A Convergent Mixed Methods Study of the Social Studies Academy in South Carolina Middle Schools

Author

Audie Cherry, Clemson UniversityFollow

Date of Award

8-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Agricultural Education

Committee Chair/Advisor

Dr. K. Dale Layfield

Committee Member

Dr. William Bridges

Committee Member

Dr. Joseph L. Donaldson

Committee Member

Dr. Christopher J. Eck

Committee Member

Dr. Qiong Su

Abstract

There is a global labor shortage in the agricultural industry and middle school is a critical time to get students serious about career decision making. The Studies of Occupations, Culture, and Innovations toward Agricultural Literacy (SOCIAL) Studies Academy is a high impact professional development program in South Carolina that provides experiences and for middle school social studies teachers (N = 12) to become more suited to teach their standards associated with the agricultural sciences with hopes of encouraging more students to pursue agricultural careers. This study was a mixed-methods convergent parallel design that examined 1) Academy Fellows (n = 4) and their students (n = 238). Academy Fellows were provided with an expert-developed lesson plan to teach their students about agriculture and agricultural careers. Students were provided a pre-test and post-test 27-item Likert-type survey to gauge their perceptions on agriculture and agricultural careers before and after the lesson. Paired t-tests were used to analyze changes in perception. The Fellows were interviewed, independently from quantitative data collection, about their experiences in the Academy, student engagement and learning, and the lesson that was taught. Open, axial, and selective coding were used to generate six themes from the qualitative data. Then, a convergent analysis was done between the quantitative results and the qualitative themes. The researcher found that the qualitative and quantitative data agreed that the impacts of the SOCIAL Studies Academy suggest a positive student change in perceptions of agriculture and agricultural careers, which may lead to more participation in the agricultural industry.

Recommended Citation

Cherry, Audie, "A Convergent Mixed Methods Study of the Social Studies Academy in South Carolina Middle Schools" (2025). All Dissertations. 4087.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/4087

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2172-1854