Agricultural Literacy Assessment of Social Studies Teachers in South Carolina Participating in an Immersive Agricultural Experience

Studies in the career development of youth identify middle school as the optimum time for career exploration, as it advances young adolescents’ self-awareness, knowledge of prospective careers, and goal setting. In South Carolina, only 5% of public middle schools provide agricultural education. The purpose of this study was to measure the agricultural awareness and literacy impact of social studies teachers participating in a five-day study tour through mixed method procedures. A pre- and post-tour survey given to participants indicated a significant increase in knowledge and perception of agriculture after the tour. The qualitative analysis included collecting photographs and reflections from participants at the end of each tour day. A codebook was developed, and after three rounds of coding, the five themes that emerged from participants’ experiences were: 1) 21st-century agriculture production, 2) a need for agricultural literacy, 3) dissemination of information for greater agricultural literacy, 4) sustainable agricultural practices, and 5) the historical impact of agriculture. The major finding of this study was that the tour improved agricultural literacy. Participants recognized the extent of the agricultural knowledge they gained on the tour and described their intentions to enhance the social studies curriculum by exploring the state’s historical and contemporary agricultural systems.