Proceedings of the American Association for Agricultural Education Research Conference May 15-18, 2012, Asheville, North Carolina, May 17, 2012
The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to document and explore
undergraduate... more The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to document and explore
undergraduate agricultural science students’ perceptions of their experiences in their first year of matriculation at a four year Land Grant institution. This study used a comprehensive, criterion based purposeful sample (Creswell, 2007; Patton, 2002) of nine undergraduate students at a four-year land grant institution, who were first-year students enrolled in the Agricultural Sciences major (N = 9). Interviews and reflective journals were used to make meaning of their experiences during their first year in college. When students were asked about their backgrounds, expectations, and intentions in college, five major themes emerged from the students’ responses: first generation students; strong ties to FFA, advisors, and the farm; expectations for both social and academic challenge; intentions to acquire a college degree; and diversity of answers. When asked about their experiences in their first year, students identified challenges with technology, finances, relationships, academics, and decisions-time-juggle. While brief, the students also identified positive associations with their experiences in college. The researchers offer recommendations for colleges of agriculture to assist first-year students to
academically and socially integrate into the collegiate environment to increase student retention, as well as, implications for future research.
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undergraduate agricultural science students’ perceptions of their experiences in their first year of matriculation at a four year Land Grant institution. This study used a comprehensive, criterion based purposeful sample (Creswell, 2007; Patton, 2002) of nine undergraduate students at a four-year land grant institution, who were first-year students enrolled in the Agricultural Sciences major (N = 9). Interviews and reflective journals were used to make meaning of their experiences during their first year in college. When students were asked about their backgrounds, expectations, and intentions in college, five major themes emerged from the students’ responses: first generation students; strong ties to FFA, advisors, and the farm; expectations for both social and academic challenge; intentions to acquire a college degree; and diversity of answers. When asked about their experiences in their first year, students identified challenges with technology, finances, relationships, academics, and decisions-time-juggle. While brief, the students also identified positive associations with their experiences in college. The researchers offer recommendations for colleges of agriculture to assist first-year students to
academically and socially integrate into the collegiate environment to increase student retention, as well as, implications for future research.
undergraduate agricultural science students’ perceptions of their experiences in their first year of matriculation at a four year Land Grant institution. This study used a comprehensive, criterion based purposeful sample (Creswell, 2007; Patton, 2002) of nine undergraduate students at a four-year land grant institution, who were first-year students enrolled in the Agricultural Sciences major (N = 9). Interviews and reflective journals were used to make meaning of their experiences during their first year in college. When students were asked about their backgrounds, expectations, and intentions in college, five major themes emerged from the students’ responses: first generation students; strong ties to FFA, advisors, and the farm; expectations for both social and academic challenge; intentions to acquire a college degree; and diversity of answers. When asked about their experiences in their first year, students identified challenges with technology, finances, relationships, academics, and decisions-time-juggle. While brief, the students also identified positive associations with their experiences in college. The researchers offer recommendations for colleges of agriculture to assist first-year students to
academically and socially integrate into the collegiate environment to increase student retention, as well as, implications for future research.