Consumer Sciences Education Research Articles

Encouraging Money Conversations Among Black, Hispanic, and White Households: Lessons for FCS Professionals

As a follow-up to White et al.’s (2021) “We Don’t Talk About That”: Exploring Money Conversations of Black, Hispanic, and White Households, this article examines social capital and financial conversations among racial and ethnic groups. Although most people avoid discussing money, Blacks and Hispanics have the fewest financial conversations. When they do have money talks, Black and Hispanic individuals are more likely to have conversations with friends rather than with partners, family, or professionals. This article uses research to recommend techniques that family and consumer sciences (FCS) practitioners and educators can use to help families cope with the discomfort that may arise and increase their money conversations.

Lessons Learned Adapting and Implementing Another Organization’s Program to Promote Healthy Aging

Programming which promotes healthy aging may be lacking in states where nutrition and health interventions are directed earlier in life. Due to Maryland’s increasing aging population, a team of 10 University of Maryland Extension Family and Consumer Sciences educators received permission to adapt and implement the Iowa Department of Public Health’s, in partnership with the Iowa Department of Human Services and Department on Aging, Fresh Conversations program to fit the needs of Maryland’s older adults. The purpose of this manuscript is not to discuss research findings but rather to share our challenges, successes, and recommendations for adapting and implementing another state’s multi-session program to meet the needs of individual states’ communities. Specifically, we discovered communicating with partnering sites, offering food tastings, accommodating various food cultures/traditions, following the original program design, and efficiently collecting data or programmatic form responses needed careful consideration. Despite the challenges we encountered, we expanded our national and state partnerships; reached 2,836 educational contacts across the state; and developed a detailed planning, implementation, and evaluation protocol and training, which is being used as a template for other statewide program efforts.

Self-efficacy of Personal Finance Professionals in Later Life Financial Well-Being: Evidence From a Virtual Professional Development Seminar

Financial health falls under the purview of family and consumer sciences (FCS) educators and financial counselors. It is important for these professionals to understand the complexities of later life financial concerns in order to help prepare individuals at all stages of life for financial health in their senior years. We examined financial professionals' perceived mastery of later life finances by role and gender. We analyzed the effectiveness of a virtual professional development program in improving participants' perceived financial knowledge using retrospective pretest–posttest survey responses (n = 112). Results suggest that content focused, virtual professional development offerings may be an effective medium to enhance financial professional self-efficacy.

Providing Quality Work-Based Learning Training for Secondary Family & Consumer Sciences Educators

Families and community members are challenging secondary schools to improve career readiness preparation. Family and consumer sciences (FCS) educators can be instrumental in helping students prepare effectively for a career with school-to-work transitions through work-based learning (WBL). This article presents the implementation of a 2-day FCS educator training designed to guide and build sustainable high-quality WBL experiences for students through a continuum of WBL options.

We Can Do More: COVID-19's Spotlight on the Lack of Financial Literacy

Financial literacy is an important skillset for individuals to have so they can properly manage their financial well-being. Individuals across the United States are lacking in financial literacy, and therefore often struggle with navigating major financial events in addition to their daily personal finance decisions. K-12 family and consumer sciences (FCS) educators are equipped with the tools and resources to address this issue so individuals are better equipped to make sound financial decisions. Data from the TIAA-GFLEC Personal Finance (P-FIN) Index shows the overall lack of financial literacy throughout the U.S. (Yakoboski et al., 2021). The P-Fin Index is an annual survey conducted by the TIAA Institute and the GFLEC (Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center). The P-FIN Index measures both knowledge and understanding of skills that allow adults to properly manage their personal finances. In order for FCS educators to help individuals improve their financial literacy, they will need to focus on both their own professional development and expansion of financial literacy education.

How Educational Philosophies Shape Family and Consumer Sciences and Home Economics Education: A Commentary

I began my teaching career in the mid-1970s totally unaware of the construct of educational philosophies. I attended teachers' college (1970–1972) to obtain a home economics teacher's license and certificate rather than a Bachelor of Education degree within an Education department. I do not remember ever being taught about this aspect of teaching. That is not to say it was not taught, just that I do not recall internalizing educational philosophy as an important part of being a home economics educator. It was not until 25 years later (early 2000s), when I began teaching home economics teacher education methods courses at a university (as part of an Education faculty, not a Home Economics department), that I discovered the notion of educational philosophies as espoused in educational foundations courses and textbooks. From then on, philosophical awareness was the mainstay of my approach to teaching preservice home economics teacher education methods in these courses.

Importance of Developing Financially Literate Families and Communities: Opportunities for FCS Educators

Financial literacy has been an issue for decades in the United States; however, the COVID-19 pandemic put financial illiteracy in the spotlight. Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) educators have the ability to influence the financial literacy rates among individuals, families, and communities. Despite Hogarth’s 2002 call to action for FCS educators to promote fiscal education, this has not happened. FCS educators must now respond to this call. This manuscript addresses the financial illiteracy problem in the United States, the importance of financial literacy, financial literacy in the FCS National Standards, and the actions FCS educators can take to improve financial literacy.

FCS Teacher Recruitment and Retention As Related to Classroom Environment and Teacher Productivity

Family and consumer sciences (FCS) educators were surveyed in the state of Oklahoma to gather information regarding their satisfaction with the classroom interior environment to reveal whether classroom satisfaction is related to the educators' productivity levels. Past research suggests that teachers who are satisfied with their working environments have higher levels of productivity and tend to stay in their jobs longer. Results of this study indicated that the FCS educators are mostly satisfied with their classrooms and have high levels of productivity, although statistical associations between satisfaction with interior environments and productivity were not detected. This information can be applied in both recruiting new FCS teachers and retaining current FCS teachers.

"It just feels like I'm a kid back home, with dinner made for me and the snack cabinet full": College Students' Reflections on Food-related Experiences During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced many aspects of life and wellbeing. Eating behaviors and food habits among college students—many leaving campus and returning home mid-semester—were of particular interest for this qualitative study. Reflections from 33 students across 3 courses were analyzed using content analysis. Five major themes emerged from the data: diet changes, minimizing risk, responsibility, silver linings, and food and nutrition knowledge and skills. Several opportunities for family and consumer sciences (FCS) educators and professionals exist to help individuals and families through COVID-19 or to promote FCS classes on college campuses.

A Qualitative Analysis of Young Adults’ Health and Wellness Perceptions, Behaviors, and Information Seeking

Access to health- and wellness-related resources is unprecedented, and the desire to attain and use that information is high. However, the information is not always accurate, and individuals may be selectively choosing the information they read and follow. Additionally, although Americans have access to more health and wellness information than ever before, rates of obesity, hypertension, and sedentary lifestyles are still high. This study investigated information seeking for health and wellness-related resources by healthy, educated, young adults and their health and wellness perceptions and behaviors. Five focus groups were conducted with 35 young adults to gather information about diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management. The information-seeking skills and skepticism of information were high for this sample. They were more informed and practiced healthier behaviors related to nutrition and exercise than expected. However, they were less knowledgeable about good sleep hygiene and had varying sleep behaviors. The stress management techniques employed were a balance of healthy and unhealthy behaviors. This study’s findings imply that it would be useful for family and consumer sciences educators and Extension professionals to add educational programming about good sleep hygiene and stress management techniques in addition to nutritional and healthy activity education.

Barriers to and Strategies for Engaging Extension Educators in Family Caregiver Education

Oklahoma Extension educators encountered barriers related to trainings and program delivery for a caregiver education program produced by Oklahoma State University Extension. Oklahoma family and consumer sciences educators were interviewed about perceived barriers to attending trainings and delivering the program. Findings indicated that staff shortages, program prioritization, challenges in developing an audience, and communication issues with the program team made it difficult for educators to engage with the program. Strategies for improvement based on the findings were devised.

Integrating Food Systems and Local Food in Family and Consumer Sciences: Perspectives from the Pilot Extension Master Food Volunteer Program

Cooperative Extension programs across the United States are embracing food systems and local food as a new topic area. Previous studies indicate that successful local food programming requires cross-program collaboration. However, research in this area has underrepresented Extension educators from non-agricultural program areas, although understanding their perspectives is key to fostering cross-program collaboration. The case study pre­sented in this paper examines qualitative evaluation data from the pilot year of the NC State Extension Master Food Volunteer (EMFV) program, which provides training in food systems and local food to Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) educators and their volunteers. Data from semistructured interviews with educators in the pilot program and from focus groups with their volunteers provide the opportunity to explore areas of intersection and divergence between local food and the FCS pro­gram area in order to determine how to best inte­grate FCS and local food. Findings suggest that integrating local food into FCS pro­gramming will require special attention to poten­tially controversial issues that require educators and volunteers to communicate with the public about scientific issues that also invoke personal values, such as pesticide use and genetic engineering. We also found that educators and volunteers felt that promoting local food was not always compatible with an FCS focus on healthy eating. Overall, this case study demon­strates the potential to engage FCS educators and volunteers in cross-program, community-based food system projects, and to provide public educa­tion in the growing field of food systems and local food. See the press release for this article.

A National Collaborative Approach to Recruit, Prepare, and Support Family and Consumer Sciences Educators

There is a growing shortage of educators in the United States. The need for Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) educators is especially critical. The purpose of this article is to describe a national collaborative initiative to increase the number of qualified FCS educators in the United States. In April 2018, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded a 3‐year grant to a collaboration of three organizations: the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta, the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), and the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences to establish a partnership to recruit, prepare, and support FCS educators. Interested individuals from around the world are invited to participate in grant projects.

STUDENT TEACHER PREPAREDNESS FOR TEACHING PRACTICE AT FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SCIENCES IN THE UNIVERSITY OF ESWATINI

Student preparation in teacher education is a crucial factor for teaching practice. Unfortunately, research conducted on student teacher preparedness for teaching practice at the Faculty of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences lacking. Thus, the purpose of the study wasto describe student teacher preparedness for teaching practice at the Faculty of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences at the University of Eswatini. This was a correlational study employing self-administered questionnaires in data collection. A census of 80 fourth year Agricultural Education and Consumer Sciences Education students was used. Post hoc inter-item reliability using Cronbach’s Alpha revealed that the questionnaire was .74 reliable. Three experts from the Department of Agricultural Education and Extension validated the instrument. Data were analyzed using descriptive and correlational statistics. Results revealed that student teachers were prepared for teaching practice on the following: student discipline; setting test and exam questions, student assessment practices; effective use of teaching aids; classroom management; understanding student behaviour; and Information and Communication Technology.The study concluded that the student teachers were prepared for teaching practice and there was congruence between the preparation and the teaching practice. The Faculty of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences should match the needs of students and those of the teaching practice school.

米国の家庭科ナショナルスタンダードにみられる「実践問題アプローチ」の影響

米国の家庭科ナショナルスタンダードにみられる「実践問題アプローチ」の影響

Getting Back to the Roots of Family and Consumer Sciences Education: FCS and STEM Integration

Getting Back to the Roots of Family and Consumer Sciences Education: FCS and STEM Integration

Critical Thinking Skills in Family and Consumer Sciences Education

Critical Thinking Skills in Family and Consumer Sciences Education

Designing model for improving relationship of wives with men with erectile dysfunction

Designing model for improving relationship of wives with men with erectile dysfunction

Global Perspectives on Mobile Learning in Home Economics/Family and Consumer Sciences

The purpose was to explore and examine factors that influence the use of mobile technology for learning by Home Economics/Family and Consumer Sciences (HE/FCS) educators and their current use of mobile technology. Mobile learning offers opportunities for HE/FCS educators to extend their influence globally. An online survey was distributed to HE/FCS professionals all around the world. The sample consisted of 60 professionals from 12 countries. Confidence levels of participants were moderately high in learning and adopting new technology. Although participants believed that mobile learning could improve access to resources, they were less confident in their ability to implement and use mobile learning in their teaching.

Applications of Service Learning through a Room Renovation Project

Imagine your favorite memory with your family. Is it gathering around the fireplace, drinking hot cocoa, and playing games on a cold day? Maybe it is that one tradition your family has as the New Year approaches. Now stop. Imagine that same memory with no fireplace, no hot cocoa, no games; your family tradition is incomplete. All you have is a room at a shelter without anything that reminds you of that place you call home. We saw a place like this when visiting our local Salvation Army and knew right away we wanted to make a difference. Thankfully, as students in Family and Consumer Sciences Education (FCSE) at Purdue University, we have gained skills that have given us the ability to make a change in our community. These skills come from the variety of subjects in Family and Consumer Sciences, such as: housing, textiles, nutrition, foods, personal finance, child development, and more. In this program, we are preparing to teach middle and high school students about the many content areas of Family and Consumer Sciences. Community Issues and Applications for Educators (EDCI 350) is a required course in the FCSE teacher-education program. In this class, we completed an in-depth service learning project which is the source and focus of this article. The purpose of EDCI 350 is the “examination of diverse family and community characteristics and issues, and potential impacts on teaching and learning processes. The course includes interactions with human service agencies and personnel in schools and communities” (Purdue University Course Catalog). Our service learning project, in particular, taught us that it takes a significant amount of knowledge, time, and effort in order to have a large impact in ourcommunity.