Attitudes of South Carolina agricultural educators regarding the integration of science competencies into the agricultural curriculum

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of South Carolina agricultural educators regarding the integration of science competencies into the secondary agricultural curriculum.;This study was designed specifically to answer the following research questions: (1) What is the profile of the secondary agricultural education programs in South Carolina? (2) How do the South Carolina Agricultural Education teachers perceive the integration of science competencies into the agricultural curriculum? (3) What do the South Carolina Agricultural Education teachers believe are the barriers to integrating science concepts into the existing agriculture curriculum?;Students are better prepared in science after completing a course in an agricultural education class that integrates science because science integrated agricultural education programs make understanding science concepts easier. The teachers feel that greater understandings of the sciences are needed in agricultural careers today. Students better understand the relationship between science and agriculture when science competencies are integrated into the curriculum. (1) More emphasis needs to be placed into teacher preparation programs on how to integrate science into the agricultural education curriculum. (2) The teacher preparation programs should place their students with a teacher that currently has an integrated program. (3) The teacher preparations programs should provide the same instruction for the current agriculture teachers. (4) More emphasis should be placed on integrating physics instead of biology due to the lack of previous training in physics. (5) Integrating science into agriculture programs give students a better understanding of agriculture. (6) Programs that integrate science will attract students with higher or average abilities. (7) Agriculture programs that integrate science concepts do not meet the needs of special population students and lower ability students are less likely to enroll in these programs. (8) Teaching integrated science concepts better allow students to solve problems which allow them to be more motivated to learn.;The respondents indicated numerous barriers to integrating science into the agricultural education program. The physical lack of equipment and funding were the largest barriers. Other barriers included the lack of in-service workshops, lack of an integrated science curriculum, and the lack of teacher competence. Overall, there is a science teacher at the school who would be willing to help the teacher integrate science into the program. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).