Research Paper
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 ...
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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.
Research Paper
Agricultural education
Heydar Sawadi Poor; Seyed Mohammad Javad Sobhani; Masoud Baradaran
Abstract
Despite the critical importance of agriculture in ensuring food security and sustainable development, there is significant concern regarding the cultivation of an entrepreneurial mindset among the young generation engaged in this sector—particularly in regions characterized by unique socio-economic ...
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Despite the critical importance of agriculture in ensuring food security and sustainable development, there is significant concern regarding the cultivation of an entrepreneurial mindset among the young generation engaged in this sector—particularly in regions characterized by unique socio-economic conditions, such as Khuzestan Province. Accordingly, this causal-correlational study, employing a mixed-methods research design, investigates the relationships among individual skills; self-efficacy; learning environment, and entrepreneurial intention among students of agricultural vocational high schools in Khuzestan Province during the 2024–2025 academic year. The statistical population comprised 2,476 students from 13 agricultural vocational schools across the province’s counties; using Cochran’s formula, a sample of 385 students was selected via cluster sampling. The research instrument was a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire. Its face validity was confirmed through expert consultation with specialists in agricultural extension and education. Convergent validity was established by calculating factor loadings and Average Variance Extracted, while discriminant validity was verified using both the Fornell-Larcker criterion and the HTMT index. Reliability was assessed using Composite Reliability and Ordinal Theta coefficient, both yielding acceptable values. Collected data were processed and analyzed using descriptive statistics, the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test, and PLS-SEM in SPSS and SmartPLS software. SEM results revealed that all individual skills exert a positive and statistically significant effect on self-efficacy. Furthermore, both self-efficacy and the learning environment significantly influenced entrepreneurial intention. However, the direct effect of the learning environment on self-efficacy was not statistically significant. Findings indicate that entrepreneurial intention among agricultural students stems from a complex interplay between individual and environmental factors.
Research Paper
Agricultural education
Mohammad Sharif Sharifzadeh; Gholamhossein Abdollahzadeh; Alham Mehini
Abstract
This applied research aimed to assess the strategic context of international student recruitment at Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Initially, a review of relevant trans-university and intra-university documents was conducted. Consequently, 34 external factors were identified, ...
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This applied research aimed to assess the strategic context of international student recruitment at Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Initially, a review of relevant trans-university and intra-university documents was conducted. Consequently, 34 external factors were identified, comprising 16 opportunities and 18 threats, alongside 41 internal factors, which included 18 strengths and 23 weaknesses. In the subsequent phase, the insights garnered from the initial stage were assembled into a questionnaire designed for evaluating and formulating strategies rooted in the SWOT analytical framework and the assessment matrix for strategic situations and actions. The statistical population for this phase encompassed 200 university faculty members, from which 132 were randomly chosen via stratified sampling. The results of the SWOT analysis indicated that the overall score for internal factors was 2.623 and 3.164, while the external factors scored 2.381 and 3.361, respectively. The findings suggest that the strategies for attracting international students largely align with defensive measures. Therefore, it is imperative for the university to first address its weaknesses, followed by alleviating threats by leveraging its existing strengths and opportunities. Moreover, through the application of focus group discussions, four defensive strategic goals were established and prioritized, namely: 1- Enhancing institutional, scientific, and research capabilities to attract international students; 2- Fostering comprehensive development in the university’s international collaboration; 3- Advancing curricular and educational quality with a global perspective; and 4- Elevating support services and the overall academic experience for international students.
Research Paper
Agricultural education
Bahman Khosravipour; Moslem Savari; Seyyed Jafar Nejat
Abstract
Facing the unprecedented challenges of climate change, this research aimed to identify and prioritize the drivers for developing climate change education within Iran's agricultural higher education system. The study employed a mixed-methods design, was applied in its purpose, and exploratory in approach. ...
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Facing the unprecedented challenges of climate change, this research aimed to identify and prioritize the drivers for developing climate change education within Iran's agricultural higher education system. The study employed a mixed-methods design, was applied in its purpose, and exploratory in approach. Using a combined qualitative-quantitative approach within a futures studies framework, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with faculty members and analyzed using thematic analysis, resulting in the extraction of 40 basic themes, 23 organizing themes, and 8 global themes. In the quantitative phase, using MICMAC structural analysis and a survey of 15 experts, the eight drivers identified in the previous phase were prioritized and analyzed into four categories: strategic, effective, independent, and dependent. The findings indicate the stability of the climate change education system and identify "Education and Human Resource Development" as the most crucial strategic driver. Effective drivers included "Governance and Institutional Structure," "Continuous Evaluation and Quality Assurance of Education," "Educational Equity," "Educational Content and Curriculum," and "Foresight and Sustainable Development." The "Interaction and Communication" driver was classified as an independent variable, while "Research and Innovation" was categorized as a dependent variable. These results emphasize the necessity of adopting a systematic and comprehensive approach that simultaneously focuses on empowering human resources, improving governance and quality structures, and strengthening the connection between education, research, and society. This will enable climate change education to fulfill its role in building agricultural resilience and sustainability.
Research Paper
Agricultural education
Muslim Aghaei; Sadegh Maleki Avarsin; Jahangir Yari Haj Atalo
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 ...
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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
Research Paper
Agricultural education
Ahmad Sadeghi; hadi Hosseini
Abstract
Skills training development in various occupational fields requires standardization based on national and international criteria. Identifying and formulating the competency standards required by practitioners and assessing their capabilities is the first step in designing and establishing an efficient ...
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Skills training development in various occupational fields requires standardization based on national and international criteria. Identifying and formulating the competency standards required by practitioners and assessing their capabilities is the first step in designing and establishing an efficient model of professional competence and applying it to training practitioners. The aim of this research is to identify the work stages, skill, knowledge and attitudinal competencies, and professional expert trainers to provide practical training and standard educational programs in this field. This research was conducted using job analysis using the curriculum development method (DICOM) with a qualitative perspective of narrative type with an analytical method. A focus group consisting of specialized trainers, expert practitioners, and subject-specific public and private managers was used to collect data. Technical expertise, familiarity with the actual conditions of the labor market, familiarity with issues related to curriculum planning, and awareness of policies and the future horizon of the profession were the main characteristics and criteria for selecting focus group members. The number of each group of selected participants was considered based on the snowball method until reaching the specialized certainty. A consensus assessment was formed to standardize the criteria based on the collective persuasion of the focus group. The DICOM method framework was used to process the findings of the research. With this research, the profession of agricultural and forestry mobile machinery operators was analyzed and competency and assessment standards (professional document) were developed.
Research Paper
Agricultural education
Masoumeh Taghibaygi; Masoud Baradran; Amirhossein Alibaygi
Abstract
The goal of the present study was to design a model for institutionalizing metacognition in Iran's higher agricultural education system utilizing using three phases of the delphi methodThe research approach was qualitative, applied in terms of purpose, and exploratoryThe research community consisted ...
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The goal of the present study was to design a model for institutionalizing metacognition in Iran's higher agricultural education system utilizing using three phases of the delphi methodThe research approach was qualitative, applied in terms of purpose, and exploratoryThe research community consisted of metacognitive experts, from whom data was collected using the snowball method and chain referral with 13 individuals. A group of professionals also examined and verified the legitimacy of the surveys. The study's findings helped to establish the seven major elements of the agricultural higher education system, as well as the criteria for determining whether or not they were present. To create a model for institutionalizing metacognition in the agricultural higher education system, we must first identify each component and then identify indicators for each criterion (teacher duties with 12). 3 indicators of post-teaching activity, 18 indicators of in-teaching activity, and 3 indicators of pre-teaching activity; learning with 36 indicators of behavioral skills linked to metacognition; educational management and in-service training courses with 6 indicators of faculty empowerment and 4 indicators of attention to metacognition; educational planning with 5 performance criteria curriculum with four indicators of participatory criteria and four indicators of justification criteria; learning environment with five indicators of motivational criteria and four indicators of strategies; techniques of facilitation and interaction; evaluation methodologies using two indicators of participatory and seven indicators oThe desired model, which may be viewed as the foundation for institutionalizing the metacognition theory, was ultimately created using the derived elements, criteria, and indicators.
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