Creating Awareness of the Turkey Industry through an Online STEM-based Curriculum
Keywords:
agricultural literacy, curriculum, elementary, interestAbstract
Elementary students have minimal exposure and understanding of the farm to fork process. Exposure to agricultural curricula is critical to increase agricultural literacy and awareness of where food comes from. The objective of this study is to investigate student interest, awareness, and literacy gains after completing an online STEM-based turkey curriculum. In Fall 2021, the POULT program was implemented in 23 4th and 5th grade classrooms across [STATE] with a total of 472 student enrolled and a 53.81% response rate. Students completed 5 online modules, an interactive notebook, and a class project over six consecutive school days. Demographic information, individual interest, agricultural content questions, and situational interest were measured at various time points throughout the program. Results indicated that student content scores increased at the end compared with beginning scores (6.94 vs 9.70, P < .001). Additionally, students’ individual interest, prior knowledge of agriculture, and agricultural experiences impacted their situational interest. Novelty and attention demand were high throughout completion of the POULT Program. Students enjoyed completing the online digestion simulation game and learning about the farm to fork process. In conclusion, online STEM-based agriculture programs can be a positive way to increase students’ interest and knowledge of agriculture.
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