Students’ Perceptions of Agriculture and Natural Resources Majors: Understanding STEM Choice

Abstract

Core Ideas Perceptions about college of agriculture as STEM-related college. Factors that predictors students’ interest in college of agriculture. Descriptive norms, warmth, and competence of agricultural professionals are predictors of students’ appeal of agricultural majors. Concerns about the extent to which science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors attract students and, ultimately, produce STEM workforce suggest the need for concerted efforts to promote STEM educational and careers choices. This study was motivated by U.S. efforts to promote (STEM) education and the National Science Foundation's call to reconsider key messages about STEM fields. The study examines students’ interests in agriculture and natural resources majors as a test case to identify factors that may influence high school and college students’ choice of colleges of agriculture and natural resources. Using an online survey, the study explores students’ interests in four agricultural and natural resources majors by drawing on the theory of planned behavior and research on trust in science communication. A total of 1340 students participated in the study, including 620 high school students and 710 college students. Findings showed that descriptive norms, the perceived warmth and competence of relevant professionals, and the opportunity to make an impact on the world are primary statistical predictors of students’ overall appeal of agriculture and natural resources majors. Implications for communication efforts to portray colleges of agriculture and natural resources and recruiting prospective students on STEM colleges are discussed.