Currently, students entering secondary agricultural education programs have less knowledge and hands-on experience about agriculture than previous generations. Agricultural educators are challenged to vary teaching practices to meet student needs. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in knowledge acquisition between students enrolled in secondary agricultural education classes taught by cooperative learning and lecture instruction. Additionally, this study explored the knowledge acquisition of traditional and non-traditional secondary agricultural education students and perceptions of instructional methods presented. Eight schools participated in the study. No significant difference was seen in test scores between methods of instruction, but a significant difference was noted between traditional and non-traditional students. Overall, students preferred the lecture based instruction. The study found that both methods of instruction improved knowledge acquisition. The study also found that traditional students had a higher gain in knowledge acquisition than non-traditional students.
","abstract_html":"<p>Currently, students entering secondary agricultural education programs have less knowledge and hands-on experience about agriculture than previous generations. Agricultural educators are challenged to vary teaching practices to meet student needs. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in knowledge acquisition between students enrolled in secondary agricultural education classes taught by cooperative learning and lecture instruction. Additionally, this study explored the knowledge acquisition of traditional and non-traditional secondary agricultural education students and perceptions of instructional methods presented. Eight schools participated in the study. No significant difference was seen in test scores between methods of instruction, but a significant difference was noted between traditional and non-traditional students. Overall, students preferred the lecture based instruction. The study found that both methods of instruction improved knowledge acquisition. The study also found that traditional students had a higher gain in knowledge acquisition than non-traditional students.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Bills-Hunt, Beth Ann Jean"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Agricultural & Extension Education (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Edgar, Don W.","Edgar, Leslie D."],"advisors":["Graham, Donna L."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T00:59:01Z","subjects":["Education","Agricultural education","Coorperative learning","Knowledge acquisition","Traditional and nontraditional students"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/559","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Edgar, Don W.","Edgar, Leslie D."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Graham, Donna L."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Bills-Hunt, Beth Ann Jean"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2012"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-09-29T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Agricultural & Extension Education (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Education","Agricultural education","Coorperative learning","Knowledge acquisition","Traditional and nontraditional students"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/559"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Currently, students entering secondary agricultural education programs have less knowledge and hands-on experience about agriculture than previous generations. Agricultural educators are challenged to vary teaching practices to meet student needs. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in knowledge acquisition between students enrolled in secondary agricultural education classes taught by cooperative learning and lecture instruction. Additionally, this study explored the knowledge acquisition of traditional and non-traditional secondary agricultural education students and perceptions of instructional methods presented. Eight schools participated in the study. No significant difference was seen in test scores between methods of instruction, but a significant difference was noted between traditional and non-traditional students. Overall, students preferred the lecture based instruction. The study found that both methods of instruction improved knowledge acquisition. The study also found that traditional students had a higher gain in knowledge acquisition than non-traditional students.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Assessing Knowledge Acquisition Through Lecture and Cooperative Learning: Traditional and Non-traditional Secondary Students in Agriculture"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Edgar, Don W.","Edgar, Leslie D."],"dc:contributor.advisor":["Graham, Donna L."],"dc:creator":["Bills-Hunt, Beth Ann Jean"],"dc:date":["2012"],"dc:date.available":["2017-09-29T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Currently, students entering secondary agricultural education programs have less knowledge and hands-on experience about agriculture than previous generations. Agricultural educators are challenged to vary teaching practices to meet student needs. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in knowledge acquisition between students enrolled in secondary agricultural education classes taught by cooperative learning and lecture instruction. Additionally, this study explored the knowledge acquisition of traditional and non-traditional secondary agricultural education students and perceptions of instructional methods presented. Eight schools participated in the study. No significant difference was seen in test scores between methods of instruction, but a significant difference was noted between traditional and non-traditional students. Overall, students preferred the lecture based instruction. The study found that both methods of instruction improved knowledge acquisition. The study also found that traditional students had a higher gain in knowledge acquisition than non-traditional students.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/559"],"dc:subject":["Education","Agricultural education","Coorperative learning","Knowledge acquisition","Traditional and nontraditional students"],"dc:title":["Assessing Knowledge Acquisition Through Lecture and Cooperative Learning: Traditional and Non-traditional Secondary Students in Agriculture"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Agricultural & Extension Education (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T00:59:01Z"}