Date of Award:

5-1956

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Applied Sciences, Technology, and Education

Department name when degree awarded

Agricultural Education

Committee Chair(s)

Stanley S. Richardson

Committee

Stanley S. Richardson

Committee

Eldon M. Drake

Committee

E. A. Jacobsen

Committee

DeVere R. McAllister

Committee

J. Donald Wadsworth

Abstract

The numerous influences which are so greatly changing rural life in America are having their effect upon the farm shopwork which farmers perform. New farm machines and tools are being introduced and used, causing the farmer to learn new operations and to acquire new skills in the maintenance, repair and use of this equipment. The farm shop is becoming an essential part of every farm. In order to carry on the farming business more economically, and thereby meet competition which is necessary in present day farming, the farmer must know how to properly use his farm mechanics needs to the best advantage.

A well equipped shop is usually necessary to keep farm equipment in good working condition. Mechanical training is most necessary for using tools to the best advantage. Since the majority of farmers today complete high school, this is the most logical place for their training.

Farm machinery operation, care and repair have always had a place in the vocational agriculture program; yet with a varying degree of emphasis, depending upon the training, philosophy and influence of the teacher (9).

In many instances in the past the programs have been inadequate because of insufficient working space and lack of tools with which to carry on a suitable teaching program. Today, largely due to the national emergency caused by the second world war, many of these handicaps have been overcome (9).

The census report of 1941 shows that the average life of all farm machinery is 15.2 years. Farmers found that with the aid of a repair program, machines last much longer. The farmer can, through repair, proper operation and maintenance, cut down the "cost per bushel" which is the primary interest of each farmer.

Many farmers in prewar days left their equipment in the weather. If it wasn't in working order the next spring, they could very economically have it repaired or trade it in on a new model. The war took the new equipment off the market and the repairman off to war or defense work; as a result, the farmer had to be his own mechanic. This emphasized the need of the farm mechanics program in the high school as an essential part of vocational agriculture. Machinery which could not be purchased was repaired or even constructed in the shop, thus resulting in the addition of adult classes to the course. The farmers not only wanted their sons to receive this training, but they could see the necessity in knowing how to repair and construct machinery themselves.

This new emphasis on farm machinery repair helped, but did not solve all the problems for the farmer. There is still a considerable amount of farm machinery that needs repairing, and this would indicate that something is lacking in the program. Much of the necessity for farm machinery repair can be relieved if the cause of the trouble is removed instead of waiting until trouble has developed before applying a cure. Proper operation and maintenance should be part of every farm mechanics course in vocational agriculture.

The trend for our rural high schools to become more and more community centers necessitates that the teacher in vocational agriculture increase the scope of his teaching. If he is to take advantage of these opportunities, it is necessary for him to formulate a definite set of objectives. In the field of farm mechanics, he must remember that first and foremost he should teach the farmers and prospective farmers the use of tools and methods that they may reasonably be expected to use in doing their own farm and home construction, repair and maintenance work (5).

In the smaller high schools with limited enrollment the vocational agriculture teacher, there being only 1, teaches the complete program including farm mechanics. What he does or does not teach is limited only by his abilities and willingness, or the facilities of the school and needs of the community. In the larger high schools, where more than 1 teacher is necessary to handle the students, there is a problem of how the duties of the department should be distributed. This is especially true of the farm mechanics program where industrial arts teachers are given the job of teaching farm mechanics as well as their industrial arts classes. Usually this is their only connection with the vocational agriculture program. Project visiting, F. F. A. Advisor, record keeping, etc., are taken care of by the vocational agriculture teacher.

A second method of organizing the multiple teacher department is to have 1 vocational agriculture instructor teach the agriculture science phase of the program, and a second vocational agriculture instructor to teach farm mechanics. Other duties are divided equally between the 2 instructors. Foote (5) says that the time may come when many of our departments of vocational agriculture will employ 2 teachers. One of these teachers will be a man who has specialized in farm mechanics and who is equipped by his training to handle instruction in this subject primarily.

The third method of assigning duties is to have 1 teacher follow 1 or more groups throughout their high school careers, teaching them all of their vocational agriculture. This method of teaching and organization is similar to the single teacher department. Duties are either assigned by a head teacher or jointly planned and assigned to each teacher according to his contact with the students (6).

In the Utah vocational agriculture departments all 3 programs of teaching are used. They range from schools where no farm mechanics is being taught to those where 1 instructor teaches the whole program and to the department with a vocational agriculture instructor who specializes in farm mechanics.

With the varied backgrounds and training of the teachers in farm mechanics in vocational agriculture in Utah, there are 2 questions as to the success of the program being taught. First, are the industrial arts instructors who are also teaching farm mechanics teaching the course as completely as those vocational agriculture instructors who were trained in this field? Second, do the vocational agriculture instructors who specialized in farm mechanics teach farm mechanics more successfully than those who teach the complete program in vocational agriculture?

A major problem for the instructor of farm mechanics is deciding what should be taught in his particular community. With this in mind a committee of vocational agriculture instructors has been working on a list of farm mechanics units to be taught to vocational agriculture students in Utah. Based upon the list of jobs, problems and activities prepared by the committee, the author undertook the present study to determine how completely the program is being carried out by teachers presenting different backgrounds and preparation.

The state staff members and teachers in agriculture education are concerned about the farm mechanics being taught in vocational agricultural departments in high schools. Teachers with varied backgrounds and preparation may stress different phases of farm mechanics or include different units. Some were prepared in vocational agriculture, which includes farm mechanics, others graduated in industrial arts and still others specialized in mechanical work.

This study was an attempt to determine:

1- If a practical program is being carried out, based upon the recommendations of the state committee of vocational agriculture teachers of farm mechanics.

2- If there is a difference in the units being taught by farm mechanic instructors with varied backgrounds who teach only farm mechanics, industrial arts teachers who also teach farm mechanics and vocational agriculture teachers who teach the complete program including farm mechanics.

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