Factors related with integrating environment and agriculture into elementary school curriculum by teachers in Zanjan city

Subject Areas : environmental management

Zahra  Hooshmandan Moghaddam Fard ¹ (Ph.D Student of Agricultural Extension and Education, Department of Agricultural Extension, Communication and Rural Development, University of Zanjan, Iran)
Ali  Shams ² (Assistant Professor of Agricultural Extension and Education, Department of Agricultural Extension, Communication and Rural Development, University of Zanjan, Iran *(Corresponding Author))

Received: 2015-06-23 Accepted : 2016-03-14 Published : 2017-06-22

Keywords: Curriculum Integration, Environment, Agriculture, Elementary Schools, Teachers,

Abstract :

Background and Objective: Integrating environment, agriculture and food in elementary schools' curriculum could create good base of learning for pupils and affect their responsibility level regards environment in the future. Elementary teachers are playing an important role in this decision making process. The purpose of this descriptive- correlational study was to investigate the current teachers' behaviors toward integrating environment, agriculture and food in schools' curriculum and factors related with their behaviors in this regards. Method: The statistical population consisted of all 4359 elementary teachers from that 343 teachers were selected based on Krejcie and Morgan sampling table and applying randomized stratified sampling method. The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire which its validity was verified by a panel of agricultural education & extension and environment experts. The reliability of questionnaire was obtained by calculating alpha cronbach equals 0.85 for composite index. Findings: The finding revealed that majority of respondents (46.9%) had higher level of integrating environment, agriculture and food in schools' curriculum. Analysis of data revealed that there was a positive significant correlation between teachers' attitude, teaching experience in rural area, age, teaching experience, and number of participated workshops or classes with their integration level. Mann Whitney test applied revealed that teachers with agricultural work experience had higher level of in comparison with teachers of no agricultural work experience. Also male teachers had a higher level of integration behavior in comparison with female teachers. Discussion and Conclusion: Achieving the desired state of integration of environment and agriculture in curriculum by teachers needs targeting and planning by educational system. 

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