Journal of Agricultural Education - Vol. 37, No. 1, 1996

Arkansas agriculture teachers (N=259) were surveyed to obtain information needed by a planning committee studying the issue of science credit for agriculture. Objectives were to determine: (a) the level of support for granting science credit for agriculture; (b) teachers' support for methods of granting science credit for agriculture for agriculture; (c) teachers' support for methods of certifying teachers to offer science credit; (d) the extent to which science objectives were being taught in agriculture; and, (e) teachers' undergraduate preparation in science. A majority (88.8%) of respondents supported granting science credit for agriculture. The respondents also perceived that parents (87.4%), administrators (76%), guidance counselors (75%) and science teachers (64.5%) in their school districts would support granting science credit for agriculture. The largest percentage of teachers (65.6%) supported granting science credit for a limited number of existing agriculture courses, with changes made to enhance the science content of the courses. The two methods of certifying teachers to teach agriculture for science credit receiving the most support were: (a) granting a blanket endorsement to all certified agriculture teachers (71.5%) and (b) granting an endorsement to only certified agriculture teachers completing an in-service workshop (56.6%). The respondents reported teaching a majority (55.1%) of the state science objectives studied. As a group, the respondents reported earning the undergraduate credits and grades required for science certification. Hammonds (1950) provided a compelling teaching one or more agriculture courses that argument for teaching agriculture as a science. received science credit. According to Hammonds: The "organized body of knowledge" agricultural education curricula that place additional we call the science of agriculture is emphasis on the science of agriculture. In deeply rooted in the sciences that Mississippi, agricultural educators introduced two contribute to agriculture. If we pilot agriscience courses in 41 public secondary strip away from agriculture the schools during the fall 1991 semester. An end-ofportions of other sciences that bear year evaluation found that administrators, guidance upon it, we perhaps do not have left counselors, science teachers and agriculture teachers a science of agriculture. To teach in the pilot-test schools strongly supported the agriculture as a science is to agriscience courses and agreed that students recognize that it is a science. (p.5) completing the courses should receive science credit More recently, the National Research Council (1988) recommended that science credit should be Michigan agricultural educators also adopted an granted for certain agriculture courses. Dormody agriscience and natural resources (ANR) curriculum (1993), in a nationwide study, found that during the fall 1991 semester. In an evaluation approximately 34% of agriculture teachers were study, Conners and Elliot (1994) found that Several states have implemented new (Johnson & Newman, 1993; Newman & Johnson, 1993).