Research Paper
Agricultural education
abolfazl kazemi; Marzieh Karimi; amir fatehi gibi
Abstract
Expert systems are designed to make expert-level knowledge accessible to non-experts by simulating human thinking and decision-making processes. These systems aim to replicate the reasoning patterns of specialists and bring computer-based performance closer to that of human experts. In recent years, ...
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Expert systems are designed to make expert-level knowledge accessible to non-experts by simulating human thinking and decision-making processes. These systems aim to replicate the reasoning patterns of specialists and bring computer-based performance closer to that of human experts. In recent years, a wide range of expert systems have been developed worldwide for various agricultural applications. The availability of low-cost computers, agricultural knowledge, and information technology has driven this trend. This paper presents the design of an expert system intended to support decision-making among orchardists. The knowledge base was developed using information gathered from literature and domain experts, and was encoded into a set of IF-THEN rules. The system was then evaluated in collaboration with agricultural specialists. Additionally, the designed expert system serves as an effective educational tool for farmers and agricultural students by providing accurate and up-to-date information on pests affecting pome fruit trees. It enables users to learn practical methods of pest identification and control, enhances their knowledge and professional skills, and supports both formal education and self-directed learning in agricultural training contexts.
Research Paper
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)
Research Paper
Agricultural education
Sajedesadat i Hosseini Gooshk; Enayat Abbasi; Shahram Moghaddas Farimani
Abstract
Identifying factors that affect agricultural students' practical skills acquisition is essential for enhancing educational quality and ensuring workforce readiness. This study focused on analyzing the factors influencing employment skills acquisition among medicinal plant students in agricultural secondary ...
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Identifying factors that affect agricultural students' practical skills acquisition is essential for enhancing educational quality and ensuring workforce readiness. This study focused on analyzing the factors influencing employment skills acquisition among medicinal plant students in agricultural secondary schools. Conducted in 2024, the research employed a quantitative, causal-comparative approach with a population of 390 students across various provinces in Iran. A questionnaire based on educational standards for medicinal plants was the primary data collection tool, with 220 responses analyzed. The questionnaire's validity was confirmed by agricultural education experts, and its reliability was strong, indicated by Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.93 to 0.98. Results revealed a significant positive relationship between students' interest in medicinal plants and job skills acquisition, while variables such as place of birth, agricultural background, and GPA showed no impact. A notable difference in skill acquisition levels was found between male and female students. Regression analysis indicated that internship, interest in the field, and gender accounted for 48.2% of the variance in employment skills. Recommendations include enhancing collaboration between educational institutions and agricultural ministries, prioritizing practical lessons and internships, and organizing workshops to boost student interest, which are crucial for improving employment skills acquisition rates among students.
Research Paper
Agricultural education
asghar bagheri; Ayyub Nemati; Naier Emami
Abstract
Agricultural extension has faced challenges over its decades of operation. ،o address them, a new extension system has been implemented since 2016, now known as current extension system. This study examines zoning system experts' opinions IN Ardabil province regarding the effectiveness, barriers, and ...
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Agricultural extension has faced challenges over its decades of operation. ،o address them, a new extension system has been implemented since 2016, now known as current extension system. This study examines zoning system experts' opinions IN Ardabil province regarding the effectiveness, barriers, and strategies for ITS development. It is an applied-descriptive study conducted using a cross-sectional survey. The statistical population waszoning experts (N=173). The sample size was set at 108 experts. The instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire consisting effectiveness indicators, barriers and strategies for the development of the extension system. The questionnaire was validated by faculty members and extension experts. Its reliability was assessed using a sample of 30 experts. The alpha values were above 0.7, which indicates acceptable reliability. The results showed that experts evaluated the new extension system as average to weak in achieving its goals in various dimensions. The experts gave scores for all effectiveness indicators (ranging from 1-5) as follows: agricultural production areas (2.86), status of farmer participation (2.55), employment of experts in the areas (2.39), organizational communication (2.27), evaluation system (2.33), budget and financial resources (2.21), equipment and facilities (1.92), and administrative laws and regulations (1.86). Based on the exploratory factor analysis, three obstacles to the development of the new system were extracted, including weak policy, underdevelopment and infrastructure, and two solutions for the development of this system, including regulation and policy development, and management and planning. Accordingly, it is necessary to clarify, revise and modify the policies related to the extension system.
Research Paper
Agricultural education
majidreza khodaverdian; peyman falsafi; Ahmad Yaghoubi Farani; Amir Afzali
Abstract
his study was conducted with the aim of investigating the impact of construction soldiers' activities on the performance of agricultural education and extension during its last period, i.e. 2018-2019. This study is considered applied in terms of type, and its research method is descriptive and analytical, ...
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his study was conducted with the aim of investigating the impact of construction soldiers' activities on the performance of agricultural education and extension during its last period, i.e. 2018-2019. This study is considered applied in terms of type, and its research method is descriptive and analytical, and the type of research is quantitative, and the data was collected through a researcher-made questionnaire. The ordinal theta rate of the total variables was 0.91. The statistical population included the first group of all construction soldiers, 303 people, the second group: heads of rural agricultural Jihad centers, 303 people, and the third group: agricultural users, 382 people. The sampling method used was stratified with proportional imputation, and the sample size was estimated using the Cochran formula. Descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, range, maximum and minimum, variance and coefficient of variation cv) and inferential statistics also included one-sample t-test, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and structural equation analysis. From the perspective of the beneficiaries, the ability of construction workers to transfer issues and problems to the competent authorities has had the greatest impact on the dimensions of their effectiveness. Also, examining the relationship between the efficiency of construction workers and their success in different dimensions has had a positive and significant relationship. The results of structural equation modeling showed that the educational-consulting, technical-executive, supervisory and guidance activities of construction workers have had a positive effect on the performance of agricultural education and extension
Research Paper
Agricultural education
َAli Asadollahpour Kotenai; Majidreza Khodaverdian
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to analyze the implementation barriers of model sites in the production of healthy products. The research was quantitative, applied and non-experimental. The population was farmers active in the main production sites of healthy products in the three years ending in 1403. ...
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The purpose of this research was to analyze the implementation barriers of model sites in the production of healthy products. The research was quantitative, applied and non-experimental. The population was farmers active in the main production sites of healthy products in the three years ending in 1403. A two stage sampling method was used. The sample size was determined based on Cochran's formula (n=115). Stratified random sampling method with proportional assignment was used. The main data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire was obtained. As a result, the ordinal theta value for the researchvariables was 0.86 (ϴ=0.86). SPSS26 and Lisrel7.8 software were used for data analysis. Based on the results of this study, 26 variables were identified as implementation barriers. The variables of low awareness of farmers about the effectiveness of model sites in producing healthy crops and farmers' tendency to use fertilizers indiscriminately were of the highest and lowest importance, respectively. Using the statistical method of exploratory factor analysis, these variables were summarized into three factors: educational and attitudinal, managerial and executive, and policy-making and support. In total, the contribution of these three factors explained about 74.6 percent of the total variance of the implementation barriers of these sites. Finally, using confirmatory factor analysis, the validity and robustness of the factor structure of the observed variables were tested and confirmed.
Agricultural education
Fahimeh Zahedi; Ali Shams
Abstract
The environment, as the fundamental basis of life for all living organisms, has been profoundly impacted by human activities, highlighting the critical need for reevaluating the attitudes and behaviors of future generations. University students, as future leaders and decision-makers, can play a pivotal ...
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The environment, as the fundamental basis of life for all living organisms, has been profoundly impacted by human activities, highlighting the critical need for reevaluating the attitudes and behaviors of future generations. University students, as future leaders and decision-makers, can play a pivotal role in environmental conservation. This descriptive-correlational study aimed to examine the relationship between environmental knowledge and attitudes among university students in Zanjan Province, Iran. The statistical population included all students enrolled in universities across Zanjan Province during the 2023–2024 academic year. Using Cochran’s sampling formula, a sample size of 380 students was determined, and participants were selected via multistage random sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire, with items adapted from validated domestic and international studies. Content validity was confirmed by expert review, and reliability was established using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients (0.81 for knowledge and 0.79 for attitude). Findings revealed that 79.7% of students exhibited a high level of environmental knowledge, while 59.7% held positive environmental attitudes. Pearson’s correlation analysis indicated a significant positive relationship (r = 0.429) between environmental knowledge and attitudes. Based on the results, implementing targeted educational programs to enhance students’ environmental knowledge and attitudes is strongly recommended
Research Paper
Agricultural education
Fatemeh Oskuhi; Hamid Movahed Mohammadi; Ahmad Rarezvanfar; amir alambaigi
Abstract
The entrepreneurial ecosystem within universities is crucial for entrepreneurial activities as it not only acts as a lubricant to accelerate the commercialization of knowledge but also provides a framework for maintaining sustainable development in university entrepreneurship and contributes to its dynamism. ...
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The entrepreneurial ecosystem within universities is crucial for entrepreneurial activities as it not only acts as a lubricant to accelerate the commercialization of knowledge but also provides a framework for maintaining sustainable development in university entrepreneurship and contributes to its dynamism. This research aims to investigate the importance of networking within the university entrepreneurial ecosystem. Our perspective is applied, focusing on identifying and analyzing the relationships between educational groups and other related educational groups/organizations, both intra-group and inter-group, as well as external to the university, to facilitate the transition from idea to market. In this context, eight expert faculty members with technology or innovation ownership or relevant experience (key academic informants) were selected based on their expertise in entrepreneurship and innovation. The research tools included a semi-structured questionnaire and interviews. The interviews were designed around six main axes covering topics such as communication networks, challenges in technology commercialization, and intra-group and inter-group transactions. The analysis of the social networks of educational groups, using UCINET software, led to the examination of the primary communication networks within educational groups to achieve technology/innovation. According to the findings from the network analysis, the structure of the university entrepreneurial ecosystem follows a distinctive relational pattern, where key network indicators highlight the vital roles of specific educational groups and intermediary institutions. At the institutional level, the Entrepreneurship Faculty and the Science and Technology Park have effectively acted as knowledge brokers, creating a significant bridge between academic actors and market sectors. From the perspective of internal cohesion, network density indicates the existence of strong collaborative infrastructures within the ecosystem, although this indicator simultaneously reveals a structural challenge due to weak connections with the fields of humanities (especially economics and agricultural promotion). Therefore, the effectiveness of this ecosystem is based on a triangular synergy: specialized academic cores as engines for technology production, interdisciplinary collaborations as lubricants for developing integrated solutions, and institutional-industrial support (including the Ministry of Agriculture, the Science and Technology Park, and the Iranian Plant Pathology Society) facilitating the transition from laboratory to market, enabling the sustainable transformation of innovative ideas into commercialized products in the agricultural sector.
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