A Greenhouse Laboratory Experience Effects On Student Knowledge And Attitude

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of instruction in horticulture using and not using a greenhouse laboratory experience with the traditional classroom lecture/discussion technique. Data were collected on selected student and teacher characteristics as well as post-experiment knowledge and attitude scores. Teachers at participating schools received a unit of 15 lessons in growing poinsettias. Both treatment groups were taught by the local instructor with lesson plans provided by the researcher. Data were analyzed for 168 high school horticulture students in grades 9-12. Of the characteristics noted, seven of the total group of 168 had a home greenhouse, 65 had a horticultural supervised agricultural experience and 126 had horticultural work experience. There were 107 students in the group provided a greenhouse laboratory experience and 61 students in the group not provided a greenhouse laboratory experience. In this study, students who received a greenhouse laboratory experience scored significantly higher on the knowledge test than did students who were taught the same lessons, without a greenhouse laboratory experience. However, no significant difference was found between the post-experiment attitude toward poinsettia production scores for the two groups.