Abstract:
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This research was an experiment study, aiming at investigating the effects of persuasive reading and writing on career intention to be professional farmers in high school students, as well as, examining psycho-social antecedents as correlates of career intention to be professional farmers. The subjects of this study were 652 high school students in 8 schools which locate the central region of Thailand with 284 male (43.56%), and 368 female (56.44 %), the average age of 16.01, the average GPA of 2.85, 358students (54.91%) attended science program, and rest of 294 students (45.09%) were innon science program. Father’s career of 496 students (77.14%) is not farmer, and rest of 147 students (22.86%) is farmer and mother’s career of 504 students (77.54%) is not farmer, and rest of 146 students (22.46%) is farmer. 272 students (54.29%) have low educated father and 229 students (45.71%) have high educated father,
and 273 students (54.17%) have low educated mother and 231 students (45.83%) have high educated mother. The average number siblings of 1.33, and the average allowance of 345.49 Bath/week.
This study was post test only with control group design. The total of 652 students were selected by random assignment. Subjects were randomly assigned into one of the four groups, namely, group 1 with 169 students reading persuasive message and writing persuasive message, group 2 with 163 students reading persuasive message and writing control message, group 3 with 157 students reading control message and writing persuasive message, and group 4 with 120 students reading control message and writing control message. After the experiment, the set of questionnaires were administered to the subjects.
There were 6 groups of variables in this study. The first group was manipulated variable consisted of reading persuasive message and writing persuasive message. The Second group was dependent variable, namely an intention to exploit farmer knowledge, an intention to explore farmer knowledge, and a recognition to farmer learning opportunity. The third group was psychological state consisted of a favorable attitude towards farming, a favorable attitude towards farmer career, and a stereotype threat towards farmer career. The fourth group concerned the situation, that are, a subjective norm, a farmer career information exposure, and a attitudinal gratefulness. The fifth group was psychological trait consisted of a future orientation and self-control, a belief in internal locus of control of reinforcement, a agriculture vocational personality and a perceived behavioral control in farmer career. The sixth group was bio-social
background of the samples.
The major findings were as follows; First, it was found that there were positive effects of reading and writing persuasive messages on three dependent variables. The results from the analysis revealed the effectiveness of reading persuasive message on all of the dependent variables. The students who read the persuasive message reported more intention to exploit farmer knowledge, more intention to explore farmer knowledge, and more recognition to farmer learning opportunity than the ones who did not read. This finding was evidently in the total group and all subgroups. For the effectiveness of writing persuasive message on the dependent variables, the students who wrote the persuasive message reported more intention to exploit farmer knowledge, more intention to explore farmer knowledge, and more recognition to farmer learning opportunity than the ones who did not write. This finding was evidently in some subgroups.
Secondly, It was found that students who read persuasive message, wrote persuasive messages, and had high agriculture vocational personality had intention to exploit farmer knowledge score, intention to explore farmer knowledge score, and recognition to farmer learning opportunity score more than students who did not read the persuasive messages, not write the persuasive messages and had low agriculture vocational personality. This finding was evidently in some subgroups.
Thirdly, psychological traits together with situational factors with the total of 7 variables could account 1) favorable attitude towards farming in total group with 49.0%. The important predictors sorted in descending order were subjective norm, future orientation and self-control, farmer career information exposure, perceived behavioral control in farmer career, and attitudinal gratefulness. 2) favorable attitude towards farmer career in total group with 69.8% . The important predictors sorted in descending order were subjective norm, perceived behavioral control in farmer career, farmer career information exposure, future orientation and self-control, and attitudinal gratefulness. 3) stereotype threat towards farmer career in total group with 68.8% . The important predictors sorted in descending order were subjective norm, perceived behavioral control in farmer career, belief in internal locus of control of reinforcement, farmer career information exposure, attitudinal gratefulness, and agriculture vocational personality.
Fourthly, the total 10 variables could account 1) intention to exploit farmer knowledge in total sample with 57.5%. The important predictors sorted in descending
order were attitudinal gratefulness, subjective norm, agriculture vocational personality, perceived behavioral control in farmer career, favorable attitude towards farming, stereotype threat towards farmer career, and future orientation and self-control. 2) intention to explore farmer knowledge in total sample with 64.7%. The important predictors sorted in descending order were favorable attitude towards farming, perceived behavioral control in farmer career, stereotype threat towards farmer career, farmer career information exposure, agriculture vocational personality, and future orientation and self-control. 3) recognition to farmer learning opportunity in total group with 67.2%. The important predictors sorted in descending order were favorable attitude towards farming, subjective norm, favorable attitude towards farmer career, stereotype threat towards farmer career, attitudinal gratefulness, perceived behavioral control in farmer career, belief in internal locus of control of reinforcement, and agriculture vocational personality.
Fifthly, results from path analysis indicated that the manipulated variables, the psychological traits and situational factors directly affected on psychological states. Furthermore, the manipulated variables, the psychological traits and situational factors directly affected on career intention to be professional farmers and indirectly affected on the career intention to be professional farmers via psychological states factors.
Recommendation, this study found that reading persuasive message could effectively change the student attitude and career intention to be professional farmer. Therefore, any institution trying to promote the understanding of farmers among high school students can apply this reading persuasive message as it is concise thus requires less time to complete the reading together with other activities. Moreover, for the future research which involves with the study of attitude or behavioral intention, it is suggested that the determination of variables should be well-established as in this research which study the variables from three aspects consisting of the intention to exploit an opportunity, the intention to explore for new opportunities and the recognition of opportunities respectively. Consequently, the study result will be clearer and more inclusive.
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