Masters Theses

Date of Award

3-1969

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Agriculture and Extension Education

Major Professor

Cecil E. Carter, Jr.

Committee Members

Robert S. Dotson, Franklin O. Leuthold

Abstract

The study was concerned with the problem of decreasing county 4-H enrollment in Tennessee. Twenty-one independent variables concerning the characteristics of Tennessee's county 4-H Extension programs and five independent variables concerning total 4-H enrollment were studied. The independent variables were classified under the headings of 4-H leadership, organization, participation, place of 4-H member residence, potential number of 4-H members, and number of Extension staff members. The purpose was to identify the association between the selected variables concerning county 4-H programs and the total 4-H enrollment in the Tennessee counties. Another purpose was to determine which variable, within each group of 4-H Extension program variables, accounted for the highest percent of variation in the number of 4-H members enrolled per county.

It was found that total 4-H enrollment in the ninety-five Tennessee counties was directly related to each of the following variables: total number of adult 4-H leaders, total number of junior 4-H club leaders, total number of basic four organizations, total number of 4-H all stars, total number of honor club members, total number of 4-H senior clubs, total number of junior 4-H clubs, total number of 4-H clubs, average number of senior 4-H members per senior club, total number of senior 4-H district winners, total number of 4-H members participating in 4-H judging and in 4-H camp, total number of full-time Extension staff equivalents responsible for 4-H work, and total number of Extension staff members per county.

The variables, within each group of county 4-H program variables, which accounted for the largest percents of variation in total county 4-H enrollment were: total number of junior 4-H leaders (50 percent), total number of 4-H clubs per county (60 percent), total number of 4-H members per county participating in 4-H camp (31 percent), total number of 4-H members per county residing on farm (55 percent), total number of full-time Extension staff equivalents per county (54 percent). Variables under potential number of 4-H members were not significantly relates with enrollment.

It was implied that 4-H enrollment in Tennessee counties might tend to increase if either the number of 4-H leaders, number of 4-H clubs, number of members participating in 4-H events and activities, and/or the number of full-time Extension staff equivalents responsible for 4-H work increased. Implications for program emphasis were made.

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