Agricultural education
abdolrahim gheyassi; amir Alambeigi
Abstract
Identifying the details of the role of social support from agricultural academic staff on the job search behavior of agricultural students is a scientific necessity. Accordingly, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the role of social support from academic staff of agricultural higher education ...
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Identifying the details of the role of social support from agricultural academic staff on the job search behavior of agricultural students is a scientific necessity. Accordingly, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the role of social support from academic staff of agricultural higher education institutions on the job search behavior of agricultural students. Fourth-year undergraduate students of all agricultural fields in public universities constituted the statistical population of this study. 384 students from ten universities were selected as the statistical sample of the study using the inverse square root method and two-stage sampling method. After designing and confirming face validity, construct validity (AVE = 0.54-0.79), reliability (θ= 0.79-0.90), and composite reliability (CR<0.88-0.92), the research questionnaire was distributed among the respondents. The dominant statistical method was structural equation modeling. The results showed that social support from agricultural academic staff is effective in improving the job search behavior of agricultural students. The results also showed that psychological capital partially mediates the effect of social support on students' job search behavior. However, according to the results obtained, the supportive role of academic staff of higher education institutions in strengthening students' psychological capital is nonlinear. More social support from academic staff is suggested to improve job search behavior and the psychological capital of agricultural students.
Agricultural education
zahra athari; Behrooz Moradi
Abstract
Despite the significant importance of natural resources in sustaining human life, the training of the protection unit force, has not aligned with their educational needs as it should. Therefore the purpose of this descriptive – analytical research was to investigate the educational needs of the protection ...
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Despite the significant importance of natural resources in sustaining human life, the training of the protection unit force, has not aligned with their educational needs as it should. Therefore the purpose of this descriptive – analytical research was to investigate the educational needs of the protection unit forces of the General Directorate of Natural Resources and Watershed Management of Kermanshah Province using the Borich needs assessment model. The research population consisted of the protection unit forces of the General Directorate of Natural Resources and Watershed Management in Kermanshah Province (N=112), and ultimately, 105 questionnaires were completed. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. The ordinal coefficient theta (Ө=0.86) and a panel of experts were used to establish its reliability and validity, respectively. Based on the results, the educational needs of the protection unit force in natural resources and watershed management were prioritized as follows: familiarity with GIS software, understanding the rules of criminal procedure and legal claims, and knowledge of laws regarding the carrying of weapons. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the importance of technical-specialized needs, legal needs, protective-supportive needs, fire prevention and extinguishing needs, and Phytomedicine needs accounted for approximately 79 percent of the variance related to the training needs of the protection unit forces. The results achieved from ordinal regression method indicated that 32 percent of probability criterion variable is explained by variables of age and work history. Training courses on map reading skills and the optimal use of GIS and GPS should be prioritized.
Agricultural education
یوسفی برهانی Yousefi Borhani; Seyd mahdi mirdamadi
Abstract
The current study aimed to investigate the training needs of CEOs and members of agricultural pro-duction cooperatives in Ilam and Khuzestan provinces using the Borich model and quadrant analysis in 2023. The statistical population of this study included 749 managing directors and members of agricultural ...
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The current study aimed to investigate the training needs of CEOs and members of agricultural pro-duction cooperatives in Ilam and Khuzestan provinces using the Borich model and quadrant analysis in 2023. The statistical population of this study included 749 managing directors and members of agricultural production cooperatives and 51 managers of the National Rural Cooperative Organization. The data collection tool was a questionnaire based on the Borich model. The validity of the research tool was confirmed using the opinions of experts in the Rural Cooperative Organization's Education Office. Its diagnostic validity and composite reliability were achieved by estimating the measurement model and after applying technical opinions and a composite theta of above 0.7. First, the training needs were determined from the perspective of managing directors. Then, based on the quadrant analysis and the agreement of the views of the CEOs and experts in the field, general training courses on transaction regulations, financial management in production cooperatives, and specialized training courses on the principles of equipping and integrating land, familiarity with modern irrigation networks and systems, familiarity with water laws and regulations, the law and executive regulations on cooperative production, the basics of smart agriculture, and fair water distribution were determined as priority training courses. Considering the similarity of the two models, it can be concluded that there is agreement between the experts, CEOs, and members of production cooperatives on training priorities.
Agricultural education
Masoud Rezaei
Abstract
The Covid-19 crisis has accelerated the digital transformation of education, and universities were forced to use online learning. The main goal of this research was to examine the pathology of online learning in agricultural higher education during the Corona era from the perspective of students at Arak ...
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The Covid-19 crisis has accelerated the digital transformation of education, and universities were forced to use online learning. The main goal of this research was to examine the pathology of online learning in agricultural higher education during the Corona era from the perspective of students at Arak University. This research was conducted using a survey method. The statistical population of the study was undergraduate agricultural students, 112 of whom were selected using simple random sampling. Validity and reliability of the research instrument were confirmed based on the evaluation of a panel of experts and ordinal alpha coefficient (α= 0.90-0.95) respectively. The research findings indicated that most students had access to the internet at home, and most of them attended the virtual class only with their mobile phones. The results of the internal analysis showed that the weaknesses (Mean Score=3.78) and strengths (Mean Score=3.28) of online learning were strong and intermediate in order. Furthermore, the results of the external analysis revealed that the opportunities (Mean Score=3.40) and threats (Mean Score=3.92) of online learning were intermediate and strong, respectively. Based on the results, four categories of strengths were at an intermediate level, and three categories of weaknesses were at a strong level. The findings also showed that two dimensions of virtual education opportunities were at a moderate level, and three dimensions of online learning threats were at a strong level. SWOT analysis also revealed that the defensive strategy was the main strategy for improving the virtual education in agriculture.
Agricultural education
somayeh negahdari; saeed talebi; farzad mohamadjani
Abstract
Organizational culture is recognized as a pivotal factor in ensuring the sustainability and growth. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of administrative culture on the quality of teaching and education, mediated by knowledge management, within the modern agricultural extension system. ...
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Organizational culture is recognized as a pivotal factor in ensuring the sustainability and growth. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of administrative culture on the quality of teaching and education, mediated by knowledge management, within the modern agricultural extension system. A causal-correlational research design was employed. The statistical population of the study comprised 2,247 individuals in the academic year 2023-2024, including: Agricultural extension agents affiliated with Jihad-e-Agriculture, Faculty members of agricultural research stations, Faculty members in agricultural disciplines from Islamic Azad University, Payame Noor University, and public universities in Fars Province. Using the simple random sampling method and Morgan’s table, 330 participants were selected as the study sample. The data collection tools included: Siraj’s Teaching Quality Assessment Scale (2002) with a reliability coefficient of 82%,Denison’s Organizational Culture Model (1995) and Cameron & Quinn’s Framework (2006) with a reliability coefficient of 85%,Taheri et al.’s (2022) Knowledge Management in the Modern Agricultural Extension System Scale with a reliability coefficient of 87%. All three instruments employ a 5-point Likert scale, and their validity was confirmed via confirmatory factor analysis. To investigate the impact of the variables, the path analysis method was employed. The research findings indicate that organizational culture exerts a direct positive impact on the components of knowledge management (production, distribution, processing) as well as the quality of teaching and learning. Furthermore, knowledge management components have a direct positive impact on teaching and educational quality.
Agricultural education
Masoud Samian; Mousa Aazami; Reza Bahramloo
Abstract
The main goal of this research is to investigate the factors affecting the adoption of optimal cropping patterns for sustainable agricultural development. The present study is applied in terms of purpose and paradigm, it is a mixed research (qualitative-quantitative) with an exploratory approach. In ...
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The main goal of this research is to investigate the factors affecting the adoption of optimal cropping patterns for sustainable agricultural development. The present study is applied in terms of purpose and paradigm, it is a mixed research (qualitative-quantitative) with an exploratory approach. In the first stage, in order to identify and extract the factors affecting the adoption of the optimal cultivation pattern in line with the sustainable development of the agricultural sector, 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts in this field using a purposive sampling method and considering the theoretical saturation index. After conducting interviews using content analysis method, five factors were identified: economic, social, political and institutional, environmental, and educational and extension. In the second stage, the fuzzy Delphi technique was used to achieve group agreement among the experts. The results of the study showed that the highest level of agreement among experts at this stage regarding each of the economic, social, political and institutional, environmental, and promotional and educational factors affecting the acceptance of the optimal cultivation pattern in line with the sustainable development of the agricultural sector was related to increasing the income from changing the cultivation pattern for farmers (S=0.83), building trust among farmers to accept the proposed cultivation pattern (S=0.85), determining a guaranteed price for products resulting from the new cultivation pattern (S=0.83), saving (reducing water consumption) in water consumption in the proposed cultivation pattern (S=0.80), and using model and demonstration farms to familiarize farmers (S=0.82)
