Examining Students’ Experiences and Perceived Skill Attainment in an Agricultural Capstone Course

Abstract

Utilizing a context-based model for teaching agriculture and qualitative research methodology, a survey of Iowa State University’s Ag 450 students was conducted over the course of two semesters regarding their competence and confidence of certain technical and professional skills expected by agricultural industry experts before and after completion of the Ag 450 capstone course. It was concluded the Ag 450 capstone course is improving student competence of technical skills and on average, students somewhat agreed they were confident regarding professional skills needed for the workplace. It is recommended that this study be replicated for more in-depth analysis and that a longitudinal study regarding how skills learned in the capstone course are being applied in the workforce be utilized as a way to further this research. Furthermore, this study may be replicated utilizing a broader range of skills or focused on the core competencies and outcomes of the course itself. Recommendations for further research and future practice were provided.This article is published as Rinker, S. P., M. S. Hainline, and S. W. Smalley. "Examining Students' Experiences and Perceived Skill Attainment in an Agricultural Capstone Course." NACTA Journal 64 (2019): 254-261. © 2019 North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture. Posted with permission