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Date of Graduation
5-2025
Description
Research suggests that 4th- and 5th- grade students are potentially ill-informed about general agricultural knowledge nationwide due to a growing gap between agriculture and the general population, including young students. As such, and with the help of an Honor’s College grant, students were surveyed at both rural and urban schools across Arkansas to assess how much they knew about where their food comes from and to determine whether they connected it back to agriculture. Additionally, students were asked to draw a picture of a farm to capture what farming means to them. A short presentation about general agricultural knowledge, following a seed of corn to the consumer plate, was used to assess its effectiveness in increasing awareness and interest in the agri-food system. Pre- and post-presentation responses were then analyzed for differences among students by i) grade level; ii) rural vs. urban elementary setting; and iii) whether or not the student had taken an Arkansas history class. The presentation effectively increased knowledge across all categories of questions. The presentation was also effective in generating career interest in agriculture and increased awareness of the connection between agriculture and food. The differences between rural and urban settings and by age highlight the importance of tailored educational experiences and strategies that could inform future curriculum development. Targeting students early on is one suggestion. Providing more real-life visuals in a presentation to urban students may also be more effective. As such, using information collected in this survey, we have gained insight into how to target educational materials about agriculture to appropriate audiences.
Publication Date
2025
Document Type
Book
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in Agriculture
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness
Advisor/Mentor
Popp, Michael
Disciplines
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Keywords
Social Science
Citation
Davis, A., Popp, M., Whitehead-Adams, I. M., & McFadden, B. R. (2025). Enhancing Agricultural Knowledge of Rural and Urban Elementary School Children in Arkansas. 2025 Research Poster Competition. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hnrcsturpc25/2
