PSX-3 - Animal science for non-majors: Insights on the relationship between student background and identity with overall course experience

Abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate how a diverse student cohort was influenced by a general introductory Animal Science course offered to non-majors (ANSC 107 – General Animal Science) by the Texas A&M University Department of Animal Science. To achieve this goal, an online survey was offered to students upon course completion and received 270 responses, from a total of 634 enrolled students. Questions on the survey covered aspects of student identity, such as classification, major and self-perception regarding agricultural background. The survey also inquired students about the influence of the course on decision making regarding their future interest in pursuing other animal science-related courses. Respondents in the survey were enrolled in 38 different majors, which were grouped according to college and domain of study, yielding four major-areas: Business, Administration and Economics, (BUAD, n = 36); Agriculture and Life Sciences (AGLS, n = 48); Humanities and Arts, (HUMA, n = 94) and Biomedical Sciences (BIMS, n = 92). There was an effect of major-area (P < 0.01) on perceived agricultural background. More students in AGLS self-identified as having an agricultural background compared to the ones in BIMS (P = 0.0059), who, in turn, also had higher self-perception of their agricultural background (P < 0.0001) when compared to HUMA and BUAD ( P = 0.73; 55.72% ± 5.77%; 35.91% ± 4.2%; 4.25% ± 4.38%; 2.38% ± 6.99%, respectively). A major-area effect was also detected for student self-evaluation of their agricultural background in a scale of 0 (weak) to 10 (strong), with AGLS students showing stronger background (5.81 ± 0.42; P < 0.001) compared to BIMS, HUMA and BUAD (3.78 ± 0.30; 3.53 ± 0.32; 3.43 ± 0.51; respectively, P > 0.54). There was a major-area effect on the overall course experience, which was rated by students on a scale from 0 (Negative) to 10 (Positive). Students in BIMS had a more positive experience compared students in AGLS and HUMA (P < 0.04; ; 9.19 ± 0.19; 8.52 ± 0.26; 8.47 ± 0.20, respectively), but similar to the ones in BUAD (P = 0.38; 8.87 ± 0.32). Major-area also influenced students’ interest in animal science based on the course, with students in AGLS, BIMS and BUAD rating their future interest in animal science greater than students in HUMA (P < 0.03, 7.95 ± 0.35; 7.93 ± 0.25; 7.77 ± 0.42; 6.65 ± 0.26, respectively). These results support that student background and perceived self-identity have a significant impact on their experiences in higher education, which is especially relevant for educators in the area of agriculture and animal science.