| Purpose. The purpose of the study was to ascertain the perceptions of inner city high school students toward career opportunities in agriculture, career areas in agriculture, and selecting a college.;Procedure. The study included data from a purposive sample of 280 inner city high school students, of which 203 were not enrolled and 77 were enrolled in agricultural courses. All students were asked to complete a questionnaire which contained questions about career opportunities in agriculture, career areas in agriculture, and selecting a college. The students were asked to respond using a four point Likert-type scale to rate the items in each section of the questionnaire. Statistical procedures included the use of frequencies and measures of central tendency. Multivariate analysis of variance and the analysis of variance procedures were used to ascertain if significant differences existed between the responses of agricultural and non-agricultural students, the male and female students, and the Black and other students.;Conclusions. The following conclusions were based on the analysis of the responses of inner city students that provided data for this study: (1) Inner city students believe that persons working in agriculture should have an agricultural background, will work outdoors, have opportunity for advancement, and can learn the skills needed for employment on the job. (2) While inner city students believe that there are career opportunities available in many areas of agriculture, they believe the greatest opportunity for jobs exists in engineering, education and extension, food service and lodging management, and horticulture. (3) Inner city students are more likely to turn to parents, teachers, friends, family members, and high school counselors for advice in making career decisions. (4) Students are more likely to be influenced by money related information about financial aids, job opportunities, and costs when selecting a college or university. (5) Educators preparing career information about agriculture, can plan common experiences for inner city students regardless of their race, gender, or agricultural background. |
