Exploring Factors Influencing Agricultural Students' Engagement in Professional Development Experiences
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v66i3.3170Keywords:
student involvement, theory of planned behavior, professional development, higher educationAbstract
There is a need to ensure graduates are prepared to succeed in a professional environment. The purpose of this study was to describe students' participation in professional development (PD) experiences at Oklahoma State University in the Ferguson College of Agriculture. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) and student involvement theory guided the study. In total, 122 undergraduate students participated. Students described PD events as those that led to personal development and career preparation. Respondents most frequently participated in PD events at least once per semester or at least once per month. The most participated in events included student organizations, career fairs, resume reviews, and networking events. Respondents indicated that a free or affordable event would incentivize them to participate, along with the opportunity to network with professionals. Time constraints and scheduling conflicts were commonly stated barriers to participation. Backwards stepwise regression models were run to assess TPB and demographic factors' ability to predict PD engagement. Subjective norms was the only predictor from the TPB framework to make the final regression models. Many respondents preferred receiving information about these events via email. It is recommended that these findings aid in the planning and marketing of PD events. Further research may be conducted to understand other influential factors on student behavior, behaviors across other disciplines, and the marketing of PD events.
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