DIFFUSION of the TEXAS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION's HORSE THEFT AWARENESS and PREVENTION INITIATIVE a Record of Study by PATTRICK
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Texas A&M University DIFFUSION OF THE TEXAS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION’S HORSE THEFT AWARENESS AND PREVENTION INITIATIVE A Record of Study by PATTRICK LEE SWAIM JR. Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION December 2005 Major Subject: Agricultural Education DIFFUSION OF THE TEXAS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION’S HORSE THEFT AWARENESS AND PREVENTION INITIATIVE A Record of Study by PATTRICK LEE SWAIM JR. Submitted to Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION Approved by: Co-Chairs of Committee, Tim Murphy Steve Fraze Committee Members, Pete Gibbs Cindy Akers Gary Briers Head of Department, Christine Townsend December 2005 Major Subject: Agricultural Education iii ABSTRACT Diffusion of Texas Cooperative Extension’s Horse Theft Awareness and Prevention Initiative. (December 2005) Pattrick Lee Swaim Jr., B.S., Texas Tech University; M.S., Texas A&M University Commerce Co-Chairs of Advisory Committee: Dr. Tim Murphy Dr. Steve Fraze The primary purpose of this study was to identify the Horse Theft Awareness and Prevention Initiative (HTAPI) participants and the theft prevention practices used in Texas. The secondary purpose was to evaluate the educational effectiveness of the HTAPI on the first three of Kirkpatrick’s levels, namely learner satisfaction, knowledge acquired, and change in behavior. The third purpose was to examine relationships between the rate of adoption of HTAPI recommended practices and the following demographic variables: gender, age, equine discipline, number of horses owned, and size of investment in the equine business. Survey instruments were used to gather data. Due to sampling constraints, the Solomon four step research design method was modified by removing one group following Seger’s (1998). The sample groups consisted of a pre/only test group, pre/post test group, post/only test group minus the control pre/post test group. The pre/only sample group data was collected in Denton and Montgomery Counties and yielded 56 usable instruments. Using Dillman’s (2000) procedures, data from participants of the iv HTAPI programs were collected using two mailed survey instruments. One hundred ninety two participants of the 2004 Mare Foal, Basic Horse Management 101, and the Performance Horse workshops were mailed a post/only instrument; 96 were returned for a 49% response rate. Thirty two pre-test instruments were administered in Hopkins and Polk County and thirty days later these participants were mailed a post/only instrument. A response rate of 66% and 63% in the respective sample groups. The sample population can be described as mainly women (68.3%) 43 years of age who owned 7.3 horses each. The average investment in horses totaled $31,658. The most frequently owned breed was the Quarter Horse (f=133), and the most frequently listed discipline was for breeding purposes (f=121). There were no relationships detected between gender or age and theft prevention practices or innovativeness. Positive relationships were found between the breeds of horses owned and the type of permanent identification of horses and the theft prevention practices used. Additionally, positive relationships were detected between breeding and riding discipline of horses, the types of permanent identification, the theft prevention practices used, and owner innovativeness. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my wife of ten years, Jeannie, for her support in pursuing this degree. She took care of our two daughters while I was pursuing my academic endeavor of obtaining this degree. I also want to thank my two daughters, Lettie and Jordan, for understanding why I had to miss some of their extracurricular activities. I tried my best not to let my pursuit of this degree interfere with my family, but at times it was inevitable. I would also like to thank my mother, Leah, for her continued support which allowed me to finish this degree. I would like to thank my graduate committee Dr. Tim Murphy, Dr. Gary Briers, Dr. Pete Gibbs, Dr. Cindy Akers, and Dr. Steve Fraze for their guidance through this program of study. I would like to say a special thanks to Dr. Pete Gibbs for allowing me to utilize the Texas Cooperative Extension’s Horse Theft Awareness and Prevention Initiative Program in my study. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………..…….…. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………… v TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………....… vii LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………….. ix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION…………………………….……………………….... 1 Introduction and Background…………………………………..… 1 Present Status of the Question………………………………….… 3 Purpose of the Study…………………………………………….... 3 Review of Literature….…………………………………………... 4 Delimitations…………………………………………………….. 9 Limitations…………………………………………………...…… 9 Basic Assumptions…………………………………………….…. 10 Definitions of Terms…………………………………………….... 10 Summary……………………………………………………..…… 11 II REVIEW OF LITERATURE………………………………………..…. 12 Literature Review of Program Evaluation……………………..…. 12 Evolution of Formal Evaluation in Education……………… 12 Program Evaluation: 1800-1940……………………………. 12 Program Evaluation: 1940-1965……………………………. 13 Emergence of Modern Program Evaluation………………… 13 Methods of Evaluation……………………………………….…… 14 Kirkpatrick’s Model……………………………………...… 15 Literature Review of Adult Education…………………………… 21 Evolution of Adult Learning Theory…………………….… 21 Pedagogical Model and Andragogical Model……………… 23 Literature Review of Diffusion and Adoption Theory………..….. 27 . vii CHAPTER Page The Diffusion Process……………………………………… 31 The Innovation………………………………………........... 31 Communication………………………………….................. 34 Time………………………………………………..…….… 34 Social System…………………………………………….… 35 Summary…………………………………………….………….… 37 III METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURES……………………………. 38 Purpose of the Study………………………….…………….….…. 38 Population……….……………………………………………..…. 39 Instrumentation…….…………………………………………..…. 40 Procedures………..……………………………………………..… 43 Experimental Design…………………..…………………… 43 Pre-Only Data Collection…………….…..………………… 44 Post-Only Data Collection………………………..………… 45 Pre/Post Data Collection…………………...…………….…. 46 Data Analysis…………………………………………………...…. 48 Summary……………………………………………………...…… 49 IV RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION………………………..... 50 Descriptive Statistics……………………………………………… 50 Correlations Using Demographic Variables……..……………...… 55 Correlations with Other Theft Prevention Practices…………….… 57 Program Satisfaction…………………………………………..…... 59 Adoption of 15 Theft Prevention Practices and Permanent Identification………………………………………...… 59 Correlation of Innovativeness with Demographic Variables…………………………………………………………… 63 Summary…………………………………………………………… 63 V CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS…………………….… 65 Conclusions………………..…………………………………….…. 65 Recommendations……………..…………………...…………….… 72 Horse Theft Awareness and Prevention Initiative………………..… 72 Recommendations for Further Research………………….……..…. 72 viii Page REFERENCES……………………………………………………….……….. 74 APPENDIX A HORSE THEFT AWARNESS AND PREVENTION SURVEY………………………………………….…………... 80 APPENDIX B LETTER TO MIKE HEIMER REGARDING DATA COLLECTION………..……..…………………….…...…….. 83 APPENDIX C POST-TEST ONLY INSTRUMENT……………….………... 85 APPENDIX D DATA COLLECTION COVER LETTER…………….……... 88 APPENDIX E DATA COLLECTION FOLLOW UP LETTER…………....... 90 APPENDIX F DATA COLLECTION SECOND FOLLOW UP LETTER....... 92 APPENDIX G POST TEST INSTRUMENT……………………….………… 94 APPENDIX H DATA RECODING SCHEMA FOR BREEDS OF HORSES.. 97 APPENDIX I DATA RECODING SCHEMA FOR DISCIPLINE…...……… 99 VITA……………………………………………………………………….….. 102 ix LIST OF TABLES TABLE Page 1 The Nine Major Diffusion Research Traditions………………………... 29 2 Experimental Design Treatment and Observation Procedures……….… 43 3 Percentage of Breeds Owned by Participants………………………..…. 51 4 Uses and Disciplines of Horses Represented by Respondents……………………………………………………..……… 52 5 Permanent Marking Prior to Participation in a Clinic………………………………………………………….………… 53 6 Percentage of Theft Prevention Practices Used by Participants Prior to the Educational Program…………………….……….………… 54 7 Percentage of Participant Satisfaction……………………….….…….... 59 8 Frequencies and Percentages of Responses to Theft Prevention Practices Questions by Breed of Horses Owned……………………………….……………..…………………… 60 9 Frequencies and Percentages of Responses to Theft Prevention Practices Questions by Discipline……………..…………… 61 10 Adoption of the 15 Theft Prevention Practices Due to Educational Program…………………………………………….……… 62 1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Introduction and Background Horse theft is of some concern to Texans. Currently, horse theft is a second degree felony. Factors that may contribute to horse theft include; limited horse inspection at equine auctions, unsuspecting attitude by many horse owners, and delayed reporting of horse theft. In the U.S., fewer than 10% of burglaries result in an arrest, and 1.2% result in imprisonment. The lack of a paper trail on the sale of stolen horses, little evidence, and reasonable doubt likely contribute to the non-violet theft of horses and related equipment (Donald, 1997). While the low probability of being caught or punished may contribute to horse theft, primarily horses are stolen because they have value. Horse theft can potentially affect a large number of citizens. Texas is home to more than one million horses, representing