Secondary Non-Traditional, Urban Agriculture Students of Color and Their Motivation to Stay in Agriculture: A Study of Retention

This study describes the internal values that motivate non-traditional urban agriculture students to stay in the field and the external factors influencing the motivation of non-traditional urban agriculture students to remain in the field of agriculture. A phenomenological approach was employed to gather information on student motivation, engagement, background, knowledge, lived experiences, and post-graduation plans. The findings suggest that urban students of color have a favorable opinion of agriculture when provided with a systematic course of instruction in the agricultural sciences, particularly when the learning experiences align closely with their academic and career interests. However, it was concluded that while instruction in the agricultural sciences and positive agricultural youth organization experiences contribute to a positive perception of the agriculture industry, they do not necessarily lead to a career preference for agriculture among urban students of color. Urban students of color viewed local agricultural youth organization experiences favorably. However, they perceived that the FFA Organization above the school level is not inclusive of urban students of color. Finally, agriculture teachers, mentors, and role models support positive academic performance and career development choices in urban students of color.