Examining Student Critical Thinking Dispositions within the College and Career Readiness of Students Involved in FFA and 4-H in Georgia

Authors

James D. Scott, Rutherford County SchoolsFollow
Eric Rubenstein, University of GeorgiaFollow
Jason Peake, University of GeorgiaFollow
Nicholas E. Fuhrman PhD, University of GeorgiaFollow
Jori N. Hall, University of Illinois, ChicagoFollow

Abstract

Preparing youth, primarily as they become high school graduates, to be ready to enter college and careers, has been a primary driving force in primary and secondary education for over 20 years. However, there lacks consistency in the definition and of the true idea of college and career readiness in the twentyfirst century. Additionally, there is a lack of research examining the impacts that student involvement in youth organizations has on the development of college and career-readiness skills. One facet of college and career readiness is the development of critical thinking skills and dispositions, which include enjoying solving problems, respecting the opinions of others, and a continual push to learn and acquire knowledge. Due to the limited understanding of the impact of youth organizations, the researcher sought to examine the influence that involvement in FFA and 4-H in STATE have on student college and career readiness and the development of critical thinking skills and dispositions. From the results of the mixed methods study, the researcher determined that involvement in competitions and leadership events often provides students with resources to develop critical thinking skills, and involvement in the organizations seemingly fosters the perception of critical thinking disposition development. However, students were unable to articulate any other aspects of the organization that foster growth and struggled to understand the importance of many of the critical-thinking skills. Therefore, the researcher recommends further research examining the impact of involvement in FFA and/or 4-H longitudinally, as well as repeating this study in the southeast and across the country. Further, the researcher recommends additional support to practitioners from FFA and 4-H, to inform youth in FFA and 4-H why they are participating in events and programs.

Recommended Citation

Scott, James D.; Rubenstein, Eric; Peake, Jason; Fuhrman, Nicholas E. PhD; and Hall, Jori N. (2025) "Examining Student Critical Thinking Dispositions within the College and Career Readiness of Students Involved in FFA and 4-H in Georgia," Journal of Youth Development: Vol. 20: Iss. 3, Article 8.
Available at: https://open.clemson.edu/jyd/vol20/iss3/8