Exploring the Impact of EFTs on Students’ Understanding of Systems-Based Agricultural Processes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v66i2.2922Keywords:
virtual learning environment, electronic field trips, agricultural literacy, food systems, inquiry-based learning, constructivist learningAbstract
As the food system, from production to consumption, has increasingly become complex, the need for food literacy among American school-aged children has also increased. Teaching and learning interventions using inquiry-based learning (IBL) can be used to improve food literacy. The purpose of this study was to determine how an IBL approach paired with electronic field trips (EFTs) impacted students’ ability to understand a systems-based process. The influence of the intervention was examined in a three-part EFT series with a focus on the tomato food system (growing, processing, and consumption) through teacher observational data and student-generated drawings. Teacher observations indicated more than 80% of students demonstrated measured IBL markers. The comparative assessment of students’ pre- and post-series drawings showed an increase in students’ knowledge of the tomato food system. Students retained and built on their pre-existing knowledge of the tomato system, integrating more complex concepts into their post-series drawings. Results substantiate the educational value of EFTs in developing students’ understanding of food systems. We, therefore, recommend the combined use of EFTs and IBL in learning environments to inform complex system topics aimed at improving food and agricultural literacy among elementary school students.
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