CHARACTERISTICS AND VOLUNTEERING BEHAVIORS OF PURDUE MASTER GARDENER INTERNS AND MASTER - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

CHARACTERISTICS AND VOLUNTEERING BEHAVIORS OF PURDUE MASTER GARDENER INTERNS AND MASTER GARDENERS

Elizabeth A. Gall Master’s Thesis PresentationSlide2

Context and Overview

Purpose and Research Questions

Theoretical FrameworkMethodologyConceptual FrameworkResults and DiscussionsConclusionsImplicationsRecommendations for Future Study

OutlineSlide3

Purdue Master Gardener (PMG) Program

The

purpose of the PMG Program is to teach people more about growing plants and to more effectively extend information related to plants. Its specific aim is to provide information and technical assistance in the areas of gardening and home horticulture through the use of trained and certified volunteers.

ContextSlide4

Complete educational training (35 hours) and passing of knowledge exam with 70% accuracy- Purdue Master Gardener Intern

Complete volunteer service hours (35 hours), earn certification of Purdue Master Gardener

Other certifications are available after additional educational training and volunteer service hours (Advanced, Bronze, Silver, Gold)Structure of the PMG ProgramSlide5

Service-learning- a strategy that integrates an educational topic with community service associated with that same

topic

Social Responsibility- the belief that one has the responsibility to help othersVolunteering- actively giving of your time or resources to your community or someone other than a friend or family member and without monetary compensationSelf-efficacy- the confidence, or belief, in one’s ability to perform a behavior (Bandura 1986

;

Bandura, 1989

DefinitionsSlide6

Provide a “snapshot” of the PMG Program

Demographics of Purdue Master Gardener Interns and Master Gardeners

Experience of Educational TrainingDescribe relationships between variables and predict volunteering behaviors of Purdue Master Gardener Interns and Master GardenersOverview of the StudySlide7

Purpose:

The

purpose of this study is to identify predictive variables of volunteering behaviors of Purdue Master Gardeners and describe the characteristics of the Purdue Master Gardener Program. Research Questions:#1- Characteristics of the Program and

Participants

1a. What are the demographics of Purdue Master Gardener Interns and Master Gardeners

?

1b. How did the participants of the Purdue Master Gardener Program Educational Training (Pre-Intern) view their experience?

Purpose and Research QuestionsSlide8

#2- What are the relationships between predictive variables and volunteering behaviors, as measured by total volunteer hours, of Purdue Master Gardener Interns and Master Gardeners?

#3- What are the relationships

among predictive variables?#4- What variables predict volunteering behaviors, as measured by total volunteer hours, of Purdue Master Gardener Interns and Master Gardeners?

Research QuestionsSlide9

The Theory of Planned Behavior-

Ajzen

, 1991Theoretical FrameworkSlide10

Program Evaluation Tool was previously developed by a Purdue Master Gardener Advisory Committee

Created a dual purpose Qualtrics questionnaire incorporating the Program Evaluation Tool and items to measure demographics and predictive variables to volunteering behaviors

Conducted Pilot TestFinal QuestionnaireEmail sent to Purdue Master Gardener County CoordinatorsIncluded letter to Purdue Master Gardener Interns and Master Gardeners with details and link to Qualtircs

questionnaire

MethodologySlide11

Largely Quantitative

2 Main Sections

Predictive Variables10 Demographic items11 Attitudes items12 Self-efficacy items5 Participation in the PMG Program items8 Prior Volunteering Experience items

35 Educational Training Evaluation items

MethodologySlide12

Conceptual FrameworkSlide13

Please indicate your level of agreement for the following statements

...(

Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Slightly Disagree, Slightly Agree, Agree, Strongly Agree, No Opinion)I can have a positive impact on social problems. What kind of Master Gardener activities are you currently/ have volunteered for in the past year? (Choose all that Apply.)Program administration (Including, but not limited to, board member, committee work, reporting, etc.)

Community

service (non-educational, such as beautification projects)

Info

booth (fair, etc.)

Communications

(newsletter, etc.)

Demonstration

garden

Hotline

Teaching

others

Working

with/ teaching youth

Other

____________________________

Sample Questionnaire ItemsSlide14

673 Respondents

173 Purdue Master Gardener Interns and 500 Purdue Master Gardeners

Counties in Indiana with Master Gardener Programs (except Tippecanoe County- participated in pilot test)SampleSlide15

Frequencies and Central Tendency calculated

Demographics

Items from Educational Training EvaluationCorrelations and ANOVAs calculated for relationshipsBetween predictive variables and total volunteer hoursAmong predictive variablesOrdinal regression to construct the predictive model

Data AnalysisSlide16

Demographic Data- Res. Question 1a

Educational Training Evaluation- Res. Question 1b

Relationships between predictive variables and total volunteer hours- Res. Question 2Relationships among predictive variables- Res. Question 3Predictive Model- Res. Question 4Results & DiscussionsSlide17

Q

#

1a- Demographic Data

Demographic

Purdue Master Gardener

Interns and Master Gardeners

2010 Indiana

Census

Race

95.4% (% white)

84.3% (%

white)

Income

$60,001-$80,000 (median)

$48,000 (median)

Education

59.5% (Bachelor degree or higher)

22.4% (Bachelor degree or higher)

Indiana

Quick Facts

from the US Census

Bureau; http

://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18000.htmlSlide18

Q

#

1a- Demographic DataSlide19

Q

#

1a- Demographic DataSlide20

Most commonly cited reason for participation is to increase horticultural knowledge

Educational Training Sessions were rated Excellent or Good by the majority of Purdue Master Gardener Interns

Logistics of Educational Training Sessions were rated Excellent or Good by the majority of Purdue Master Gardener InternsQ#

1b- Educational Training EvaluationSlide21

The Master Gardener

Program…

Strongly

Disagree

Disagree

Slightly

Disagree

Slightly Agree

Agree

Strongly

Agree

M

SD

…was

worth my time and money

1

0

2

8

38

124

5.62

0.72

…helped

me to become a better gardener

1

0

1

12

76

83

5.38

0.73

      …helped me to become a better environmental steward1361989555.060.90         …helped me to save money214237639194.121.10         

Q#1b- Educational Training EvaluationSlide22

Q

#

2- Relationships between Predictive Variables and Total Volunteer Hours

Scale: 0.0-0.09 = none; 0.1-0.3 = small; 0.3-0.5 = medium; 0.5-1.0 = strongSlide23

Q

#

3- Relationships Among Predictive Variables

Correlation Matrix- 47 x 47 cellsSlide24

Attitudes

and

self-efficacy; r = 0.676Intern or Master Gardener and years as a Master Gardener; r = 0.783

Intern or Master Gardener

and

Master Gardener status

;

r

= 0.719

Years as a Master Gardener

and

Master Gardener status

;

r

= 0.787

Q

#

3-

Relationships Among Predictive VariablesSlide25

Seven items within the predictive variables were entered into a regression as independent variables:

Education

Self-efficacyYears as a Master GardenerBefore volunteeringService-learning

I

f one volunteered as a child or young adult

I

f one had influential adults in one’s life who emphasized volunteering

Q

#

4- Predictive ModelSlide26

Variable

Parameter Estimate

Standard Error

Wald Statistic

Sig.

Self-efficacy

0.715

0.147

23.565

<0.001

Years as a Master Gardener- Intern

-0.950

0.258

13.53

<0.001

Years as a Master Gardener-

Less

than 1 year

-0.808

0.353

5.250

0.022

-2 log likelihood

1443.74

x

2

1643.66

df

14

Nagelkerke

R

2

0.141

Q

#

4- Predictive ModelNote. N = 601.Slide27

Conclusion #1- Purpose

and Aim of the Purdue Master Gardener Program are

MetTeaches horticultural information and facilitates the use of volunteers to disseminate horticultural informationValue of volunteering hours

Validation of time, energy, and resources by USDA and Purdue University

Conclusion #1Slide28

Conclusion #2- Purdue Master Gardener Interns and Master Gardeners Strengthened Capacity to Volunteer and Make a Positive Impact in the

Community

Were already volunteering

Strong attitudes about volunteering

Increased self-efficacy

Conclusion #2Slide29

Conclusion #3- Predictive Model to Volunteering Behavior and Role of Purdue Master Gardener Program in Volunteering

Behavior

Total Volunteer Hours = 0.715 (Self-efficacy) + -0.950 (Years as a Master Gardener- Intern) + -0.808 (Years as a Master Gardener- Less than a year)

Self-efficacy

Years as a Purdue Master Gardener

Conclusion #3Slide30

Provides a framework for predicting total volunteer hours of Purdue Master Gardener Interns and Master Gardeners

For use within national Extension Master Gardener and PMG Programs

Description (“snapshot”) of the PMG ProgramProgram implementation and maintenanceimplicationsSlide31

Why some demographic groups do not participate

Change in the use of gardening practices through participation in PMG

ProgramFostering of strong, positive attitudes about volunteeringMore in-depth study of self-efficacy of Purdue Master Gardener Interns and Master GardenersRecommendations for future studySlide32

Ajzen

, I. (1991). The theory

of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211. doi:10.1016/0749 5978(91)90020-T

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought

and action

: A social cognitive

theory. Englewood

Cliffs,NJ

: Prentice-Hall

.

Bandura, A. (1989). Human agency in social

cognitive theory

.

American

Psychologist

, 44(9),

1175-1184.

doi

:

10.1037/0003-066X.44.9.1175

Indiana

quick facts

from the US Census Bureau. (

2012, January

17). 

302

Found

. Retrieved

May 4,

2012, from http

://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18000.html

ReferencesSlide33

Thank You!