Carroll, Devon E. (author), Stevens, Carrie A. (author), Stripling, Christopher T. (author), Sorochan, John C. (author), and Brosnan, James T. (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2021-12-01
Published:
United States: American Association for Agricultural Education
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 204 Document Number: D12422
18 pages, Women are a traditionally underrepresented demographic in the turfgrass industry. As the industry faces labor shortages, increased recruitment and retention of women to the field may reduce labor issues. The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the lived experiences of 13 female leaders in the turfgrass industry representing diverse job titles, years of experience, and geographic locations. The objective of this research was to promote change within the turfgrass industry and subsequently increase female recruitment efforts by identifying barriers faced uniquely by women and influences on female leadership success. To discover this information, participants engaged in 30-to-90-minute semi-structured interviews with the central research question, “What lived experiences have shaped your career in the turfgrass industry?” Transcriptions of interviews were open-coded and used to develop six main themes: (a) career paths, (b) mentorship involvement, (c) leadership styles, (d) challenges, (e) opportunities for personal growth, and (f) opportunities for industry growth. Interviewed women proved to be vibrant leaders in the industry and faced similar challenges in their journeys to leadership including inappropriate peer conduct, difficulty building a family, and overcoming stereotypes. Women sustained career success by engaging in self-efficacy through educational development, mentorship, and personal growth. These findings can be used by both women and men in the turfgrass industry to improve current culture for women
14 pages., The 4-H Youth Development program prohibits all forms of discrimination which includes disability. 4-H Extension professionals provide the essential interface between Extension and the local community to create an inclusive environment for all youth, including those with disabilities, that is welcoming and accessible. Attitudes and self-efficacy for working with youth who have disabilities impact how well 4-
H delivers positive youth development programs. The purpose of this study was to determine state-wide 4-H Extension professionals’ attitudes, self-efficacy, and perceptions of inclusion toward youth with disabilities. In addition, the researchers sought to examine their use of a training program to better serve youth with disabilities. All 4-H Extension professionals in Ohio were surveyed (N = 135) with 71
responding (response rate of 53%). Results indicated the attitudes of Extension professionals for accepting of and feeling comfortable around youth with disabilities was overwhelmingly positive. They also perceived that youth with disabilities felt that they were included in 4-H activities. For self-efficacy,
4-H professionals reported they could effectively provide inclusive opportunities for youth with disabilities and adapt their level of instruction, take extra time, and pay attention to the needs of youth
with disabilities. However, about a third of the respondents somewhat or strongly agreed that their workload would increase by having youth with disabilities in their organization. The disability training program was used by over three-fourths of the 4-H professionals and helped them to engage with parents to learn more about their children with disabilities. The program also improved accommodations and
creating a more inclusive 4-H environment.
Sharing the importance of agriculture, agricultural education, and programmatic efforts through Extension is vital to ensuring policy makers and the general public understand the need for supporting the overall agricultural industry. However, communicatingsuch importance can be challenging without accurate, evidence-based language to describe what makes agricultural initiatives unique and effective. Furthermore, having knowledge of the unique strengths of Extension builds a foundation of resources agricultural staff can use in problem-solving, communication, and education techniques. A Delphi study was conducted to research the unique strengths of University of GeorgiaExtension in an effort to better educate and communicate with local and state stakeholders. Findings resulted in 11 strengths that gained 100% agreement from research respondents. Six thematic categories covering all agreed-upon strengths document strengths in an explicit way that can also help with internal communication and education effortswithin the Extension organization.
17 pages, Environmental education (EE) programs, when combined with human-wildlife interactions (HWI), can trigger emotions, an essential part of attitudes that influence pro-environmental behaviors (PEB). We used participant observation and a post-event evaluation survey to investigate emotional response to HWI among participants from marine educational programs at the University of Georgia Marine Education Center and Aquarium, Savannah, GA. We found that during HWI participants demonstrated positive (e.g., empathy) and negative emotions (e.g., frustration) with animals, including misconceptions and negative perceptions toward snakes and horseshoe crabs. In addition, outdoor exploration, contact with wildlife (direct or indirect), biofacts exhibitions and live animal presentations were the practices that most engaged participants in the programs, indicating that animals (e.g., turtles and crabs) can increase participants’ interest in educational activities. By incorporating wildlife in EE practices, educators can engage individuals in activities and stimulate their emotional attachment to animals, which can encourage changes in perceptions, leading to PEBs necessary for environmental conservation.
12 pages, The article discusses the importance of regenerative agriculture and its implications for education within agriculture, food, and natural resources sectors. The document highlights how regenerative agriculture focuses on restoring ecosystem processes, such as improving soil health, increasing biodiversity, and enhancing water retention, while also promoting more sustainable agricultural practices. It also touches upon the challenges faced by conventional agricultural systems, including the loss of soil health and vulnerability to climate change, while advocating for interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and research. The document encourages a shift from industrialized agriculture towards systems that work with nature, offering examples of successful regenerative agricultural practices, both in the U.S. and globally.
19 pages, Consumers’ perceptions of the terminology used on food production labels may lead to a perceived risk, which influences their grocery shopping decisions. Risk perception is the consumers’ belief that he or she may be exposed to something that is harmful or uncertain. Women are more aware of food labels due to their perceived risk associated with health and the environment. This study used Q methodology to describe a variety of viewpoints related to women’s grocery shopping decisions. Using a Q set of 36 statements, 18 women sorted based on the condition of instruction, “How do you make food decisions?” Factor scores, field notes, and post-sort interviews were used to interpret the arrays as the Frugal Shopper, the Price Conscious Shopper, and the Engaged Shopper. The Frugal Shopper was interpreted to be an economical shopper with little concern for food production methods. The Price Conscious Shopper is concerned for the effect on various production methods, but price is the main priority. The Engaged Shopper is willing to pay higher prices to have more choices when grocery shopping. Improved communication and a deeper understanding of consumers’ perceptions of food labels may help decrease the perceived risk associated with various food production methods.
14 pages, via online journal, Water quality is a complex issue and residential fertilizer can be one of the many contributors to poor water quality. Working with residential audiences to help them understand and reduce their impacts on water quality is an important task among many agricultural education and Extension professionals. In order to effectively work with residential audiences, we must first understand what influences their intent to engage in fertilizer best management practices. In this research, we paired the Diffusion of Innovations and Elaboration Likelihood Model to examine the influence of perceptions of an innovation’s characteristics, personal involvement with water, and communication on intent to engage in fertilizer best management practices. The communication was presented to experimental groups as a 35-second video about fertilizer best management practices. Data were collected via a survey instrument and were analyzed using inferential procedures. Four of the five characteristics of innovations significantly influenced intent to engage in fertilizer best management practices among the control group. However, all five characteristics were significant among the entire sample but the influence was less compared to the control group. Involvement increased intent while the video treatments had little effect. The results of the research support existing findings, but also offer areas of new discovery as well as insights for practice and additional study. Future research should examine the repetition of communication as well as different dimensions of involvement.
14 pages., via online journal., The smartphone is perhaps the most influential device in modern society. Research has indicated
students perceived that using smartphones in the classroom aided learning. However, most American
high schools ban students from using phones in the classroom. Previous research supports the idea
that advanced smartphone applications in student- centered learning environments can improve
achievement and motivation. Currently, there is little in the agricultural education literature pertaining
to smartphone enhanced learning among secondary agriculture students. This study compared
motivational differences between non-equivalent comparison groups. Secondary agricultural students
from 13 schools across Louisiana completed the Course Interest Survey to measure motivation during
a forestry unit. Data were analyzed using Hierarchical Linear Modeling. The analysis rendered no
statistically significant differences between the groups in motivation. It was concluded that
smartphones do not reduce motivation and should be considered in agricultural education classrooms
where policy permits.
15 pages., via online journal., Water quality is a complex issue and residential fertilizer can be one of the many contributors to poor water quality. Working with residential audiences to help them understand and reduce their impacts on water quality is an important task among many agricultural education and Extension professionals. In order to effectively work with residential audiences, we must first understand what influences their intent to engage in fertilizer best management practices. In this research, we paired the Diffusion of Innovations and Elaboration Likelihood Model to examine the influence of perceptions of an innovation’s characteristics, personal involvement with water, and communication on intent to engage in fertilizer best management practices. The communication was presented to experimental groups as a 35-second video about fertilizer best management practices. Data were collected via a survey instrument and were analyzed using inferential procedures. Four of the five characteristics of innovations significantly influenced intent to engage in fertilizer best management practices among the control group. However, all five characteristics were significant among the entire sample but the influence was less compared to the control group. Involvement increased intent while the video treatments had little effect. The results of the research support existing findings, but also offer areas of new discovery as well as insights for practice and additional study. Future research should examine the repetition of communication as well as different dimensions of involvement.
17 pages, Scholarship within the social sciences of agriculture, food, and natural resources (AFNR) exists, in part, to inform solutions to complex problems. Increasingly, complex problems are found at the nexus of social and ecological systems; therefore, scholarship within the social sciences of AFNR must mirror this social-ecological characteristic. Existing AFNR social science literature on resilience lacks the required social-ecological perspective, conceptualizing resilience as an individual characteristic. The absence of a social-ecological perspective of resilience fails to holistically address the complexity of AFNR systems and the challenge therein. Therefore, the current manuscript seeks to inform social science scholarship within AFNR by foregrounding social-ecological resilience as a necessary approach to addressing the complexity of challenges found throughout AFNR systems. Included in the discussion is a critical review of individual resilience, an introduction to adaptation and transformation, an outline of social-ecological resilience, an in-depth analysis of the seven principles of social-ecological resilience, and a discussion of social-ecological resilience thinking applied to the seven research priority areas described by the American Association for Agricultural Education. In total, the current manuscript paves the way for additional systems-based research in the AFNR social sciences by introducing critical concepts and approaches related to social-ecological resilience.
22 pages, via online journal, Traditionally, 4-H agents have been communicating with stakeholders through newsletters; either in print or online. 4-H agents have used social media as an additional tool to communicate with their stakeholders since its introduction. Social media communication can help maintain or increase stakeholder involvement in the 4-H program because a large percentage of the population is active on social media. Using Uses and Gratifications Theory and Diffusion of Innovations Theory as frameworks, this study sought to determine how Florida 4-H agents engaged with their stakeholder audiences using social media, and vice versa. The uses and gratifications motivations for engaging in media were used to understand what motivations were used to engage their audience and what type of posts (according to motivation) stakeholders were engaged in most. The diffusion of innovations innovation-decision process helped to understand the audiences’ decision to engage in posts dependent upon the motivation used. The results of this study concluded the selected 4-H programs differed in the content that they posted but the 4-H stakeholders did not differ in how they engaged in their respective programs posts.
10 pages, via online journal, Extension’s ability to purposively develop the capacity of its agents to effectively work with and
lead people is limited by a lack of data that identifies for which competencies agents need training.Interpersonal leadership competencies are widely recognized as important for Extension
professionals and the literature indicates they are linked with job satisfaction, motivation, and
performance. The Borich method was used to identify priority training needs for Extension agents
in Florida within the interpersonal leadership domain. A Principal Component Analysis revealed
the interpersonal leadership competencies could be operationalized into two latent constructs,
conflict management and group leadership. Competencies for which training is most needed were
mostly part of the conflict management construct. The results can be used to intentionally design
professional development programs, improve the state’s competency model, and inform future
research related to conflict in Extension.
18 pages., via online journal., Meeting the demands of a proficient scientific workforce depends on students’ communication skill preparation. To describe students’ self-perceptions of their communication skills, we surveyed 315 students in Texas A&M University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Participants noted they were most proficient in their ability to listen effectively and least proficient in asking effective questions. Each communication skill characteristic showed a statistically significant difference before and after college engagement, but we found no statistically significant difference in the overall communication scores of students. Therefore, we recommend: 1) interviewing employers to understand their perceptions of entry-level employees; 2) investigating when students transition from false sense of confidence to actual confidence; 3) conducting a longitudinal study to investigate students’ perceptions of communication skills throughout their college experience; 4) evaluating faculty’s communication
teaching methods across disciplines; and 5) investigating the influence of self-reflection on students’ attained communication skills. Conducting such studies could lead to stronger connections between the academy and the industry, especially as faculty strive to align their teaching with needs of the industry.
Chris Clemons (author), James R. Lindner (author), Bruce Murray (author), Mike P. Cook (author), Brandon Sams (author), and Gwendolyn Williams (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2018-04-15
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 149 Document Number: D10105
Via online issue. Pgs. 283-252, The purpose of the study was to examine the confluence of agricultural literacy, what it means to
be agriculturally literate, and if a gap between agricultural literacy and being agriculturally
literate existed. Two primary research questions framed this study: 1) How do agriculture
professionals define agricultural literacy? 2) What does it mean to be agriculturally literate? While
the terms literacy and literate are often used synonymously they have important and different
meanings. This study used the Delphi Study Technique for determining consensus. The Delphi panel
consisted of engaged agricultural professionals from seven states. These professions represented
a broad spectrum of agricultural careers and experience. Each panel member was recognized as
a leader in his or her field. The findings indicated that participants did not discern a difference
between agricultural literacy and being agriculturally literate in regards to reading, writing, and
speaking about agriculture. This study supports the conclusion that the terms agriculturally literate
and agricultural literacy are used interchangeably. Agricultural professional may not be aware of
the inherent differences between possessing agricultural literacy and being agriculturally literate.
15 pages., via online journal, 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.
Via Online Journal, Extension is challenged with meeting the needs of a variety of stakeholders. As the country becomes
more urban, Extension may need to adapt programming to reach new clients. Having an
understanding about what, when, and how urban food producers gather information is important
to address their needs. Information that is relevant, up-to-date, and meets clients’ needs, enables
their ability to adopt new ideas and innovative technologies, providing more opportunities for
success. A mixed-method research design explored the information needs and information-seeking
behavior of urban food producers in Columbus, Ohio. Urban food producers in this study most
needed information to increase food production. Respondents preferred to receive information
from the Internet and other electronic media over conventional information sources. This group of
urban producers trusted information from university and Extension sources, but expressed mixed
opinions about their personal experiences with OSU Extension.
15 pages, Using a semi-structured interview approach, ten mentors from a leadership development program focused on building leaders in Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences across the nation provided insights regarding their mentoring method, process, and experiences. Mentors interviewed agreed the mentoring process was beneficial for themselves as well as their mentee. However, clear thematic differences were evident depending on whether a previously existing relationship was in place between mentor and mentee. Specifically, mentoring relationships that were extensions of previous relationships tended to have less formal structures and more subjective outcomes than newly established mentoring relationship counterparts. Nevertheless, both categories of mentoring relationships indicated a desire for a formal set of mentoring expectations as well as access to program curriculum to help guide and inform the process.
13 pages, Much is known about the benefits of interacting with animals for learners. However, little is known about the animals’ potential influence on the communication ability of the presenter/educator. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experience of undergraduate students who used live animals (baby chicks, turtles, salamanders, and non-venomous snakes) during in-class and outreach presentations and the animals’ role in influencing their communication ability. The influence of an instructor who teaches with such animals was also examined. A purposive sample of students enrolled in an introductory environmental education course open to all majors was obtained and five students agreed to participate in semi-structured interviews. Once audio was recorded and transcribed, the constant comparative method was used to analyze the data. Six reoccurring themes emerged. Presenting with a live animal (1) helped students feel less nervous while teaching, (2) increased presenter confidence, (3) promoted flexibility while teaching, (4) encouraged audience analysis, (5) helped create a positive, comfortable learning environment, and (6) influenced student career decisions. These themes aligned with Bandura’s triatic reciprocality model. Pre-service teacher education programs may consider using small, live animals, when relevant, with apprentice teachers as they can equally benefit the presenter and learning environment.
Rose, Chelsea (author), Stephens, Carrie A. (author), Stripling, Christopher (author), Cross, Tim (author), Sanok, Danielle E. (author), and Brawner, Shelby (author)
Format:
journal article
Publication Date:
2016-06-30
Published:
USA: PKP Publishing Services
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 208 Document Number: D13315
13 pages, The study sought to identify the benefits of FFA membership based on the fulfillment of three basic human needs: love and belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization. The study focused on the fulfillment of FFA members’ basic human needs as defined by Abraham Maslow. The three needs on which this study focused are: love and belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization. The study found a majority of FFA members’ three basic human needs are met due to their involvement in career development events, leadership positions, and other FFA activities. Of all research questions, the highest concentration of members claimed to have a more enjoyable high school experience as a result of their membership in the FFA. Future research should focus on determining how the FFA improves the high school experience. This research could be helpful to other career and technical education organizations and future success within the FFA. Moreover, linking the relevance of meeting Maslow’s basic human needs with active participation in student organizations could assist teachers and program advisors as they recruit and retain members.
