina is a topic that should be addressed. The success of internationalizing North Carolina’s agricultural education programs depends on the support and acceptance of such efforts by the agricultural education teachers in the state. Many educators were included in an earlier proposal for internationalizing agricultural education programs in North Carolina and are aware of the efforts of NCA&T and MSU in this regard. * inform students of aspects of international agriculture which may affect them as producers and consumers of agricultural products. (p. 9) Braun (1987) believed that "a local vocational agriculture program has an obligation to incorporate an international understanding of agriculture into its curriculum" (p. 9). He viewed the world as a marketplace and the marketing of agricultural products as a top- priority problem. Bobbitt and Meaders (1987), professors in the Depart- ment of Agricultural and Extension Education at Michigan State University, indicated that: Secondary agricultural education 15.51 logical place for international agricultural education concepts to be introduced. to future participants in the U.S. agricultural/agribusiness ‘work force. .Iust as it played a key role in improving leadership skills in the rural farm community of America, secondary agriculture must play 51 more prominent role in educating the agricultural industry of important international concepts. (pp. 13-14) A number of experts have agreed that international concepts should be integrated into the secondary agricul— tural education curriculum. Bobbitt anxi Meaders (1987) shared this vieWpoint, stating that "secondary agricultu- ral education is a logical place for these concepts to be 20 introduced to future participants in the U.S. agricul- tural/agribusiness work force" (p. 12). Efforts to internationalize secondary agricultural education programs have received increased attention in Michigan during the past eight years. Even so, in his study of the attitudes of agriscience teachers in Michigan toward making their programs more internationally focused, Hossain (1992) noted that making the curriculum in Michigan schools more internationally fOCused was run: a high priority of personnel in the Michigan Department of Education. Materials concerning the infusion of international agriculture into the curriculum were prepared and put into the hands of educators who were willing to adopt and use these materials. Michigan project staff members spent a year developing and field testing an instructional manual entitled Internationalizing Agricultural Education Pro- m (IAEP). The leadership for this effort comprised faculty and staff from the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education at Michigan State University. Funding for the initiative was received from USAID Title XII monies, based on a Joint Memorandum of Understanding among the Agency for International Development, Michigan State University, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. 21 In 1988, Dr. Eddie Moore stressed the need for MSU to play an expanded role in international education, particularly as it relates to undergraduate and graduate programs. In 1989, Michigan and California were selected by the National Council for Agricultural Education to provide national leadership for internationalizing agricultural education programs throughout the United States. Universities in these states have been actively involved in developing instructional materials to be used in secondary and postsecondary agricultural classes. Such materials are a step toward internationalizing the agricultural education curriculum. Major Findings From Studies Regarding Attitudes of Agriscience Teachers and Students Toward Internationalizing Agricultural Education In Hossain's study of the attitudes of agriscience teachers in Michigan toward internationalizing agricul- tural education programs, more than half of the respond- ents were 40 years old or younger, 41 of them had a bachelor’s degree, more than two—thirds of the respondents had 10 years or more of teaching experience, and 62% of the respondents primarily taught agriscience, natural resources, and horticulture. Most of the participants belonged to professional societies, through which they could receive information about internationalizing the agricultural education curriculum. The majority of the 22 teachers in the study read Agricultural Education magazine. The findings from Hossain’s study indicated that there were significant differences in attitudes, based on respondents’ demographic characteristics. Few differences in attitudes were found between teachers who received and did not receive the IAEP instructional materials. Ninety- two percent of the teachers in Hossain’s sample had favorable attitudes toward student—related aspects of making their programs more internationally focused. Seventy percent of them had favorable attitudes toward teacher—related aspects, and 84% had favorable attitudes toward educational—linkage aspects of making the curriculum more internationally focused. In William’s (1992) study of Michigan agriscience students’ attitudes toward internationalizing agricultural education programs, the sample was relatively homogeneous in terms of demographic characteristics. A significant difference was found in the attitudes of the respondents, based on FFA membership and supervised agricultural experiences. However, no significant differences in attitudes were found, based on gender, place of residence, years of agricultural classes completed, and grade point average. Students who participated in the study had an overall positive response to internationalizing the agricultural 23 education curriculum and global/international agricultural concepts. The students gave a high rating t1) FFA inter- national exchange ;programs, audio-visuals, computer programs, and television programs as methods of learning about; global/international. concepts. FeW' statistically significant differences were found in the responses of students whose instructors had or had not participated in the Michigan IAEP curriculum-development/inservice project. CHAPTER III DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY Introduction The researcher’s purpose in this study was to determine the attitudes of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina toward student- related, teacher-related, and educational-linkage aspects of' making' their' programs :more internationally focused. The design of the study was descriptive survey research. In this chapter, the design and methodology of the study are explained. The conceptual design is discussed first, followed by a description of the independent and dependent variables examined in the study. The study population and the instrumentation used in the study also are discussed. Methods used in collecting and analyzing the data are described. Conceptual Design of the Study "An attitude is a disposition to respond favorably or unfavorably to an object, person, institution, or event" (Ajzen,wl985, p. 4). Attitude is a construct that is not accessible to direct observation; rather, it must be inferred from measurable responses made turaa respondent. 24 25 Responses to attitude fall into three categories: cognitive, affective, and conative. Cognitive responses reflect perceptions cfifi and informatitni about” the attitude object. Affective responses deal with an evaluation of, and feelings about, the attitude object. Conative responses are behavioral inclinations, intentions, commitments” and. actions ‘with respect to the attitude object. The following example might. helpr the :reader better understand the three constructs: A particular agricultural education teacher might feel uneasy about internationalizing the agricultural education curriculum (negative affect), but at 13mg same time believe that it is important for students to be aware of the global society in which they live (positive cognitive component) and agree to support efforts to internationalize tflua curriculum (favorable conative component). The following schematic diagram illustrates the process of measuring the attitudes of the agricultural education teachers who participated in this study: RESPONDENT AFFECTIVE COGNITIVE CONATIVE OUTCOME 26 The Independent and Dependent Variables The independent variables in this study were 12 demographic characteristics of the African American agricultural. education. teachers. These. characteristics were age, gender, years of teaching experience, membership in professional societies/organizations, cosmopolitanism, reading Agricultural Education magazine, interest in receiving IAEP instructional materials, reading newspapers for' agricultural information, residence, ‘mobility, par— ticipation in national and international seminars/confer- ences, and primary teaching area. The dependent variable was the agricultural education teachers’ attitudes toward making their programs more internationally focused. The Study Population The target population was all 36 African American secondary school agricultural education teachers in North Carolina. A current list of these teachers was obtained from the Department of Agricultural Education and Exten- sion at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Because the total population was included in the study, no sample selection was necessary. Instrumentation Development of the Instrument The instrument used in this study was developed from similar instruments used by Hossain and Williams in their 27 1992 studies. The instrument consisted of two parts. The first part contained attitudinal statements cum three aspects of internationalizing agricultural education curricula: student-related aspects, teacher-related aspects, and educational-linkage aspects. Respondents were asked to indicate their attitude about each of the statements using a 5-point Likert-type attitudinal scale, ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). The second part of the instrument contained items concerning personal characteristics of the respondents, including age, gender, years of teaching experience, membership in professional societies/organizations, cosmo- politanism, reading Agricultural Education magazine, interest in receiving IAEP instructional materials, read- ing newspapers for agricultural information, residence, mobility, participation in national and international seminars/conferences, and primary teaching area. Validity and Reliability The researcher used statements similar to those used by Hossain (1992). The process Hossain used in validating the instrument items and establishing instrument reliabil- ity consisted of the following steps: 1. Selecting a jury of experts, based on their expertise in agricultural education and/or in instrument development. 28 2. Presenting the jury of experts with a cover letter, a copy of the survey instrument, and a page on which to write comments. 3. Modifying and/or reorganizing the statements, based on suggestions made by the jury of experts. 4. Preparing the instrument in booklet form for pilot testing. 5. Selecting a pilot-test group. 6. Mailing a cover letter, the instrument, and a return-addressed envelope to the pilot—test group. 7. Analyzing the data, using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS/PC+) in the Department of Agricultural and. Extension Educatitul at. Michigan State University. 8. Calculating the reliability of the instrument items addressing student-related, teacher-related, and educational-linkage aspects of teachers making their programs more internationally focused. The reliability coefficients for the student-related, teacher-related, and educational—linkage items on Hossain’s questionnaire were .91, .93, anxi .94, respec- tively. Williams (1992) used the following process to validate and establish the reliability of his instrument: 29 1. Selecting a panel of experts to review the sur- vey, in order to help establish content validity and suitability of the language for secondary students. 2. Having a reading consultant review the survey and subjecting the survey to the Grammatik IV computer program for readability levels and linguistic statistics. 3. Revising the survey, based on review by the panel of experts. 4. Pilot testing the survey with a sample group. The reliability coefficient for Part I of Williams’s instrument was .96; for Part II, the reliability coefficient was .83. Because the present researcher modified instruments whose validity and reliability Hossain and Williams established in their studies, the instrument used in this study had to be validated only for use in North Carolina. According to Oppenheim (1969), a panel of experts should be selected to agree on the content validity of the statements in a questionnaire. He stated that content validity, based on experts’ judgment, is of essence. Thus, a jury of experts from the Agricultural Education and Extension Department at NCA&T and members of the researcher’s graduate committee were used to establish the content validity of the instrument for use in this study. Members of the jury of experts were sent a cover letter, a copy of the survey instrument, and a page on which to 30 write their comments about the instrument and suggestions for improving it (see Appendix A). Based on the comments and suggestions made by the jury of experts, certain statements were modified and/or reorganized. Human Subjects Approval Before initiating the study, the researcher forwarded the instrument and a statement regarding the purpose of the study to the chairperson of the Michigan State University Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (UCRIHS) for approval. Ehufli approval was necessary because the study involved human subjects. Approval was granted to conduct the research (see Appendix B). Collection of Data The first mailing was sent to all 36 black secondary school agricultural education teachers in NOrth Carolina on March 15, 1993. .A package containing 21 cover letter explaining the purpose of the study, the questionnaire, and a stamped envelope addressed to the researcher were included in the mailing (see Appendix C). Potential respondents were assured that their replies would be kept confidential; they were encouraged to complete and return their questionnaires in 10 days. The response rate from the first mailing was 44% (16). A second instrument and a return-addressed stamped 31 envelope were sent to the 20 nonrespondents on April 5, 1993, with a cover letter urging them to return their completed questionnaires by April 19, 1993 (see Appendix D). The response rate increased to 75% (27). A third instrument and a return-addressed stamped envelope were sent to the remaining nonrespondents on April 26, 1993, with a cover letter urging them to return their completed questionnaires by May 10, 1993 (see Appendix E). As a result of this third and final mailing, the response rate increased. to 94% ($4). Borg (1981) indicated ‘that a minimum response of 70% is needed to place confidence in the study findings. Data-Analysis Procedures The data collected from the respondents’ questionnaires were coded for processing and analysis. The computer facilities in the Agricultural and Extension Education Department at MSU were used to analyze the data. The SPSS/PC+ computer program was used to perform the data analyses. Descriptive statistics 'were ‘used. to summarize the data pertaining to the personal characteristics of the respondents. jFrequency counts, percentages, and. means were calculated for the descriptive data. In addition, p— tests and one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were run to determine whether there were significant differences in 32 respondents’ attitudes toward student-related, teacher— related, and educational-linkage aspects of making their curriculum more internationally focused, based on selected demographic characteristics of the respondents. On the questionnaire, respondents indicated their attitudes toward various aspects of making their programs :more internationally focused, using' a .5-point Likert-type scale. A rating of 1 indicated strong disagreement, and a rating of 5 indicated strong agreement. The mean scores for the attitudinal statements were calculated to discover the favorability of the respondents’ attitudes toward various aspects (Hf making their programs more internationally focused. The results of these data analyses are presented in Chapter IV. CHAPTER IV FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION Introduction The researcher’s purpose in this study was to deter- mine the attitudes of African American agricultural educa- tion teachers in North Carolina toward student-related, teacher-related, and educational-linkage aspects of making their’ programs 'more internationally focused. In this chapter, the findings of the study are presented in three sections. Demographic characteristics of the African American agricultural education teachers who completed the survey instrument are presented first. Second, the atti- tudes of the respondents toward student-related aspects, teacher—related aspects, and educational—linkage aspects of making their programs more internationally focused are presented. The third section contains results of the analyses of differences in attitudes based on respondents’ demographic characteristics. Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents The demographic characteristics that were examined in this study were age, gender, years of teaching experience, membership in professional societies/organizations, cosmo- politanism, reading Agricultural Education magazine, 33 34 reading newspapers for agricultural information, residence, mobility, participation in national and inter- national seminars/conferences, and primary teaching area. The researcher also was interested in knowing whether the participants were interested in receiving IAEP instruc- tional materials, although this is not a demographic characteristic. Findings regarding each of these charac- teristics are presented in the following pages. A32 The respondents ranged in age from 25 to 63 years; the average age was 38.21 years. As shown in Table 1, the largest. proportion (44%) of the agricultural education teachers in this study were 31 to 40 years old, compared to 27% who were 25 to 30 years old. Twenty-one percent of the respondents were 42 to 52 years old, whereas only 9% were 53 to 63 years old. More than two-thirds (71%) of the respondents were 41 years old or younger. Table 1.--Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to their age (N = 34). Age Number Percent 25-30 years 9 26.5 31-41 years 15 44.1 42-52 years 7 20.6 53-63 years 3 8.8 Total 34 100.0 35 Gender Table 2 shows the distribution of the respondents according to their gender. As shown in the table, 91% (31) of the respondents were males. The remaining 9% (3) of the respondents were females. Table 2.--Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to their gender (N = 34). Gender Number Percent Male 31 91.2 Female 3 8.8 Total 34 100.0 Teaching Experience Data concerning the teaching experience of the respondents are shown in Table 3. More than one-half (59% or 20) of the respondents had 10 years or more of teaching experience. Almost one-third (32% (n: 11) of the respondents had 2 to 9 years of teaching experience, and only 9% (3) had fewer than 2 years of teaching experience. Thus, the majority (59% or 20) of the teachers in this study had a high level of teaching experience. 36 Table 3.--Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to their teaching experience (N = 34). Teaching Experience Number Percent Fewer than 2 years 3 8.8 2-5 years 7 20.6 6-9 years 4 11.8 10-13 years 6 17.6 14 years or more 14 41.2 Total 34 100.0 Membership in Professional Societies/Organizations Respondents were asked to indicate the professional societies/organizations of which they had been members during the last 5 years. These societies/organizations included. (a) the .North Carolina Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association, (b) the North Carolina Association of Educators, (c) the National Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association, (d) the American Vocational Association, (e) the North Carolina 4-H Agent Association, (f) FFA Alumni, and (g) Gamma Sigma Delta. As shown in Table 4, 25 (74%) respondents held membership in the North Carolina Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association. Twenty-four (71%) respondents belonged.tx3 the National Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association. Twenty (59%) respondents held membership in the North Carolina Association of Educators. Fourteen 37 (42%) respondents held membership in the American Vocational Association, and 12 (35%) were FFA Alumni. Only 3 (9%) of the 34 agricultural education teachers who participated in this study held membership in the North Carolina 4-H Agent Association. None of the respondents held membership in the Association for International Education and Extension, Phi Delta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, or Alpha Zeta. Table 4.--Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to their membership in professional societies/ organizations. Society/Organization Number Percent North Carolina Vocational Teachers Association 25 74 National Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association 24 71 North Carolina Association of Educators 20 59 American Vocational Association 14 41 FFA Alumni 12 35 North Carolina 4-H Agent Association 3 9 Gamma Sigma Delta 1 3 Cosmopolitanism The term "cosmopolitanism" refers to the orientation of an individual external to his or her own social system. 38 Respondents were asked to indicate their level of cosmo- politanism by responding to the following questions: Have you ever traveled to a foreign country? Have you ever hosted a foreigner in your home? Have you ever hosted a foreigner in your class? As shown in Table 5, 14 (41%) of the agricultural education ‘teachers ‘who jparticipated in this study had traveled to another country. Thirty percent (10) of the respondents had hosted a foreigner in their class, and 9% (3) of them had hosted a foreigner in their homes. Table 5.—-Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to their cosmopolitanism. Cosmopolitanism Number Percent Traveled to a foreign country 14 41 Hosted a foreigner in class 10 30 Hosted a foreigner in the home 3 9 Reading Agricultural Education Magazine More than two-thirds (73% or 24) of the respondents read Agricultural Education magazine; 27% (9) did not (see Table 6). 39 Table 6.--Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to their reading of Agricultural Education magazine. Read Magazine Number Percent Yes 24 72.7 NO 9 27.3 Total 33 100.0 The teachers who read Agricultural Education magazine were asked how many issues they had read during 1991—92. As shown in Table 7, one-half (50% or 12) of the respond- ents read 6 to 9 issues of the magazine, compared to 25% (6) who read 10 or more issues. Four respondents (17%) read 2 to 5 issues of the magazine, whereas 8% (2) read fewer than 2 issues during that period. Hence, a majority of the respondents read Agricultural Education magazine. Table 7.--Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to the number of issues of Agricultural Educa- tion magazine read during 1991-92. Number of Issues Number Percent Fewer than 2 issues 4 8.3 2 to 5 issues 4 16.7 6 to 9 issues 12 50.0 10 or more issues 6 25.0 40 Interest in Receiving IAEP Instructional Materials More than 90% (31) of the respondents were interested in receiving instructional materials relative to making their programs more internationally focused. Two (6%) of the respondents ‘were not interested in receiving such materials (see Table 8). Table 8.--Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to their interest in receiving IAEP instruc- tional materials. Interested Number Percent Yes 31 93.9 No 2 6.1 Total 33 100.0 Reading of Newspapers for Agricultural Information More than 90% (31) of the respondents read newspapers for agricultural information, whereas only 9% (3) did not (see Table 9). 41 Table 9.--Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to their reading of newspapers for agricultural information. Read Newspapers for Ag. Info. Number Percent Yes 31 91.2 No 3 8.8 Total 34 100.0 The respondents who read newspapers for agricultural information were asked to furnish the names of those newspapers. Twenty-six newspapers were nemtioned. The News and Observer was read by the most respondents, followed by the Charlotte Observer, the Daily Herald, the Fayetteville Observer Times, the Wilson Daily Times, and the Daily Southerner (see Table 10). Residence The data shown in Table 11 indicate that almost one- half (47.1% or' 16) of ‘the respondents lived. in rural nonfarm areas. Slightly more than one-fifth (24% or 8) of the respondents lived in rural farm areas, and 18% (6) lived in suburban areas. The lowest proportion (12% or 4) of respondents lived in urban areas. 42 Table 10.--Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to newspapers read. Newspaper No. Newspaper No. News and Observer 9 Henderson Daily 1 Charlotte Observer 5 Durham Herald 1 Daily Herald 5 News Reporter 1 Fayetteville Obser. 5 Wilmington Morn. Star 1 Wilson Daily Times 3 Winston—Salem Journal 1 Daily Southerner 2 Farm Journal 1 Robensonian 2 Progressive Farmer 1 Evening Telegram 2 Wallace Enterprise 1 Roanoke Rapids 1 Anson Record 1 Enquirer Journal 1 State News 1 Northampton News 1 Daily Record 1 Harnette News 1 Louisburg Exchange 1 Kinston Free Press 1 FFA Manager 1 Table 11.--Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to their residence. Residence Number Percent Rural nonfarm 16 47.1 Rural farm 8 23.5 Suburban 6 17.6 Urban 4 11.8 Total 34 100.0 Mobilit As shown in Table 12, more than two—fifths (44% or 15) of the respondents had never changed their residence during the past 10 years, whereas 27% (9) had changed 43 their residence 2 to 3 times. Fifteen percent (5) of the respondents had changed their residence at least once, compared to 12% (4) who had changed 4 to 6 times; only 3% (1) had changed residence more than 10 times. Table 12.--Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to their changes in residence during the past 10 years. Number of Changes Number Percent Never changed 15 44.1 1 time 5 14.7 2-3 times 9 26.5 4-6 times 4 11.8 More than 10 times 1 2.9 Total 34 100.0 Participation in National and International Seminars/ Conferences As shown in Table 13, the majority (67% or 22) of the respondents had. participated in fewer than 2 national seminars/conferences” and. slightly“ less than one-fourth (24% or 8) had participated in 2 tanS national seminars/ conferences since entering the teaching profession» Six percent (2) of the respondents had participated in 10 to 13 seminars/conferences, and 3% (1) had participated in 14 or more seminars/conferences. 44 Table 13.--Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to their participation in national seminars/ conferences. Amount of Participation Number Percent Fewer than 2 seminars/conferences 22 66.7 2-5 seminars/conferences 8 24.2 10-13 seminars/conferences 2 6.1 14 or more seminars/conferences 1 3.0 Total 33 100.0 The greatest proportion (97% or 32) of respondents had participated in fewer than 2 international seminars/ conferences. The remaining respondent (3%) had partici- pated in 2 1x: 5 international seminars/conferences since entering the teaching profession (see Table 14). Thus, it can be seen that the responding teachers had.21 very low level of participation in international seminars and conferences. Table 14.--Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to their participation in international seminars/conferences. Amount of Participation Number Percent Fewer than 2 seminars/conferences 32 97 2-5 seminars/conferences 1 3 Total 33 100 45 Primary Teaching Area Table 15 contains data concerning the respondents’ primary teaching areas in the secondary schools. More than half (53% or 18) of the respondents primarily taught horticulture, whereas 21% (7) taught production agriculture, 12% (4) taught agriculture mechanics, 9% (3) taught forestry and natural resources, and only 6% (2) taught an introductory agriculture and natural resources course or a class on agriculture in our lives. Table 15.—-Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to their primary teaching area. Teaching Area Number Percent Horticulture 18 52.9 Production agriculture 7 20.6 Agriculture mechanics 4 11.8 Forestry & natural resources 3 8.8 Intro. to agriculture & natural resources/agriculture in our lives 2 5.9 Total 34 100.0 Respondents’ Attitudes Toward Various Aspects of Making Their Curriculum More Internationally Focused An attitude is "a predisposition to respond favorably or unfavorably" txn something (Ajzen, 1988, EL 4). The success of helping secondary school agricultural education 46 teachers make their programs more internationally focused is. directly’ related. to the teachers’ attitudes toward various aspects of these program thrusts. In this study, it was important to understand the attitudes of the participants 'toward. :making' their' programs :more internationally focused, in order to provide them with the proper guidance for planning and executing such programs. Three different aspects of making the program more internationally focused. were considered. in this study. These were (a) student-related aspects, (b) teacher- related aspects, and (c) educational-linkage aspects of the programs. Respondents’ mean scores on the Likert—type statements concerning the three aspects of making their programs more internationally focused were calculated using the SPSS/PC+ computer program. Scores on each statement could range from 1.00 to 5.00, with a rating of 1.00 indicating strongly disagreeable attitudes toward making their programs more internationally focused and a score of 5.00 indicating strongly agreeable attitudes toward. this issue. IEven ‘though. a scale ranging from Strongly Disagree (1) to Strongly Agree (5) was used in the instrument, the researcher' developed the following categories as a way of trying to determine the extent to which. the respondents ‘were favorable toward the three 47 aspects of making their programs more internationally focused: Category Rating Highly Unfavorable < 1.50 Unfavorable 1.50-2.49 Neutral 2.50-3.49 Favorable 3.50-4.49 Highly Favorable > 4.49 Respondents’ attitudes regarding eaCh of the aspects are discussed in the following sections. Respondents’ Attitudes Toward Student- Related Aspects of Making Their Cur- riculum More Internationally Focused The survey instrument contained 35 statements concerning student-related aspects of making the programs more internationally focused. Respondents indicated their attitude toward each statement, using a 5-point Likert- type scale ranging from Highly Unfavorable (1) to Highly Favorable (5). Respondents’ computed. mean scores for these statements ranged from 3.91 to 4.94; the average was 4.43. Thus, the respondents were distributed between only two categories with regard to student-related aspects of making' their' programs ‘more internationally focused, as shown in Table 16. 48 Table 16.--Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to their mean ratings of student-related aspects of making their programs more internationally focused. Rating Number Percent Favorable 15 46.9 Highly Favorable 19 53.1 Total 34 100.0 The data in Table 16 indicate that more than half (53% (n: 19) of the respondents had highly favorable attitudes toward student-related aspects of making their programs more internationally focused. The remaining respondents (47% or 15) had favorable attitudes. Means also were calculated for each of the statements concerning student—related aspects. 'These means are shown in Appendix F, Table F.1. All of the means ranged from 4.18 to 4.71 except. the :mean for ‘the statement, "Basic IAEP concepts are not too complex for the average agriculture education student" (Mean = 3.94). The findings showed that, in general, the respondents had highly favorable attitudes toward the student-related aspects of making their programs more internationally focused. The. respondents agreed that students should understand (a) the basic geography of the state, nation, and world; (b) global agriculture and its effect on U.S. 49 agriculture; (c) future changes in global agriculture; (d) interaction with people of other countries; (e) international marketing systems; (f) culture, infrastruc- ture, standard of living, economy, politics, and natural resources of other countries; (9) the global perspective with respect to career opportunities; and (h) inter- dependence. Respondents’ Attitudes Toward Teacher- Related Aspects of Making Their Cur- riculum More Internationally Focused The survey instrument contained 27 statements concerning teacher-related aspects of making the programs Imnxa internationally' focused. Respondents indicated their attitude toward each statement, using a 5- point Likert-type scale ranging from Highly Unfavorable (1) to Highly Favorable (5). Respondents’ computed mean scores for these statements ranged from 3.41 to 5.00; the average was 4.11. Thus, the respondents were distributed among only three categories with regard to teacher-related aspects of making their programs more internationally focused, as shown in Table 17. The data presented in Table 17 indicate that almost three-fourths (73% or 22) of the respondents had favorable attitudes toward teacher—related aspects cufzmaking their programs more internationally focused. Almost one-fourth (23% or 7) of the respondents had highly favorable 50 attitudes, and only 1 (3.3%) had a neutral attitude about such aspects. Table 17.--Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to their mean ratings of teacher-related aspects of making their programs more internationally focused. Rating Number Percent Neutral 1 3.3 Favorable 22 73.4 Highly Favorable 7 23.3 Total 30 100.0 The means calculated for each statement concerning teacher-related aspects are shown in Appendix F, Table F.2. Twenty-six of the 27 statements had means above 3.5, indicating favorable or highly favorable attitudes. The only statement with a mean below 3.5 was "International- izing my agricultural education program will improve my working relationship with other school personnel" (Mean = 3.42). The respondents had favorable attitudes about. the teacher-related aspects of making their programs more internationally fOCusedJ They indicated ii: is a: worthy effort and will help them improve their working relations with others and agreed to support the program. They were 51 also interested in having the FFA host students from other countries, serving on an advisory committee, and participating in overseas study tours. They thought that agricultural education teachers needed inservice training and that successful agricultural education teachers should be recognized by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the local school districts, and the North Carolina Vocational Agricultural Teachers Association for their efforts. Respondents’ Attitudes Toward Educational- Linkage Aspects of Making Their Curricu- lum More Internationally Focused The survey instrument contained 30 statements concerning educational-linkage aspects cu? making the respondents’ programs ‘more internationally focused. Respondents indicated their attitude toward each statement, using a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from Highly Unfavorable (1) to Highly Favorable (5). Respondents’ computed. mean scores for 'these statements ranged from 3.53 to 4.93; the average was 4.18. Thus, the respondents were distributed between only two categories, as shown in Table 18. The data presented in the table indicate that 72% (23) of the respondents had favorable attitudes toward educational-linkage aspects of making their programs more internationally focused, whereas 28% (9) of the respondents had highly favorable attitudes. 52 Table 18.--Distribution of African American agricultural education teachers in North Carolina according to their mean ratings of educational-linkage aspects of making their programs more inter— nationally focused. Rating Number Percent Favorable 23 71.9 Highly Favorable 9 28.1 Total 32 100.0 The means for all (M5 the statements regarding educational-linkage aspects are shown in Appendix F, Table F.3. The means ranged from 3.59 to 4.53, indicating favorable attitudes toward educational-linkage aspects of making the programs more internationally focused. The findings indicated that the agricultural education teachers who participated in this study were in agreement that, in making their programs more internationally focused, their program should: 1. Be a part of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the Division of vocational Education Services, the local school district, and the Department of Agricultural Education and Extension at North Carolina A & T State University. 2. Maintain linkages with the United States Department of Agriculture, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, and the private sector. 53 3. Be integrated into the graduate and undergraduate programs of schools, colleges, and universities. 4. Involve departmental staff, faculty, administra- tors, teachers, counselors, iadvisory' committee :members, members from the local community, FFA alumni, and parents in the planning, evaluation, and implementation of the international initiatives. Differences in Attitudes Based on Respondents’ Demographic Characteristics Considering that there were only 34 respondents, and there were major differences in the number of respondents relative to demographics, the researcher was not obligated to determine significant differences by examining the demographic characteristics. However, to learn how to use and interpret SPSS/PC+, the researcher decided to run some additional analyses. The statistical analyses that were run on the demographic characteristics were the p-test and ANOVA. The p-test is used to determine whether there was a significant. difference between the means of two categories. This test was run on the following demographic characteristics: gender, reading Agricultural Educatitui magazine, reading :newspapers for agricultural information, and cosmopolitanism. The findings indicated that there were no significant differences in the attitudes of the African American 54 agricultural education teachers based. sections. The. first section. contained statements concerning student-related, teacher-related, and educational-linkage aspects of making the secondary school programs more internationally focused. The second section was designed to elicit demographic information about the respondents. Descriptive: statistics (frequencies, ‘means, and percentages) were used to summarize the data pertaining to the. demographic characteristics. of the respondents and their attitudes toward student-related, teacher-related, and educational-linkage aspects of making their educational programs more internally focused” Major findings are summarized in the following section. Major Findings Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents Almost three-fourths (71% or 24) of the respondents were 41 years old or younger. Ninety-one percent (31) of the respondents were males. More than one-half (59% or 20) of them had 10 or more years of teaching experience. Fifty-three percent (18) of the respondents primarily taught horticulture. The majority (47% or 16) of the 58 respondents lived in a rural nonfarm area. More than two- fifths (44% or 15) of the respondents had never changed their residence in the past 10 years. Twenty-five respondents (74%) held membership in the North Carolina Vocational Agriculture Teachers Associa- tion, and 24 (71%) belonged to the National Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association. The teachers had a very low level of participation in national and international seminars. The majority (67% or 22) of respondents had participated in fewer than two national seminars, and 97% (32) had. participated in fewer than two international seminars. The largest portion of respondents (14 or 41%) had traveled to a foreign country, 10 (30%) respondents had hosted a foreigner in their class, and only 3 (9%) respondents had hosted a foreigner in their homes. The majority (24 or 73%) of the teachers in this study read Agricultural Education magazine. Fifty percent (12) of those who read the magazine read 6 1x3 9 issues during 1991-92. Ninety-one percent (31) of the teachers read newspapers for agricultural information. In addition, almost 94% (31) of the respondents were inter- ested. in receiving instructional materials relative to making their programs more internationally focused. 59 Attitudes Toward Student—Related Aspects of Making the Curriculum More Internationally Focused All 34 teachers who participated in this study had favorable (47%) or highly favorable (53%) attitudes toward student-related aspects of making their programs more internationally focused. They agreed that students should understand (a) the basic geography of the state, nation, and world; (b) global agriculture and its effect on U.S. agriculture; (c) future changes in global agriculture; (d) interactions with people from other countries; (e) international marketing systems; (f) the culture, infrastructure, standard of living, economy, politics, and natural resources of other countries; (g) global perspectives with respect to career opportunities; and (h) international interdependence. Attitudes Toward Teacher—Related Aspects of Making the Curriculum More Internationally Focused The largest portion of the participating teachers had favorable (22 or 73%) or highly favorable (7 or 23%) attitudes toward teacher-related aspects of making their programs more internationally focused. They indicated that the effort was a worthy one, that it would help them improve their working relations with others, and that they were willing to support the program. The respondents were interested in having their FFA chapter host students from 60 other countries, in serving on an advisory committee, and in. participating in ani overseas study ‘tour. The respondents thought inservice training was needed and that teachers who were successful should be recognized by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the local school board, and the North Carolina Vocational Agricultural Teacher Association tin: their international efforts. Attitudes Toward Educational-Linkage Aspects of Making the Curriculum More Internationally Focused Thirty-two of the respondents had favorable (23 or 72%) or highly favorable (9 or 28%) attitudes toward educational-linkage aspects of making their programs more internationally focused. They indicated that internation- alizing the agricultural education program should be a part of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruc- tion, the Division of Vocational Education Services, the local school district, and the Department of Agricultural Education and Extension at North Carolina A&T State University. They believed that IAEP programs should maintain linkages with the United States Department of Agriculture, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, and the private sector. They also believed that these .pa programs should be integrated into schools’, colleges’, and universities’ graduate and undergraduate programs. 61 Respondents also thought that departmental staff, faculty, administrators, teachers, counselors, advisory committee members, people from the local community, FFA alumni, and parents should be involved in the planning, evaluation, and implementation of the programs. Comparison of the Findings With Those From Hossain’s Study This study of the attitudes of African American agricultural education teachers in NOrth Carolina toward internationalizing their agricultural education programs was based on Hossain’s (1992) research on the attitudes of agriscience teachers in Michigan toward internationalizing the agricultural education program. Thus, it is appropriate to compare the findings of the two studies. In examining the comparison of findings shown in Table 19, it should be noted that Hossain’s sample comprised 160 teachers, whereas 34 teachers participated in the present study. Conclusions The .agricultural education teachers from. North Carolina who participated in this research had favorable or highly favorable attitudes toward student-related, teacher-related, and educational-linkage aspects of making their programs more internationally focused. Based on these findings, the researcher concluded that: 62 Table 19.--Comparison of the findings from Hossain’s study with those from the present study. North Carolina Michigan Category Agriculture Agriscience Teachers Teachers (N = 34) (N = 141) Age (41 or younger) 71% 56% Teaching experience 59% 69% (10 or more years) Primary teaching area 53% 41% (Hortic.) (Ag. & Nat. Resources) Residence 47% 45% No change in residence in last 10 years Attitudes toward student-related aspects Favorable/highly favor. Attitudes toward teacher-related aspects Favorable/highly favor. Attitudes toward educational-linkage aspects Favorable/highly favor. (Rural nonfarm) 44% 100% 100% (Rural farm) 41% 92% 70% 63 1. These agricultural education teachers were inter- ested in internationalizing their programs. 2. These teachers should be involved in the plan- ning, implementation, and evaluation of future inter- nationalizing initiatives in North Carolina. 3. These teachers would support efforts to inter- nationalize the agricultural education programs in their schools. Implications Internationalizing the agricultural education program is the first step in making students more aware of the global community in which they live. North Carolina has made an effort to internationalize the agricultural education programs in the state. The key implication derived from this study is that North Carolina Agricul- tural and Technical State University should involve the teachers who participated in this study in future efforts to internationalize the agricultural education programs in the state. These teachers are receptive to inter- nationalizing the program, so it is important for North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University to take the next step and involve these teachers in the international thrust. 64 It is also suggested that: 1. Educators in North Carolina should become involved in making their programs more internationally focused. 2. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruc— tion and the Agricultural Education and Extension Department of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University should work with the United States Department of Agriculture and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture to make the internationalization effort successful. 3. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University should strive to implement internationalization of the program and thereby to increase students’ and teachers’ global awareness. 4. Selected reading materials and instructional materials on international agriculture should be gathered or prepared for use by the agricultural education teachers in North Carolina. 5. Inservice training should. be developed to help agricultural education teachers integrate international concepts into the program. 65 Recommendations for Further Study Efforts to internationalize the agricultural education programs in North Carolina are in the beginning stages, and little research has been done on this subject. Thus, the following recommendations are made for further study: 1. A. study should. be conducted to determine the attitudes of students in North Carolina toward inter— nationalizing the program. 2. A study should be done to determine what factors are associated with agricultural education teachers’ participation in internationalizing their programs. 3. The present study should be replicated in other states where internationalizing the agricultural education program has not been given a high priority. 4. Research should be done to determine the atti- tudes of the entire population of secondary school agricultural education teachers in North Carolina. APPENDICES APPENDIX A LETTER TO JURY OF EXPERTS AND COMMENT SHEET 66 February 9, 1993 Dear Dr. I am in the process of conducting a Master of Science thesis entitled, "Attitudes of African-American Agricultural Educators Toward Internationalizing Agricultural Education Programs." Enclosed is a draft copy of the questionnaire to be used in the study. It would be a great help to me if you would review the enclosed questionnaire for content validity and make any comments or suggestions. I am particularly interested in your response to the questions on the attached pages. Feel free to make suggestions and/or comments on the questionnaire. Based upon your input and responses from other reviewers, the questionnaire will be revised and sent to the respondents. If at all possible, I would like to have your reaction to this questionnaire by February 22, 1993. This would allow me to keep on my time schedule for completing all requirements for the Master of Science degree. Thank you for assisting in this study. Sincerely, W m 7&éé 12,; Erica M. Battle Master of Science Student Enclosure (2) 67 COMMENT SHEET FOR REVIEWERS 1. Are the directions clear and easy to understand? If not, please make suggestions for improving. 2. Is the content easy to understand? If not, please explain. 3. Are the questions relevant to agricultural educators? 4. Do you think any questions should be revised or omitted? If not, please make suggestions for improving. 68 Is the length of the questionnaire acceptable? In your opinion, is the questionnaire format conducive to eliciting accurate responses? Additional comments. APPENDIX B LETTER OF APPROVAL FROM THE MSU COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS 69 MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH EAST LANSING ° MICHIGAN 0 48824-1046 AND BEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL February 25, 1993 TO: Ms. Erica M. Battle %Dr. Eddie A. Moore 410 Agriculture Hall RE: IRB 11’: 93-064 TITLE: ATTITUDES OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION TEACHERS TOWARD INTERNATIONALIZING AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION - PROGRAMS REVISION REQUESTED: NIA CATEGORY: l-C APPROVAL DATE: 02/25/1993 The University Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects‘ (UCRIHS) review of this project is complete. I am pleased to advise that the rights and welfare of the human subjects appear to be adequately protected and methods to obtain informed consent are apprOpn'ate. Therefore, the UCRIHS approved this project including any revision listed above. ‘ UCRIHS approval is valid for one calendar year, beginning with the approval date shown above. Investigators planning to continue a project beyond one year must seek updated certification. Request for renewed approval must be accompanied by all four of the following mandatory assurances. l. The human subjects protocol is the same as in previous studies. 2.. There have been no ill effects suffered by the subjects due to their participation in the study. 3 There have been no complaints by the subjects or their representatives related to their participation in the study. 4. There has not been a change in the research environment nor new information which would indicate greater risk to human subjects than that assumed when the protocol was initially reviewed and approved. There is a maximum of four such expedited renewals possible. lnv estigators wishing to conunue a project beyond that time need to submit it again for complete review. UCRII-IS must review any changes in procedures involving human subjects, prior to initiation of the change. Investigators must notify UCRIHS promptly of any problems (unexpected side effects. complaints. etc.) involving human subjects during the course of the work. If we can be of any future help, please do not hesitate to contact us at (517) 355-2180 or FAX (517) 336-1171. Sincerely, David E. Wright. Ph% UCRIHS Chair DEW1pjm MSU is an A/fimmnw Action/Equal Opportunity lnsmuuon APPENDIX C COVER LETTER AND SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE 70 March 15, 1993 TO: Selected Secondary Agricultural Educators in North Carolina FROM: Erica Battle, Master of Science Graduate Student at Michigan State University Eddie A. Moore, Professor Michigan State University Arthur P. Bell, Chairperson and Professor North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University SUBJECT: A Master of Science Study Entitled, "Attitudes of Selected Agricultural Educators Toward Internationalizing Agricultural Education Programs" As part of the Master of Science degree requirement at Michigan State University, Ms. Erica Battle, a 1992 graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, is interested in conducting the above mentioned research. Several states including California, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have made some progress in recent years to internationalize their secondary school agricultural education programs. A majority of the funding for these efforts has come from the National Council for Agricultural Education, as a result of funding from the United States-Japan Foundation. Additional states around the country have also expressed the need to internationalize their secondary programs including the state of North Carolina. Lack of external funding has prevented many states from making the type of progress they would like to make in the internationalization of their secondary agricultural education programs. This study is a step in the right direction with regard to internationalizng secondary agricultural education programs in North Carolina. It is reasonable to state that if any internationalizing efforts are going to be successful in the state, it is appropriate to determine the attitudes of teachers relative to this thrust. Your views regarding such an activity are important. However, your participation in this study is voluntary and if you elect to respond to the enclosed questionnaire, your responses will be kept confidential. We are most interested in group responses. Therefore, no attempt will be made to identify individual responses. 71 It will take about 15 minutes to complete the questionnaire. In order to assist in keeping the study on schedule, we would be most appreciate if you would return the completed questionnaire in the enclosed self— addressed envelope on or before March 15, 1993. If you would like to have a summary of the study findings, please enclose a note with your name and address, and return it with the questionnaire. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Erica Battle at 517—355-3905 or Professor Eddie Moore at 517-355-6580. Thanks for your assistance in helping to complete this valuable study. Best personal regards! ERICA BATTLE EDDIE A. MOORE ARTHUR P. BELL MS.D. CANDIDATE PROFESSOR MSU CHAIRPERSON NCA&TSU AGRICULTURE AND EXTENSION EDUCATION 410 AGRICULTURAL HALL MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY EAST LANSING, MI 48824 Enclosure 72 Agricultural & Extension Education 410 Agriculture Hall Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 488824-1039 Respondent Number Please do not write your namg, on this questionnair§4_ The respondent number will be used for group analysis and follow-up if needed. All responses are completely confidential. Directions: The questionnaire is divided into sections. The first section contains statements concerning how selected agricultural education teachers in North Carolina feel about various aspects of Internationalizing Agricultural Education Programs (IAEP). There are no "right" or "wrong" responses to these items. The correct response is YOUR PERSONAL OPINION. We want to know HOW YOU FEEL about each statement. "You indicate your voluntary agreement to participate by completing and returning this instrument." Please read each statement carefully; Then indicate your agreement or disagreement by circling a response from the scale shown to the right of each statement. If youTSTRONGLY DISAGREE, circle.......SD If you DISAGREE, circle................D If you are neutral, circle.... ....... ..N If you AGREE, circle.......... ......... A If you STRONGLY AGREE, circle..........SA EXAMPLE ' "THE DREAMER IS A DANGER TO SOCIETY." SD D N A SA THE RESPONSE OF A INDICATES THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL AGREES WITH THE STATEMENT; THE INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTS THE STATEMENT, BUT NOT VERY STRONGLY. SECTION I: STATEMENT REGARDING INTERNATIONALIZING AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS (IAEP) [International Agricultural Education is a broad instructional area of global agriculture through which students gain an understanding of geographical, political, and economic factors influencing agriculture; global agricultural production and consumption; trends in the production and consumption of food and fiber; agricultural practices in different countries; agricultural trade and banking practices; communication, ‘transportation, and ‘technological developments influencing agriculture; and cultural and religious differences with implications for agriculture.] 73 STUDENT-RELATED STATEMENT (circle your response) For secondary students to understand global agriculture, they should first have a basic understanding of geography of their state such as: a. Where they reside on a county map. b. Location of county on a state map. c. Identification of major cities in the state where large quantities of agricultural products are consumed. d. Location of major ports for shipping agricultural products. To help students understand agriculture from a global perspective, they should have a basic understanding of the United States and world geography such as: a. Major regions in the United States. b. Location of states in major regions in the United States. 0. Location of the seven continents in the world. d. Location of countries on those continents. e. Major oceans used in shipping agricultural products. f. Countries that are the most densely populated. Internationalizing Agricultural Education Programs (IAEP) will increase student awareness of the need for the United States to work closely with countries around the world for: a. Economic benefits b. Political benefits 0. Humanitarian benefits SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA Students are more likely to understand 74 global agriculture if they are given instruction about: a. b. IAEP will increase student’s awareness of: a. b. Global effects on American agriculture. With proper instruction and materials, students will be able to understand basic Major agricultural products that are produced in the county. What happens to local products once they leave the community. Major agricultural products that are produced in North Carolina. Major export markets for North Carolina’s agricultural products. Other states in the U.S. that are competing with North Carolina's major agricultural products. Other countries that are competing with North Carolina’s major agricultural products. Countries that need and are capable of purchasing North Carolina’s major agricultural products. Global agriculture. international agriculture concepts. Considering the countries that are projected to be the best market for North Carolina’s major products, students need to have knowledge on those countries': a. Culture. b. Infrastructure (educational system, transportation system, major industries, etc.). Standard of living Natural resources SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 75 IAEP will provide students with a global perspective with respect to career opportunities. Students should be encouraged to participate in the various national FFA international programs (World Agriculture Studies, Work Experience Abroad, Travel Seminars, etc.). Basic IAEP concepts are not too complex for the average agricultural education student. IAEP will provide students with an appreciation of nations around the world. IAEP will prepare students for future changes in global agriculture. Through IAEP, students will have an opportunity to interact with people in other parts of the world. IAEP will help students understand global agricultural marketing systems. IAEP will help students function better as citizens in a global society. TEACHER-RELATED STATEMENTS International agricultural education program efforts could benefit me personally. Internationalizing my agricultural education program will: a. Strengthen the agricultural education program. b. Improve my working relationship with other school personnel. c. Create a better relationship with the agricultural community. d. Aid in recruiting better quality students. IAEP should be given a high priority because U.S. agriculture will benefit from it. SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA 10 11. 12. 13. 14. 76 IAEP addresses the issue of a growing international interdependence in the area of agriculture. Agriculture teachers need in-service training to internationalize their programs. I would be interested in attending an in-service training session on how to internationalize my program. Agricultural education teachers who would receive in-service training on how to internationalize agricultural education programs are likely to be more successful in this integration effort than teachers who would not receive such training. For teachers to understand global agriculture they should be given selected reading materials that they can easily use in the classroom. Internationalizing my program is worth the effort. I would be supportive of an initiative to internationalize agricultural education programs in North Carolina. North Carolina A&T State University’s Department of Agricultural Education and Extension should provide resources to support the infusion of an international dimension into agriculture education programs. I would encourage my students to participate in National FFA international programs. I would be interested in having my FFA chapter serve as a host chapter for a student from another country. I wish to increase my understanding of global agriculture by participating in a planned overseas study tour. SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD N A SA N A SA N A SA N A SA N A SA N A SA N A SA N A SA N A SA N A SA N A SA 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 77 Agricultural education teachers who are successful in internationalizing their programs should be recognized by: a. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. b. The local school district. c. The North Carolina Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association. A well-implemented IAEP will improve the image of the agricultural education teacher. If statewide IAEP efforts are to be successful, teachers should be directly involved in: a. Planning statewide programs. b. Implementing statewide programs. 0. Evaluating statewide programs. I would be willing to serve on an advisory committee for the purpose of strengthening IAEP thrusts. Internationalizing agricultural education programs in this state should receive high priority. As agricultural education teachers, we should view the world as our laboratory to prepare students for working and living in a global society. EDUCATIONAL LINKAGES Global education/international understanding should be a part of the philosophvggtatement of: a. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. b. The Division of Vocational Education Services. 0. The local school district. d. The Department of Agricultural Education and Extension at NCA&T State University. SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA 78 Global education/international understanding should be a part of the goal statements of: a. The North Carolina Department of Education. b. The Division of Vocational Education Services. 0. The local school district. d. The Department of Agricultural Education and Extension at NCA&T State University. Local global education/international understanding initiatives should be funded by: a. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. b. The Division of Vocational Education Services. c. The local school district. IAEP should be linked directly to international efforts of: a. The United States Department of Agriculture. b. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture. 0. The private sector. International concepts should be integrated into every facet of the school curriculum, including: a. Grades K-5 b. Grades 6-8 c. Grades 9-12 International concepts should be included in the undergraduate curriculum of college students. International concepts should be included in university graduate programs. SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA 79 Local agricultural education internationalizing initiatives are more likely to be successful if they involve: a. b. North Carolina Department of Public Instruction staff. NCA&T State University Department of Agricultural Education and Extension faculty. School administrators. The Division of Vocational Education Services. Local Teachers. Local counselors. Advisory committee members. Individuals from the local agricultural community. FFA alumni. Parents. Agricultural Education Faculty at North Carolina State University. Other (specify) ‘SECTION II: DEMOGRAPHIC ITEMS SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD SD Please indicate your primary area of teaching: -(1) Forestry and Natural Resources -(2) Horticulture -(3) Agriculture Mechanics -(4) Production agriculture —(5) Other (specify) 0 U U U U 32 Z :5 2 y W 3’ IV V V y SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA SA Would you be interested in receiving instructional materials for Internationalizing Agricultural Education Programs? -(1) Yes -(2) No Your age: Years. 80 Gender: -(1) Female -(2) Male Do you read the Agricultural Education Magazine? -(1) No -(2) Yes If yes, please indicate the number of issues you read during the 1991-1992 year. -(1) Fewer than 2 -(2) 2 - 5 -(3) 6 - 9 -(4) 10 or more Do you read agricultural information in your newspaper? -(1) No -(2) Yes If yes, please indicate the names of the newspaper(s). How many national seminars/conferences have you participated in since entering the teaching profession? —(1) Fewer than 2 seminars/conferences -(2) 2 - 5 seminars/conferences -(3) 6 - 9 seminars/conferences -(4) 10 — 13 seminars/conferences -(5) 14 or more seminars/conferences How many international seminars/conferences have you participated in since entering the teaching profession? -(1) Fewer than 2 seminars/conferences -(2) 2 - 5 seminars/conferences -(3) 6 — 9 seminars/conferences -(4) 10 - 13 seminars/conferences -(5) 14 or more seminars/conferences 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 81 How much teaching experience have you had? -(1) Fewer than 2 years -(2) 2 - 5 years -(3) 6 - 9 years -(4) 10 - 13 years -(5) 14 years or more Please indicate the location of your present residence? -(1) Rural farm -(2) Rural non-farm -(3) Suburban -(4) Urban Please check all the professional societies/organizations in which you have held membership in during the last five years. -(1) North Carolina Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association -(2) North Carolina Association of Educators -(3) National Vocational Agriculture Teacher Association -(4) .Association.for International Agricultural Education.and Extension -(5) American Vocational Association —(6) Phi Delta Kappa —(7) Phi Kappa Phi -(8) Alpha Zeta -(9) Gamma Sigma Delta -(10) North Carolina 4—H Agent Association -(11) FFA Alumni -(12) others (please specify) About how many times have you changed residence during the past 10 years? -(1) None -(2) 1 time -(3) 2-3 times -(4) 4-6 times -(5) 7-10 times -(6) over 10 times Have you ever traveled to a foreign country? -(1) Yes -(2) no Have you ever hosted a foreigner in your home? -(1) yes -(2) no 82 16. Have you ever hosted a foreigner in your class? -(1) yes -(2) no 17. Additional Comments: Thank you so much for taking time to answer the questionnaire! APPENDIX D FIRST FOLLOW-UP LETTER 83 April 5, 1993 TO: Selected Secondary Agricultural Educators in North Carolina From: Erica Battle, Master of Science Graduate Student at Michigan State University Eddie A. Moore, Professor Michigan State University Arthur P. Bell, Chairperson and Professor North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University Subject: A Master of Science Study Entitled, "Attitudes of Selected Agricultural Educators Toward Internationalizing Agricultural Education Programs" Three weeks ago a questionnaire seeking your opinion about Internationalizing Agricultural Education Programs was mailed to you. As of today we have not received your completed survey. In case the initial correspondence regarding the study did not reach you, another survey is included. Please complete and return the questionnaire by April 19, 1993. Your rgsponse is yerv important to the study and will remain confidential. If you would like to have a summary of the findings, please enclose a note with your name and address, and return it with the questionnaire. If you have any questions please feel free to call Erica Battle at 517-355-3905 or Professor Eddie Moore at 517-355-6580. If you have returned the completed questionnaire please disregard this letter. Thank you for your assistance in helping to complete this valuable study. Best personal regards! Agricultural And Extension Education 410 Agricultural Hall Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824 Enclosure APPENDIX E SECOND FOLLOW-UP LETTER 84 April 26, 1993 TO: Selected Secondary Agricultural Educators in North Carolina From: Erica Battle, Master of Science Graduate Student at Michigan State University Eddie A. Moore, Professor Michigan State University Arthur P. Bell, Chairperson and Professor North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University Subject: A Master of Science Study Entitled, "Attitudes of Selected Agricultural Educators Toward Internationalizing Agricultural Education Programs" Three weeks ago, a questionnaire seeking your opinion about Internationalizing Agricultural Education Programs was mailed to you. As of today, we have not received your completed survey. In case the initial correspondence regarding the study did not reach you, another survey is included. Please complete and return the questionnaire by MAY 10 1993. Your response is very important to the study and will remain confidential. Ms. Battle plans to complete her Master of Science degree this summer, and she needs your assistance so that she can complete her program on time. If you would like to have a summary of the findings, please enclose a note with your name and address, and return it with the questionnaire. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Erica Battle at 517-355-3905 or Professor Eddie Moore at 517-355-6580. If you have returned the completed questionnaire,mail please disregard this letter. Thank you for your assistance in helping to complete this valuable study. Best personal regards! Agricultural And Extension Education 410 Agricultural Hall Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824 Enclosure APPENDIX F SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES 85 Table F.1.--Means and standard deviations of North Carolina African American agricultural educa- tion teachers’ attitudes toward student- related aspects of making their programs more internationally focused. Statement Mean 1. For secondary students to understand global agriculture, they should first have a basic understanding of geography of their state such as: a. Where they reside on a county map. 4.59 b. Location of county on a state map. 4.62 0. Identification of major cities in the state where large quantities of agri- cultural products are consumed. 4.59 d. Location of major ports for shipping agricultural products. 4.38 2. To help students understand agriculture from a global perspective, they should have a basic understanding of the United States and world geography such as: a. Major regions in the United States. 4.71 b. Location of states in major regions in the United States. 4.53 c. Location of the seven continents in the world. 4.56 d. Location of countries on those continents. 4.29 e. Major oceans used in shipping agri- cultural products. 4.50 f. Countries that are the most densely populated. 4.41 86 Table F.1.--Continued. Statement Mean 3. Internationalizing Agricultural Education Programs (IAEP) will increase student awareness of the need for the United States to work closely with countries around the world for: a. Economic benefits. 4.59 b. Political benefits. 4.32 c. Humanitarian benefits. 4.44 4. Students are more likely to understand global agriculture if they are given instruction about: a. Major agricultural products that are produced in the county. 4.44 b. What happens to local products once they leave the community. 4.47 c. Major agricultural products that are produced in North Carolina. 4.71 d. Major export markets for North Carolina’s agricultural products. 4.62 e. Other states in the U.S. that are competing with North Carolina’s major agricultural products. 4.56 f. Other countries that are competing with North Carolina’s major agri— cultural products. 4.59 g. Countries that need and are capable of purchasing North Carolina’s major agricultural products. 4.53 5. IAEP will increase students’ awareness of: a. Global agriculture. 4.47 b. Global effects on American agriculture. 4.41 87 Table F.1.-~Continued. Statement Mean 10. 11. 12. 13. With proper instruction and materials, students will be able to understand basic international agriculture concepts. Considering the countries that are pro- jected to be the best market for North Carolina’s major products, students need to have knowledge on those countries’: a. Culture. b. Infrastructure (educational system, transportation system, major indus- tries, etc.). 0. Standard of living. d. Natural resources. IAEP will provide students with a global perspective with respect to career oppor- tunities. Students should be encouraged to partici— pate in the various national FFA inter- national programs (World Agriculture Studies, Work Experience Abroad, Travel Seminars, etc.). Basic IAEP concepts are not too complex for the average agricultural education student. IAEP will provide students with an appre- ciation of nations around the world. IAEP will prepare students for future changes in global agriculture. Through IAEP, students will have an opportunity to interact with people in other parts of the world. 88 Table F.1.—-Continued. Statement Mean l4. IAEP will help students understand global agricultural marketing systems. 4.33 15. IAEP will help students function better as citizens in a global society. 4.24 AVERAGE MEAN RATING 4.43 Note: Means were calculated on the basis of the following 5-point Likert-type scale: 1 = Strongly Disagree 2 = Disagree 3 = Neutral 4 = Agree 5 = Strongly Agree 89 Table F.2.--Means and standard deviations of North Carolina African American agricultural educa- tion teachers’ attitudes toward teacher- related aspects of making their programs more internationally focused. Statement Mean 1. International agricultural education pro- gram efforts could benefit me personally. 4.18 2. Internationalizing my agricultural edu- cation program will: a. Strengthen the agricultural education program. 4.09 b. Improve my working relationship with other school personnel. 3.42 c. Create a better relationship with the agricultural community. 4.03 d. Aid in recruiting better quality students. 4.06 3. IAEP should be given a high priority because U.S. agriculture will benefit from it. 4.15 4. IAEP addresses the issue of a growing international interdependence in the area of agriculture. 4.18 5. Agriculture teachers need inservice training to internationalize their programs. 4.24 6. I would be interested in attending an inservice training session on how to internationalize my program. 4.24 7. Agricultural education teachers who would receive inservice training on how to internationalize agricultural education programs are likely to be more successful in this integration effort than teachers who would not receive such training. 4.27 90 Table F.2.--Continued. Statement Mean 10. 11. 12. l3. 14. 15. 16. For teachers to understand global agri- culture they should be given selected reading materials that they can easily use in the classroom. Internationalizing my program is worth the effort. I would be supportive of an initiative to internationalize agricultural educa- tion programs in North Carolina. North Carolina A&T State University’s Department of Agricultural Education and Extension should provide resources to support the infusion of an international dimension into agriculture education programs. I would encourage my students to partici- pate in National FFA international programs. I would be interested in having my FFA chapter serve as a host chapter for a student from another country. I wish to increase my understanding of global agriculture by participating in a planned overseas study tour. Agricultural education teachers who are successful in internationalizing their programs should be recognized by: a. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. b. The local school district. c. The North Carolina Vocational Agri- culture Teachers Association. A well-implemented IAEP will improve the image of the agricultural education teacher. 4.12 91 Table F.2.--Continued. Statement Mean 17. If statewide IAEP efforts are to be successful, teachers should be directly involved in: a. b. C. 18. I Planning statewide programs. 4.44 Implementing statewide programs. 4.35 Evaluating statewide programs. 4.21 would be willing to serve on an advisory committee for the purpose of strengthening IAEP thrusts. 3.74 19. Internationalizing agricultural educa- tion programs in this state should receive high priority. 4.00 20. As agricultural education teachers, we should View the world as our laboratory to prepare students for working and living in a global society. 4.41 AVERAGE MEAN RATING 4.11 Note: Means were calculated on the basis of the following 5-point Likert-type scale: 1 = Strongly Disagree 2 = Disagree 3 = Neutral 4 = Agree 5 = Strongly Agree Table F.3.—-Means and standard deviations of North 92 Carolina African American agricultural educa- tion teachers’ attitudes toward educational- linkage aspects of making their programs more internationally focused. Statement Mean 1. Global education/international under- standing should be a part of the philosophy statement of: a. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. 4.03 b. The Division of Vocational Education Services. 4.15 c. The local school district. 4.00 d. The Department of Agricultural Education and Extension at NCA&T State University. 4.38 2. Global education/international under- standing should be a part of the goal statements of: a. The North Carolina Department of Education. 4.12 b. The Division of Vocational Education Services. 4.12 c. The local school district. 3.85 d. The Department of Agricultural Education and Extension at NCA&T State University. 4.38 3. Local global education/international understanding initiatives should be funded by: a. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. 4.12 b. The Division of Vocational Education Services. 4.03 c. The local school district. 3.59 93 Table F.3.--Continued. Statement Mean 4. IAEP should be linked directly to international efforts of: a. The United States Department of Agriculture. 4.44 b. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture. 4.29 c. The private sector. 3.88 5. International concepts should be inte— grated into every facet of the school curriculum, including: a. Grades K-5. 3.61 b. Grades 6-8. 4.09 0. Grades 9—12. 4.53 6. International concepts should be included in the undergraduate curriculum of college students. 4.44 7. International concepts should be included in university graduate programs. 4.53 8. Local agricultural education interna- tionalizing initiatives are more likely to be successful if they involved: a. North Carolina Department of Public Instruction staff. 4.15 b. NCA&T State University Department of Agricultural Education and Extension faculty. 4.35 c. School administrators. 4.12 d. The Division of Vocational Education Services. 4.32 e. Local teachers. 4.15 94 Table F.3.--Continued. Statement Mean 8. (Continued): f. Local counselors. 4.09 g. Advisory committee members. 4.29 h. Individuals from the local agricul- tural community. 4.32 i. FFA alumni. 4.27 j. Parents. 4.12 k. 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