FACTORS AFFECTING TEEN INVOLVEMENT IN PENNSYLVANIA 4-H PROGRAMMING
Open Access
- Author:
- Gill, Bart Eugene
- Graduate Program:
- Agricultural and Extension Education
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- None
- Committee Members:
- John Ewing, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
- Keywords:
- 4-H
- Abstract:
- This study determined the factors that affect teen involvement in 4-H programming. The design of the study was descriptive and correlational in nature. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. A combined reliability coefficient of alpha = .76 was obtained through the use of a pilot study conducted during two 4-H community club meetings. Five panelists, with expertise in various areas of youth development and survey instrument development, reviewed the questionnaire to establish face and content validity. Using a purposive sampling procedure, a survey questionnaire was distributed to all (N=214) 4-H members attending the 2008 Pennsylvania 4-H State Leadership Conference. Responses were received from 86 members for a response rate of 40%. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the factors that affected the 4-H members‟ involvement. Traditional qualitative research methodologies were used to collect and triangulate data. The researcher used documented methods of transferability (thick description and purposive sample) and credibility (triangulation and peer debriefing) to establish trustworthiness. Qualitative data was collected from three open-ended questions that were included at the conclusion of each section. The responses from the open-ended questions were analyzed and categorized. The emergent themes were then reported and conclusions were drawn on the implications of the results. The data was then triangulated by comparing the qualitative data to the relative quantitative data. The major findings of the study were as follows: 1) Youth are more influenced to join 4-H, by parents and 4-H leaders than by siblings and friends; 2) The top five reasons why youth at the 4-H State Leadership Conference joined 4-H are; because I wanted to work with animals, because it [4-H] looked like a fun organization, because I was interested in the projects offered, to develop leadership skills, and to become a leader; 3) The Pennsylvania 4-H members that attended the State Leadership Conference are experiencing challenging tasks and responsibilities often or very often within their respective clubs; 4) Many 4-H members are heavily involved in extracurricular activities at school, hold a job, or are simply needed to help take care of their families and therefore lack the extra time to participate in 4-H activities; 5) A 4-H members‟ participation is influenced by different factors from one 4-H curricular area to the next; 6) Lack of sufficient information about 4-H activities limits 4-H member‟s participation; 7) The cost of participating in certain 4-H events or activities limits some 4-H members‟ ability to be involved; 8) Parents who were former 4-H members highly influence their children to be involved in 4-H; 9) The younger the members were when they joined 4-H the more likely they are to become involved in activities above the club level; 10) The younger the individuals are when they enrolled in 4-H the more likely they were to have been influenced by their siblings and their family‟s involvement in 4-H; 11) Serving as a club officer allows 4-H members to lead others and plan 4-H activities; 12) Members whose parents were 4-H alumnus, tended to be more influenced by their parents and more likely to be involved with community service projects. Recommendations include the completion of a similar study using a stratified random sample of Pennsylvania 4-H members, ages 13-18, to allow for more generalizations to be made about the Pennsylvania 4-H membership. Additionally, a study to determine why youth drop out of 4-H between the ages of thirteen and eighteen should also be completed. Following the completion of the studies, recruitment/retention guides should be created that outline techniques of recruitment/retention. The recruitment/retention guides should then be distributed to Pennsylvania 4-H extension educators and local 4-H leaders to assist in recruiting and retaining teenage 4-H members.