Measuring the Interest of German Students in Agriculture: The Role of Knowledge, Nature Experience, Disgust, and Gender

Autor/inn/en	Bickel, Malte; Strack, Micha; Bögeholz, Susanne
Titel	Measuring the Interest of German Students in Agriculture: The Role of Knowledge, Nature Experience, Disgust, and Gender
Quelle	In: Research in Science Education, 45 (2015) 3, S.325-344 (20 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0157-244X
DOI	10.1007/s11165-014-9425-y
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Agriculture; Grade 5; Grade 6; Factor Analysis; Student Interests; Vocational Interests; Agricultural Occupations; Agricultural Engineering; Multiple Regression Analysis; Prior Learning; Gardening; Psychological Patterns; Predictor Variables; Gender Differences; Germany + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Landwirtschaft; School year 05; 5. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 05; School year 06; 6. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 06; Faktorenanalyse; Studieninteresse; Berufsinteresse; Agriculture; Occupation; Beruf; Landwirtschaftlicher Beruf; Agrarindustrie; Agronomie; Agrarwissenschaft; Vorkenntnisse; Gartenarbeit; Prädiktor; Geschlechterkonflikt; Deutschland
Abstract	Modern knowledge-based societies, especially their younger members, have largely lost their bonds to farming. However, learning about agriculture and its interrelations with environmental issues may be facilitated by students' individual interests in agriculture. To date, an adequate instrument to investigate agricultural interests has been lacking. Research has infrequently considered students' interest in agricultural content areas as well as influencing factors on students' agricultural interests. In this study, a factorial design of agricultural interests was developed combining five agricultural content areas and four components of individual interest. The instrument was validated with German fifth and sixth graders (N?=?1,085) using a variance decomposition confirmatory factor analysis model. The results demonstrated a second-order factor of general agricultural interest, with animal husbandry, arable farming, vegetable and fruit cropping, primary food processing, and agricultural engineering as discrete content areas of agricultural interest. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that prior knowledge, garden experience, and disgust sensitivity are predictors of general agricultural interest. In addition, gender influenced interest in four of the five agricultural content areas. Implications are directed at researchers, teachers, and environmental educators concerning how to trigger and develop pupils' agricultural interests. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01