ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Teaching with Technology: North Carolina Agriculture Teachers' Knowledge Acquisition, Attitudes, and Identified Barriers
Author: Williams, Maegen R.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Agricultural Education,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Knowledge Level,Teacher Attitudes,Barriers,Technology Integration,Teacher Surveys,Likert Scales,Secondary School Teachers,Middle Schools,High Schools

In order for agricultural education teachers to adapt to an ever-changing educational environment, they must possess the skills necessary to integrate technology into their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence North Carolina agriculture teachers' ability to integrate educational technology. This study examined the identification of sources contributing to agriculture teachers' technological knowledge, their attitudes towards technology integration, and barriers to the inclusion of technology in agriculture classrooms. Agriculture teachers acquired technology skills to a moderate extent from personal trial and error and interaction with other faculty/staff. Teachers felt technology allowed students to be creative, allowed students to access course materials easily, appealed to the learning styles of students, and provided opportunities for individualized instruction. The expense of technology was identified as the greatest barrier to technology integration.
Urban FFA Members' Sense of the Organizational Culture of the FFA
Author: Martin, Michael J.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Nonprofit Organizations,Agricultural Occupations,Case Studies,Student Attitudes,Organizational Culture,Urban Schools,Barriers,Student Participation,Conferences (Gatherings),Interviews,Focus Groups,Positive Attitudes,Student Motivation,Observation,Epistemology,High School Students,Cultural Awareness,Intergroup Relations,Workshops

Organizational culture shapes how members of a group act. The culture has the power to exclude potential new members who do not fit into the culture of the organization. Research on urban school-based agriculture programs has indicated that urban agriculture students face barriers to their participation in the National FFA Organization (FFA). Experiences of urban FFA members at a National FFA Convention can provide researchers with an understanding of how urban agriculture students view the FFA organization. The purpose of the case study was to explore how urban FFA members experienced the FFA organizational culture while attending the 2012 National FFA Convention. We followed one urban FFA chapter during the 2012 National FFA Convention and conducted interviews before, during, and after the convention. We also conducted focus group interviews and made observations. Belmont FFA members did not generally perceive their experiences at the convention as a barrier to their involvement in FFA and were generally positive toward the FFA artifacts, beliefs, and values they identified at the convention. However, these findings need to be understood in the context of the members who attended the convention as their motivation to participate in FFA may have positively influenced their views.
Service-Learning's Ongoing Journey as a Method of Instruction: Implications for School-Based Agricultural Education
Author: Roberts, Richie
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Service Learning,Agricultural Education,Teaching Methods,Educational History,Educational Philosophy,Models,Educational Practices,Educational Research

American education's journey has witnessed the rise and fall of various progressive education approaches, including service-learning. In many respects, however, service-learning is still undergoing formation and adoption as a teaching method, specifically in School-Based, Agricultural Education (SBAE). For this reason, the interest existed to understand service-learning's origins and its evolution as a method of instruction. As such, this historical study sought to describe the events and philosophical underpinnings presaging service-learning's emergence as a method of instruction, and how this approach to learning has been incentivized and used in SBAE. Findings and implications from the study revealed that service-learning's deep philosophical roots can be traced to great thinkers, including Aristotle, Plato, Rousseau, Kant, and Dewey. Moreover, the researchers suggest the core principals of service-learning align with delivering SBAE's three-circle model in effective and powerful ways. Moving forward, scholars and practitioners of SBAE should ask themselves, &quot;Is service-learning the teaching method of choice for conflating the components of SBAE's three-circle model such that the whole really is greater than the sum of its parts?&quot;
An Instrumental Case Study of Effective Science Integration in a Traditional Agricultural Education Program
Author: Baker, Marshall A.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Education,Agricultural Education,Interdisciplinary Approach,Case Studies,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Inquiry,Science Curriculum,Teacher Collaboration,Teacher Role,High Schools,Secondary School Teachers

The integration of science and agriculture has been discussed since the inception of agricultural education. However, the standards-based focus in public secondary education and changing climate of agriculture has brought science integration back to the forefront. Though research has indicated that the integration of science into agricultural education is effective in improving student achievement in science, there are still challenges. The instrumental case study sought to understand how Mr. Lee effectively integrated science into a traditional program while maintaining the benefits and purpose of agricultural education. Six issues, deduced from literature related to the integration of science in agricultural education, were identified. Six themes emerged that elucidate the process of successful science integration. First, agricultural educators' science content knowledge must be strengthened. Second, the pedagogy of scientific inquiry lacked components necessary for a rigorous curriculum. Third, agricultural educators who desire to integrate science should dig into their curriculum for existing science content. Fourth, collaboration among agriculture and science teachers can be fostered through involvement in the science department, and fifth the agricultural educator plays a fundamental role in curriculum planning to increase secondary science achievement. Finally, actual integration occurred in a more segmented way than proposed by Robert's and Ball's (2009) content and context dual-model.
Conflicts of Time: Examining School Schedules in Secondary Agricultural Programs
Author: Epps, Rebekah B.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Agricultural Education,Secondary School Students,School Schedules,Time Management,Scores,Achievement Tests,State Standards,Animal Husbandry,Mathematics Tests,Science Tests,Social Studies,Statistical Analysis,Occupational Tests

The purpose of this study was to examine how school schedules can or cannot be justified through the perspective of student performance on state core content assessments and occupational skills standards assessments. This study utilized the Theory of Power in Education when considering school schedules as a means to student success on core content and occupational skills assessment. The population of this study consisted of secondary agricultural programs (n = 136) across the state of Kentucky. The survey revealed the majority of secondary agricultural programs work on a seven-period day. Secondary agricultural programs received the highest pass rate on the production livestock occupational skill standards assessment. The majority of students received a passing score on the state mandated assessment area of reading no matter the schedule. Less than half of agricultural students received passing scores in Math, Science, and Social Studies. Trimester schedules had the lowest pass rate in the areas of Reading, Science, Social Studies, and Writing while only outperforming 4x4 block in Math by one percentile.
Professional Development Needs of Beginning Agricultural Education Teachers in Idaho
Author: Touchstone, Allison J. L.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Faculty Development,Needs Assessment,Beginning Teachers,Agricultural Education,Teacher Shortage,Teacher Persistence,Educational Planning,Delphi Technique,Teaching Skills,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Skill Development,Program Development,Faculty Workload,Classroom Techniques,Teaching Experience,Educational Finance,Financial Support,Mentors

The continuing shortage of agricultural education instructors has been documented across the state and nation. Secondary instructor retention may help reduce the shortage and position changes each year. Identifying the challenges facing beginning teachers as perceived by beginning teachers, veteran teachers, and building administrators can help identify the professional development and mentoring needs to assist in teacher retention. Establishing consensus among the target groups through this Delphi study will allow Idaho Team Ag Ed to be specific and purposeful in long term professional development planning. Through this study, 21 professional development areas were agreed upon in three areas: Teacher Skills and Knowledge (8); Personal Skills and Professional Development (6); and Program Area Concerns (7). Volume of work was the area of highest concern (n = 92, 90.11%) followed by classroom management skills and teaching experience (n = 81, 89.01%) and 79 of the 91 respondents (86.81%) agreed that finding alternative funding sources was an area of concern followed closely by overall program funding (n = 79 of 90 responses, 87.78%). The consensus supported previous research across the country and will provide a guide for targeted professional development, mentorship, and long-term retention for beginning teachers (0-5 years' experience) in Idaho.
A Cross-Case Comparison of the Academic Integration Human Capital Pre-Service Agricultural Educators Retain Prior to Their Teaching Internship
Author: Haynes, J. Chris
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Human Capital,Preservice Teachers,Agricultural Education,Internship Programs,Comparative Analysis,Teacher Attitudes,Agriculture,Teacher Certification,Self Efficacy,Case Studies,Focus Groups,Teacher Education Programs,Structured Interviews

The purpose of this cross-case comparison was to explore agricultural education pre-service teachers' perceptions in regards to integrating academics into agricultural education curriculum. This study included three agricultural education teacher certification programs in the United States. The pre-service teachers queried held similar perceptions regarding the integration of academic related concepts into an agricultural education curriculum. (a) Participants felt agriculture was a natural integration and emphasis vehicle for a range of academic subjects. (b) Participants felt it was important to emphasize the core subject matter inherent to agriculture, but care must be taken to not fundamentally alter the purpose of the agricultural education program. (c) A consensus was reached that lessons should be &quot;hands-on&quot; and relate to real world applications. It was recommended prior knowledge was important for successful integration of core content into an agriculture curriculum. An examination of how many credit hours of mathematics, science, and English pre-service agricultural education teachers are required to take to be effective at integration of core material should occur. Further, collaboration between university faculty of agricultural education and other departments outlining ways to achieve successful integration of academic content was needed.
Attracting Youth to Agriculture: The Career Interests of Young Farmers Club Members in Uganda
Author: Mukembo, Stephen C.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Youth Clubs,Agricultural Education,Agricultural Occupations,Student Interests,Vocational Interests,Career Choice,Secondary School Students,Case Studies,Statistical Analysis,Student Characteristics,Occupational Aspiration,Decision Making,Student Surveys,Science Careers,Science Interests,Academic Achievement,Learning Experience,Adolescents,Developing Nations

This embedded, quantitative case study included 102 participants who were members of Young Farmers Clubs (YFCs) from two secondary schools in eastern Uganda. The study's multifold purpose was to describe YFC members' personal characteristics and their reasons for joining the clubs. In addition, the study sought to determine the career interests/aspirations of the YFC members and factors influencing their decisions about career choices. Cross-sectional survey methodology was used to collect data. The findings showed a high number of members were interested in pursuing careers related to science. Students mainly joined the clubs to improve their academic performance, for personal interests, and to gain life skills. Intrinsic factors were the main influencers of career choice. Club activities had less influence on the members' career aspirations. The results point to a need for teachers, guidance counselors, and parents to consider students' interests and abilities when guiding them about career choices. Advisors should provide meaningful learning experiences for club members to explore their career interests and aptitudes. Future studies should assess the impact of childhood experiences on stimulating the career interests of adolescents, especially in developing countries.
The Impact of a Capstone Farm Management Course on Critical Thinking Abilities
Author: Perry, Dustin K.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Agricultural Education,Agricultural Occupations,Farm Management,Critical Thinking,Curriculum Development,Experiential Learning,Statistical Significance,Scores,Skill Development,Graphs,Undergraduate Students,Pretests Posttests,Courses

Current research demonstrates a need to explore the effects of specific course designs or directed activities on higher education students' critical thinking abilities. Specifically, such research on the effect of an experiential learning-based capstone course is limited. All students (N = 54) enrolled in a capstone farm management course completed a critical thinking assessment test through a pretest-posttest design, and 25 of the paired tests were analyzed using t tests. Although there were no statistically significant increases for overall critical thinking scores, there was a significant increase in one subskill: Summarize a pattern of results in a graph. The capstone course in this study may emphasize only certain subskills of critical thinking development while negating to address others. The key implication for instructors of similar capstone courses is to be intentional in targeting development of the wide array of specific skills shown to affect overall critical thinking abilities.
Perceptions of Critical Thinking, Task Value, Autonomy and Science Lab Self-Efficacy: A Longitudinal Examination of Students' CASE Experience
Author: Velez, Jonathan J.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Critical Thinking,Gender Differences,English Language Learners,Nonprofit Organizations,Correlation,Student Characteristics,Personal Autonomy,Self Efficacy,Student Attitudes,Science Laboratories,Science Education,Agricultural Education,STEM Education,Integrated Curriculum,Curriculum Development,Learning Strategies,Questionnaires,Statistical Analysis

The purpose of this study was to begin examining the impact of the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE). Under development since 2008, the curriculum is intended to integrate core academics and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) into agricultural education programs. This longitudinal descriptive correlational study (N = 173) sought to examine the perceptions of students enrolled in a CASE course specific to the constructs of critical thinking, task value, autonomy, and science lab self-efficacy. Results revealed no differences in construct means between points of assessment. Correlation of the constructs of interest with student characteristics revealed small correlations between gender, English Language Learner status, and activity in the FFA with task value, autonomy, and science lab self-efficacy. Conclusions and recommendations are discussed in light of both the findings and the exploratory nature of this study.
Implementing Peer-Assisted Writing Support in German Secondary Schools
Author: Rensing, Julia
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Secondary Schools,Writing (Composition),Writing Exercises,Peer Groups,Curriculum Implementation,Direct Instruction,Role Models,Grade 5,Formative Evaluation,Feedback (Response),Writing Strategies,Collaborative Writing,Learning Disabilities,Writing Difficulties,Intervention,Educational Games,Questionnaires,Student Surveys,Interviews,Writing Achievement,Instructional Effectiveness

The alarming results of large studies such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP; National Center for Education Statistics, 2012) point to an urgent need for writing support and call for specific and effective methods to foster writing competencies. The main purpose of this paper is to describe an innovative peer-assisted approach designed to foster text composition. Topping's (2001) step-by-step-algorithm was converted into a board game consisting of highly structured and motivating materials in order to encourage struggling writers to work on their text production skills. Our concept is based on two effective instructional strategies: &quot;direct instruction&quot; (Kame'enui, Fien, &amp; Korgesaar, 2013) and &quot;positive role modeling&quot; (Macklem, 2011). In addition to describing our concept, this paper reports on initial experiences with this method in two German secondary school classes. A total of 47 fifth-grade students and their teachers were involved in a formative evaluation of our approach as a means of identifying strengths and weaknesses as seen by the participants. The feedback of both students and teachers was encouraging, giving rise to the hope that the concept presented in this paper can be smoothly implemented into everyday classroom routines and serve as an aid for children and youth with learning disabilities (LD) and other struggling writers to improve on their text production abilities. Our study was a pilot study and, consequently, we are unable to provide information on how effective the intervention actually is. Summative evaluation of the performance gains will be the subject of future research.
Structural Model of the Relationships among Cognitive Processes, Visual Motor Integration, and Academic Achievement in Students with Mild Intellectual Disability (MID)
Author: Taha, Mohamed Mostafa
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cognitive Processes,Academic Achievement,Mild Intellectual Disability,Psychomotor Skills,Intelligence Quotient,Cognitive Ability,Intelligence Tests,Cognitive Tests,Adjustment (to Environment),Behavior Rating Scales,Males,Foreign Countries,Perceptual Motor Coordination,Visual Perception,Correlation,Statistical Analysis

This study aimed to test a proposed structural model of the relationships and existing paths among cognitive processes (attention and planning), visual motor integration, and academic achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics. The study sample consisted of 50 students with mild intellectual disability or MID. The average age of these students was 13.52 year (SD = 1.47), and their average IQ was 59.91 (SD = 2.64). The findings indicated significant positive relationships among all variables of interest (p &lt; 0.01), and all of the model fit indices were well fit.
&quot;Too Far Gone&quot;: Dyslexia, Homelessness, and Pathways to Drug Use and Dependency
Author: Macdonald, Stephen J.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Homeless People,Drug Use,Dyslexia,National Surveys,Comparative Analysis,Mental Disorders,Control Groups,Self Destructive Behavior,Suicide,Drug Therapy,Disproportionate Representation,Drug Addiction,Foreign Countries,Crime,Correlation,Multivariate Analysis,Drinking

This study investigated the relationship between dyslexia, homelessness, and drug use and dependency based on data from the Multiple Exclusion Homelessness Across the United Kingdom Survey, a national survey of 443 respondents who had experienced some form of homelessness in the U.K. Of particular interest was a comparison of the various experiences involving drug and dependency of homeless people with dyslexia vs. homeless people without dyslexia. The study revealed that individuals with dyslexia were overrepresented within the survey's homeless population. Furthermore, the findings indicated higher dependency problems as well as significant mental health problems for respondents with dyslexia compared to the nondyslexic homeless control group. Specifically, the dyslexic respondents were more likely to use methadone, were more susceptible to self-harm, and reported a higher rate of suicide attempts than the nondyslexic control group.
Facilitating Social Inclusion of Young Adults with Learning Disorders through Football Fandom
Author: Grünke, Matthias
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Inclusion,Young Adults,Team Sports,Qualitative Research,Foreign Countries,Learning Disabilities,Semi Structured Interviews,Clubs

Young people with learning disorders often remain on the fringes of society, feeling that they do not fit in. Sharing hobbies with other members of their community can help them to become part of a mainstream group. Football (which is called &quot;soccer&quot; in the US and parts of Canada) is a popular sport, especially among men. Identifying as a fan can serve as an icebreaker to get into conversations and provide opportunities to participate in various cultural activities. In the present study, we interviewed two German young adults about how being a supporter of a fourth-division football team (Alemannia Aachen) helps them to participate in &quot;normal&quot; social life. The interviewees emphasized the critical role that being a fan played in their active participation in society and appreciated the validation that they received from being a part of a community of like-minded people. The article concludes with a discussion of the limitations of the study and suggestions for future research directions.
Learner Behaviors and Perceptions of Autonomous Language Learning
Author: Bekleyen, Nilüfer
Date: 2016-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Independent Study,College Students,Student Behavior,Learning Motivation,Gender Differences,Learning Processes,Foreign Countries,Student Attitudes,Questionnaires,English (Second Language),Student Responsibility,Learning Activities,Scores,Statistical Analysis

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the learners' behaviors and perceptions about autonomous language learning at the university level in Turkey. It attempts to reveal what type of perceptions learners held regarding teachers' and their own responsibilities in the language learning process. Their autonomous language learning activities in and out of the class were also examined in an attempt to clarify the details of their autonomous learning behaviors. The study also examined whether the participants' autonomous language learning activities differed according to gender and motivational levels. The results indicated that learners perceived their teachers as more responsible for the language learning process even though they considered themselves responsible for some areas of language learning and shared the responsibility with their teachers in some cases. The findings also suggested a significant difference between the autonomous language learning activities of the students with high and low levels of perceived motivation.