Renee M. Clary, Stephanie M. Lemley, Rebecca M Swanson, Kathleen Alley
Because understanding of scientific concepts in rural communities may improve when concepts are linked to agriculture, we developed an intensive agricultural science professional development (PD) program for grades 5-12 teachers in the southeastern USA that included content and demonstrations presented by agricultural science experts, immersive field experiences, and literacy strategies as pedagogical content tools. Agriculture and science teachers (N=20) participated in two cohorts over two years. We identified six common local agricultural misconception topics: consequences of grain- versus grass-finished beef, hormone-free animal products, genetically modified (GMO) foods, organic food production, animal production environments, and animal agriculture’s role in global warming. Pre-/post- interviews and surveys documented teachers’ incoming misconceptions, as well as their changes in understanding at the institute’s conclusion. Content analysis revealed three stable themes: 1) Teachers’ misconceptions about organic farming and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) persisted at the end of the summer institute; 2) Teachers exhibited greater proficiency in some misconception topics post-institute, including animal welfare and animal hormones; and 3) Science teachers were more likely to engage in metacognition and reflect pre- to post-institute on their learning changes. A linear regression model that controlled for teachers’ incoming baseline proficiency revealed a significant increase in teachers’ proficiency toward understanding of agricultural misconception content post-PD institute (p=0.009), with science teachers mastering more content than agriculture teachers. Our small sample limits causal inference and generalizability, and more research is needed to develop effective PD for both agriculture teachers and science teachers that leverages agriculture within science instruction.