Professional Forester Perceptions of the Value of Forestry Education in High Schools. Journal Paper No. J-14499.

Overview & Synopsis

Perceptions and values of Oregon professional foresters on components of forestry education were evaluated. Three objectives guided the study: (1) the importance foresters place on incorporating forestry education in school curriculum; (2) foresters' opinions about agency involvement in schools; and (3) the value foresters place on forestry instruction in secondary school curriculum. A survey instrument was developed to collect information relative to the three objectives on: forest education perceptions, forest education solutions, high school instructional units, and demographic information. The study population was composed of 600 full members of the Oregon Society of American Foresters; 400 usable responses were analyzed. Five major findings pertained to study objectives: (1) forestry education should be infused into school curricula; (2) there was no adequate forestry education on environmental issues; (3) foresters should promote forestry education; (4) the timber industry's involvement in forestry education is poor; and (5) priority should be given in addressing forest ecology/forest management. (Twenty references and three appendices are included: the survey instrument, respondent demographics, and findings tables.) (NLA)