Student Perceptions toward Agriculture in a General Education Life Science Course

Undergraduate students enrolled in a general education life science course were surveyed to determine the extent to which their perceptions of agriculture and life science changed throughout the duration of the course. A 16-item Likert-type scale questionnaire was distributed at the beginning of each section of the course and again at the conclusion. Statistical analysis showed positive changes in all areas of the questionnaire with significant changes in half of the items. General areas for which significant changes were found include understanding the role of agriculture in their personal lives and in society, and in the ability to relate life science to other disciplines (e.g., chemistry, medicine, environment, and agriculture).