Document Type : Research Paper

Author

• moslem aghaei

Qom Agricultural Research and Education Center

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 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

Keywords

• Education
• Agriculture
• Agricultural Engineering

Main Subjects

• Agricultural education