| With a shortage of agricultural graduates predicted for the United States workforce (Goecker, Smith, Smith, & Goetz, 2010) the purpose of the study was to identify influences on students choosing undergraduate majors in agriculture. Structural equation modeling analysis was used to examine independent variable constructs of student characteristics, environment, learning experiences, and task approach skills from Krumboltz's (1996) social learning theory of career decision making on the decision of students to choose an undergraduate major in agriculture. Variables were identified through previous research in field of study choice in agriculture and data was evaluated from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 national longitudinal study.;Structural equation modeling was used to answer the research question of how well the adapted study model from Krumboltz's social learning theory of career decision making explained student field of study choice in agriculture. The students' characteristics of gender and race/ethnicity were not significant in the model, however, students' GPA did load under a new students' goals construct. Learning experiences and students' goals were similar to Krumboltz's social learning theory of career decision making constructs of learning experiences and task approach skills, but the environment construct was divided in the new study model into three constructs of parents' goals, parents' education, and influential people. The influence of parents was evident in the study, yet less than one percent of parents indicated they had an occupation in agriculture. |
