Abstract
Animal science is an applied discipline, and post-secondary curriculum must prepare students to matriculate into a dynamic and complex industry. As the demographics and backgrounds of students pursuing animal science degrees are shifting, there may be a disconnect between how post-secondary students perceive food animal production versus industry realities and traditional lecture courses may not adequately address these gaps. Experiential learning, which is a high-impact pedagogical approach, allows students to immerse themselves in real world settings, viewing and experiencing practical applications of technical and complex concepts. Within the context of the beef industry, such opportunities may be valuable for illustrating the multifaceted interactions of sustainability, technology, and economic factors that underlie beef production. The objective of this study was to assess changes in understanding and perceptions of various aspects of beef cattle production due to experiential learning received by college students studying agricultural sciences on a beef industry tour. Procedures involving human subjects were approved by the Texas State University (TXST) IRB (#8309). Students (n=26) from TXST and Texas A&M University (TAMU) attended a 5-day beef cattle industry tour in the Texas Panhandle in May 2024. Students visited cow-calf operations, feedlots, a packing plant, and allied operations, providing opportunities to experience beef production and to interact with industry representatives about their roles in the industry. Identical pre- and post-tests were administered immediately before and after the tour. Data were analyzed via paired sample t-tests using SPSS v.26. Results indicate that, after participating in the tour, students expressed that the concept of sustainability was significantly easier to understand (P=0.02). This aligned with increased understanding of environmental impacts of beef production (P≤0.01), economic factors affecting beef production (P≤0.01), and the role of technology in the beef industry (P≤0.01). When asked if environmental impacts of the beef industry were a major concern, there was significantly less agreement (P=0.04) after the tour. This indicates that students were less concerned about the environmental sustainability of beef cattle production after viewing and better understanding the industry practices. Shifts in perceptions were also observed when students were asked if beef production positively contributes to the rural economy (P≤0.01), if technology improves animal welfare (P=0.03), and if the beef industry is modern and innovative (P≤0.01), all of which increased in level of agreement after the tour. Ultimately, these data indicate that experiential learning opportunities enhance understanding and influence perceptions of beef production in college students studying agricultural sciences.