Agricultural education
Reza Movahedi; Soraya Moradi; Taraneh Sarami Froushani
Abstract
Rural women need empowerment in various dimensions., as an effective group in rural communities development. The present study aims to examine the educational empowerment of rural women and the educational, promotional, economic, and social factors affecting it in the context of sustainable agriculture, ...
Read More
Rural women need empowerment in various dimensions., as an effective group in rural communities development. The present study aims to examine the educational empowerment of rural women and the educational, promotional, economic, and social factors affecting it in the context of sustainable agriculture, conducted in the year 2023. The statistical population studied consists of 2,054 rural women from 12 villages in Islamabad Gharb County, who are directly involved in agricultural activities. From those, 324 individuals were selected as the samples using Morgan's table during a simple random method. This applied research is correlational-causal and conducted through a survey using a questionnaire. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts, and the average variance extracted (AVE) was validated at 0.613. The reliability of the questionnaire was measured based on ordinal Alpha (ranging from 0.75 to 0.93) and composite alpha (ranging from 0.78 to 0.94) through a pre-test process. Data analysis was performed using the statistical software SPSS Ver. 23, Smart PLS 3, and statistical methods like correlation and confirmatory factor analysis. The results of the extracted beta coefficients from path analysis based on the PLS output showed that economic factors, extension education factors, governmental and organizational factors, and social capital had the highest impact on the educational empowerment of rural women, with coefficients of 0.303, 0.280, 0.277, and 0.271, respectively. It needs to motivate rural women through workshops and supportive-motivational programs, encourage their self-organization, and enhance their knowledge and attitudes regarding sustainable agriculture and food security.
Agricultural education
Ramin Taheri; Reza Movahedi; Saeid Karimi; Mehrdad Poya
Abstract
The present applied research has been carried out in order to identify the indicators of effective teaching, using a survey method and a questionnaire. The questionnaire included a total of 105 questions, 7 of which are related to personal characteristics and the rest of the questions are related to ...
Read More
The present applied research has been carried out in order to identify the indicators of effective teaching, using a survey method and a questionnaire. The questionnaire included a total of 105 questions, 7 of which are related to personal characteristics and the rest of the questions are related to three sections: professional skills (26 questions), general teaching skills (36 questions) and technical skills (25 questions). The statistical population of the research includes agricultural faculty members of Bu Ali Sina (N=80) and Razi (N=72) universities. To determine the sample size, Morgan's table was used, and a total of 129 faculty members from Bu Ali Sina (66) and Razi (63) universities were selected as research samples. Data analysis was done in two sections of descriptive and analytical statistics using SPSS22 and smartPLS3 software. The results showed that the most important indicators of effective teaching on teaching technical skills include: having a lesson plan and program for teaching and commitment to it, considering discipline and consistency in presenting lessons, linking the lesson content with the needs of the agricultural community. About general teaching skills, the most important were: openness of the professor, flexibility towards students' conditions, establishing close communication with students; and the most important indicators of effective teaching on the teaching profession include: determining the time, conditions and position of the class by the teacher, clarifying transparent instructions during teaching, the teacher's expertise on the course subjects. In the structural model of the research, the components of professional skills, technical skills and general skills had a positive and significant relationship with the "effective teaching" component with the impact coefficient of 0.70, 0.27, and 0.19, respectively.
Agricultural education
Hafiza Jafari
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effective factors on improving quality of education in College of Agriculture,, University of Herat, Afghanistan. Data were gathered through a questionnaire technique during 2021. This research was an applied which was done by a descriptive-correlation ...
Read More
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effective factors on improving quality of education in College of Agriculture,, University of Herat, Afghanistan. Data were gathered through a questionnaire technique during 2021. This research was an applied which was done by a descriptive-correlation method. The study population included 850 students of Herat Agriculture College, 230 samples were selected by a simple randomized sampling method and Cocheran's Formula. Validity of items in the questionnaire (or face validity) was confirmed by the experts. To evaluate the reliability of the research instrument ordinal theta (0.83-0.93) and CR (0.84-0.94) was calculated during a pre-test process by using PLS. The questions type was ordinal and based on 5-points Likert's scale. Data analysis was done by using statistics i.e. means, standard deviations, and variation coefficients, as well as structural equation model. The results showed that the status of quality of education was acceptable at agricultural faculty of Herat University based on 21 standards by calculating an average of 3.29. The results confirmatory factor analysis showed that the content of the curriculum with a coefficient of (0.47), the position of professors with a beta coefficient of (0.21), and teaching methods with a beta coefficient of (13) had the greatest impact on improving the quality of education. Results revealed that the variables student status, teacher status, equipment status, teaching method, satisfaction, and educational content could explain 47 percent of dependent variable of education quality.
Saeid Karimi; Sepideh Alizamani Sardarabadi; Reza Movahedi
Abstract
Both cognitive and non-cognitive skills are crucial to improve entrepreneurial intentions and readiness, but little research has been done. The main purpose of this descriptive-correlational study was to investigate the level of cognitive and non-cognitive skills and their role in shaping students' entrepreneurial ...
Read More
Both cognitive and non-cognitive skills are crucial to improve entrepreneurial intentions and readiness, but little research has been done. The main purpose of this descriptive-correlational study was to investigate the level of cognitive and non-cognitive skills and their role in shaping students' entrepreneurial intentions of agricultural vocational schools in Kermanshah province. The study population consisted of second and third grade students of agricultural vocational schools in Kermanshah province in the 2020-2021 academic year (N=300). Based on Krejcie and Morgan sampling table, 167 students were selected as a sample using stratified random sampling method. Data were collected through a standardized questionnaire. The face validity of the questionnaire was verified by a panel of experts and its reliability was confirmed using composite reliability coefficient (CR>0.70). In addition, convergent validity was evaluated using average variance extracted (AVE) which was found to be adequate. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and partial least squares method with the help of SmartPLS 3.0 software. The results showed that students' cognitive and non-cognitive skills are not at the desired level. Furthermore, the results indicated that attitudes toward entrepreneurship and cognitive skills had a positive and significant relationship with students' entrepreneurial intentions. However, among non-cognitive skills, only proactivity was directly and significantly related to entrepreneurial intentions. The results also showed that attitudes toward entrepreneurship mediated the relationship between cognitive skills, proactivity, and risk-taking with entrepreneurial intentions. Based on the results, suggestions were made to develop and deliver appropriate entrepreneurship education and improve students' cognitive and non-cognitive skills.
Mahboobeh Ataei-Asad; Reza Movahedi
Abstract
The evidences of fertilizers consumption in Hamedan show that farmers are applying fertilizers in a non-standard and excessive manner therefore, in long-term they will harm the environment and human health. Since,this farmers' behavior as chemical fertilizer users is influenced by various factors.The ...
Read More
The evidences of fertilizers consumption in Hamedan show that farmers are applying fertilizers in a non-standard and excessive manner therefore, in long-term they will harm the environment and human health. Since,this farmers' behavior as chemical fertilizer users is influenced by various factors.The main purpose of this applied research was to investigate the effect of knowledge,attitude andbehavioral intentiononthe farmers' behaviorfertilizerapplication behavior in Hamadan.The statistical populationof the studyincluded14,200potato farmers working in the central district of Hamadan city which375farmers were determined by using Morgan's sampling table.To select samples,a random sampling method was used and the samples ofeachvillage selected in terms of proportional method.Thedata collectiontool was a questionnaire.Diagnostic validity method was used to assess the validityof the research questions thatshowed avalue higherthan0.5(AVE≤0.5)andacceptableforthevariables.Inordertocalculatethereliability,thecomposite reliabilitymethod wasused,and it was higher than 0.75 (CR≥0.75)and acceptable for constructs.The datawere analyzed using structural equation modeling with partial least squares approach and softwareof SmartPLS version3.0.The results showed that knowledge withintermediate role of attitude and behavioral intention has a positiveand significant association with farmers'behavior.This indicates the farmers have adequate intention to obtain knowledge and information about the proper use of chemical fertilizers.The results also revealed that farmers 'attitudes have a positive and significant effecton farmers' behavior in using chemical fertilizers.Moreover,attitude with intermediate roleof behavioral intention has apositive and significant effect on behavior.Therefore,it can be concluded that there is a positive attitude about the use of chemical fertilizers among the farmers in the region.
mehrnaz khayati; Reza Movahedi; Elahe Hejazi; Saeed Karimi
Abstract
AbstractIncreasing the recruitment of girls in universities compared to boys and the individual, social and cultural constraints available to them in finding employment in agricultural majors have made this difficult for graduates, and the unemployment problem for this group of graduates has become more ...
Read More
AbstractIncreasing the recruitment of girls in universities compared to boys and the individual, social and cultural constraints available to them in finding employment in agricultural majors have made this difficult for graduates, and the unemployment problem for this group of graduates has become more complicated than men. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify individual and social psychological components affecting the employability of female’s agricultural graduates in Hamadan province, which has been done by a qualitative method. Selecting the samples was based on the snowball sampling method among the group of graduates, agricultural specialists and employers including 25 samples. The data collection tools were semi-structured interviews, and the data analysis method was proceeded using MAXQDA Version 12. in order to identify themes and in order to establish relationships between themes a process of causal, interventional, contextual, strategy, and outcome conditions was used. The results showed that the most important individual psychology themes affecting the employment of female graduates include, job motivation with a percent of 17.99, entrepreneurial skills with a percent of 16.97 and individual limitation with a percent of 15.44. As well as the most important social psychology themes including cultural norms and beliefs with a percent of 19.11, trust and social security with a percent of 13.99 and social participation with a percent of 13.31.The results showed that the main factors affecting for improving the employment conditions of female agricultural graduates include revising government policies, reforming ideas and beliefs, modifying behavioral patterns and practical training.
vahid aliabadi; reza movahedi; yaghoubi yaghoubi; Abdulhamid papzan
Abstract
Therefore, changing the approach of universities from educational and research planning to approach Creating a university entrepreneurial ecosystem has attracted the attention of the world's leading universities. Due to the lack of experience in the agricultural sector, the ecosystems of the fledgling ...
Read More
Therefore, changing the approach of universities from educational and research planning to approach Creating a university entrepreneurial ecosystem has attracted the attention of the world's leading universities. Due to the lack of experience in the agricultural sector, the ecosystems of the fledgling agricultural business system should be identified using the teachings of pioneering entrepreneurship departments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ecological model of university entrepreneurship system based on Eisenberg model and with emphasis on higher education in the country from the perspective of experts in start-ups, which was practical in terms of purpose and was implemented using a questionnaire. The statistical population of the study included 1550 graduate students from five universities of, using the Bartlett table, 315 of them were performed by cluster method with appropriate proportion and sampling. To measure the validity of the research instrument, a diagnostic validity method was used, the value of which was higher than AVE≥0.5 for acceptable structures. In order to determine the reliability, a composite reliability method was used, the value of which was higher than CR≥0.6 for the studied structures and was acceptable. The value of the sequential theta coefficient was also calculated for structures higher than θ≥0.7 In order to process the data, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used.
Reza Movahedi; Masoud Samian; Nasim Izadi; Marjan sepahpanah
Abstract
The study's population included 500 both graduate and undergraduate students at Bu-Ali Sina University in 2017 academic year. A number of 217 students were randomly selected as samples using Morgan's sampling size table. In order to validate the questionnaire and access to reliable variables both panel ...
Read More
The study's population included 500 both graduate and undergraduate students at Bu-Ali Sina University in 2017 academic year. A number of 217 students were randomly selected as samples using Morgan's sampling size table. In order to validate the questionnaire and access to reliable variables both panel of experts and a pre-test method were used. The reliability of the questionnaire estimated with R, was 0.88. Results showed that majority of the students (52.4 %) agreed to virtual social networks with a positive attitude. The students on graduated level and female gender have used VSNs more than other groups. The results of factor analysis of the effects of social networks on improvement of learning activities showed that the most important factors were the exchange of information with classmates and teachers, improving the culture of study and learning, improving personal and social communication and increasing the probability of job placement. The factors explain 61% of the variance of all variables. Also, the results of Spearman correlation coefficient showed that there is a significant relationship between gender and educational level of agricultural students with their attitude toward using social networks in the level of 99%, and the results of Kruskal Wallis test also indicate that between The attitude of male and female students towards social networks is significantly different at 99 percent
Reza Movahedi; Nasrin Ghaderi Moghtader; Hamid Balali; Maryam Shirkhani
Abstract
This study has aimed to analyze the farmers’ skills on optimal use of agricultural water resources; since the skills are a reflection of knowledge, attitude, and facilities. The target population of this study was all farmers from Bahar County, Hamedan province (N=1931) that 271 of them were selected ...
Read More
This study has aimed to analyze the farmers’ skills on optimal use of agricultural water resources; since the skills are a reflection of knowledge, attitude, and facilities. The target population of this study was all farmers from Bahar County, Hamedan province (N=1931) that 271 of them were selected by random sampling according to Cochran formula. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire which its validity confirmed by a group of relevant experts and the reliability of the variables was calculated using ordinal alpha coefficient (α=0.85-0.93). There were significant differences between Knowledge and skills about optimal use of agricultural water resources of Farmers that participated in related training courses and those didn’t participate, according to the results of Mann-Whitney test. Also farmers categorized based on the land ownership, information resources and water supplies were significantly different in terms of their water management skills, according to the results of Kruskal-Wallis test. According to the results of Spearmans’ correlation tests, there were positive significant relationships between skills with variables of knowledge, attitude, and number of land plots; while this variable was negatively and significantly correlated with the amount of the annual production, total hectares of rainfed lands, and the amount of using chemical fertilizers. Moreover, based on the result of ordinal regression, 50.9% of the skills variations could be explained by three variables as the farmers' knowledge and attitude and number of land plots.
Reza movahedi; faeze goli; Hamid Balali
Abstract
Abstract The main purpose of this study was to explore extension- training factors affecting the agricultural water management in Hamadan's potato production. This research has been done through a surveying method and data were gathered through a questionnaire tool. The study's population included 2341 ...
Read More
Abstract The main purpose of this study was to explore extension- training factors affecting the agricultural water management in Hamadan's potato production. This research has been done through a surveying method and data were gathered through a questionnaire tool. The study's population included 2341 potato farmers around Hamedan, which of those 330 samples were selected based on Cochran formula by a simple randomized sampling method. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a team of agricultural experts and professors in agricultural extension and education department of Bu-Ali Sina University. The reliability of the research instrument was determined using Ordinal theta coefficient (θ= 0/80-0/95). The results of the factor analysis showed that the factors affecting on agricultural water management can be classified in 6 groups. These were: the mass media factor, quality of extension services centers, experts' skills, local institutions and social networks, visit system, and training courses. These factors explained 70 percent of the total variance changes. Results from ordinal regression analysis indicated that knowledge, extension-training factors, and attitudes explained 25 percent of the probability of variance of agricultural water management variable.
vahid aliabadi; raza movahedi; abdolhamid papzan
Abstract
Today, one of the main indicators in the assessment of development in countries is their sharein producing knowledge .Thus, performance evaluation of educational units, which in turn leads to efficiency enhancement, has gained significant importance. Because the success of each faculty requires performance ...
Read More
Today, one of the main indicators in the assessment of development in countries is their sharein producing knowledge .Thus, performance evaluation of educational units, which in turn leads to efficiency enhancement, has gained significant importance. Because the success of each faculty requires performance measurement and planning to improve it, Performance Appraisal of Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Departments Agricultural Extension and Education in Entrepreneurship Sciences production using Data Envelopment Analysis(DEA) his descriptive analytical study was done in 2016. A researcher-designed form was used for datacollection Departments Agricultural Extension and Education In this research, the aim of measuring the relative efficiency and rankings of the Iranian Agricultural Extension and Education Training Group, which consists of 12 groups, is using the applied analytical research method and the data envelopment analysis method, including BCC and CCR multiples models, and Gray Relationship Analysis with WinQSB software. And Deap 2.1 have been used to determine the relative efficiency coefficient of the output-driven axis, and for comparing and ranking the effective education and training group, Gray relationship analysis has been used. The results showed that 34% of the education and training education group under the CCR model, and 48% based on the BCC model, have the ability to generate knowledge of entrepreneurship and the educational groups, have a relative efficiency in the production of knowledge of entrepreneurship. Based on the analysis of Gray's relationship, the promotion and education groups of the universities of Gorgan, Razi, Ahvaz, Zanjan and Tehran are effective in producing knowledge of entrepreneurs
Abstract
The current study is a qualitative research in which a grounded theory has been used. To collect data an interview tool through in-depth interviews was used. A theoretical purposeful sampling method was used to select samples during the snowball procedures. Data were theoretically saturated by interviewing ...
Read More
The current study is a qualitative research in which a grounded theory has been used. To collect data an interview tool through in-depth interviews was used. A theoretical purposeful sampling method was used to select samples during the snowball procedures. Data were theoretically saturated by interviewing with 21 agricultural graduates and 9 employers and agricultural faculty members. For selecting the graduates to participate in interviewing the most important criteria were their willingness to cooperate, having good experience and adequate information about the research objectives, two years unemployment status after the graduation as well as their attempt to find a job. Data analyzing was proceed during open coding, axial coding and selective coding processes, then to identify themes a Strauss and Corbin (1998) paradigm was used by establishing relationships between themes and casual conditions, contextual conditions, intervention/ intermediate conditions, strategies and consequences. Results showed that the most important barriers and problems faced to the agricultural graduates were: low quality and inappropriate syllabus in universities, lack of university teachers' skills, unawareness to entrepreneurship skills during education, lack of advisory services and supports for the graduates, no enough infrastructures, individual problems like low self-confidence, interest to work, and insufficient skills among the agricultural students and graduates, not enough financial and banking facilities, not strong linkage and coordination between organizations related to agriculture, no appropriate administrative regulations and laws, socio- cultural problems, structural problems in the country's agricultural economy.
saeed karimi
Abstract
Entrepreneurship education is a fast growing area and a hot topic in colleges and universities all around the world, and its supposed benefits have been much praised by researchers and educators; nevertheless, the outcomes and effectiveness of entrepreneurship education programs have remained largely ...
Read More
Entrepreneurship education is a fast growing area and a hot topic in colleges and universities all around the world, and its supposed benefits have been much praised by researchers and educators; nevertheless, the outcomes and effectiveness of entrepreneurship education programs have remained largely untested. Building on the theory of planned behavior, an ex-ante and ex-post survey was used to assess the impact of entrepreneurship education programs on students’ entrepreneurial intentions and also to explore the benefits of these programs. Data were collected by a questionnaire from a sample of 109 participants in entrepreneurship courses at four universities (Bu-Ali Sina, Kordestan, Shahrekord, Ilam). Entrepreneurship education had significant positive impacts on motivational factors (i.e., subjective norms, attitudes and perceived behavioral control) and students’ entrepreneurial intentions. Moreover, from the three entrepreneurship education-related benefits (i.e., learning, inspiration and resources) learning proved to be associated with the increase in perceived behavioral control, entrepreneurial attitudes intentions. In total, this study shows the theory of planned behavior can provide a useful framework to assess the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education.
Abstract
The causal-comparative study to assess the impact on the employment component of psychological empowerment of Bou Ali Sina University was conducted.The population consisted of 1227 students of Bu-Ali Sina, which is using the table Bartlett 375 of them were selected by random sampling. The main instrument ...
Read More
The causal-comparative study to assess the impact on the employment component of psychological empowerment of Bou Ali Sina University was conducted.The population consisted of 1227 students of Bu-Ali Sina, which is using the table Bartlett 375 of them were selected by random sampling. The main instrument was a questionnaire, its reliability was calculated Cronbach's alpha test 86. By software SPSS, AMOS was analyzedStructural equation modeling results indicate that a total of 0.71% of the applicable component of psychological empowerment explain the change of employment. Summary t test to compare the components of psychological empowerment among Khtran and male students show a significant difference between the components of a sense of competence, a sense of meaning, a sense of influence and a sense of trust existed.Results prioritize employment components suggests that the main priority of the curriculum activitiesEnsure employers meet job expectations in the future and the need for a degree in agricultureFor those interested in employment in professions related to agriculture are the highest priority
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to survey and compare the view point of agricultural undergraduates towards current and desirable status of entrepreneurship curriculum. Therefore, this applied research was a descriptive-analytical type that has been done by a surveying method. The statistical samples ...
Read More
The main purpose of this study was to survey and compare the view point of agricultural undergraduates towards current and desirable status of entrepreneurship curriculum. Therefore, this applied research was a descriptive-analytical type that has been done by a surveying method. The statistical samples included 122 agricultural undergraduates on various disciplines which participated in the entrepreneurship curriculum at Bu-Ali Sina, Razi and Kurdistan Universities in 2013-2014 academic year. Because of the limited study's population a consensus method was used. Data were collected through a questionnaire structured in six parts. The validity of the questionnaire's questions was verified by a group of experts and the reliability of the questionnaire during a pre-test was calculated by Ordinal Alpha test through R software (α=0.71-0.94). Findings indicated an improper status of entrepreneurship education in view point of agricultural undergraduates regarding the goals, contents, teaching methods, and evaluation of learning outcomes. There was also a significant difference when current and desirable situations were compared in terms of first three mentioned items. The target students believed that the content of entrepreneurship course should include business units' management compatible to agricultural fields; this course also should be offered as applied subjects, with practical teaching methods, workshops and discussion and invite outside entrepreneurs for participation to teach entrepreneurship course at the university.
reza mouvahedi; farshad hamzeei; aliasghar mirakzadeh; nader naderi
Abstract
The aim of this casual research was to analyze the impacts of information technology impacts on knowledge management of Agriculture Organization personnel at Kermanshah Province. Bukowitz and Williams' seven sections model include getting, using, learning, contributing, assessing, building/maintaining ...
Read More
The aim of this casual research was to analyze the impacts of information technology impacts on knowledge management of Agriculture Organization personnel at Kermanshah Province. Bukowitz and Williams' seven sections model include getting, using, learning, contributing, assessing, building/maintaining and discarding was used to assess knowledge management of those personnel. The statistical population consisted of 899 Jihad-Agriculture Organization staff (N=899) among them a number of 269 were randomly selected using Krejcie and Morgan's sampling table. The data collection tool was a questionnaire included both standardized and researcher made questions validated by a group of relevant experts. The reliability of the questions was calculated through ordinal Alpha coefficient (α=0.91). Results showed that there was a significant relationship and correlation between knowledge management and information technology variables. Based on the path analysis results, direct and indirect impacts were observed between all information technology variables and knowledge management. Other words, every single information technology variable had a significant impact on knowledge management that means the more improvement in each information technology variable, the more direct impact on knowledge management of the agricultural staff. The most important external variables affecting on knowledge management were determined as information storage and information transformation respectively
Abstract
Early research which focused on the direct effects of personality traits on entrepreneurial intentions and behaviours have been criticized for their low predictive capacity. Recently researchers suggest that personality characteristics may affect entrepreneurial intentions and behaviours via entrepreneurial ...
Read More
Early research which focused on the direct effects of personality traits on entrepreneurial intentions and behaviours have been criticized for their low predictive capacity. Recently researchers suggest that personality characteristics may affect entrepreneurial intentions and behaviours via entrepreneurial perceptions and motivational factors. The primary purpose of this study was to incorporate an important personality trait (namely, proactive personality) into the theory of planned behavior to examine the extent to which motivational factors (namely, attitudes toward entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control) mediate the effects of students’ proactive personality on entrepreneurial intentions. Data was collected using a questionnaire survey from a sample of 300 senior agricultural students at four public universities in the west of Iran. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts. The reliability of the research instrument was determined using Ordinal Theta coefficient (θ =0.75-0.82). Structural equation modeling and bootstrap procedure were used to analyze the data. Results indicated that attitudes toward entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control fully mediate the relationship of student subjective norms, proactivity and entrepreneurial intentions. The findings have implications for explaining attitudes toward entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control and direct attention on proactivity as an essential competence in the entrepreneurial process. Theoretical and practical implications for entrepreneurial intentions and education are discussed
