Evaluation of Select National Program Quality Indicators: Self-perceptions of Agricultural Educators in Georgia within Secondary Agricultural Education Programs in Georgia

Abstract

Agricultural education is a form of education rooted in the theoretical concepts of Vygotsky and Dewey that enables students to bridge the connection between the academic curriculum and the real world in an engaging way through hands-on learning. The curriculum and relevance of agricultural education are consistently evolving to meet the world's demands through innovations needed to sustain society. As agricultural education advances, so should its programs. This study was conducted to determine if Georgia's agricultural education programs meet the National Program Quality Standards qualifiers. The population of interest for this study is Georgia agricultural educators who were on the Georgia Agricultural Education Database for the 2024-2025 school year. The instrument for this study utilized a five-point Likert scale and was disbursed using Qualtrics (N =213). All data was coded and analyzed through SPSS. Three main constructions were formed: community need, program curriculum sequential organization and advancement, and academic rigor and technical content and skills integration, which generated additional subconstructs. This statistical analysis used Cronbach's alpha to determine reliability, descriptive statistics, and Pearson's correlation test to assess significance and relationships. Results concluded that all three constructs and subconstructs aligned with "agree" on the five-point Likert scale and were statistically significant. Some subconstruct means were low, the lowest being a program's opportunity for student advancement (M = 3.66). Multiple subconstructs had weak relationships, the weakest relationship was between community and program state standards (r = 0.39), while one of the strongest relationships was between agricultural programs and their advisory committees (r = 0.69). This study demonstrated the need for advisement committees to assist and provide guidance within agricultural programs. The disconnect between the current industry needs, curriculum standards generated by the state, and the in-house structure disconnect within guidance departments. Revealing agricultural education programs in Georgia need to reconsider state curriculum and agricultural industry standards to better prepare students for the industry.