Characterization of students' educational background and subsequent use of relevant teaching methods enhances student engagement and success in introductory animal science course

Abstract Text: One of the most challenging dilemmas a teacher faces when designing lessons for their class is the variation of prior knowledge of their students. This is especially true in introductory Animal Science courses, where students from a variety of backgrounds and knowledge levels are placed in the same course. Some of these students probably grew up around livestock or taken Animal Science courses in high school, while others may have never had these opportunities. In an effort to reach as many students as possible, teachers must either choose to cover the basics or start at the level of the majority of the class. The first option is best for those who do not have prior knowledge, but does not permit others to advance their education. The second allows advancement for some, but leaves others behind. Thus, a survey was conducted to characterize the educational background of potential Animal Science students and to determine adoptable teaching methods that were currently being used by agriculture educators in West Virginia and Kentucky high schools. Data revealed an even divide of the sexes (Male: 56.52 vs Female: 43.48%) amongst participating students with 56.52 and 26.09% of whom live in rural non-farm and farm area, respectively. Most students enrolled in Animal Science class to be in Future Farmers of America (30.43%), to pursue agriculture/animal science career (34.78%) or were just interested in animal systems (26.09%). Weighted averages of students surveyed scaled responses (0 = least to 5 = most) indicated that the majority of students claimed they had the least amount of knowledge about abstract knowledge based topics of the digestive systems (3.77), nutrition (3.77), and genetics (3.83). Indeed, the surveyed teachers’ responses also indicate that the most challenging topics to teach were nutrition and genetics. Teaching strategies that were reportedly most effective included, hands on learning, project based experiences, active learning experiences and varying the speaker, technology and interactions within the learning environment. Subsequent use of the foregoing information to modify an introductory Animal Science class with students of widely diverse educational background and experiences at Berea College resulted in increased (50%) student engagement and a significant increase (16.67%) in overall student satisfaction with the course as compared to when it was taught 2 years prior. Conclusively, the characterization of students’ educational background and subsequent use of relevant teaching methods can enhance teaching effectiveness.

Keywords: Educational background, teaching effectiveness, teaching methods