Michael J. Martin, Kellie Enns, Katherine Hartmann
{"title":"Agrarianism in Agricultural Education: A Narrative Study","authors":"Michael J. Martin, Kellie Enns, Katherine Hartmann","doi":"10.5032/jae.2022.03135","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2022.03135","url":null,"abstract":"Agriculturalists can be divided into broad ideological camps with differing value sets. While many different groups exist, there are two primary ideological groups: (1) conventional or agrarian populists and (2) non-conventional or neo-agrarians. Agricultural education students’ values about agriculture shape how they will work in their future classrooms, schools, and communities, as well as how they will interact with students and community members. The purpose of this narrative study was to describe undergraduate agricultural education students’ conceptualization of their values about agriculture. The findings from this study highlighted the polarization of ideologies in American agriculture. The agricultural education students’ conceptualization of agricultural values was largely conventional. Some students formed conventional agriculture values as they grew up, while other students experienced a change of their values towards conventional attitudes while in college. Students’ responses to others with differing values ranged from indifferent to negative. These differences indicate a real challenge for post-secondary agricultural educators. Students have the right to maintain their own values in agriculture, however they must be able to work with others who have differing values. Research is needed to evaluate effective ways to help students learn how to work with people who have differing agricultural values.","PeriodicalId":73589,"journal":{"name":"Journal of agricultural education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49165541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michelle R. Giles, Taylor Nash, Laura L. Greenhaw, Shelli Rampold, J. C. Hurdle
{"title":"Examining Ethical Typologies of Agriculture and Natural Resources Leaders: A Q Study","authors":"Michelle R. Giles, Taylor Nash, Laura L. Greenhaw, Shelli Rampold, J. C. Hurdle","doi":"10.5032/jae.2022.03266","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2022.03266","url":null,"abstract":"This study sought to describe agriculture and natural resources (ANR) opinion leaders’ ethical orientations by illuminating how they determine what is right/wrong or good/bad when making decisions that impact the ANR industry. ANR leaders’ ethical perspectives impact decisions regarding complex critical issues and influence others’ behavior. We used Q methodology, and four typologies were revealed, including Principled, Industry-focused, Dutiful, and Multi-Hat Leaders. The methodological approach of Q methodology to identify common ethical perspectives among ANR leaders is unique. Leadership development practitioners and educators should encourage leaders to reflect on and be cognizant of their ethical beliefs, particularly when making high-stakes decisions with far-reaching implications and when representing others as industry leaders. Though each typology characterized was unique, they all relied on a combination of ethical perspectives to guide their decision making. This may be evidence of Kohlberg’s postconventional morality as leaders’ attempt to reconcile a multitude of perspectives while seeking solutions to complex problems. Ensuring ethical approaches to food and fiber production and consumption simultaneously with care for and preservation of natural resources begins with a clear understanding of leaders’ existing ethical perspectives.","PeriodicalId":73589,"journal":{"name":"Journal of agricultural education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45523666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning Using CASE Curriculum","authors":"Bryanna Nelson, Hui-Hui Wang, Mark Tucker","doi":"10.5032/jae.2022.03117","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2022.03117","url":null,"abstract":"Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) was first offered in 2007 with two foundational courses built on inquiry-based learning. Ten courses are now offered, each requiring intensive training and teacher development for effective use. Guided by National Science Education standards and a constructivist learning theory framework, the study used online survey research methods to explore teachers’ perceptions of and practices associated with inquiry-based teaching and learning when using CASE curriculum. A survey link was distributed in September 2018 to teachers certified in an introductory CASE course (Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources) and a higher-level, more inquiry-based CASE course (Food Science and Safety) for comparison. The online questionnaire was completed by 392 participants for a usable response rate of 32%. Major findings in the study included (1) participants in both groups have an understanding of open inquiry but struggled in identifying structured and guided inquiry; (2) participants over-estimated the amount of open inquiry in the curriculum; and (3) participants showed mixed interpretations of inquiry-based and problem-based instruction among both groups. Participant ratings of the CASE curriculum were generally favorable, although results showed that teachers frequently remove or skip lessons and teach courses in a semester or quarter format, contrary to CASE recommendations. Findings are discussed in the context of improved training and other recommendations to help teachers use the curriculum in its intended manner and to get the most benefit from its use.","PeriodicalId":73589,"journal":{"name":"Journal of agricultural education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47406755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“A Challenge that I’m Willing to Take On:” The Self-Efficacy of Female Undergraduate Students in Agricultural Mechanics","authors":"Tyler Granberry, Richie Roberts, J. Blackburn","doi":"10.5032/jae.2022.03044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2022.03044","url":null,"abstract":"This qualitative study sought to answer the question: How do female agricultural education undergraduates describe their self-efficacy to teach agricultural mechanics? In response, we conducted a case study of female agricultural education majors (n=5) who enrolled in an Introduction to Agricultural Mechanics course. After multiple rounds of coding, three themes emerged: (1) Conflicting Perceptions of Agricultural Mechanics, (2) Confronting Challenges, and (3) Building Experience. When viewed through the lens of Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, we concluded that the female students used four sources of self-efficacy to inform their judgments about agricultural mechanics. Although the participants had mixed views on agricultural mechanics, their perceived challenges to effectively teach the content, such as a lack of knowledge and prescribed gender roles, served as obstacles they hoped to address through future coursework and experiences. The findings of this study aligned with similar research; however, notable differences were also evident regarding the attitudes, concerns, and emotions articulated by the participants. Based on these findings, we recommend that future students in the course receive supplemental vicarious experiences with women who teach agricultural mechanics in school-based agricultural education. Because the participants were earlier in their coursework than those in previous studies, we also recommend that research examine how the perceptions of agricultural mechanics changes over time for agricultural education undergraduates from diverse backgrounds, as well as theory-building efforts to distill the sources of self-efficacy for such students going forward.","PeriodicalId":73589,"journal":{"name":"Journal of agricultural education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42390344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Determining Factors Affecting Adult Volunteerism in the Texas 4-H Program","authors":"J. Rayfield, William Doss, Haylee Doss","doi":"10.5032/jae.2022.03032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2022.03032","url":null,"abstract":"Volunteers have always been essential to the success of 4-H youth development programs. However, the number of available volunteers has declined. Although this decline is not new, it is imperative to recruit and retain adult volunteers for youth programming. Researchers sought to describe characteristics of current Texas volunteers and identify motivational functions according to the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI). This descriptive study utilized enrolled volunteers in the Texas 4-H program, with responses from 1,225 individuals. Most volunteers were white, college educated, females, and had no prior affiliation with the program. Volunteers were mainly motivated by the values and understanding function. It was recommended information from volunteer demographics and identified motivations be used by extension volunteer administrators to more effectively recruit and retain volunteers for 4-H youth development programing.","PeriodicalId":73589,"journal":{"name":"Journal of agricultural education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48408004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Natalie K. Ferand, C. Dibenedetto, B. Myers, D. Barry
{"title":"Implications of Science Illumination on Student Content Knowledge of Technical Floriculture and Core Scientific Ideas","authors":"Natalie K. Ferand, C. Dibenedetto, B. Myers, D. Barry","doi":"10.5032/jae.2022.02169","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2022.02169","url":null,"abstract":"With fewer people entering agricultural career fields every year, the need for skilled workers in STEM fields continues to grow, which is an issue compounded by the growing demand for food and energy worldwide. An employment pool of skilled applicants who understand agriculture as a whole and comprehend applied concepts of STEM is needed, especially now as the world has stepped into an era of scientific and precision-based agriculture. School-based agricultural education (SBAE) provides opportunities to facilitate the application of core scientific ideas in real-world settings, as many agricultural contexts and problems typically involve numerous disciplines. This study analyzed the effects of purposeful science illumination on students' content knowledge of scientific core ideas and technical floriculture concepts. Students who received a specialized science illuminated curriculum displayed higher achievement on core science and technical floriculture content than their peers who received the standard curriculum. Further, students whose teachers received specialized training in STEM illumination outperformed the other two groups of students in both scientific core ideas and technical floriculture concepts. It is recommended that teachers seek both content-specific professional development opportunities and specialized curricula. Lastly, focus should be placed on methods of instruction to allow for students to engage with core scientific ideas within the context of agriculture.","PeriodicalId":73589,"journal":{"name":"Journal of agricultural education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47630379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Examining factors affecting youth value of mindful living in a short-term non-formal educational mindfulness program","authors":"Mariah Stollar Awan, S. Windon","doi":"10.5032/jae.2022.02052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2022.02052","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this study was to examine factors that affect youth value of mindful living, namely, selected demographic variables, awareness of mental events, awareness of physical sensations, and non-judgment of emotional experience. This quantitative study utilized a paper and pencil survey method to address the study objective. Study participants were youth who attended the two-hour non-formal educational Mindfulness Moments: Today and 4-Life program in Summer 2019 at 4-H camps. Most of the youth agreed or strongly agreed they valued mindful living. The results of the Pearson correlation coefficient test showed a very strong significant association between youth value of mindful living and awareness of mental events and awareness of physical sensations. A moderate significant association was identified between youth value of mindful living and nonjudgement of emotional experience. The results of chi-squared analysis showed a significant relationship between youth value of mindful living and gender. There were not significant relationships found between youth value of mindful living and religiosity and prior experience with mindfulness. Youth who are more aware and mindful during mindfulness programming are more likely to value mindful living. Practitioners of youth mindfulness programs in 4-H camp and other Extension education settings may want to focus on helping youth develop mindfulness skills before emphasizing the value of mindful living, as more mindful youth had higher values of mindful living in this study. Extension professionals may want to give more attention to boys in introductory mindfulness programming. Future studies should study factors that influence youth value of mindful living in other non-formal programming settings, especially 4-H camp and other Extension education settings. Future studies should pilot study surveys and utilize random sample methodology.","PeriodicalId":73589,"journal":{"name":"Journal of agricultural education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48491067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Finding the Right Channel: An Analysis of Communication Channel Preferences Amongst Potential Extension Clientele","authors":"A. Carroll, K. Lamm, Abigail Borron","doi":"10.5032/jae.2022.02131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2022.02131","url":null,"abstract":"New communication methods and technology continue to emerge and evolve – as do societal trends – making it paramount that Extension professionals stay abreast with the preferred communication channels of potential clientele. By being aware of clients’ preferred communication channels, Extension professionals can increase the number of participants who benefit from their work while also improving the quality of the message being delivered. The present study examined the preferred communication channels of potential Extension clientele specifically when gathering information regarding their community. Specifically, a non-probability opt-in sampling procedure was employed whereby respondent (N = 3,347) communication channel preferences were analyzed from an audience segmentation and uses and gratifications perspective. Overall, the results indicated the most effective channels through which to reach potential Extension clientele under 50 years of age is through the internet and social media, while word of mouth and newspaper are preferred channels for those 50 and over. However, the results of the study indicate there are a variety of potential communication channels with varying degrees of preference among different audiences. Using study results as a starting point to inform communication channel strategy may help to Extension professionals ensure the correct message is provided to the correct audience via the correct channel.","PeriodicalId":73589,"journal":{"name":"Journal of agricultural education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48065362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hybrid Vigor: A Quantitative Analysis of Job Satisfaction of United States School Based Secondary Agricultural Education Classrooms","authors":"J. McKibben, C. Clemons, Makeda Nurradin","doi":"10.5032/jae.2022.02238","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2022.02238","url":null,"abstract":"The balance between work and personal life has seen a renewed focus in the years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the years leading up to the work stoppage in 2020 a growing body of literature was being compiled that agriculture teachers, as many of the American population do, suffered from a lack of balance between personal and work life. This study sought to examine the way agriculture teachers spent their time, how they viewed their job satisfaction, and if any relationships exist between them. A national sample of agriculture teachers (N = 570) was conducted and when the results were interpreted it was found that agriculture teachers are majority female (51.9%), almost all took agriculture courses in high school (89.3%), were active in FFA in high school (81.9%), and many continued that membership into college (44.9%). Most teachers spent some time outside of school hours preparing for class, SAE supervision, and other school-based activities, but most of their time was spent on FFA activities. Teachers reported some time spent in domestic, civic/religious, and recreation time outside of work. Teachers had a heavy slant towards positive job satisfaction, (M = 1.86, SD = .788) on a one through five scale with one being extremely good and five being extremely bad. Significant correlations were found at a small level (Cohen, 2013) between time in SAE, time in recreation, and salary range with job satisfaction. Significant linear (p < 0.05) regressions were calculated with salary, time in SAE’s, time spent in recreation. Time spent in recreation provided the best fit.","PeriodicalId":73589,"journal":{"name":"Journal of agricultural education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46773279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
K. Lamm, Lauren Pike, Don W. Edgar, Alyssa N. Powell
{"title":"Evaluating the Impacts of 4-H Participation: Development and Preliminary Validation of a Scale","authors":"K. Lamm, Lauren Pike, Don W. Edgar, Alyssa N. Powell","doi":"10.5032/jae.2022.02115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2022.02115","url":null,"abstract":"Ensuring that the experiences provided by Extension, including those associated with the 4-H program, are impactful to participants is of paramount importance. To ensure the continued success and relevance of the 4-H program, it is crucial for practitioners to measure the impact of 4-H involvement and use these results to develop highly impactful programs. This study proposed and validated the Impacts of 4-H scale. The scale was developed based on previous research and literature review. Based on content, response process, and internal structure validation, a single factor consisting of eight items was proposed. The results of the study indicate the proposed scale may provide a valid and reliable measure to capture, quantify, and report the impacts associated with participating in the 4-H program. Additional recommendations for future research and practice are provided.","PeriodicalId":73589,"journal":{"name":"Journal of agricultural education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47980779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}