Issues Facing Urban Agriscience Teachers: A Delphi Study

Abstract

This national study used the Delphi technique to identify the issues facing urban agriscience teachers. The first round of the study used a questionnaire with one open-ended question to generate responses from the expert panel. In the second round, respondents were asked to rate their level of agreement with 72 issues identified in round one using a Likert-type scale. In round three, participants were asked to indicate their agreement or disagreement with 49 statements retained from round two. Consensus was reached on 17 issues facing agriscience teachers in urban areas which were identified as: challenges presented by the No Child Left Behind legislation; lack of awareness of agriculture by parents, faculty, community and students; lack of parental involvement; budgets and school funding; and time management.