| The purpose of this study was to describe graduates of agricultural education on measures of academic ability and performance relative to other university populations. The study was descriptive survey research of a comparative nature.;Two-thirds of the agricultural education graduates were males. They held a mean cumulative grade point average of 2.81 upon graduation from college. They ranked at the seventy-eighth percentile of their high school classes in which they earned a grade point average of 3.20. They held ACT scores of 18.7 on the English portion, 22.0 on the math portion, and a composite score of 21.3. They earned a 2.76 mean grade point average in agriculture courses.;A significant difference existed between the groups on the characteristic of sex. The mean grade point average held by agricultural education graduates was lower than that held by education graduates, but no different than that held by other agriculture or university graduates. Agricultural education graduates were no different than the other groups studied on high school percentile rank, high school grade average, or ACT math and composite scores. Agricultural education graduates scored lower than university graduates on the ACT English exam, but no different than other agriculture or education graduates.;Agricultural education graduates who held agricultural education as a first major were no different than those who held it as a second major on each of the characteristics, except grade in student teaching. Second majors earned higher grades in student teaching than first majors. A higher proportion of male agricultural education graduates entered the teaching profession then female graduates.;The study included four target populations: agricultural education graduates, other agriculture graduates, secondary education graduates, and all university graduates. Each of these populations included graduates of The Ohio State University for the time period of Summer 1978 to Spring 1983. Random samples were drawn for the agricultural education, other agriculture, and education graduates. The data for these samples were obtained from the records of each subject maintained in the records offices of The Ohio State University. Data for the university population were obtained in the form of population statistics. |
