Localized land-grant partnership for STEM integration through AFNR: High school teachers’ experiences

Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) provides authentic and relevant context for applying STEM concepts to solve real-world challenges. Land-grant institutions have the expertise, mission, and infrastructure to make connections with K-12 teachers and students locally and support the integration of AFNR in STEM teaching. This study leveraged existing capacities of the land-grant system to develop a localized education partnership within the tripartite mission of teaching, research, and extension. An exploratory descriptive research described high school teachers’ perceptions and experiences within the partnership when we implemented the LOCAL STEM Model that led to teachers’ experience at a local research station and conducting a STEM-AFNR project with their students. The professional development workshop prepared teachers to work across disciplines and use the hydroponics topic to teach their classes. They collaborated internally during the professional learning community and were supported by partners from the land-grant university. Regarding the showcase event, teachers discussed students’ career exposure, career readiness skills, real-world experiences, and the pedagogical values of the event. For the overall experience, teachers discussed their professional growth, teaching ideas, farm-based experience, how they expanded and connected to resources, and how they engaged others in the project. This study described how the model can serve as a transferable example to help local high schools contextualize STEM using AFNR context with support from local partners at a local research station, Extension, and industries. Our findings have practical implications for program developers in terms of teacher development; student engagement; the model implementation; and future partnerships.