Agricultural literacy in the context of agricultural education in South Korea: using hierarchical linear modeling

Purpose: As the proportion of agricultural content is decreasing in educational curricula, students, especially in urban schools, are exposed to limited learning opportunities concerning agriculture. This study explores the effect of student-level and teacher-level variables on the agricultural literacy of urban elementary school students in the Republic of Korea. Design: Hierarchical linear modeling was conducted to empirically test the relationship between determinants of students’ and teachers’ characteristics and student agricultural literacy. The data from 1255 students nested within 48 classes of 12 schools in urban and sub-urban areas were sampled and collected, of which 929 samples were used for the research analysis. Findings: We found that 13.6% of teacher-level variables affected students’ agricultural literacy. Student’s experience with vegetation and naturalist intelligence had a significant effect on their agricultural literacy, as did teachers’ agricultural experiences. Teachers with more experience in agriculture helped students acquire more knowledge. Practical implication: In terms of lesson planning, an increased focus on participatory approaches are needed to explore children’s experiences holistically to improve their agricultural literacy. Providing teachers with further education and workshops can help students gain an understanding of agriculture, and develop a positive learning environment. Theoretical implications: This article contributes to a theoretical framework by estimating influential forces to increase agricultural literacy and by considering the classroom strategies for developing it based on the results. Originality/value: This article demonstrates the value of agricultural literacy and the determinants of its increase using multilevel analysis at the teacher and student level.