Good morning,

My name is Taylor Bird, a PhD student at the University of Georgia studying Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication. You are being invited to take part in a research study analyzing what factors play a role in an agriculture teacher’s decision to pursue or abstain from certification in the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE). The principal investigator in this study is Dr. Eric Rubenstein at the University of Georgia. We hope to develop insight into the interest of the CASE curriculum and analyze what barriers teachers might have to certification or implementation of the curriculum.

To participate, we request you to complete a Qualtrics survey, the primary method of data collection. The survey, linked below, typically takes around 10-15 minutes to complete. You are NOT required to be certified in CASE to participate in the study. The information gathered from this study may be reported in academic articles or papers. To the best of our knowledge, participation in this study will have no more risk or harm than you would experience in your everyday life. Your willingness to take part in the survey may help other teachers making the decision about getting certified in the CASE curriculum.

Participation in this study is completely voluntary. At any point in this study, you have the right to not answer a certain question or to terminate your participation completely. You will not be treated differently if you decide to stop taking part in this study. You will not lose any benefits or rights you would normally have if you choose not to volunteer. If you choose not to participate, any questions you answered will not be included in the analysis.

Before you decide whether to accept this invitation to take part in this study, please ask any questions that might come to mind immediately. Later, if you have any questions, suggestions, concerns, or complaints about this study, you can contact the principal investigator, Dr. Eric Rubenstein, at 706-542-3191. If you have any questions about your rights as a volunteer in this research, contact the staff in the Office of Research Campus Institutional Review Board at the University of Georgia.

If you are interested in participating, please use the link below. On the first page a consent letter will be available to read and agree to proceed. Thank you for your commitment to agricultural education.

https://ugeorgia.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bkLmEh42cJ7xk10

Sincerely,

Taylor D. Bird

Ph.D. Student 

Agricultural Leadership, Education, & Communication Department