EXTENT TO WHICH CULTURAL DIVERSITY IS ADDRESSED IN SECONDARY AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which teaching practices addressing cultural diversity were being carried out in secondary agricultural education programs. The population of the study included all secondary agricultural education teachers in Nevada during the 1993-94 school year. Through the use of a mail survey instrument developed by the researcher, teachers were asked to report information about program and minority enrollments, the extent to which they carried out teaching practices related to cultural diversity, and the means by which they gained expertise in multicultural education. The results indicated that most students enrolled in secondary programs and FFA were white, and that the extent to which secondary agriculture teachers carried out cultural diversity practices was often limited and improvement is needed. Teaching practices most frequently carried out were those common to most classrooms regardless of cultural diversity, while those least frequently carried out were practices addressing cultural diversity more specifically. Teachers gained their expertise in multicultural education from a variety of sources.