ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Embracing Alter-Identities: Socio-Cultural Development for Graduate Education
Author: Hains, Bryan J.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Social Development,Cultural Awareness,Graduate Study,College Faculty,Teaching Methods,Assignments,Identification (Psychology),Professional Identity,Self Concept,Career Education,Technical Education,Methods Courses,Coding,Interviews,Student Journals,Religious Factors,Bias,Empathy,Reflection

This qualitative case study examines one faculty member's approach toward instilling culturally immersive experiences into graduate curriculum. Participants completed course assignments designed to enhance their multicultural understanding and competence. Course assignments culminated in an immersive experience where students embodied an alter-identity representative of a culture, sub-culture, or group either foreign to the student or opposite themselves. Results indicated that the designed cultural immersion did assist students in transitioning their cultural knowledge from a basic understanding to a greater cultural competence.
The History of Future Farmer Organizations around the World
Author: Connors, James J.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: History,Youth Programs,Agricultural Occupations,Agricultural Education,Foreign Countries,Rural Areas,Males,Vocational Education,Career Choice,International Programs,Study Abroad,Literature Reviews,Seminars

The establishment of the Future Farmers of America in 1928 and its subsequent growth in size and scope was noticed around the world. Agricultural education professionals from dozens of other countries wanted to know about the organization and how it helped motivate young rural boys to study vocational agriculture and choose agriculture as a career field. Over the course of several decades, many countries started their own &quot;future farmer&quot; organizations. The most successful was the Future Farmers of Japan, which is a large and vibrant organization to this day. As the FFA grew, so did its involvement in international activities. The FFA has worked with many other countries to offer exchange programs, study tours, and travel seminars for state FFA officers, award winners, and national FFA officer teams. The FFA has also offered Work Experience Abroad, World Experience in Agriculture, and the World AgriScience Studies Programs. This historical research study investigated future farmers' organizations in other countries, the history of FFA international activities, and study tours and travel seminars for award winners and FFA officers.
Teachers' Use of Experiential Learning Stages in Agricultural Laboratories
Author: Shoulders, Catherine W.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Laboratories,Experiential Learning,Agricultural Education,Surveys,Concept Formation,Comprehension,Secondary School Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Learning Activities,Questionnaires,Statistical Analysis,Experiments,Active Learning

Experiential learning in agricultural laboratories has been a foundational component of secondary agricultural education. While inclusion of the four stages of the experiential learning cycle can enhance student learning in laboratory settings to help students reach various goals related to scientific literacy and higher-level thinking, agricultural laboratories have traditionally been sites of psychomotor skill development. This exploratory study used a nonexperimental survey design to assess NAAE members' use of the stages of Kolb's experiential learning cycle (1984) during lessons involving agricultural laboratories. Results indicated that respondents incorporated concrete experience activities and those associated with grasping information more frequently and for longer durations than they included active experimentation activities or those associated with transforming information. Further, over half of the respondents reported designing lessons in laboratory settings that engaged students in fewer than all four stages of the experiential learning cycle. Recommendations include further study in order to gain a more holistic understanding of how experiential learning is used in agricultural laboratories.
The Influence of Collaborative Reflection and Think-Aloud Protocols on Pre-Service Teachers' Reflection: A Mixed Methods Approach
Author: Epler, Cory M.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Reflection,Protocol Analysis,Mixed Methods Research,Differences,Cooperation,Writing (Composition),Records (Forms)

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine if there are differences in pre-service teachers' depth of reflection when using a written self-reflection form, a written self-reflection form and a think-aloud protocol, and collaborative reflection. Twenty-six pre-service teachers were randomly assigned to fourteen teaching teams. The teams taught a lesson that was videotaped and completed a written self-reflection form while viewing their lesson. The participants were randomly assigned to a control group or experimental group. The control group reflected individually using a written self-reflection form. Experimental Group #1 reflected collaboratively using a written self-reflection form, and Experimental Group #2 reflected individually using a think-aloud process while completing the written self-reflection form. The reflection forms were analyzed for depth of reflection, and a one-way ANOVA revealed significant differences in depth of reflection between the three groups. Participants also engaged in focus group interviews to describe their experiences. Two significant themes emerged: reflection on the teaching experience and reflection on the process used. We recommend that reflection should be used to help pre-service teachers learn from experience. In addition, the use of collaborative reflection and reflection using think-aloud protocols should be considered to promote deeper reflection and understanding.
Exploring Science Teaching Efficacy of CASE Curriculum Teachers: A Post-Then-Pre Assessment
Author: Ulmer, Jonathan D.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Faculty Development,Agricultural Education,Secondary School Curriculum,Secondary School Teachers,High Schools,Teacher Effectiveness,Pretests Posttests,Expectation,Correlation,Statistical Analysis,Online Surveys

This descriptive-correlational study sought to investigate teachers' levels of Personal Science Teaching Efficacy (PSTE) and Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy (STOE) using the Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (STEBI). The population included all teachers completing a CASE Institute training session during summer 2010. Assessments were made at two points. First, the participants were assessed by using a post-then-pre assessment with a second follow-up assessment after nine months of implementing the new curriculum. Demographic characteristics are presented to provide insight into the participants. The teachers experienced gains during the institute on both their personal science teaching efficacy and their science teaching outcome expectancy. However, after nine months of using the curriculum, their efficacy remained high while their outcome expectancy returned to the same levels held before attending the professional development. It appears the CASE Institute had a lasting impact on the participants' personal efficacy, but not their outcome expectancy beliefs. Recommendations are made for future research.
What Images Show That Words Do Not: Analysis of Pre-Service Teachers' Depictions of Effective Agricultural Education Teachers in the 21st Century
Author: Robinson, J. Shane
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Agricultural Education,Teacher Effectiveness,Visualization,Teacher Role,Freehand Drawing,Teacher Characteristics,Instruction,Environmental Influences,Curriculum,Interaction,Teaching Methods,Student Attitudes,Attitude Change

One of the intended outcomes of agricultural teacher education programs is the progressive development and refinement of students' professional identity. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which pre-service agriculture teachers' mental models, depicting the roles and responsibilities of school-based agriculture teachers, changed over the course of a semester-long teacher education course. Pre-service teachers were asked to draw images depicting an effective agriculture teacher at three points during the semester. Those images served as a mediator for surfacing the idealized agriculture teacher and were analyzed by three researchers using a variety of methods. Four themes emerged to describe pre-service teachers' mental models of effective teaching: instruction, settings, curricular diversity, and engagement. Desired constructs, such as student engagement and curricular diversity, of the ideal agriculture teacher were noted from the beginning to the middle of the semester; however, undesirable constructs, such as teacher-directed instruction that focused on traditional topics and lacked STEM integration, emerged in the drawings from the middle to the end of the semester. It is recommended that the study be replicated over teachers' entire preparation experience to determine how their professional identity is impacted by various treatments inherent in the pre-service teacher education program.
A 20-Year Comparison of Teachers' Agricultural Mechanics Laboratory Management Competency
Author: McKim, Billy R.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Agricultural Education,Laboratories,Teacher Competencies,Comparative Analysis,Laboratory Safety,Facilities Management,Agricultural Engineering,Teacher Characteristics,Teacher Surveys

Agricultural mechanics laboratory management skills are essential for school-based agriculture teachers who instruct students in an agricultural mechanics laboratory (Bear &amp; Hoerner, 1986). McKim and Saucier (2011) suggested the frequency and severity of accidents that occur in these laboratories can be reduced when these facilities are managed by educators who are competent and knowledgeable in the area of laboratory safety and facility management. This study investigated changes in Missouri agriculture teachers' perceived agricultural mechanics laboratory management competency from 1989 to 2008, percent changes between 1989 and 2008 and effect size were used to describe changes in importance and ability of the selected competencies. Results indicated that teachers in 2008 had more teaching experience than their predecessors, less university semester credit hours of agricultural mechanics instruction, taught courses with greater student enrollment in laboratories that had less working space per student. Further, teachers' perceptions of the importance of agricultural mechanics laboratory management competencies had a negligible change. However, the changes in teachers' perceived ability to perform development, writing, and planning competencies were notable.
Diffusion of Social Media among County 4-H Programs in Tennessee
Author: Bowen, Rebekah D.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Social Media,Extension Education,Agricultural Education,Youth Programs,Statistical Analysis,Questionnaires,Leaders,County Programs,Mass Media Use

Over the past decade, Cooperative Extension and 4-H professionals have been faced with the decision of whether to adopt new communication technologies such as social media. Research on social media and Cooperative Extension has identified risks and barriers to adoption; however, many Cooperative Extension professionals believe that social media usage could be very beneficial for Cooperative Extension and/or 4-H usage. In order to increase the body of knowledge on this subject, a quantitative study was conducted to determine the diffusion of social media among country 4-H programs in Tennessee. The study was conducted via an online questionnaire distributed to all 4-H program leaders in Tennessee, and a 49% (n = 196) response rate was obtained. Eight-four percent of county 4-H program leaders utilized social media for their county program. A majority of program leaders had a positive view of social media usage and felt that it was an efficient and effective way to communicate information. Overall, the study determined that social media is gaining widespread usage throughout rural and urban county 4-H programs in Tennessee, and that increased efforts toward training and research in this area is warranted.
The Effect of Vee Maps and Laboratory Reports on High- and Low-Order Content-Knowledge Achievement in Agriscience Education
Author: Thoron, Andrew C.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Agricultural Education,Knowledge Level,Reports,Maps,Formative Evaluation,Comparative Analysis,Pretests Posttests,Thinking Skills,Active Learning,Inquiry,Quasiexperimental Design,High School Students

Instruction in the laboratory is essential to the success of a total agricultural education program. The development of students' critical thinking, argumentation skills, technical skills, reasoning ability, and engagement are all found within the agriscience laboratory. Yet, utilizing the laboratory setting to its maximum potential is challenging for the instructor. The development of sound research-based assessment tools that enhance high-order thinking and are easily incorporated are needed in secondary agriscience education. This quasi-experimental study investigated the effect of two formative assessment tools on student high- and low-order content knowledge achievement. The Vee map was compared to the standard laboratory report in six different secondary schools across the state of Illinois. Utilizing student pretest score as a covariate, there was a statistically significant difference between groups on the high-order thinking posttest. Further, the study indicated that nine weeks later students who utilized the Vee map retained more low- and high-order knowledge than those who utilized the standard laboratory report. This study recommends the use of the Vee map as an effective formative assessment tool that should be utilized in agriscience education.
Leadership Curriculum and Materials Used by High School Agricultural Science Teachers: A National Study of the Pre-&quot;LifeKnowledge&quot; Days
Author: Morgan, A. Christian
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Teachers,Leadership,Qualitative Research,Instructional Materials,Agricultural Education,Secondary School Teachers,Science Education,Science Instruction,Secondary School Science,National Surveys,Curriculum Development,Instructional Leadership,Leadership Training

Agricultural science programs have provided many opportunities for leadership education through classroom, supervised agricultural experience (SAE), and FFA Organization activities. Past studies have focused on leadership developed through activities such as career development events (CDE), SAE activities, FFA Organization conventions, and other intra-curricular activities; however, little research has focused on the type of leadership curriculum and materials used to teach leadership in agricultural science classrooms. This study used a qualitative survey to determine what leadership curriculum and materials were being used by agricultural science teachers to teach leadership prior to the release of the &quot;LifeKnowledge&quot; curriculum. To understand the impact of &quot;LifeKnowledge&quot; in follow-up studies, a baseline must first be established for comparison. This study found that agricultural science instructors used a wide variety of curriculum and resources to teach leadership. The most popular resources being used were text books and state provided curriculum materials; however, no single curriculum was used by the majority of participants. Some participants indicated using curriculum and resources to teach leadership which contained little, if any, leadership content. Agricultural science instructors may have mixed views on the definition of the term &quot;leadership,&quot; therefore additional research is needed to determine how agricultural science instructors define leadership and the methods they use to build leadership skills in their students.
Evaluating Extension-Based Adult Education for Agricultural Labor Supervisors
Author: Morera, Maria C.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Rural Extension,Extension Education,Adult Education,Agricultural Education,Agricultural Occupations,Agricultural Laborers,Supervisors,Supervisory Training,Program Evaluation,Safety,Mixed Methods Research,Bilingual Education Programs,English,Spanish,Educational Quality,Pretests Posttests,Scores,Trainees,Program Implementation,Multicultural Education,Curriculum Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Participant Observation,Multiple Regression Analysis,Compliance (Legal),Labor Legislation,Questionnaires,Statistical Analysis

Educating farm labor supervisors about the regulations that govern agricultural operations and employment is critical to reducing unintentional violations of workplace safety and labor laws. Cooperative Extension can provide the training needed to professionalize this vital and diverse workforce. One challenge to providing adult education to a wide-ranging audience of labor contractors, crew leaders, and farm managers is implementing a program that meets varied needs and expectations and adapts to linguistic and cultural differences. This study combined quantitative and qualitative methods to measure learning and satisfaction in a bilingual Extension training program and to evaluate the relationship between educational outcomes and program components. The study found that attendees of both the English and Spanish trainings rated the quality of their experience as either high or very high regarding the intensity of learning, the likelihood of implementing what was learned, and their overall satisfaction with the program. Furthermore, post-test scores were significantly higher than pre-test scores for both groups. Nonetheless, English training attendees had significantly higher post-test scores than Spanish training attendees. The study concluded that successful agricultural educational program implementation is tied to adaptive teaching, staffing, and logistical strategies that respond to multicultural realities yet maintain pedagogical standards.
Examining the Professional, Technical, and General Knowledge Competencies Needed by Beginning School-Based Agricultural Education Teachers
Author: Stripling, Christopher T.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Beginning Teachers,Agricultural Education,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Knowledge Level,Teacher Competencies,Teacher Education Programs,Literature Reviews

The philosophy behind the kind of teacher education one receives affects the preparedness of beginning agricultural education teachers. The purpose of this philosophical study was to examine and summarize the professional knowledge, technical knowledge, and general knowledge competencies needed in a comprehensive teacher education program to prepare beginning school-based agricultural education teachers. Sixteen professional knowledge competencies, three technical knowledge competencies, and 16 general knowledge competencies were derived from the literature. The authors hope the competencies complied in this inquiry will spur philosophical discussions regarding the coursework and experiences provided by an agricultural teacher education program.
Variable Relationships Affecting Agriscience Teachers' Stages of Concern for Content Area Reading Strategies
Author: Warner, Anna J.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Agricultural Education,Content Area Reading,Reading Strategies,Questionnaires,Teacher Surveys,Faculty Development,Teacher Attitudes,Correlation,Individual Characteristics,Teacher Competencies,Barriers

In spite of national initiatives such as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, American students continue to be struggling readers. Research on content area reading strategies (CARS) has shown that such strategies increase students' ability to read and comprehend text. The purpose of this research was to assess agricultural educators' implementation of content area reading strategies in their classroom. A tailored-design, web-based questionnaire was distributed to 371 Florida agriscience educators to complete this descriptive, census survey. The results indicated the total number of hours of CARS professional development was not related to progression through the stages of concern. This study also underscored the lack of consistency in the professional development programs these teachers completed. In order to better understand the differences of the professional development programs, research should be conducted to determine the characteristics of various CARS professional development programs. Practitioners should provide a consistent, in depth professional development program to provide ongoing training and support throughout a several year process.
How Are We Educating Agricultural Students? A National Profile of Leadership Capacities and Involvement in College Compared to Non-Agricultural Peers
Author: Rosch, David M.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Agricultural Education,College Students,Leadership,Comparative Analysis,Student Characteristics,Student Participation,Student Leadership,Scores,Social Responsibility,Leadership Effectiveness,Social Change,Social Behavior,Cognitive Processes,Difficulty Level,Differences,Discussion,Statistical Analysis

Given the importance of leadership development within the various agricultural professions, a national sample (n = 461) of students with agriculture-related majors from 55 colleges was compared to a similarly-sized random peer group from the same institutions. The data were analyzed to compare the agricultural student sample to their peers with respect to a variety of social identities (e.g. race, gender, political leanings); high school and college involvement and leadership positions held within cocurricular activities and organizations; and scores from several measures of leadership-related outcomes. These outcomes included socially responsible leadership practices, leadership efficacy, social change behaviors, cognitive complexity, and the degree to which students participate in socio-cultural discussions. Findings suggest that while agricultural students display similar levels of involvement and leadership in high school and higher levels in college, they do not make some of the same leadership outcome gains in college as the comparison population. These findings hold important implications for the way agricultural educators structure classroom environments and how they advise student organizations.