Empowerment of Trainees in Agricultural Schools for the Development of Professional Performance.

This research aimed to explore the empowerment of trainees of agricultural schools for the development of their professional performance. It was a survey study. The statistical population was composed of all trainees studying in agricultural schools in Iran in the 2020-2021 educational year, amounting to 1,119 students, out of whom 169 trainees were sampled by simple randomization. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of the schools, the questionnaires were sent and received by e-mail from the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan, Fars, Qazvin, Mazandaran, and Semnan. Data were analyzed by the structural equation method using Smart PLS3. Based on the results, the educational content, educational process, management process, technical trainer development, and supply of space, equipment, and technology in agricultural schools have positive and significant effects on the empowerment of trainees in these schools. The standardized path coefficients revealed that the educational content directly accounted for 67.2% of the variance in the trainees' empowerment. Also, 39.9, 31.1, 30.2, and 29.8% of the variance in the Iranian trainee's empowerment were captured by the educational process, management process, technical trainer development, and the supply of space, equipment, and technology, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]