Attracting Academically or Intellectually Gifted Students to Career and Technical Education

1. Attracting Academically or Intellectually Gifted Students to Career and Technical Education Elizabeth Gray Dr. Gary Moore Dr. Barbara Kirby Dr. Beth Wilson North Carolina State University

2. Importance of the study • NCGS Article 9B, 1996 • “[AIG] students require differentiated educational services beyond those ordinarily provided…” • Cognitive damage • Lack of appropriate instruction may cause cognitive harm (Coleman & Gallagher, 1995) • Use it or lose it (Tomlinson, 1999)

3. Importance of the study • Affective wellbeing • Attitudes, emotions, moods (Coleman & Gallagher, 1995) • Do not thrive, potential diminishes • Agriculture Industry • More complex & technologically advanced (Houser & Baker, 1991). • Demand for qualified individuals will soon surpass supply (Goecker, Gilmore, & Smith, 2005). • Career choice based on values and perceptions (Overbay & Broyles, 2008).

4. Purpose of the Study • Learn more about: • Attracting students who are gifted to Agricultural Education programs. • Serving students who are gifted in Agricultural Education Programs. • The perceptions of Agricultural Education

5. Theoretical Framework Prosser’s 14th Theorem Vocational education will be socially efficient in proportion as in its methods of instruction and its personal relations with learners it takes into consideration the particular characteristics of any particular group which it serves (Prosser & Allen, 1925, p. 207).

6. Theoretical Framework • AAAE National Research Agenda Priority 4 • Meaningful, Engaged Learning in All Environments • “…how to reach all students.” (Doerfert, 2011, p. 22)

7. Methodology 169, 087 gifted in NC (NCDPI, 2010) • Qualitative study • Focus Groups • Selecting Participants • Audio transcription • Analyzed transcripts in search of reoccurring themes • Developed a list of potential themes based on literature • Emergence of new themes

8. Trustworthiness • Credibility • Peer debriefing • Member checking in 3 stages • Transferability • Detail and description • Dependability & Confirmability • Raw data retained for audit purposes Lincoln & Guba, 1985

9. What attracts students who are AIG? • Atmosphere of the classes • Relaxed, less stressful • “A breath of fresh air” • Fun, Variety of Activities, Hands on Learning • “Each day is new.”

10. What attracts students who are AIG? • Design of Agricultural Education • Hands-on curriculum • “Instead of learning from a book you learn from what you do. And it sticks.” • FFA • “…learn and socialize outside the class.” • CDE’s • SAE • Choose activities within interest area • Resume builder

11. What attracts students who are AIG? • Influential People • Teacher • “…they really care about the kids.” • Humor, enthusiasm, passion, expertise • Friends and Family • “…my friend told me it was fun…” • “…my brother was in FFA…”

12. What deters students who are AIG? • Lack of accurate information • Lack of awareness • “Kids just don’t know.” • Limited awareness • “…if they only knew what we really did here…” • Image • “Cow, Sow, Plow” Stereotype • FFA

13. What deters students who are AIG? • Academic Pressure • Weighted GPA • “They think they need weighted credit because they want to go to college.” • Perceived rigor • “…it doesn’t look as good on a resume…”

14. What deters students who are AIG? • Scheduling • Times classes are offered conflict • “…it doesn’t fit in their schedule…” • Students who “…don’t care…” • “…they think it’s going to be an easy class.” • “…disruptive…”, “…hinders our learning…”

15. Factors contributing to learning • Learning by Doing • Learn & remember better • Opportunities for problem solving • “He wants us to think it through and try to figure it out on our own…” • “relate agriculture [class] to real life.” • Integrating the subject matter • With FFA and SAE • Art • Technology • GPS • Computers for research

16. Factors contributing to learning • Characteristics of the Teacher • Entertainment Factors • Humor • Passion for students • Enthusiasm

17. Perceptions of students who are AIG • Positive overall • “Awesome!” • “The one class I look forward to.” • “It’s my favorite part of the day.” • “…it’s something you enjoy, not something you’re forced to do.” • “Everything is a learning experience.”

18. Perceptions of students who are AIG • Balance of Challenge • “Sometimes it comes easy, sometimes it doesn’t.” • “…a totally different kind of learning…” • Choices • Opportunities to work at individual pace • High expectations of teachers • “Shine.”

19. Perceptions of students who are AIG • “It all starts with the teachers.” • “…she just understands kids…” • “My teacher would marry agriculture if he could…” • “…you want a teacher who would still care about it whether or not they got paid for it.” • “They expect more of us, not because we’re AIG but because they know who we are and what we can do.”

20. Perceptions of students who are AIG • Areas for improvement • Attitudes of classmates • “…the people who don’t care hold you back.” • “I’m looked at funny by other students…” • Challenges of Mixed ability classes • “It’s tough to teach a class when you’ve got six special needs kids…”

21. Conclusions Conclusions Relaxed is GOOD (Medina, 2008) Resist “teaching to the test” Build and implement programs that include all three components of agricultural education (Baker and Robinson, 2011) Use students to promote the program. (Hook, 1993)

22. Conclusions • Spread awareness • Visit Middle School • Recognize student achievements • Community activities • Revisit image of agriculture and FFA • Emphasize STEM • FFA Jacket? (Croom & Flowers, 2001) • Name of the organization?

23. Conclusions • Create honors level classes • GPA/ Transcripts • Time with academic peers • Continue implementing hands on learning opportunities • Protect teachers from burnout (Davis, 2009)

24. Recommendations for further research Perceptions of AIG students in other CTE subject areas Perceptions of AIG students nationally Perceptions of AIG students who are not in Ag Ed programs Teacher efficacy in serving and engaging AIG Census of number of AIG students served by Ag Ed programs