EVALUATION OF A LIVESTOCK ETHICS CURRICULUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a livestock ethics curriculum developed for high school students in Agricultural Education classes. The three hour curriculum was taught by Keli Brubaker to 305 students enrolled in eight Indiana High School Agriculture programs. Data were collected using a pre-test/post-test experimental design and both tests were administered by the researcher to ensure consistent and detailed instructions were given to students. The McNemar test in SPSS was used to evaluate pre-test/post-test responses. Participants increased their awareness and knowledge of the overall principles involved in making ethical choices when faced with decisions in youth livestock programs. Students improved their understanding of the consequences associated with making unethical choices when faced with decisions in the youth livestock program. Participants were better informed and thus, more likely to make an ethical choice when faced with a decision in the youth livestock program as a result of the case study analysis. The researchers concluded that a livestock ethics curriculum is beneficial for students in high school Agricultural Education classes. Additional research should be done to determine if students will make an ethical choice when faced with a decision in a real life situation.