Agricultural education
Bentolhoda Ramezanzadeh; hamidreza arasteh; kamran Mohammadkhani; abassali Motalabi
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to develop an educational planning model for the agricultural value chain of citrus orchards in northern Iran. This is a mixed-methods research (qualitative and quantitative), with the qualitative phase based on the Grounded Theory approach. The qualitative study population ...
Read More
The aim of the present study was to develop an educational planning model for the agricultural value chain of citrus orchards in northern Iran. This is a mixed-methods research (qualitative and quantitative), with the qualitative phase based on the Grounded Theory approach. The qualitative study population consisted of experts, including faculty members from the Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization. The quantitative phase involved managers, staff of orchards, producers, and farmers. For the quantitative section, convenience sampling was used, and Cochran’s formula was applied to determine the sample size. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews in the qualitative phase and a researcher-designed questionnaire in the quantitative phase, with a total of 278 completed questionnaires collected. Data analysis was conducted using MAXQDA 2020 for the qualitative part. For the quantitative part, confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the validity of the questionnaire, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the SmartPLS 3 software was applied to analyze the research questions. Findings indicated that the path coefficient between strategies and outcomes was 0.781 with a p-value of 0.000, which is less than 0.01, indicating significance. The path coefficient between contextual conditions and strategies was 0.175; between causal conditions and the core phenomenon was 0.864; between intervening conditions and strategies was 0.220; and between the core phenomenon and strategies was 0.531. The results showed that the components of the proposed implementation model have a significant and positive impact on one another, and the overall model demonstrates a good fit.
Agricultural education
moslem aghaei
Abstract
This study addresses the gap between university education and the actual needs of the agricultural sector, reflected in weak university–industry collaboration and misaligned curricula. Aiming to design and explain a model for enhancing agricultural engineering education, the research adopted an exploratory ...
Read More
This study addresses the gap between university education and the actual needs of the agricultural sector, reflected in weak university–industry collaboration and misaligned curricula. Aiming to design and explain a model for enhancing agricultural engineering education, the research adopted an exploratory mixed-methods approach. In the qualitative phase, document analysis and semi-structured interviews with 14 experts were conducted, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis and Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire was developed based on the qualitative model, with its validity confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis (AVE > 0.5) and its reliability verified via composite reliability, Cronbach’s alpha, and ordinal theta (all > 0.7). Using a Likert scale, data were gathered from 385 faculty members selected from a population of 3,000 through proportional random sampling. The qualitative findings identified 11 main and 45 subthemes, and the final model showed good fit, with the most influential factors being improvements in practical and skill-based courses and faculty development, with effect sizes of 4.72 and 3.28. The study recommends strengthening systematic university–agriculture sector linkages and revising curricula to align with real-world needs
Ali Fatahi Milasi; Reza Esmaeili
Abstract
In many countries increasing agricultural sustainability is one of the proposed approaches to help Problems solving such as hunger, poverty and disability. In this regard, people and especially farmers are in need of education as a driving force for the country's economy. However, few studies have particularly ...
Read More
In many countries increasing agricultural sustainability is one of the proposed approaches to help Problems solving such as hunger, poverty and disability. In this regard, people and especially farmers are in need of education as a driving force for the country's economy. However, few studies have particularly addressed the obstacles to agricultural education in sustainable development. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of identifying and analyzing educational barriers in sustainable agricultural development. The statistical population of this study composed of all learners and educators in Lordegan County Agricultural Education Center participating in the educational programs. 112 ones were selected using Krejcie and Morgan table and random sampling method. The research instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire. In this research 7 factors were extracted using Exploratory factor analysis. These factors consist of "managerial-supportive", "quality of education", "communicational-informational", "infrastructure", "cultural", "psychological", and "environmental" factors, respectively according to their importance; which explained 67.69% of the total variances. Each of these factors should be considered according to their significance in order to obviate educational barriers in sustainable agricultural development. In addition, the results of independent t-test showed that there is a significant difference between the two groups including educators and learners in terms of "managerial-supportive", "communicational-informational", "quality of education", "infrastructure". Nevertheless, there is no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the "environmental" and "cultural" factors.
Abdullah Parsa; Maryam Akidi; Hosein Elhampoor
Abstract
This descriptive (correlational) research was conducted for studying the effects of students and graduates’ perceptions to the curriculum of their courses in agriculture field, on their job skills development and their chance for holding a job. 274 present and former students of agriculture field ...
Read More
This descriptive (correlational) research was conducted for studying the effects of students and graduates’ perceptions to the curriculum of their courses in agriculture field, on their job skills development and their chance for holding a job. 274 present and former students of agriculture field of study in Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, were selected by stratified random sampling method. Data were collected by Moghadam questionnaire (2013), and analyzed. Surface validity of questionnaire was confirmed and the reliability coefficient (.89) is acceptable. The results showed that over 82 percent of participants were unemployed. Perceptions of schooling and job expectances of participants, predicted over than 46 percent of job skills variances. Positive perceptions to the curricula has significantly positive effect on expectances of their present and future jobs. The correlation between present and former students’ perceptions of theoretical and practical subjects with their perceptions of job skills development, is significantly positive and improvement of students’ perceptions to their courses, improve their hope to holding a job. Relationship between theoretical and practical subjects can improve students’ perceptions of curriculum and their university, and as a result, the required skills for holding a job are developed.Index terms: job skills, curriculum, holding a job, job expectances, agriculture.
fatemeh javanbakht; Amirhosein Alibaygi
Abstract
Increase the employments is one of the largest apprehension of scholars and governments. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the determinants affecting Razi University agricultural students’ interest to work in rural areas. This research has used the cause-correlation method. The population ...
Read More
Increase the employments is one of the largest apprehension of scholars and governments. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the determinants affecting Razi University agricultural students’ interest to work in rural areas. This research has used the cause-correlation method. The population of the study includes all the students in all levels studying at Razi University in the year 2018 (N=1287). The strafied random sample size was determined to be 114 people based on Cochran formula. The survey instrument was a questionnaire with questions based on a Likert format. Teta test coefficient (Ө=0/88) represents the reliability of the research instrument questions. Factor analysis was used to analyze the data. The result showed four elements; namely, training- politicy, choose the field, support and attitude make up for some 51/06 % of the variances that define the interest to get a job in rural areas. CFI factor analysis is fit with data. The result showed the containing oflessons, training class in the village and financial supports are helpful to towards Occupation in Rural areas.
Mahtab Pouratashi
Abstract
One of the most important concerns of agricultural students is their employment. This paperaims to study agricultural students' employability and focused on three questions: students'competency for employment, university strengths and promoting methods. Participants were 21Ph. D. students in agriculture ...
Read More
One of the most important concerns of agricultural students is their employment. This paperaims to study agricultural students' employability and focused on three questions: students'competency for employment, university strengths and promoting methods. Participants were 21Ph. D. students in agriculture and Interview used for data collection. The findings showed thatthe most important skill was CV writing and team working, respectively. University strengthsincluded three categories: human resources, facilities, and support. In addition, the methods forpromoting employability skills of agricultural students were categorized in three main groups:education, interactions, and services. In addition, the subcategories included: content of thecourse, the quality of education, knowledge and learning, personal communication,organizational communication, counseling, cultural, and support. Based on the findings,organizing workshops and proper implementing of apprenticeship were recommended.