Promoting Collaboration between Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers and Cooperative Extension Home Economics County Agents: Results of a Pilot Study

Abstract

Although collaboration activities between Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) teachers and Cooperative Extension Service Home Economics (CES-HE) county agents have not been studied, collaboration appears logical given commonalities. FCS teachers and CES-HE county agents were invited to meetings designed to promote collaboration. Pre-surveys were administered to assess current collaborative efforts, opinions about collaboration, and factors impacting collaboration. Results from the pre-surveys revealed that FCS teachers were not collaborating with their CES-HE colleagues. Post-surveys determined that the meetings had altered FCS teachers’ opinions about the need for collaboration, factors impacting collaboration, and the success of the workshop. Results indicated that FCS teachers, given the opportunity to network with their colleagues, held more favorable opinions about increasing collaboration with CES-HE county agents.