Factors related to the attitude of first-year university and college students toward the secondary agriculture components in Swaziland

The purpose was to describe and explain attitude of first-year college students toward secondary agriculture components. Findings were: Attitude across institutions and programs toward all components were positive. William Pitcher and Ngwane college students held more positive attitude toward people and media's view and portrayal of agriculture. William Pitcher students held more positive attitude toward secondary agriculture teachers than did university students. There were no significant differences in attitude across programs toward all components of secondary agriculture. Education students held significantly more positive attitude toward secondary agriculture teachers and people and media's view and portrayal of agriculture than did agricultural education students and toward secondary agriculture students than did commerce students. Students studying agriculture held significantly more positive attitude than non-agriculture students toward secondary agriculture students, and people and media's view and portrayal of agriculture. Overall, there were negligible to low but positive relationships among the characteristics of students and attitude held toward the components. Components and characteristics explaining attitude: (i) toward students: explained by: grade level at which students decided to attend a college, and, fathers' occupation; (ii) toward objectives: explained by: mothers' occupation and grade level at which students decided to attend a college; (iii) toward teaching methods: explained by: indication of whether students were specifically recruited by someone in present college and students' mothers' occupation; (iv) toward teaching materials: explained by: mothers' education and indication of whether hobbies included agricultural aspect; and, (v) toward people and media's view and portrayal of agriculture: explained by: number of hectares of land allocated to students' family, number of youth organizations joined prior to college, and, residence. Factors significantly explaining attitude were: (i) toward program: extrinsic reasons; (ii) toward objectives: extrinsic and intrinsic reasons; and, (iii) toward teaching materials: extrinsic reasons. Elements significantly explaining attitude were: (i) toward students: students' impression of institution; (ii) toward objectives: were advice by professionals and students' impression of institution, though former was more important than latter; and (iii) toward people and media's view and portrayal of agriculture: provision by institution and advice by students enrolled in the program and non-agriculture teachers.