bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A educação para a vida em uma era tecnológica: a revista Ensino Industrial no período 1962-1964
Authors: Amorim Mario Lopes
Published: October 2018

Este texto tem por objetivo analisar o papel da revista Ensino Industrial como difusora da ideia de expansão do referido ramo de ensino como condição para o desenvolvimento econômico e social do Brasil, desde a edição de seu primeiro número em 1962 até a edição de março de 1964, quando da ocorrência do golpe empresarial-militar. A publicação em tela é uma continuação do Boletim da CBAI, que divulgava as atividades da Comissão Brasileiro-Americana de Educação Industrial para o aprimoramento do ensino industrial no Brasil, de acordo com a ideologia do americanismo. Seus pressupostos eram considerados como a via para a superação do atraso do país, ao propor a adoção de padrões racionalizadores para a formação da força de trabalho para a indústria, cuja base era a Teoria do Capital Humano. Ensino Industrial servia como veículo de divulgação de atividades a respeito da educação industrial no Brasil, destacando a importância do planejamento e da cooperação internacional na área. A carência de mão de obra para a continuidade do processo modernizador levou à criação do Programa Intensivo de Preparação da Mão de Obra Industrial (PIPMOI), visando à formação rápida de trabalhadores, mas que não se traduziu em melhores condições de vida para os mesmos.
How clinicians experience a simulated antiretroviral therapy adherence exercise: A qualitative study
Authors: Engelbrecht Justin G. , Mukinda Fidele K. , Green Beryl , Skinner Donald
Published: October 2018

Background: With the shift of paediatric antiretroviral therapy (ART) from tertiary to primary health care, there has been a need to train clinicians working in primary health care facilities to support adherence to treatment. An adherence simulation exercise was included in a course on paediatric human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) to stimulate health care providers’ awareness and generate empathy of complex paediatric adherence practices.Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the experience of clinicians completing the simulation exercise and to assess whether enhancing their empathy with patients and treatment supporters would improve their perceived clinical and counselling skills.Setting: The study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, and a guesthouse in Cape Town.Methods: The adherence module used blended learning methodology consisting of face-to-face contact sessions and distance learning. A qualitative thematic approach was used to understand the participant experiences through focus-group discussions and semi-structured interviews.Results: Three thematic clusters emerged, namely, experiences of the simulated exercise, patient–provider relationships and adherence strategies. Their experiences were both positive and challenging, especially when a ‘caregiver and/or treatment supporter’ scenario encouraged participants to reflect on their own relationships with their patients. Clinicians had also considered how empathy fits into their scope of responsibilities. Text messaging and adherence counselling strategies were identified.Conclusion: Simulated learning activities have the potential to create awareness of relationships between clinicians and their patients and generate ideas and discussion that could lead to improvements in clinical practice, and adherence promotion strategies.
Embodied digital technology and transformation in higher education
Authors: Du Toit Jean , Verhoef Anné H.
Published: October 2018

Background: The use of digital technology in higher education is overwhelmingly positively assessed in most recent research literature. While some literature indicates certain challenges in this regard, in general, the emphasis is on an encouragement and promotion of digital technology in higher education. While we recognised the positive potential of the use of digital technology in higher education, we were cautious of an instrumentalist and disembodied understanding of (digital) technology and its potential impact on higher education – as a sector of education and as a body of students.Aim: To re-conceptualise the way in which technology is understood for its use in the higher education sector, as is argued, would be of benefit for transformation in higher education.Setting: South African Higher Education sector.Methods: Phenomenology of embodiment.Results: An embodied understanding of technology through the embodied phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty and an explication of its potential for transformation in higher education via the working concept of the Embodied Screen leads to a full understanding of the student as embodied and socially-embedded individual.Conclusion: A more holistic and embodied understanding of digital technology serves to supplement transformation in higher education, especially if transformation is itself understood in concrete social and bodily terms as is the case in the South African context.
Sporadic cisternal oculomotor nerve schwannoma: A rare case with review of literature
Authors: Marutirao Raghavendra , Singh Suyash , Bhasiora Kamlesh , Pandey Satyadeo , Sardhara Jayesh , Das Kuntal , Srivastava Arun , Jaiswal Sushila , Behari Sanjay
Published: October 2018

Cranial nerve schwannomas usually arise from sensory nerve and the occurrence of schwannoma in a motor nerve is rare, especially in sporadic cases. Oculomotor nerve schwannomas (ONS) are rare and they are unique as they arise from motor nerve. ONS palsy may or may not be the presenting feature of oculomotor schwannoma. We present the case of a young male with ONS, presenting with oculomotor nerve palsy along with features of raised intracranial pressure. Oculomotor schwannoma is described in literature only as case reports, and oculomotor nerve is also a rare site for schwannoma as being a motor nerve. In this article, we describe a case of cisternal ONS with review of pertinent literature.
Pituitary apoplexy producing internal carotid and basilar artery compression: A rare case report
Authors: Nagure Pramod , Nikam Vasudha , Garud Amit
Published: October 2018

Pituitary apoplexy is a rare disease followed by ischemic or hemorrhagic process within the pituitary adenoma. Here, we report two cases of pituitary apoplexy with a history of sudden onset of headache, vomiting, and diminished vision. Our aim is to share our experience and discuss these cases as follows: the first one to know the compression of basilar artery along with the compression of basilar part of pons and in both the cases with compression of an internal carotid artery leading to cerebral infarcts.
Can Dissatisfaction Relative to Perceived Importance Affect Extension Clients’ Landscape Management Practices?
Authors: Warner Laura A. , Ali Amanda D. , Chaudhary Anil Kumar
Published: October 2018

Water quality and availability are critical issues currently addressed by agricultural education professionals. Extension professionals need to employ innovative approaches to help residents adopt practices and technologies to reduce the impact of urban landscapes on water resources. This study explored how individuals’ dissatisfaction relative to their perceived importance of either clean water for large and local water bodies or plentiful water for local water bodies related to their intent to engage in landscape best management practices following a tailored message. Individuals were randomly assigned to receive a message appealing to improving water quality through good fertilization practices or a message appealing to improving water availability through good irrigation practices. Those who assigned higher importance but perceived lower satisfaction with clean water had greater likelihood of engaging in most fertilizer best practices after receiving a tailored message compared to those who assigned lower importance and perceived higher satisfaction with clean water. Those who assigned higher importance but perceived lower satisfaction with plentiful water were more likely to engage in one of the five irrigation best practices compared to those who assigned lower importance and perceived higher satisfaction with plentiful water after receiving the message. Agricultural education programs should tailor messages to dimensions clientele perceive as important but with which they are unsatisfied, especially when intent is lower.
Lessons Learned: Describing the Preservice Preparation Experiences of Early-Career Award-Winning Agricultural Educators
Authors: Breeding Lockie , Rayfield John , Smith Kasee L.
Published: October 2018

This study was designed to describe the experiences of National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Outstanding Young Member award winners. These teachers were asked about the concepts that they were most and least prepared for upon entering the teaching field. A modified Delphi method was used to collect data utilizing three rounds of researcher-developed questionnaires. Round one included open-ended and demographic-type questions. Rounds two and three were constructed using panelists’ answers from previous rounds and included Likert-type, five-point rating scales. These award winning teachers felt most prepared to: 1) teach animal science, 2) provide classroom instruction, and 3) teach introductory lessons or units. They felt least prepared to: 1) plan for retirement and 2) manage work-life balance. The findings of this study may provide a framework for teacher education programs and teacher in-service workshops that will aid in more comprehensive training and development of future agricultural education teachers.
The Effect of Two Different Pedagogical Delivery Methods on Students’ Retention of Knowledge Over Time
Authors: Baker Marshall A. , Robinson J. Shane
Published: October 2018

The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of two contrasting pedagogies (i.e., experiential learning and direct instruction) on students’ retention of agricultural knowledge over time. A six-week deferred post-test was employed to assess long-term retention of the subject matter. The results indicated that initially, students who were taught both experientially and through direct instruction experienced a statistically significant increase in analytical scores, with the direct instruction treatment group outperforming the experiential learning treatment group. However, that increase was not statistically significant but was followed by a statistically significant decrease in analytical scores six weeks following instruction. Implications exist for preparing instructors to pace their lessons in a slower fashion to increase understanding and mastery of the content learned.
Examining Student Perceptions of Their Experience in a TBL Formatted Capstone Course
Authors: McCubbins OP , Paulsen Thomas H. , Anderson Ryan
Published: October 2018

While shown to be less effective than active learning strategies, traditional methods of content delivery in post-secondary classrooms are the most prominent. Flipped classrooms, an example of an active learning approach, have been shown to be effective in long-term student outcomes. TeamBased Learning (TBL), a specific application of the flipped approach, has been linked to an increase in student performance, engagement, and satisfaction. TBL emphasizes the application of content knowledge through structured problem solving and decision making activities. The capstone farm management course at Iowa State University was recently restructured to implement TBL. This course revision sought to emphasize the development of skills necessary for success in an evolving workforce. The purpose of this study was to examine student perceptions concerning their attitudes and beliefs about learning, their motivation to learn, and their professional development through critical thinking. Pretest and posttest measures were compared and showed statistically significant increases across all three areas. These results offer valuable insight for the adoption of student-centered teaching methods, specifically TBL. Further examination of this teaching method compared to traditional teaching methods is warranted and recommended.
STEM Education at the Nexus of the 3-Circle Model
Authors: Swafford Marshall
Published: October 2018

The United States economy is requiring employees to have knowledge and skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Researchers have identified agriculture, food, and natural resources (AFNR) education as a context in which STEM concepts can be formally taught and highlighted. Additionally, researchers have identified where, within the 3-circle model of agricultural education, students can develop STEM-related career skills. However, a conceptual model illustrating an integrated approach to STEM-AFNR education does not exist. The purpose of this research study was to identify where STEM technical content and employability skills can be explicitly taught, highlighted, and developed, within the current model of agricultural education. Research findings suggest STEM technical content can be explicitly taught and highlighted in curriculum when grounded in the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (AFNR) Career Cluster Content Standards. Furthermore, STEM technical content and employability skills are embedded in Supervised Agricultural Experience programs and National FFA Career Development Events. Using the findings as a guide, a conceptual model of STEM-AFNR is suggested along with recommendations for practice and future research.
Informing Urban Landscape Water Conservation Extension Programs using Behavioral Research
Authors: Warner Laura A. , Diaz John M. , Chaudhary Anil Kumar
Published: October 2018

Water availability is an important issue addressed by Cooperative Extension programs nationwide. Rapid population growth and urbanization present unique challenges and opportunities for Extension programming. In this study, we explored whether urban Extension audiences in Florida had unique characteristics that could be used to design tailored programs. We used electronic surveys to collect water conservation and landscape management behaviors along with demographic information. Applying audience segmentation concepts, we divided respondents into subgroups by rural-urban continuum codes. We then described the resulting subgroups and made comparisons to identify differences that could inform Extension programming. The most urban residents had lived in Florida the longest, were least engaged in most water conservation practices, most likely to use a professional landscape company for landscape maintenance activities, and most likely to reside in a homeowners’ association. The findings revealed somewhat of a disconnect between urban residents and protection of water resources. Understanding these differences among urban audiences can be useful insights to guide impactful Extension programs. Urban landscape water conservation programming should be designed to build a connection between residents and their local water bodies, and should engage the many partners present in urban systems. More research is needed to examine the relationship between residing in more urban areas and engaging less in landscape water conservation practices.
The Influence of School-Based Agricultural Education on Preservice Agriculture Teachers’ Choice to Teach
Authors: Ingram Melissa L. , Sorensen Tyson J. , Warnick Brian K.
Published: October 2018

Nationwide, agricultural education has experienced a shortage of qualified school-based agriculture teachers for over four decades. Students who seek careers as agriculture teachers are often those who participated in agricultural education and FFA in high school. The Ag Ed FITChoice® Model (Lawver 2009; Lawver & Torres, 2012) was used as the investigative framework for this phenomenological study, which sought to explore how active participation in school-based agricultural education programs influenced students’ choice to major in agricultural education and pursue a career in teaching. Seven agricultural education majors who participated in agricultural education and FFA in high school participated in a focus group interview. Transcripts of the focus group interview were analyzed and coded for thematic content using open, axial, and selective coding protocols. Five themes emerged from the data, which included, 1) socializer influencers, 2) social value 3) passion for agriculture, 4) alignment with personal values, and 5) agricultural education factors. The agricultural education factors theme was broken into four subthemes, which include agriculture teacher encouragement, FFA events, increased self-efficacy through a quality program, and post-high school opportunities. Based on the findings, implications and recommendations for recruitment are discussed.
Forecasting College Students’ Motivations to Study Abroad: A Pilot Study
Authors: Raczkoski Brandon M. , Robinson J. Shane , Edwards M. Craig , Baker Marshall A.
Published: October 2018

To date, agricultural students’ motivations regarding study abroad courses using the expectancyvalue-cost model of motivation have not been incorporated into study abroad research as potential factors influencing their choices to participate. In this paper, we present agricultural students’ conceptualizations of their motivations to participate in short-term, study abroad courses or experiences. We used a descriptive-correlational research design in combination with modified versions of the Self and Task Perceptions Instrument (STPI), Expectancy-Value-Cost Questionnaire, and social cognitive theory items. It was posited that expectation for success, subjective-task value, cost, and self-efficacy would influence students’ motivations to enroll in a short-term, study abroad course or experience before graduation. Overall, agricultural students displayed somewhat strong motivation to study abroad. Subjective-task value and expectation for success represented the largest motivational factors. Students indicated outside effort cost and self-efficacy as the least motivational factors. Task effort cost and location lived while growing up correlated lowly and negatively. However, outside effort cost correlated substantially and positively with students’ motivations to study abroad.
Interdisciplinary Learning Opportunities in Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources, and Science: The Role of the Teacher
Authors: McKim Aaron J. , Pauley Catlin M. , Velez Jonathan J.
Published: October 2018

Providing interdisciplinary learning opportunities in agriculture, food, natural resources (AFNR), and science is critically important. School-based agricultural education offers a valuable platform to connect AFNR and science; however, interdisciplinary teaching requires willing and able teachers. The current study considered the intentions of school-based agriculture teachers to teach science within AFNR curriculum. Using the theory of planned behavior, attitude toward teaching science, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and perceived science knowledge were considered as independent variables to teaching science within AFNR curriculum. The explanatory model was analyzed using structural equation modeling. In total, school-based agriculture teachers intended to teach science in 39.91% of AFNR curriculum. Only perceived science knowledge was a statistically significant, negative predictor of intended science teaching. Findings pinpoint the need for additional research into the unexpected relationship between perceived science knowledge and science teaching intentions. The need and nature of potential explorations, along with specific recommendations for practice, are discussed.
Communicating to Landowners in the Texas Little River Watershed: A Descriptive Analysis of Their Communication Preferences for Receiving Water-Related Information
Authors: Dewald Stacey , Leggette Holli R. , Murphrey Theresa Pesl , Berthold Allen , Wagner Kevin
Published: October 2018

Elevated levels of bacteria impact the use of the Little River watershed in Texas. The amount of bacteria entering the waterway could be reduced if landowners within the watershed received water-related information and adopted best management practices. However, landowners’ access to water-related information is limited, perhaps, because the information is not targeted to them and their preferences. Therefore, to identify landowners’ communication preferences for receiving water-related information, we assessed 275 landowners in the Texas Little River watershed using a paper questionnaire. Respondents preferred water-related information delivered via websites monthly and direct mailings quarterly, twice annually, and annually and least preferred social media platforms as a communication medium. Yet, we found no statistically significant differences between respondents’ demographics and their preferred communication mediums. Furthermore, respondents identified Texas A&M AgriLife Extension as the most trustworthy source of waterrelated information. Water resource experts, therefore, should disseminate information using websites and direct mailings in partnership with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Further research should be conducted using observations, focus groups, and interviews during the watershed-based planning process to understand reasons for landowners’ communication preferences.
The Development of Preservice Agriculture Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge through a Greenhouse for Teachers Course
Authors: Wooditch Amanda M. , Rice Amber H. , Peake Jason B.
Published: October 2018

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explain the development of preservice agriculture teachers’ PCK for the concept of plant fertilizers within a content-focused methods course. The emergent central phenomenon was an overall lack of PCK development for plant fertilizers, highlighted by five main themes that impeded the development. Preservice teachers felt less self- efficacious in horticulture content knowledge and possessed a greater desire for horticulture content knowledge over pedagogical knowledge. Additionally, the preservice teachers exhibited development of horticulture content knowledge and mathematics content knowledge through the unit. Finally, the lack of a content knowledge foundation inhibited the development of PCK in preservice teachers, despite the purpose of the course and vision of the instructor. Recommendations include more purposeful integration of PCK at the preservice level, utilization of tools like the CoRe rubric (Loughran, Mulhall, & Berry, 2004) during lesson planning, increased field experience imbedded in the teacher preparation program, and a more careful examination of the preservice teachers’ pre-existing content knowledge base prior to enrollment in the content-focused methods course.
An Analysis of Education-related Policies Regarding the Participation Potential of Homeschool Students in Agricultural Education and FFA
Authors: Kararo Matthew J. , Knobloch Neil A.
Published: October 2018

The number of parents in the U.S. choosing to homeschool their children is steadily growing. With a strong demand for college graduates in food, agriculture and natural resources careers, there is an opportunity for homeschooled high school students to explore agricultural careers and develop entrepreneurship and leadership skills through Agricultural Education and FFA programs. The homeschool population has largely been an untapped market of potential participants for Agricultural Education and FFA programs. This is important because increasing access for all students, including non-traditional students, is an organizational goal for National FFA. Yet, few researchers have investigated current and potential intersections of school-based Agricultural Education, FFA participation, and homeschoolers. This study analyzed the potential of homeschool student participation in secondary agriculture programs, specifically school-based Agricultural Education and FFA, for all 50 states. Each state’s potential with regards to homeschool student participation was determined by a qualitative policy analysis utilizing evaluation coding. States were delineated into categories based upon their part-time public school enrollment policies, homeschooling regulations, and FFA membership requirements as defined in state FFA constitutions. Current program participation pathways were defined as well as strategies for increasing homeschool student awareness of and access to Agricultural Education programs and FFA membership.
Employee Perceptions of Branding Materials and External Communications for a State Forestry Organization
Authors: Settle Quisto , Baker Lauri M. , Irani Tracy
Published: October 2018

The purpose of this study was to assess the Florida Forest Service (FFS) employees’ perceptions of the organization’s external branding materials through an online survey. Employees had positive perceptions of the mission statement, including it being accurate and differentiating FFS from other organizations. Perceptions of the new change were relatively neutral. Employees believed the public received most its information about FFS from television, workshops, websites, and print articles. Employees believed television, websites, and print articles were the most important communication channels for FFS to communicate to the public in general. Employees believed television, radio, and websites were the most important for emergency information. While employees believed FFS’s external communications were important, they did not consider the communications effective or consistent. There are three recommendations for practitioners: use multiple channels of communication to reach the public, understand target demographic groups when selecting communication channels, and consistently represent the brand in external communications. There are three recommendations for research: assess the relationship between employee and public perceptions of which communications channels should be used, compare employees’ perceptions of the importance of different communications channels to actual effectiveness of the different communications channels, and continue research into internal perspectives of public organizations’ brands.
Assessing the Technical Expertise and Content Needs of Alabama Agriscience Teachers
Authors: Clemons Christopher A. , Heidenreich Abigail E. , Lindner James R.
Published: October 2018

The purpose of this study was to assess secondary agriscience teachers’ perceptions, expertise, and importance of agriculture content areas in the curriculum. To accomplish this study the following objectives framed the investigation: describe Alabama secondary agriscience teachers by personal characteristics including teacher certification pathway, describe Alabama secondary agriscience teachers by professional development needs, and explore the relationships between Alabama secondary agriscience teachers by professional development needs and personal characteristics. The population was representative of agriculture teachers in Alabama teaching agriscience education in grades 9-12. The data collection instrument included four thematic units: FFA/Leadership Development/SAE, Technical Agriculture, Program Management, and Teaching and Learning. Findings were evaluated using analytical triangulation between statements and individual item analysis. The areas of professional development needs were determined by the mean weighted discrepancy score (MWDS) in the four thematic categories. Alabama agriscience teachers identified competency areas with the highest MWDS as: FFA/Supervised Agricultural/Leadership Development (MWDS = 3.04), Technical Agriculture (MWDS = 2.48), Program Management (MWDS = 2.17), and Teaching and Learning (MWDS = 2.00).
Influence of Social Support on Teacher Self-Efficacy in Novice Agricultural Education Teachers
Authors: Korte Debra S. , Simonsen Jon C.
Published: October 2018

Teacher self-efficacy impacts student achievement, job satisfaction, and teacher retention. Although the benefits of social support have been extensively studied in medicine and psychology, limited research has been completed in education to evaluate the ways in which social support contribute toward teacher self-efficacy. The purpose of this descriptive-relational study was to determine the influence of sources and types of support on teacher self-efficacy in novice agricultural education teachers. The target population was novice teachers of agriculture from Illinois (n = 192) and Indiana (n = 104). Teachers’ perceptions of support from three non-school sources and six school sources of support within three social support constructs were used to predict the contribution of social support on teacher self-efficacy. Novice agricultural education teachers’ perceptions of support from school sources – predominantly students and community – explained 27.1% of the variance in teacher self-efficacy. The results from this study imply the support (i.e., verbal or social persuasion) novice agricultural education teachers perceive from students and community are the most significant predictors of teacher self-efficacy. These findings advocate the need for novice teachers of agriculture to develop quality relationships with students and community members to increase teacher self-efficacy, thus potentially improving teacher retention.
Identifying Generational Differences to Target Extension Programming when Discussing Genetic Modification
Authors: Beattie Peyton N. , Lamm Alexa J. , Rumble Joy N. , Ellis Jason D.
Published: October 2018

Genetic modification (GM) science has received considerable pushback from consumers despite the research finding GM products are safe for consumption. This may be partly due to the disconnect between consumers and farms since most consumers are disconnected from the farm by at least three generations. The largest consumer population is composed of millennials, which is the generation furthest removed from the farm which may mean they need to be educated differently about GM science than other generations. The purpose of this research was to determine if there were generational differences regarding the perceived attributes of GM science to inform the development of extension programs designed to educate consumers about GM science. A survey was used to collect consumers’ perceptions of GM science. The respondents were grouped into generational classifications and perceptions between groups were compared. The findings revealed generations do perceived GM science differently and extension programs should be designed for specific generational audiences.
Early Field Experience Course Students’ Perceptions of School-based Agricultural Education Laboratory Environments
Authors: Wells Trent , Smalley Scott W.
Published: October 2018

Laboratory instruction is an important component of school-based agricultural education (SBAE) programs (Phipps, Osborne, Dyer, & Ball, 2008). Early field experience (EFE) coursework can be an important component of agricultural teacher preparation programs (Retallick & Miller, 2007). Through the use of a modified photovoice technique, we sought to identify the perceptions of students (i.e., preservice teachers) enrolled in an EFE course in relation to the laboratory environment component of the SBAE model. Students enrolled in a 40-hour EFE course photographed a laboratory environment at their placement site and completed a 250-word descriptive/reflective summary of the laboratory. Through open coding of the summaries, three prominent themes emerged: 1) project-based learning is widely used for instructional purposes; 2) laboratory environments are set up and arranged in particular fashions based on needs; and 3) laboratory environments are arranged as settings for effective learning. Within the photographs, the agricultural mechanics laboratory was most commonly identified as a laboratory environment. The EFE students identified laboratory environments are not always traditional in their scope, and classrooms can serve as laboratory environments. We recommend photovoice be further used as a tool to explore students’ perceptions of the realities of modern SBAE programs.
Levels of STEM Integration through Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Authors: Wang Hui-Hui , Knobloch Neil A.
Published: October 2018

The purpose of this action research study was to develop a rubric that identified levels of integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) lessons through agriculture, food, and natural resources (AFNR) lessons that were developed and implemented in afterschool programs by preservice informal educators. The research study expanded on the knowledge base by identifying three levels and six features of integrated STEM through the context of AFNR. Using the rubric, we analyzed 10 mini-units, consisting of 27 lesson plans, of STEM integrated AFNR lesson plans that were developed by preservice informal educators. There were three major findings. First, teaching AFNR content and skills was the main focus of integrated STEM lesson plans. Second, the lesson plans attempted to use real-world problems to connect students’ learning to use content knowledge and skills to solve the problem, yet failed to connect other disciplines. Finally, students who had previous teaching experiences in non-formal and informal settings achieved the highest scores, but students who were in formal teacher preparation programs had the lowest scores in terms of developing integrated STEM through AFNR lesson plans.
A Description of the Professional Identities of Arkansas Agriculture Teachers
Authors: Shoulders Catherine W.
Published: October 2018

After decades of research in agricultural education on teacher knowledge, needs, behaviors, satisfaction, and attrition, calls for additional research and reform have remained fairly consistent. One potential factor influencing the rate at which these challenges are overcome is teacher professional identity, which shapes how teachers interpret and respond to knowledge delivered through professional development. Shoulders and Myers (2011) suggested the unique circumstances of agricultural education lead teachers to maintain a professional identity different than that of other educators, but little research has been conducted with regard to the professional identities of agriculture teachers. Using the theories of constructivism and planned behavior, this study utilized a researcher-adapted survey to describe the professional identities of Arkansas agriculture teachers. Findings indicated teachers identified as agriculture teachers more so than agriculturalists or educators, the professional identity of the agricultural educator was significantly different than that of the educator or the agriculturalist, and length of teaching experience was not related to professional identity score. We recommend teacher educators include the development of professional identity as a component of all professional development experiences. Recommendations for further research include qualitative investigation into the ways in which agriculture teachers’ professional identities manifest in the agriculture program.
Agricultural Mechanics Lab Safety Practices in South Texas
Authors: Chumbley Steven "Boot" , Hainline Mark S. , Haynes J. Chris
Published: October 2018

A pressing concern in all agricultural mechanics courses is safety. Lab activities have an inherent propensity to cause serious injury. The safety practices which are taught by teachers are largely dependent on the equipment in the laboratory and the resources available to the program. Various researchers have indicated that problems have existed in the safety instruction of agricultural mechanics for some time. This study sought to determine how safety is taught, what equipment instructors use and attitudes towards teaching safety of agricultural mechanics teachers. The majority of instructors were certified in first aid and felt confident to use that training in the event of an emergency. The average teacher was found to teach high enrollment labs and furnished at no cost to the student eye protection in the form of safety glasses with side shields. It was found that teachers agreed that safety instruction in the lab was important, especially involving power tools, electricity, and industrial quality eye protection. Agricultural programs should be evaluated regularly for inadequate conditions that may exist in facilities, equipment, and safety. Additional research is needed targeting what barriers potentially exist with teachers using recommended safety practices in the instruction of agricultural mechanics.
The global overturning diabatic circulation of the stratosphere as a metric for the Brewer-Dobson Circulation
Authors: Linz Marianna , Abalos Marta , Glanville Anne Sasha , Kinnison Douglas E. , Ming Alison , Neu Jessica
Published: October 2018

Abstract. The circulation of the stratosphere, also known as the Brewer-Dobson circulation, transports water vapor and ozone, with implications for radiative forcing and climate. This circulation is typically quantified from model output by calculating the tropical upwelling vertical velocity in the residual circulation framework, and it is estimated from observations by using time series of tropical water vapor to infer a vertical velocity. Recent theory has introduced a method to calculate the global mean diabatic circulation strength through isentropes from satellite measurements of long-lived tracers. In this paper, we explore this global diabatic circulation as it relates to the residual circulation vertical velocity, stratospheric water vapor, and ozone at interannual timescales. We use a comprehensive climate model, three reanalysis data products, and satellite ozone data. The different metrics for the circulation have different properties, especially with regards to the vertical autocorrelation. In the model, the different residual circulation metrics agree closely and are well correlated with the global diabatic circulation, except in the lowermost stratosphere. In the reanalysis products however, there are more differences throughout, indicating the dynamical inconsistencies of these products. The vertical velocity derived from the time series of water vapor in the tropics is significantly correlated with the diabatic circulation, but this relationship is not as strong as that between the diabatic circulation and the residual circulation vertical velocity. We find that the diabatic circulation in the lower to middle stratosphere (up to 500 K) is correlated with the total column ozone in the high latitudes and in the tropics. The upper level circulation is also correlated with the total column ozone, primarily in the subtropics, and we show that this is due to the correlation of both the circulation and the ozone with upper level temperatures.
New and improved infrared absorption cross sections for trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11)
Authors: Harrison Jeremy J.
Published: October 2018

Abstract. Trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11), a widely used refrigerant throughout
much of the twentieth century and a very potent (stratospheric)
ozone-depleting substance (ODS), is now banned under the Montreal Protocol.
With a long atmospheric lifetime, it will only slowly degrade in the
atmosphere, so monitoring its vertical concentration profile using
infrared-sounding instruments, and thereby validating stratospheric loss
rates in atmospheric models, is of great importance; this in turn requires
high-quality laboratory spectroscopic data. This work describes new high-resolution infrared absorption cross sections of
trichlorofluoromethane/dry synthetic air over the spectral range
710–1290 cm−1, determined from spectra recorded using a
high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer (Bruker IFS 125HR) and a
26 cm pathlength cell. Spectra were recorded at resolutions between 0.01 and
0.03 cm−1 (calculated as 0.9/MOPD; MOPD: maximum optical path
difference) over a range of temperatures and pressures (7.5–760 Torr and
192–293 K) appropriate for atmospheric conditions. This new cross-section
dataset improves upon the one currently available in the HITRAN (HIgh-resolution TRANsmission) and
GEISA (Gestion et Étude des Informations Spectroscopiques Atmosphériques) databases through an extension to the range of pressures and
temperatures, improved signal-to-noise
and wavenumber calibrations, the lack of channel fringing, the better
consistency in integrated band intensities, and additionally the coverage of
the weak combination band ν2+ν5.
Understanding the geographies of religion and secularity: on the potentials of a broader exchange between geography and the (post-) secularity debate
Authors: Glasze Georg , Schmitt Thomas M.
Published: October 2018

Abstract. For a long time, the mainstream of social and cultural geography seems to have implicitly accepted that religion is becoming obsolete and is of little social significance. However, since the 1990s, religion has aroused new interest in the social sciences in general, and to some extent also in social and cultural geography. Against this backdrop, a controversial discussion has started in geography on the relevance of theories of secularisation and the notion of post-secularity, as well as on possible contributions to these debates. The paper introduces the interdisciplinary debate on revisions of theories of secularisation and the promotion of post-secular perspectives, referring, among others, to Jürgen Habermas, Peter Berger, José Casanova, and Talal Asad. In a second step, we argue that an understanding of post-secularity that focuses on the contingency and context-dependent delimitation of the secular and the religious promises to be fruitful for social and cultural geography and can help us to understand the geographies of religion and secularity.
Contribution of low-frequency climatic/oceanic oscillations to
streamflow variability in small, coastal rivers of the Sierra Nevada de
Santa Marta (Colombia)
Authors: Restrepo Juan Camilo , Higgins Aldemar , Escobar Jaime , Ospino Silvio , Hoyos Natalia
Published: October 2018

Abstract. This study evaluated the influence of low-frequency oscillations that are linked to large-scale oceanographic/atmospheric processes, on streamflow variability in small tropical coastal mountain rivers of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. We used data from six rivers that had > 32 years of complete, continuous monthly streamflow records. This investigation employed spectral analyses to (1) explore temporal characteristics of streamflow variability, (2) estimate the net contribution to the energy spectrum of low-frequency oscillations to streamflow anomalies, and (3) analyze the linkages between streamflow anomalies and large-scale, low-frequency oceanographic/atmospheric processes. Wavelet analyses indicate that the 8–12-yr component exhibited a quasi-stationary state, with a peak of maximum power between 1985 and 2005. These oscillations were nearly in phase in all rivers. Maximum power peaks occurred for the Palomino and Rancheria Rivers in 1985 and 1995, respectively. The wavelet spectrum highlights a change in river variability patterns between 1995 and 2015, characterized by a shift towards the low-frequency oscillations domain (8–12 yr). The net contribution of these oscillations to the energy spectrum was as high as 51 %, a value much larger than previously thought for rivers in northwestern South America. The simultaneous occurrence of hydrologic oscillations, as well as the increase in the amplitude of the 8–12-yr band, defined periods of extremely anomalous wet seasons during 1989–1990, 1998–2002 and 2010–2011, reflecting the role of low-frequency oscillations in modulating streamflow variability in these rivers. Cross Wavelet Transform and Wavelet Coherence revealed high common powers and significant coherences in low-frequency bands (> 96 months) between streamflow anomalies and Atlantic Meridional Oscillation (AMO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the Tropical North Atlantic Index (TNA). These results show the role of large-scale, low-frequency oceanographic/climate processes in modulating long-term hydrological variability of these rivers.
A multi collocation method for coastal zone observations with applications to SENTINEL-3a altimeter wave height data
Authors: Schulz-Stellenfleth Johannes , Staneva Joanna
Published: October 2018

Abstract. In many coastal areas there is an increasing number and variety of observation data available, which are often very heterogeneous in their temporal and spatial sampling characteristics. With the advent of new systems, like the radar altimeter onboard the SENTINEL-3a satellite, a lot of questions arise concerning the accuracy and added value of different instruments and numerical models. Quantification of errors is a key factor for applications, like data assimilation and forecast improvement. In the past, the triple collocation method to estimate systematic and stochastic errors of measurements and numerical models was successfully applied to different data sets. This method relies on the assumption, that three independent data sets provide estimates of the same quantity. In coastal areas with strong gradients even small distances between measurements can lead to larger differences and this assumption can become critical. In this study the triple collocation method is extended in different ways with the specific problems of the coast in mind. In addition to nearest neighbor approximations considered so far, the presented method allows to use a large variety of interpolation approaches to take spatial variations in the observed area into account. Observation and numerical model errors can therefore be estimated, even if the distance between the different data sources is too big to assume, that they measure the same quantity. If the number of observations is sufficient, the method can also be used to estimate error correlations between certain data source components. As a second novelty, an estimator for the uncertainty of the derived observation errors is derived as a function of the covariance matrices of the input data and the number of available samples. In the first step, the method is assessed using synthetic observations and Monte Carlo simulations. The technique is then applied to a data set of SENTINEL-3a altimeter measurements, insitu wave observation, and numerical wave model data with a focus on the North Sea. Stochastic observation errors for the significant wave height, as well as bias and calibration errors are derived for the model and the altimeter. The analysis indicates a slight overestimation of altimeter wave heights, which becomes more pronounced at higher sea states. The smallest stochastic errors are found for the insitu measurements. Different observation geometries of insitu data and altimeter tracks are furthermore analysed, considering 1D and 2D interpolation approaches. For example, the geometry of an altimeter track passing between two insitu wave instruments is considered with model data being available at the insitu locations. It is shown, that for a sufficiently large sample, the errors of all data sources, as well as the error correlations of the model, can be estimated with the new method.
Exorcising “Racecraft”: Toward the RaceSyllabus
Authors: Asare Abena Ampofoa
Published: October 2018

This paper, based on my experiences teaching Africana Studies at a Northeastern public university, argues that anti-racist pedagogy must include a RaceSyllabus which reveals to diverse students the artificiality of race as a man-made ideology, neither biologically rooted nor divinely-inspired. Barbara Jean Fields and Karen Fields use the term racecraft to describe how race ideology persists as a subterranean, almost occult force in American institutions and minds. In my teaching I have developed a syllabus which propels students into a novel mental terrain where the racial categories we inherit and inhabit are neither inevitable or natural, but instead are created and re-created by our national economic, political, social, and cultural choices. The RaceSyllabus includes two interrelated learning objectives which, together, propel students to see outside our society’s race-tinted lenses. 1. Students should consider that racial identities in the United States are historically specific. 2. Students should consider that racial identities are geographically specific. These two insights, when taught together,  are remarkably effective in exposing the artificiality of our national racial myths.