CHARACTERISTICS AND
VOLUNTEERING BEHAVIORS
OF PURDUE MASTER
GARDENER INTERNS AND
MASTER GARDENERS
ELIZABETH A. GALL
MASTER’S THESIS
PRESENTATION
OUTLINE
 Context and Overview
 Purpose and Research Questions
 Theoretical Framework
 Methodology
 Conceptual Framework
 Results and Discussions
 Conclusions
 Implications
 Recommendations for Future Study
CONTEXT
 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.
STRUCTURE OF THE PMG PROGRAM
 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)
DEFINITIONS
 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 others
 Volunteering- actively giving of your time or
resources to your community or someone other than
a friend or family member and without monetary
compensation
 Self-efficacy- the confidence, or belief, in one’s
ability to perform a behavior (Bandura 1986 ;
Bandura, 1989
OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
 Provide a “snapshot” of the PMG Program
 Demographics of Purdue Master Gardener Interns
and Master Gardeners
 Experience of Educational Training
 Describe relationships between variables and predict
volunteering behaviors of Purdue Master Gardener
Interns and Master Gardeners
PURPOSE AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS
 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?
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
 #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?
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
 The Theory of Planned Behavior- Ajzen, 1991
METHODOLOGY
 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 Test
 Final Questionnaire
 Email sent to Purdue Master Gardener County
Coordinators
 Included letter to Purdue Master Gardener Interns and
Master Gardeners with details and link to Qualtircs
questionnaire
METHODOLOGY
 Largely Quantitative
 2 Main Sections
 Predictive Variables
 10 Demographic items
 11 Attitudes items
 12 Self-efficacy items
 5 Participation in the PMG Program items
 8 Prior Volunteering Experience items
 35 Educational Training Evaluation items
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
SAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRE ITEMS
 Please indicate your level of agreement for the following
statements...(Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Slightly Disagree, Slightly
A gree, A gree, Strongly A gree, 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
 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)
DATA ANALYSIS
 Frequencies and Central Tendency calculated
 Demographics
 Items from Educational Training Evaluation
 Correlations and ANOVAs calculated for relationships
 Between predictive variables and total volunteer hours
 Among predictive variables
 Ordinal regression to construct the predictive model
RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS
 Demographic Data- Res. Question 1a
 Educational Training Evaluation- Res. Question 1b
 Relationships between predictive variables and total
volunteer hours- Res. Question 2
 Relationships among predictive variables - Res.
Question 3
 Predictive Model- Res. Question 4
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.html
Q # 1A- DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
Q # 1A- DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
Q # 1B- EDUCATIONAL TRAINING EVALUATION
 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 Interns
Q # 1B- EDUCATIONAL TRAINING
EVALUATION
Strongly
The Master Gardener Program…
Slightly
Slightly
Disagree
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Disagree
Agree
M
SD
Agree
…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
steward
1
3
6
19
89
55
5.06
0.90
…helped me to save money
2
14
23
76
39
19
4.12
1.10
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 = strong
Q # 3- RELATIONSHIPS AMONG PREDICTIVE
VARIABLES
Correlation Matrix- 47 x 47 cells
Q # 3- RELATIONSHIPS AMONG PREDICTIVE
VARIABLES
 Attitudes and self-efficacy; r = 0.676
 Intern 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 # 4- PREDICTIVE MODEL
 Seven items within the predictive variables were
entered into a regression as independent variables:
 Education
 Self-efficacy
 Years as a Master Gardener
 Before volunteering
 Service-learning
 If one volunteered as a child or young adult
 If one had influential adults in one’s life who
emphasized volunteering
Q # 4- PREDICTIVE MODEL
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
x2
1643.66
df
14
Nagelkerke R2
0.141
Note. N = 601.
CONCLUSION #1
 Conclusion #1- Purpose and Aim of the Purdue
Master Gardener Program are Met
 Teaches horticultural information and facilitates the use
of volunteers to disseminate horticultural information
 Value of volunteering hours
 Validation of time, energy, and resources by USDA and
Purdue University
CONCLUSION #2
 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 #3
 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
IMPLICATIONS
 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 Program
 Program implementation and maintenance
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE STUDY
 Why some demographic groups do not participate
 Change in the use of gardening practices through
participation in PMG Program
 Fostering of strong, positive attitudes about
volunteering
 More in-depth study of self-efficacy of Purdue Master
Gardener Interns and Master Gardeners
REFERENCES
 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
THANK YOU!