Attitudes toward Agriculture of Minority and Non-Minority Students Enrolled in an Introductory Agriscience Course in Texas. A Summary Report of Research. Department Information Bulletin 92-1

A study compared the attitudes of minority and nonminority Texas high school agriscience students toward agriculture. A cluster sample of 1,399 agriscience students in Texas high school courses called "Introduction to World Agricultural Science and Technology" and "Applied Agricultural Science and Technology" participated in the ex post facto research design study. A mailed questionnaire that collected information on demographics, educational and career goals, and reasons for enrolling in the courses was returned by 95 percent of subjects. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, correlational statistics, and analysis of variance. Results included the following: (1) minority students were more likely than nonminority students to be taking agriscience courses for reasons they considered beyond their control, whereas white students tended to enroll because of agriculture, agricultural education, and career reasons; (2) minority students perceived more barriers to enrolling and had more negative attitudes toward agriculture and agricultural occupations than did white students; and (3) the greater a student's perceived chance of attending college, the more positive that student was in enrolling in agriscience for agricultural and career reasons, the fewer barriers to enrolling he or she perceived, and the more positive his or her attitude toward agricultural careers. (The document contains 15 references and a copy of the questionnaire.) (CML)