TITLE:
Student Satisfaction in Australian Agriculture VET: Quality Indicator or Incomplete Picture?
AUTHORS:
Hardy Manser, James Pratley, Lincoln Gill, Jeff McCormick
KEYWORDS:
Agriculture Education, ATVET, Vocational Education and Training (VET), Quality, Satisfaction, Student
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.17 No.7,
July
10,
2026
ABSTRACT: The increasing technological complexity of Agriculture 4.0 has intensified demand for a skilled and adaptable agricultural workforce. While Vocational Education and Training (VET) is positioned as a key mechanism for workforce development, the extent to which Agriculture Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) delivers quality outcomes remains unclear. This study evaluates whether student satisfaction provides a meaningful indicator of ATVET quality. NCVER Student Outcomes Survey unit record files from 2020-2024 were merged (N = 746,678 records), yielding an analytic sample of 587,389 valid responses after exclusion of partial and non-responses. Satisfaction outcomes were compared between agriculture and non-agriculture programs across teaching, assessment, resources, and support services. Chi-square tests and Cramer’s V were used to assess statistical significance and effect size. Agriculture students reported consistently higher satisfaction than non-agriculture students (e.g., 93.8% vs 90.4% for completers), although effect sizes were negligible (φc