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A posttest-only control group experimental design compared novice Arduino programmers who developed their own programs (self-programming group, n = 17) with novice Arduino programmers who used ChatGPT 3.5 to write their programs (ChatGPT-programming group, n = 16) on the dependent variables of programming scores, interest in Arduino programming, Arduino programming self-efficacy, Arduino programming posttest scores, and types of programming errors. Students were undergraduates in an introductory agricultural systems technology course in Fall 2023. The results indicated no significant (p < 0.10) differences between groups for programming rubric scores (p = 0.50) or interest in Arduino programming (p = 0.50). There were significant differences for Arduino programming self-efficacy, (p = 0.03, Cohen's d = 0.75) and Arduino posttest scores, (p = 0.03, Cohen's d = 0.76); students in the self-programming group scored significantly higher on both measures. Analysis of students' errors indicated the ChatGPT group made significantly (p < 0.01) more program punctuation errors. These results indicated novice students writing their own programs developed greater Arduino programming self-efficacy and programming ability than novice students using ChatGPT. Nevertheless, ChatGPT may still play an important role in assisting novices to write microcontroller programs.

The Biltmore Forest School, despite its unusual existence within the affluent Biltmore Estate, played a crucial role in the early 20th-century American forestry movement. Founded by Carl A. Schenck and supported by George Vanderbilt II, the school aimed to educate foresters and promote sustainable forest management. However, many aspects of the Biltmore experiment failed due to the new and untested nature of forestry science in America. This experiment exposed a fundamental divide in forestry education, with Gifford Pinchot advocating for conservation-centered teaching while Schenck believed in the economic viability of lumber production. Ultimately, the Biltmore Forest School offered valuable vocational education for young men but could not address the broader goals of forestry education. The emergence of other forestry schools in the early 20th century led to the school's demise. The larger purpose of forestry education was rooted in scientific forestry, focusing on profitable production, renewable yield, and forest improvement, principles echoed in modern forest conservation efforts. The Biltmore Forest School closed in 1914 due to low enrollment. That same year, George Vanderbilt died. His widow Edith eventually sold the forest, which grew to 500,000 acres, to the United States Forest Service. Edith Vanderbilt's vision of private forest land as a public trust contributed to the establishment of Pisgah National Forest, preserving the pioneering work of Vanderbilt, Schenck, and Pinchot in forest conservation for the benefit of the American people.

Reading is a skill that is initially taught in schools. Students are introduced to the alphabet and later learn to read texts. Reading Foreign languages is also introduced when students learn a foreign language. The student requires reading activities that include vocabulary learning. Extensive reading is one of the practical activities of reading. Nowadays, extensive reading activities include reading printed and digital text in e-books, journals, and internet and social media articles. In addition, digital extensive reading research on university students of agriculture is still rare. Thus, research on digital-mediated extensive reading in agricultural students' needs to be conducted to investigate whether it improves their reading comprehension. This study involved 84 agricultural students majoring Agroecotechnology study program. The participants take an English course. The data for this study was taken from the pre-test and post-test scores and questionnaire. The data will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of the study shows that the digital-mediated extensive reading effectively enhances the student's reading comprehension in English as academic purposes (EAP) setting, and the students express that the digital-mediated extensive reading provides flexibility, technology utilization, and reading.

The interrupted case study is a structured way to engage students in active learning. Interruptions, or pauses for reflection and discussion scheduled within the case-study presentation, provide students with a chance to collaborate and engage in critical thinking. Critical thinking style, which is a measure of how one tends to think critically, provides insight into how one tackles problem solving. This article describes a pilot project that combined critical-thinking style and an interrupted case study, delivered over a two-class-period time frame, to four college courses. The project's goals were to assess students' self-reported knowledge, self-reported ability, changes in thinking, and intentions to use their critical thinking style in the future. The University of Florida Critical Thinking Inventory and an end-of-session evaluation were administered online, and 110 students voluntarily responded. Results indicated that many students enjoyed the discussion-based and problem-solving structure of the interrupted case study. Results also showed increases in students' self-reported knowledge about critical thinking style and content covered in the case study. For teachers looking to pilot an interrupted case study with a critical thinking style component, two class sessions can have a positive effect on student learning and encourage critical thinking.

The professional work of today's agricultural and forestry engineers is changing dramatically under the impact of the 4th industrial revolution. In that context, the competence to apply information technology (IT) is one of the core and significant competencies. Therefore, in order for training products to meet the needs of society, one of the problems that training facility for agriculture and forestry industry need to solve is to clearly identify the basic requirements for agro-forestry graduates to meet the basic requirements of IT application competence. Based on theoretical and practical research on the IT application competence of each job position and the trend of employment change in the 4.0 period, the article presents the levels of IT application competence in the agro-forestry industry. On the basis of test results and opinions of experts and employers, the article has proposed the components and required levels of IT application competence for agro-forestry students. The research results, in addition to providing information on the current state of students' IT application competence, are also a good reference source for agro-forestry training institutions to set learning outcomes, develop training programs, and innovate new training methods to promptly provide high-quality human resources for the agroforestry industry in the context of the 4th industrial revolution.

In the realm of agricultural development, the pursuit of sustainability stands as a paramount objective, necessitating an integration of multifaceted expertise from diverse disciplines. Amidst this pursuit, understanding the perspectives of professionals in both the realms of economy and biology becomes imperative, serving as a cornerstone for innovative strategies. This study examines the viewpoints of economy and biology professionals on multidisciplinary innovations for sustainable agricultural development. Through qualitative analysis of interviews and focus groups, the research identifies key themes and challenges. Participants recognise the need for integrating diverse disciplines to address agricultural sustainability, emphasising the importance of economic viability and technological innovation. However, barriers such as high costs and limited access to resources hinder widespread adoption. Policy recommendations include incentivising sustainable practices and fostering collaboration between stakeholders. The results underscore the significance of multidisciplinary approaches in advancing sustainable agriculture, with implications for policy and practice.

The Train-the-Trainer approach is widely used in Cooperative Extension education to efficiently disseminate research-based information to many clientele groups, including farmers. This paper compares the traditional Train-the-Trainer model to a comprehensive Collaborative Train-the-Trainer model and discusses weaknesses of the traditional model that are addressed in the Collaborative model. Sources of information used by farmers (growers) and overall effectiveness were measured through a survey instrument created and distributed to farmers in South and North Carolina. The Collaborative Train-the-Trainer model, which emphasizes peer-to-peer interaction and feedback loops, represents an enhanced approach for conceptualizing and implementing Extension educational programs.

COVID-19 challenges induced a U.S. meatpacking industry bottleneck. Ohio Extension identified the need and responded by creating a three-step hands-on training for teenage junior fair exhibitors. Ohio Extension Meat Scientist and graduate students assisted in demonstrating an on-farm hog harvest and processing event in collaboration with a local Extension office for 4-H and FFA teenagers. To add a practical perspective, a local hog-producing and harvesting family was asked to assist with the event. An online post-survey reflected 90-100% gains in five educational areas and 100% said they would a similar event in the future and recommend it to a friend.

Being recognized as one of the President's Lister (PL) in an academic institution reflects one specific student's dedication, intelligence, and hard work. Therefore, this research investigated and revealed the real-life experiences of students who achieved President's List status as they endeavored to maintain consistency amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic. This phenomenological research comprised 10 participants, evenly distributed between in-depth interviews (IDI) and focus group discussions (FGD). These individuals were exclusively selected from Kapalong College of Agriculture, Sciences, and Technology, all of whom were consistent President's List (PL) students enrolled in the Institute of Teacher Education (ITEd), specifically third-year and fourth-year students. The collected data underwent analysis through coding and thematic analysis. The findings of the study delineated varied experiences, coping mechanisms, strategies, and perspectives of the chosen PL students regarding their pursuit of consistency amidst the pandemic. Lastly, the findings and results of the study are deemed essential and beneficial to the field of education, especially in all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), as this may serve as their basis for crafting guidelines and policies like special scholarships to these honour students in support to their consistency with their academic pursuit. The results could also provide valuable insights to the Commission on Higher Education for formulating a memorandum and updating the Program Standard and Guidelines, particularly in implementing a flexible learning approach while taking into account the preparedness of both students and educators.

A sustainable transdisciplinary research network was established through a research practice partnership (RPP) between an urban farm, faculty and staff from a Historically Black College (HBC), and researchers at a medium-sized private university. We investigate student-worker resilience at this urban farm situated on the HBC campus, drawing on literature that explores tensions between informal learning environments and formal spaces, equitable food systems and farming systems, as well as the resilience of farm work, and which is grounded critical food systems education theory. Utilizing a participatory design approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews and deductively analyzed the data. The research questions guiding this paper are: (1) What topics of discussion are most important to the student-workers and staff working on an urban farm, (2) How do student-workers and college staff members perceive and experience resilience on an urban farm? We found that what participants on an urban farm discuss, relating to their experiences, include (1) how participants were eager to "engage" with the local community, (2) how participants demonstrated "resilience" while working on the urban farm, (3) how "power dynamics" played a pivotal role informing the direction of the urban farm, (4) how participants consider community "access" to healthy foods an important mission for the farm, (5) how the college acted as a power wielding entity, perpetuating its "privilege" over the farmers and the farm operations. These findings have the potential to enable community organizing spaces to promote resilience for their volunteers and workers, and for urban farms top partner with their community to promote the mission of increasing access to healthy and affordable food options.

The Culling System in every higher education institution ensures that only students who meet specific academic or performance standards remain in the program, which helps uphold the program's standards and effectiveness. Thus, this study aims to delve into the lived experiences of the students who were culled out from the board programs offered by the Kapalong College of Agriculture, Sciences and Technology in which qualitative research utilizing a phenomenological approach was utilized. The participants were the 14 students who were culled out from the board programs being offered by Kapalong College of Agriculture, Sciences and Technology who were purposively selected. Further, there were five (5) participants for the in-depth interview and another five (5) for the focus group discussion. The data gathered were analyzed through the use of coding and thematic analysis. The study is deemed beneficial since it can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of culling practices in board programs wherein higher authorities can use this information to evaluate existing policies and programs related to student retention and support. It may lead to identifying potential flaws or areas for improvement in the current system.

Low yield/hectare gains, food insecurity and environmental unsustainability are challenges experienced by the agriculture sector in Ethiopia despite substantial government investment. Although there are many factors that contribute to the poor performance of the sector, smallholder farmer competence gaps are principal among them. This study aims to examine the effects of Comprehensive Competence-Based Training (CCBT) on the competence development and performance improvement of smallholder farmers using the authentic professional core task during maize planting as a problem context. We applied a 3-week randomized (control group pretest posttest) design and single-blind field experiment to test the impact of CCBT through provision of a training to two comparable farmer groups using conventional 'Low-CBT' and innovative 'High-CBT' implementation levels. The samples included 'High-CBT' (N = 220) and 'Low-CBT' (N = 220) groups of smallholder farmers in the West Gojjam Zone in Ethiopia. Data on competence development and performance improvement of farmers were collected from themselves, trainer Development Agents and Trained Assessors. The yield in quintal/hectare gains for each smallholder farmer was collected twice (before and after the intervention). Repeated (pretest, posttest) MANOVA and ANOVA measurements were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that the development of smallholder farmer competence in 'High-CBT' was higher than in 'Low-CBT' training. Comparisons of performance in both the authentic job situation and in terms of yield in quintal/hectare gains in the two groups revealed a better performance of both groups. However, the 'High-CBT' group performed better than the 'Low-CBT' group in both the authentic job situation and in terms of yield in quintal/hectare gains. We obtained 31 and 41 quintal/hectares of maize for the 'Low-CBT' and 'High-CBT' groups, respectively, which are better than the baseline average 22 quintal/hectare for both groups. These findings underscore the relevance of CCBT, especially when the design principles of CBE are integrated well in the training programme (which was called 'High-CBT level'), for improving performance, in this case gain in yield per hectare of smallholder farmers, which potentially results in the increase of household food security.

Using critical race theory (CRT) as both our theory and analytical framework, we interrogated vocational, career, and technical education (VCTE) policy as a racial instrument. We applied key CRT themes to examine both primary sources; including historical and contemporary VCTE Acts (e.g., Perkins I-V) and Congressional reports; and secondary sources, including academic analyses of VCTE, its history, and related legislation. Findings demonstrate that VCTE policy upholds race-neutrality, which we argue is problematic because without being designated a special population, racially oppressed students stand to miss out on important funding opportunities that could dramatically alter and improve their lives.

Critical research on colonial education should not only include the intentions of colonial actors, but also an awareness of possible learning outcomes that were intended or not intended by "the colonial masters". The case study presented here explores the fate of an agricultural school located in Notsé (Togo) from its first ideas in 1900 until about 1914 (the end of German colonial rule in Togo). The main reason for setting up the "cotton school experiment" was to find ways of formalising the transfer of knowledge, competences and attitudes which were deemed necessary for the transformation of the local economy and society from a subsistence or household economy to capitalist modes of production. The history of this agricultural institution transcends colonial history between Germany and Togo, opening up a broader view of entanglements between the regional histories of Africa, Germany and the southern United States. The story begins with African Americans from Tuskegee in Alabama under the leadership of the African-American educationist Booker T. Washington, who were despatched to German Togo in 1900 in order to enhance local cash-crop style cotton production for the sake of the German cotton industry in Germany. It ends with the colonial government in Togo appointing German regional agricultural officers to consult and instruct local Togolese communities in cash-crop production as itinerant teachers.

The agricultural industry lacks qualified workers, suggesting students may not participate in opportunities that effectively develop their employability skills. We used a phenomenological case study approach to investigate Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences students' career-readiness and factors influencing career-readiness. We conducted interviews with 19 juniors and seniors. Open coding procedures revealed five emergent themes--"Career Advice-Seeking Behavior," "Employability Skills Development," "Network Establishment," "Relevant Experiences," and "Personal Growth." Findings indicate that students do not take advantage of University resources to help them with career preparation. Findings also revealed a lack of employability skills development, especially relating to students' communication and science communication skills. Students identified high-impact experiences they believed improved their employability skills. We recommend strategies for educators to improve agriculture students' career-readiness and offer research recommendations to examine career-readiness factors that may help prepare students to meet 21st century agricultural workforce demands.

School-Based agricultural education increasingly depends upon alternatively certified (AC) teachers to teach agriculture across the United States. Understanding why these individuals become teachers is an important step to better recruit and retain educators who do not complete traditional preparation programs. The purpose of our study was to explore the backgrounds, motivations, and expectations of AC agriscience teachers joining the profession. Our study was guided by the social cognitive career theory and utilized a qualitative phenomenological approach. We interviewed seven AC agriscience teachers in Florida during their first-year teaching to explore their journey into teaching agricultural education. Six major themes were found, including background and interest in agriculture, positive teaching self-efficacy expectations, positive teaching outcome expectations, right location and right time, exciting but challenging, and more than expected. We recommend providing support programs tailored for AC agriscience teachers that are guided by the similar backgrounds, motivations, and expectations of AC teachers.

This study examined the economic benefits of higher education in Ethiopia. It utilized a quantitative research approach. The study revealed that the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) for secondary and higher education is 1.97 and 1.84 respectively. This implies that both levels of education provide benefits outweighing their costs. Regarding the private and social rate of return, they were 68% and 23% respectively. These figures reveal that both the private and social benefits are higher than the those found in any previous studies. Lastly, higher education has the highest rate of return for employees of three key sectors-that is, teacher education, agriculture, and health sciences-with an estimated value of 23, 15.3, 16.3 per cent increases to earnings compared to 3.8 for secondary education. In conclusion, the increasing pattern of high private rates of return to higher education shows that a shift of the education cost burden from the social to the private might be accomplished through loan schemes in higher education.

Students' habits of mind (HoM) and disorienting dilemmas (DD) are challenging to investigate and have rarely been explored. Yet, in the past Covid-19 pandemic, students faced many academic and non-academic problems. For example, in Indonesia, 89 million parents lost their jobs, which influenced students' emotions in their learning process. This paper applied explanatory mixed methods to address students' HoM and DD in agriculture colleges in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Two hundred and eleven students voluntarily participated in the online closed- and open-ended survey responses. The first quantitative data were analyzed using the Rasch model of application while Nvivo12 was used for the analysis of the latter. The quantitative data were focused on how agricultural English students perceived HoM; meanwhile, the qualitative data explored a catalyst and a life crisis under the students' DD. Then, the two research questions were comparatively discussed: (1) How do Agricultural students perceive their HoM and DD during learning English; and (2) What factors influence them in learning English? As illustrated in the Rasch map, the result showed that students were positively perceived HoM. The Pearson measure value was +1.13 logit, meaning that it showed the tendency of agree. However, some extreme findings were found from the person misfit. In terms of the students' DD during this Covid-19 pandemic, the data showed that most students were frustrated in joining the English online classes. Unclear directions from teachers were one of the problems that stimulate students' DD. From the perspective of HoM and DD, students were grouped into two when learning English in the pandemic: (1) those willing to improve their condition independently; and (2) those who did not care and had no initiative to find the solution.

To prepare citizens for the digital era, the Vietnamese government has issued guidance for higher institutions to play a vital role in cultivating digital skills. However, these institutions face challenges due to limited digital technology capacity, resulting in inadequate skill development. To address this, they collaborate with industries through internships to provide students with opportunities to enhance their digital skills in real work settings. Nonetheless, the strategies that higher institutions have implemented in designing internships for the development of students' digital skills are questionable to the public. Hence, this study aimed to explore the educational strategies implemented by higher education institutions in Vietnam to design internships that enhance learners' digital skills. Using a qualitative approach, primary data was collected through interviews with six policymakers from a higher institution in southern Vietnam, and additional data was gathered from documents related to internship and curriculum designs. Thematic analysis of the data revealed several strategies implemented in internship design, including curriculum design, pre-internship preparation, stakeholder regulations during internships, and evaluation actions. These strategies were identified as major themes for effective internship designs and the development of students' digital skills. The study also suggests various applications for multiple stakeholders and highlights the need for further research in this area.

This study explores the human dimensions of the broad-based adoption of Short Rotation Woody Crops (SRWCs) among farmers in North Carolina. We used an actor diagramming and tracing approach to explore factors influencing farmers' adoption of SRWCs. Results suggest four factors strongly influence the adoption process: (1) market availability; (2) education awareness; (3) funding; and (4) social networking. Based on these results, we recommend that Extension professionals use the following education modules to prompt the adoption of SRWCs practices and potentially adopt other new farming practices: (1) ecological sustainability; (2) financial considerations; (3) harvesting; and (4) community building.

Agricultural and extension educators frequently employ a variety of methods to provide farmers with information about conservation practices. The introduction of virtual programming brought on in response to the COVID-19 pandemic set the stage for analysis of farmer outreach preferences with respect to face-to-face (F2F) versus virtual outreach. Using survey data of individuals who participated in field days in Iowa, we segmented participants based on their F2F or virtual attendance. We compared the groups based on key variables such as water quality concerns, communication behaviors, outreach preferences, and demographics. Our work suggests that a broad and dynamic communication strategy, including both in-person and virtual events, offers greater opportunities for dissemination of ideas and increases access to content.

This study examined the preference for virtual and physical classrooms among undergraduate agriculture students at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB). A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted and 334 students from the three Colleges of Agricultural Sciences were randomly selected for this study. Data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Results revealed that 52.1% of the students were female, the mean age was 21.12 ± 2.23 years. Platforms utilized by the majority of the students included Google Classroom (97.6%) and Google Meet (86.2%). It was also found that 64.4% of the students preferred virtual classrooms while 35.6% preferred physical classrooms, and that 62.0% had a positive perception of virtual classrooms. The most severe constraints to virtual learning included reduced interaction with lecturer ([x-bar] = 1.63) and erratic power supply ([x-bar] = 1.63). Results from Chi-square analyses revealed that students' preference for the virtual classroom was significantly associated with their age (?2 = 8.874, p=0.05) and computer literacy level (X[superscript 2] = 20.006, p [less than or equal to] 0.01). It was concluded that more Agriculture students in FUNAAB preferred virtual classrooms than physical classrooms. Among the recommendations the authors noted that University Management should ensure the provision of a constant power supply by making alternative power sources available within the Campus.

A multipartner agricultural and nutrition project was implemented in Kenya between 2015 and 2018. This study examined the impact of the international learning and research project on the emotional and civic engagement status of 43 Kenyan women farmers receiving agricultural and nutrition interventions, comparing this group to a control group. Some project women experienced higher emotional worthlessness in the short term but less worry in the long term in comparison to the control group women. Project women also had higher overall civic engagement levels after the 3-year project compared to the control group women. Our results demonstrate that experiential learning has advantages and disadvantages for overseas communities. For community benefits, research and learning projects should be a partnership with community members.

The aim of this Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) study was to examine instructional methods that promote students' generic workplace-relevant competence in university education. We investigated courses that differed from each other in their ways to engage students in practicing collaborative knowledge work and career skills. Students from three agricultural sciences courses answered a questionnaire to self-assess their learning of collaborative knowledge-work practices and studying in the courses. The students assessed that the course based on real project work supported the learning of collaborative knowledge practices better than the courses that did so through simulated practices or group work for content learning. Students appreciated tasks where they did something for further use, like producing a CV or solutions for a customer. The results indicate that authenticity of course activities and outputs are important characteristics of assignments aiming at enhancing workplace-relevant competencies and learning of knowledge-work practices.

The objectives of this study were to: 1) investigate the efficiency of an augmented reality media on Thai rice products for upper secondary level (Grades 10-12) students in Pathum Thani province, 2) compare students' achievements before and after learning through the augmented reality media on Thai rice products for upper secondary level (Grades 10-12) students in Pathum Thani province, and 3) examine student satisfaction towards the augmented reality media on Thai rice products for upper secondary level (Grades 10-12) students in Pathum Thani province. The sample comprised 30 Secondary 4 (Grade 10) students at Dipangkorn Wittayapat (Mattayomwathatasankaset) School under the Secondary Education Service Area Office Pathum Thani, derived through purposive sampling technique. The instruments used for collecting the data were an augmented reality media on Thai rice products for upper secondary level (Grades 10-12) students in Pathum Thani province, a pretest and a post-test, and a student satisfaction form. The data analysis statistics were percentage, mean, standard deviation, and t-test for the dependent sample. The research findings revealed that the augmented reality media on Thai rice products for upper secondary level (Grades 10-12) students in Pathum Thani province was adequate according to E1/E2 at 82.33/81.67. The students' achievements after learning through the augmented reality media were higher than before learning. The mean and standard deviation before learning were 8.77 and 2.22, while the mean and standard deviation after education were 16.33 and 1.45. The t-test score used before and after schooling was 20.96 at a statistically significance level of 0.05. Moreover, the student satisfaction towards the augmented reality media on Thai rice products for upper secondary level (Grades 10-12) students in Pathum Thani province was at the high level.

Currently, nations grapple with a noticeable shortage of STEM talent, particularly within fields like agroforestry. The study applied the structural equation modelling and the mediation effect model to analyze the mechanisms through which STEM value perception influences STEM career preferences, as well as the roles played by STEM self-efficacy and STEM learning interest among 1,604 undergraduates majoring in agroforestry. The results revealed that students' STEM value perception was found to directly and positively correlate with their STEM career preferences. STEM value perception also has an indirect impact on STEM career preferences by influencing STEM learning interest and STEM self-efficacy. Furthermore, STEM value perception plays a sequential mediation role in promoting STEM learning interest, STEM self-efficacy and STEM career preferences. Based on these findings, it is recommended that institutions bolster STEM career education for students majoring in agroforestry from the outset of their enrollment, enhancing students' professional awareness and identity, by addressing gaps in students' value perceptions of STEM education. Furthermore, efforts to improve students' interest in relevant courses and their confidence in learning these subjects can be beneficial. Ultimately, such initiatives can contribute to a more balanced development of students' STEM career preference.

The performance of agricultural science students is consistently low as seen in their external examinations. This could be attributed to the poor teaching methods, materials and techniques applied in teaching the subject. This study determined the multimedia application effects on the academic achievement of Agricultural science students. It adopted a mixed-method design. All the students and teachers of Agricultural science in secondary schools in Enugu State, Nigeria formed the population but six schools with 583 students and teachers of agriculture formed the sample. Students' Academic Achievement Test in Agricultural Science (SAATAS) and Convenience Teaching Method Questionnaire (CTMQ) were used to collect data. Mean, ANCOVA and Friedman's test were used for data analyses. Results indicated that students instructed using multimedia significantly performed higher than the students instructed using the conventional teaching method. The performance of males was not different from that of the females. The interaction between the teaching media and gender had a non-significant effect on the academic achievement of students. Moreover, teachers adopted note-taking, lecture, demonstration and project methods but did not use multimedia in teaching. Teachers of agriculture accepted that inconsistent power supply, poor network connectivity, and non-availability of computers, among others, were the problems hindering them from using multimedia in teaching.

This study aimed to investigate the use of mobile phones as a learning tool among postgraduate students at Sokoine University of Agriculture. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design. The sample size was 120 respondents selected through the stratified sampling technique and data were collected using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentages were used for data analysis, while linear regression was used to analyse factors influencing students' use of mobile phones as a learning tool. The findings show that most students used mobile phones for sharing lecture notes and reading lecture notes as well as downloading academic materials. Furthermore, the study findings reveal that factors influencing students' use of the mobile phone as a learning tool were perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitude. The study concludes that use of mobile phones as a learning tool is high among the postgraduate students. Moreover, the study recommends that seminars should be provided to students on the effective utilization of their mobile phones for academic purposes to enhance learning.

Agriculture extension staffs are encouraged to attempt more efficient methods to enhance their competency through digital webinars or technical guidance, in Bahasa Bimbingan Teknis (Bimtek) programs. The research aims to explore factors influencing the intention and behavior of agricultural extension staff towards the Technical guidance online Ministry of Agriculture in Special Region Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This research included the Behavior Intention (BI) and Use Behavior (UB) models with significant construct. The research used the quantitative method and analyzed PLS-SEM. One hundred eighty extension staffs participated, chiefly 34-42 years old. All of the indicators passed the outer model assessment. The analysis results conclude that significant effects are Attitude to BI, Control Behavior to BI, Perceived Usefulness to BI, and Behavior Intention to UB. The perception of extension staffs about Technical guidance online can enhance their performance to continue using it in obtaining agricultural technology information, extension materials, information on agricultural policies, and the latest agricultural development programs. The insignificant constructs are Subjective Norm, Motivation, and Perceived Ease to Use. The validated research model explains 61% of the variance (R2 = 0.61) in Attitude, Perceived Usefulness, and Control Behaviour towards Behavior Intention (BI). Moreover, BI explains 8.9% of the variance (R2 = 0.089) in UB of Technical guidance online. This research found that BI and UB have Q2 values of 0.538 and 0.077. The practical implication could be applied as preliminary development planning studies to enhance the efficiency of Technical guidance online as Bank Data.

Technical writing skills allow prospective professionals to be competitive engineers, be effective at the workplace, reach high positions, and gain self-confidence in Agricultural Engineering. Therefore, technical writing is an integral part of English for Specific Purposes communication of prospective agricultural engineers. The current study aims to examine the influence of Online Writing Lab (OWL) resources on the development of students' technical writing skills. To achieve the outlined aim, a mixed research design was employed, which involved 58 Masters of Podillia State University. Two groups were formed based on students' preferences: experimental (n=28) and control (n=30). The Pearson criterion was used to process the results, which indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of their technical writing performances. The study has shown that using OWL resources positively influences the development of Master's technical writing skills. OWL can be considered an effective tool for teaching students technical writing. It engages and motivates the students in technical writing skills and further self-study. Additionally, the study revealed that the majority of the students have positive attitudes toward the use of OWL resources in the learning process.

Over the years, examination of barriers to the development and implementation of Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs has gained traction. This has led the profession to investigate the relevance of SAE. In the conducted studies, the profession continually notes that SAE remains a foundational component and perhaps the only distinguishing difference between school-based agriscience education (SBAE) and other Career and Technical Education programs or specialty courses that tie in a student leadership organization. While collecting evidence of perceived barriers of SAE implementation is important, at some point the question must be asked: What is right with student SAE programs in SBAE? This study used a qualitative approach to examine factors that exist in rural SBAE programs that maintain exemplary SAE programs. Through focus groups, one-on-one interviews, observations, and informal interviews, nine factors, embedded in three themes, emerged. Researchers concluded a culture for SAE existed throughout the total program, school, and community. It was recommended that agriculture teachers aspire to instill SAE culture within their program.

The first study year at university predicts the progress and quality of later studies. The aim of our study was to explore factors that affect first-year agriculture students. In the end of their first year, 49 students answered a questionnaire measuring self-efficacy, approaches to learning, and study-related burnout. They also reported the factors that enhanced or impeded their studies. According to their approaches to learning, students were clustered into three profiles. One of these represented successful students with an organized approach, strong self-efficacy and little burnout, and another a more unorganized group. The third group had a dissonant profile and suffered from the highest burnout levels. The enhancing factors most often mentioned were peer support and regular assignments. These were recognized by the organized group. The most common impeding factors were activities outside of studies, recognized by the unorganized group, and high workload, recognized mostly by the dissonant group. Pedagogical implications are discussed.

The emphasis for STEM integration in school-based agricultural education (SBAE) classrooms is imperative, resulting in a need for teacher educators to generate a positive view on the integration. Specifically, SBAE teacher aspirants need to be prepared to deliver relevant agricultural curriculum grounded in STEM. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the content knowledge and interest in STEM-related careers for secondary students enrolled in SBAE programs in [State]. Pre-service SBAE teachers from [University] were charged with delivering a sustainable bioenergy unit of instruction to their students. This study resulted in a statistically significant improvement in students' STEM knowledge as a result of teaching the content and laboratory experiences (p < 0.01). Mean scores increased three letter grades and almost 30 percentage points. Unfortunately, minimal differences existed in student interest in STEM as a result of the experience. Future research needs to explore the preparedness of SBAE teachers to develop, teach, and evaluate the impact in all four content areas (i.e., science, technology, engineering, and math). In addition, the results of this study should be used to guide in the evaluation of state standards compared to national SBAE standards.

The skills gap between agricultural education graduates from the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) and what employers are searching for is growing. Literature informs that this is mostly owing to the world's rapid changes, with ICT serving as the primary change engine, necessitating new sets of abilities from graduates as well as up-to-date teaching and evaluation methodologies in higher education institutions. These demands prompted the researchers to first establish the set of 21st century skills that UNESWA graduates must acquire in order to thrive and participate fully in today's market. The study's purpose, therefore, was to develop a set of 21st century skills that could be incorporated into UNESWA's agriculture education curriculum. Phase I used a two-round modified Delphi Technique to investigate the concept dimension and subdimensions of 21st century skills with agricultural education specialists in Eswatini. Phase II employed a survey to triangulate the prior data collection method, population used, and findings by using secondary agriculture teachers in Eswatini to establish the 21st century skill gaps (Round 2) and the highly ranked 21st century skills. Future agriculture education graduates in Eswatini, according to the findings, need to learn 35 particular 21st century skills in order to excel in today's profession and life. These include, but are not limited to, creativity, networking, self-efficacy, problem solving, digital literacy, and others. It is therefore recommended that the University of Eswatini incorporate these abilities into the higher agricultural education curriculum and be intentional in developing them in Eswatini's future agricultural education graduates. As a result, lecturers from the Department of Agricultural Education and Extension would need proper training on how to effectively teach and assess these abilities in their prospective graduates.

Higher education-community projects to support food security and food justice can improve health outcomes and increase community cohesion, but university funding may lead to power inequities that perpetuate marginalizing narratives. For this project, a regional state university, a local high school, and a nonprofit focused on building school gardens to offer university and high school students hands-on agricultural education and experience with a permaculture focus. Participant interviews revealed some disconnection and conflict between project goals and participant experiences. In this article we detail the planning phases of the project and self-reflexively unpack what we came to call a dominant narrative of assumed mutuality, which yielded uneven power dynamics that lowered school and community partner participation and buy-in. Findings reveal a need for a project design framework with structured, lateral, reflective communication practices across constituent groups to improve longevity and sustainability of collaborative projects.

Vocational and technical education programs continue to play a pivotal role in developing workers' occupational safety and health skills in all industries. The Agricultural Safety Education Initiative was first conducted in the summer of 2017 as a multi-year "Train the Trainer" program to improve teachers' tractor and machinery knowledge. The National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operations Program (NSTMOP) Curriculum was used to develop and organize the training program. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a multi-year agricultural safety education professional development model. A total of 85 teachers participated in the third year of the training program. Teachers' average NSTMOP test score was 41.9 out of 50 (SD = 3.62). Teachers attending the training for the first time in 2019 scored lower (40.8, SD = 4.41) than teachers who had attended the training during all three offerings (43.2, SD = 3.00), though the difference was not statistically significant (Kruskal-Wallis H was 5.91 (2) p = 0.052). Post-experience qualitative data findings showed many teachers reported curriculum obtainment as a motivating factor for continued attendance. A benefit expressed by teachers participating in the professional development focused on higher-order instructional and alternative assessment methods for tractor and machinery safety. For these SBAE participants, the involvement in a multi-year approach to professional development is influenced when curriculum is offered.

While all learning and knowledge can be attributed to experiences, not all experiences are educative. Experiential learning is a highly utilized theory and pedagogical practice in agricultural education and has been since its inception as a discipline. The purpose of this research is to examine the theory of experiential learning as it applies to agricultural education. Therefore, this philosophical discussion aims to continue the work conducted by Roberts (2006), and aid in further understanding the phenomenon of experiential learning. Specifically, this study includes a synthesis of recent empirical research on experiential learning, especially in agricultural education settings. We also offer considerations from seminal literature by experiential learning theorists. A revised process model that emphasizes experiential learning is not a stepwise process is presented. Also, we provide revisions to the model for contextualizing experiential learning. Lastly, we present a holistic model of experiential learning that includes both the process and context of experiential learning.

Although School based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers have a variety of responsibilities within a comprehensive program, supervised agricultural experience (SAE) programs are considered an intracurricular component. Unfortunately, the ability for teachers to plan for and facilitate SAEs has been reported as lacking. The purpose of this study was to identify the current perceptions, barriers, and implementation of current middle school SAEs in the Southeast United States, which was carried out by a modified Delphi approach to reach consensus on the perceptions, barriers, and implementation of middle school SAEs from a panel of experts. After three rounds, 18 items achieved consensus related to perceptions of Middle School SAE integration, 19 items outlining barriers for Middle School SAE implementation, and 22 items indicating best practices for Middle School SAE integration. When we consider the uniqueness of middle school SBAE programs, the overall list of perceptions, barriers, and best practices is of great value for future implementation as additional programs are added. Recommendations for practice begin with purposeful professional development opportunities specific for middle school SBAE teachers.

As agricultural education propels itself into the 21st century, a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education has been prioritized. While STEM integration has been held in high regard, many employers claim that students lack the necessary STEM-based skills to be successful in an entry-level position. In addition, STEM achievement of agricultural education students has not been consistent. This study aimed to ascertain the perceptions of Alabama and Georgia CTE administrators employed in school districts with agricultural education programs on the importance of integrating individual STEM skills into Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resource (AFNR) pathways. In this descriptive correlational study, 129 CTE administrators were emailed a survey through Qualtrics to rate 62 STEM-based AFNR standards using a five-point Likert-type scale. Results of the study suggested that most CTE administrators valued all assessed STEM-based AFNR standards as Very Important or Extremely Important. A mixed model was used to determine any statistical differences in importance ratings between Alabama and Georgia and among pathway scores. AFNR pathways with the highest importance ratings included the Animal Science Pathway, Plant Systems Pathway, and the Food Products and Processing Pathway. AFNR pathways with the lowest ratings included the Power, Structural, and Technical systems pathway and the Biotechnology pathway. No statistical differences were found between states, suggesting consistency between CTE administrators in these two states. These results suggested that CTE administrators value STEM and that agricultural educators should ensure STEM is integrated into their course curriculum. [Note: The page range (23-39) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range is 40-57.]

Teacher recruitment and retention in the United States has been deemed an issue across all disciplines and grade-levels. School-based agricultural education (SBAE) is no exception to this issue, where for decades a national shortage of qualified agriculture teachers has persisted. According to the 2021 Illinois Agricultural Education Annual Report, there were 84 open SBAE teaching positions in 2020 with only 36 graduates from university agricultural education teacher preparation programs. This lack of qualified teachers has forced many Illinois SBAE programs to either hire provisional teachers or shut down completely. The purpose of our qualitative study was to examine factors that influenced current SBAE teachers with no SBAE background to major in and pursue a career in the agricultural education profession. Using a phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with current SBAE teachers that never participated in a SBAE program. Open coding was used to reveal themes based on the research objectives and interview questions. Common themes revealed influences including possessing an agricultural background, taking agriculture coursework in college, growing up in a family of teachers, and having the career suggested to them. Findings from this research will be useful in developing agriculture teacher recruitment and retention plans with the goal of narrowing the employment gap that has developed from the shortage of qualified SBAE teachers.

Online learning is one form of distance education mediated through information and communications technology. We used a descriptive research design to develop and validate a multidimensional instrument to assess readiness and motivations for online learning. We provided a theoretical framework to better understand the concept of readiness for online learning and motivations to learn online. We assessed the need for a professional online Master's degree in Agricultural Education from Clemson University and participants' experience with online learning. Participants in this study included 531 Cooperative Extension agents, Natural Resource Conservation Agency, Farm Service Agency employees, and School-based agricultural educators from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Of those, 96 participants completed the open-ended question. The study findings revealed that the survey instrument is a valid and reliable tool. Most participants reported a tendency for self-directed learning as they indicated having higher learning expectations performances. Individuals who perceive themselves as capable of performing a specific task or behavior have high levels of self-efficacy. Participants expressed that distance from campus--no need to relocate, and flexibility were their primary motivators to enroll in online learning. Many prefer using asynchronous technologies since they provide a more convenient environment where they can work at their own pace and better balance their work and school responsibilities. Results may also suggest that participants who are motivated to pursue an online degree place a high value on being self-directed learners since they can plan, monitor, and evaluate their own learning process.

Agriculture teachers need knowledge and skills in a range of agricultural mechanics topics, such as metal fabrication and power mechanics. Teacher professional development (PD) is one method for improving teacher competence. Both Sorensen et al. (2014) and Yopp et al. (2020) reported differences in teachers' PD needs based on years of teaching experience. Could their findings be consistent on a national level? Moreover, do other teacher demographic factors such as teacher certification route and career phase yield differences in teachers' agricultural mechanics PD needs? Using human capital theory as our guiding framework, the purpose of our study was to examine potential differences in teachers' agricultural mechanics PD needs based on selected teacher demographic factors. We employed Borich's (1980) needs assessment model to structure our study. Further, we used a valid and reliable 72-item instrument and followed Dillman et al.'s (2014) recommendations to collect data from a random sample of teachers from across the United States. One hundred teachers responded to our instrument, yielding a response rate of 27.5%. We found that: (1) there were no statistically significant differences in teachers' agricultural mechanics PD needs based on teacher certification route and (2) there were statistically significant differences in teachers' agricultural mechanics PD needs based on career phase. We recommend that Agricultural Education stakeholders facilitate career phase-differentiated PD opportunities for teachers. Doing so will help to positively impact the teacher competence development process for those who most need it. [Note: The page range (1-22) shown on the PDF header is incorrect. The correct page range is 245-264.]

Serious video games provide a immersive learning environment for agriculture by simulating real-life challenges scenarios. However, empirical evidence of their effectiveness is sparse. This scoping review follows PRISMA-ScR guidelines to summarize literature on serious video games for agricultural learning, highlighting research trends and identifying gaps. We systematically searched nine prominent research databases for papers on serious video games for agriculture learning published between January 2000 and July 2022. Two independent reviewers conducted screening, data extraction, and synthesized the collected data using a narrative approach. The initial search identified 3,297 articles, of which 0.58% (n = 19) were included in the review. Most reviewed games were released in the last five years, with a predominant presence in the mobile platform. They commonly employed a simulation-based approach, featuring 2-D graphics and designed for single-player experiences. These games mainly target students, focusing on crop production and sustainable agriculture. Educational theories were often unspecified in the studies. Evaluation protocols primarily consisted of pilot studies, emphasizing user experience and knowledge enhancement. Positive outcomes, such as improved user experiences, knowledge, and attitude and behavior changes, were commonly observed in these studies. This study highlights advancements in using serious video games for agricultural learning over 20 years. However, it stresses the need for deeper exploration of game elements' impact on user experience and effectiveness. Creating games for underrepresented players and specific agricultural challenges is essential, as is enhancing theoretical foundations and learning approaches. Rigorous research designs are vital for assessing game effectiveness across short, medium, and long terms.