Date of Award

Spring 5-8-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science - Agriculture

Department

Agriculture

First Advisor

Dr. John Michael Mehaffey

Second Advisor

Dr. Candis Scallan

Third Advisor

Dr. Joe Mask

Fourth Advisor

Dr. Amy Mehaffey

Abstract

Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) is a portion of the three-circle model of agriculture education, providing experiential learning opportunities for students. The immersion SAE encourages students to build upon foundational learning components in a real-world application. A popular area of the immersion SAE includes ownership of market swine being raised for exhibition. This study serves as a pilot mentorship program for agricultural science educators and students, creating an educational resource encouraging record-keeping techniques and skill development, leading to eventual independence from the student’s standpoint. The model for the Swine Solutions Program includes utilization of the provided handbook, completion of daily observation logs, and participation in check-in procedures. Perceived skill development was measured using a pre and post-survey, and other qualitative factors were observed throughout the study. The Swine Solutions Handbook and structured supervision methods were implemented with 10 participants in Nacogdoches County to establish the success levels of this program. The findings of this study highlight areas of skill development, personal growth, and replicability of techniques for future use. This research contributes to agricultural education by establishing a need for mentorship, instruction, and adequate supervision of SAE projects. Future use of such materials could be implemented across all livestock species as needed.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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