Browsing by Subject "Agricultural education"
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Item A Multi-Faceted Needs Assessment of the Belizean Agriculture Industry(2013-05) Porter, Haley; Brashears, Michael T.; Irlbeck, Erica; Meyers, CourtneyAgriculture is vital to the economy of Belize as it provides approximately 71% of the country's total foreign exchange earnings and represents 29% of the total labor force (U.S. Department of State, 2011). Until now, there has been a lack of knowledge pertaining to the educational needs of those involved in the agricultural industry of Belize. The purpose for this qualitative study was to conduct a needs assessment to determine the areas of research that should be focused on so that future educational programming and collaborative work in the form of workshops, internships, and grant proposals can be created. Case study methodology was used to address the following objectives: 1) determine what barriers prevent the agricultural industry of Belize from being more successful, 2) determine what the agricultural industry of Belize, as a whole, needs in order to be more successful, and 3) determine what the educational needs are for the agricultural industry of Belize. A variety of needs assessment techniques were used to collect data for this study: individual interviews, group interviews, and observations. A team of eight researchers from Texas Tech University traveled to Belize to meet with representatives from a governmental agency, the citrus industry, the poultry industry, the banana industry, the beef industry, the shrimp industry, and the restaurant/tourism industry. All interviews were digitally recorded and observational notes were taken. Upon return from Belize, the audio and video data were transcribed, then analyzed through the use of NVivo 10 for common themes. The results revealed several major themes that spanned across the entire agricultural industry. For Research Objective 1, the barriers identified for the Belizean agriculture industry were related to government, energy, oil, boat transportation, disease, weather, illiteracy/lack of technology, and unemployment. For Research Objective 2, general agricultural needs were identified for the citrus, beef, poultry, restaurant/tourism/agritourism, banana, and shrimp industries, and also the agricultural health authority for Belize. For Research Objective 3, several agricultural education needs were identified: the need for a link with other universities, the need for more government assistance in terms of education, the need for better collaboration with the Mennonite culture, the need to focus on extension education more, and the need for a better information dissemination system. The researcher identified several recommendations for future research. First, a demographic questionnaire should be distributed so that more rich and in-depth descriptions can be provided about the interview participants. Second, all of the interview participants for this study hold leadership positions within the Belizean agriculture industry; therefore, it would be beneficial to examine the perceptions of those who do not hold leadership positions within the industry. Third, it is recommended that the perceptions of government officials be examined in regard to the country’s agricultural industry. Fourth, a more in-depth examination of the needs of Belize’s Mennonite population should be examined, due to the fact that they represent a significant contribution to the agricultural industry. Fifth, a more extensive amount of time should be spent in Belize in order to thoroughly examine the country’s agricultural industry. The last recommendation is to begin developing workshop content based off the needs determined in this needs assessment.Item A study of methods used in starting and operating an adult program in vocational agriculture(Texas Tech University, 1950-08) Barnett, GeneNot availableItem A study of the agricultural literacy of city and government leaders in Lubbock, Texas(Texas Tech University, 1995-08) Ryan, Danna BrookeThe purpose of this study was to determine the level of agricultural hteracy among a selected group of city and govemment leaders in Lubbock, Texas.Item A study of the content of farm engineering courses taught in Hockley County, 1940-1950(Texas Tech University, 1951-05) Byrd, Willie MurphyNot availableItem Agricultural literacy of civic organizations in Lubbock(Texas Tech University, 1995-05) Bell, Jennifer M.A person who is versed in learning and science, or is educated, is considered to be literate (Webster's Dictionary, 1988). Generally, literacy describes the ability to read and write. The battle to create literacy among people has continued for centuries, and it is not the battle of the United States alone. Literacy is a global goal, and it is a problem even in such faraway places as New Zealand (Long, 1994). Agricultural literacy has been defined as "the goal of education about agriculture." A basic knowledge of agriculture is especially important where it is the major industry in a state and the lack of agricultural knowledge and experience impedes economic development (Williams, 1991). Agriculture is a central industry on the High Plains and South Plains of Texas. Twenty to 30 percent of income for Lubbock and Amarillo citizens comes directly from agriculture. Billions of dollars are generated each year from the region's agriculture commodities, and 30 percent of the agricultural cash receipts for commodities in the state of Texas come from this area (Importance of Agriculture. 1995). Education about agriculture is crucial to the public's decision-making. Those uneducated about crucial issues, such as agriculture, hinder development in areas where agriculture is a dominant industry. For example. Brooks (1993) tells of assorted groups of British craftsmen called Luddites who banded together in the late 18th century to destroy the new machinery being developed at the start of the industrial era. According to Brooks, the Luddites resisted an era that led to better nutrition, better clothing and ultimately better living conditions, "because their jobs were threatened" (p. 28).Item An assessment of microcomputer usage and projected software needs in Texas vocational agriculture programs(Texas Tech University, 1984-08) Igo, Carl G.Technology is changing the world daily. Educators, especially vocational educators, must stay abreast of the changes in technology in order to be effective in teaching students a marketable skill. An area to which vocational educators should be particularly attuned is computer education. Computers have been used as educational aids for several years in math classes to perform repetitive calculations and in graphics demonstrations for science classes. A far more important consideration, however, may be the career aspect. Computer literacy is especially important for students in vocational agriculture programs, since computers are used throughout the agricultural sector, from the small family farms to the multi-national agricultural corporations.Item An authentic assessment model for career and technology education in horticulture(Texas Tech University, 1995-05) White, Laura M.Portfolios can help prospective employers accurately assess a student's abilities and competencies. In portfolios, students can present completed work or it can contain work from many subjects in varying stages of completion (Paulson & Paulson,1990). Portfolios permit students to highlight their best work in a flexible format (Valencia, 1990). What are the works that prospective employers wish to be highlighted in a student's portfolio? What tangible evidence should be included in a portfolio of authentic assessment for Career and Technology Education? The purpose of this study is to identify tangible evidence which would best demonstrate achievement and competency of horticulture students as identified by representing managers of the horticulture industry.Item An initial investigation of emotional intelligence and level of bias in news stories among Texas agricultural reporters(Texas Tech University, 2004-05) Casabonne, KamiNot availableItem An outline on teaching cotton production in vocational agriculture(Texas Tech University, 1939-08) Thurman, Robert LeeNot availableItem Analysis of agricultural equipment, chemical, and nursery businesses at Lubbock, Texas: with emphasis on educational needs(Texas Tech University, 1966-08) Penn, Joseph DanielNot availableItem Analysis of livestock and cotton businesses at Lubbock, Texas: with emphasis on educational needs(Texas Tech University, 1966-08) Horton, Tom H.In 1961, the late President Kennedy appointed a panel of 25 consultants to make a study of all the programs in vocational education. This panel concluded that agriculture is no longer based on production alone but on all phases of the agricultural industry. Upon the recommendations of this panel, the Perkins Bill was drafted and passed, being called the Vocational Education Act of 1963. The same amended the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 and the George-Barden Act of 1946 in several ways. It provided more money than either of the two previous acts, but more important, it provided for transfer of funds from one category to another and provided that money allotted agricultural education could be used for agricultural training without a supervised farming program. In other words, the Act of 1963 increased the training opportunities of vocational agriculture. Students enrolled in vocational agriculture could receive training for an agricultural occupation without having a supervised farming program.Item Cognitive Achievement: A Comparison of Three Presentation Modes(Texas Tech University, 1974-05) Bigger, George StewartNot Available.Item Cognitive and affective responses by West Texas Hispanics/Latinos to agricultural news: a comparison of four English and Spanish presentation media(Texas Tech University, 2003-12) Davis, Chad S.As media channels began to develop and evolve in the 20^ century, scholars began inquiry into cognitive and affective associations of mass media. Observations directly associated media with attitudes and behavior. Two cases were the 1938 Orson Welles broadcast of War of the Worlds and the 1940s World War II propaganda films. Media effects research resulted from such cases. Agriculturists often seek ways to convey the importance of agriculture. Most professionals in agricultural education develop and research the effects of agricultural education programming with youth and adult populations. Agricultural communicators often seek descriptive information pertaining to perceptions of agriculture and its diverse issue base. This dissertation, which uses the agenda-setting theory, is the first of its kind to compare mass media channels containing agricultural content. Furthermore, this dissertation is the first to focus on the Hispanic/Latino population and the English and Spanish language as it pertains to outcomes associated with mass media channels containing agricultural content. This study used an experimental posttest-only control-group design to compare four English and Spanish presentation media: newspaper print, electronic text, video news release, and radio news release. Participants were bilingual Hispanic/Latino attendees of the Texas Tech Raiders Rojos Back to School Fiesta (n=144). The participants were randomly assigned to one of eight treatment groups and a control group. The dependent measure included aided recall unaided recall, and issue salience. Results indicate significant differences in aided recall between English newspaper print and English electronic text, Spanish newspaper print, and Spanish electronic text. A significant difference also occurred between English video news release and Spanish electronic text. Results indicated a strong correlation between aided and unaided recall. No significant differences existed between agricultural issue salience and media channel. Authors suggest replication in Hispanic populations and other ethnic groups.Item Cognitive behavior and active engaged time: The impact of the CASE curriculum(2012-05) Witt, Phillip; Ulmer, Jonathan; Burris, Scott; Brashears, Michael T.; Burley, Hansel E.Teacher and student behavior in the classroom have both been linked to student achievement. The hands on, real world experiences which students are offered through career and technical education courses provide an opportunity for agricultural education to make contributions to student achievement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact the CASE curriculum has on the academic engagement of students enrolled in animal science courses and the cognitive behavior of agriculture teachers. The target population for this study consisted of secondary agriculture teachers who teach animal science courses and the students enrolled in those courses. The study employed a quasi-experimental, static-group comparison design. Nine CASE certified teachers represented the treatment group, which were matched with nine traditional agriculture teachers on selected criteria. Teachers’ cognitive behavior was measured using the Florida Taxonomy of Cognitive Behavior while student engagement was measured using the Behavioral Observation of Students in Schools. Matched-pairs t tests were used to compare the CASE group and the traditional group on cognitive behavior and student engagement. Students in the CASE group were found to spend significantly more time actively engaged that those in traditional agriculture courses. This difference represents a large practical difference as well. No significant differences were found between the two groups on the measures of teachers’ cognitive behavior. From the findings it was concluded that the CASE curriculum and professional development can impact the active engagement of students in the classroom and potentially affect student achievement.Item Computer adoption, experiences, self-perceived level of skills, and knowledge of senior secondary students enrolled in agricultural science classes in Texas(Texas Tech University, 2003-08) Schilling, Gregory EdwardNot availableItem Cooperating teachers’ use of the Situational Leadership® II Model: The influence of follower development on student teachers’ satisfaction and intent to teach(2012-08) Wimmer, Gaea; Brashears, Michael T.; Burris, Scott; Fraze, Steven; Hamman, DouglasAgricultural education struggles to fill open positions each year, even though more than enough students graduate annually with a degree in agricultural education. The student teaching semester has long been recognized as a key component in the teacher preparation process. The relationship between a student teacher and a cooperating teacher is an important part of that experience. The use of a leadership model, Situational Leadership® II, by cooperating teachers during the student teaching experience is an area for further investigation. The purpose of this study was to investigate cooperating teacher’s application of the Situational Leadership® II Model on the student teaching experience as measured by the student teacher’s level of satisfaction and intent to teach. This study employed a two-phase sequential mixed methods design in which the qualitative data helped explain the preliminary quantitative results. The quantitative phase allowed the cooperating teachers to assess their student teacher’s level of competence and commitment as conceptualized by the Situational Leadership® II Model. Cooperating teachers reported their student teachers to be in the D3 level of development for the majority of the semester. Student teachers’ level of satisfaction and intent to teach were also measured in connection to their relationship with their cooperating teacher. Student teachers were highly satisfied with their cooperating teacher, but their intent to teach only changed slightly from before to after the experience. The qualitative results allowed for further examination of the initial results and identified areas for improvement of the student teaching experience.Item Determining the water management instructional needs of Texas agriscience teachers(2012-05) Sullivan, Nichole; Doerfert, David; Fraze, Steven; Ulmer, JonathanDwindling water resources in Texas will not only impact agriculture producers, but all the citizens within the state. Today, there are new technologies to aid in water management, new regulations that determine water usage, as well as the implementation of changes to curriculum (TEKS) in classrooms. With these new technologies it is important for the general public to have a better understanding of what is being done to ensure water for future generations. High school agriscience teachers are an important factor in the future success of the Texas agriculture industry. As one of the early influencers of future industry leaders, agriscience teachers help to shape individual students and the communities in which they teach and reside. Within this changing environment of dwindling water resources, changes in TEKS, and new technologies and regulations, we need to know what instructional support, in terms of materials and training, agriscience teachers need to enhance their instructional efforts and abilities in teaching TEKS-related water management and conservation curriculum in their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to determine the instructional needs of Texas agriculture science teachers as it pertains to the teaching of agricultural water management and conservation. A population of 658 Texas agriscience teachers was surveyed collecting quantitative data related to the teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, and levels of inclusion, confidence, and importance of water-related material in classroom curriculum. Responses were voluntary and yielded a 74% response rate. Results indicated that agriscience teachers feel content relating to water management and conservation is important, but lack the confidence for full inclusion of the material into the classroom. Agriscience teachers identified instructional materials being used in the classroom along with how they seek out information on water management and conservation. The results will facilitate possible professional development activities for Texas agriscience teachers as well as teaching materials incorporating water management and conservation.Item Do I stay or do I go? A mixed-methods study of factors of attrition as reported by leavers of secondary agriculture programs(2013-05) Lemons, Laura L.; Brashears, Michael T.; Burris, Scott; Meyers, Courtney; Price, Margaret A.Agricultural education has experienced a perpetual shortage of qualified agriculture teachers in secondary classrooms for decades. Teacher attrition has been identified as a contributing factor. This two-phase exploratory mixed-methods study sought to deepen the knowledge base regarding secondary agriculture teacher attrition. The first phase of this study was a qualitative case study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with former secondary agriculture teachers in order to describe how they characterized their experience teaching agriculture and determine the reasons they perceived for exiting the profession. Data from the interviews was analyzed and used to develop an attrition risk assessment instrument, which was pilot tested to establish validity and reliability during the second phase of the study.Item Duties and responsibilities of vocational agriculture supervisors in Texas(Texas Tech University, 1952-08) Mitchell, John NorrisNot availableItem Effects of text, audio/video, and still images as asynchronous instructional delivery methods upon cognition and satisfaction of high school agricultural science students(Texas Tech University, 2004-05) Brashears, Michael T.The development of electronic curriculum materials holds great promise and great rewards for educators and learners alike, but little research has been conducted to determine the effectiveness of incorporating multimedia components within a electronically delivered unit of instruction. This dissertation tested the theory of cue-summation (multiple cues across multiple channels) in a high school agricultural education setting and measured the effectiveness of the instruction as well as student satisfaction and delivery method interaction with learning style. Curriculum materials were created and placed on CD-ROM for asynchronous delivery capability. Materials comprised a week-long unit of instruction on milk processing and were developed in three treatments. The first treatment consisted of text-only materials, the second consisted of text and an audio/video component and the third consisted of audio/video and still images. These three treatments represented: single cue, redundancy, and cue summation, respectively. One hundred five high school agriculture science students participated in the study. Instrumentation used included a pretest/posttest for cognition, Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) for learning style, and a researcher developed satisfaction instrument. Data were collected in the fall of 2003 and analyzed using ANOVA techniques to determine significant differences among the treatment groups. The researcher found that students scored significantly higher on the posttest when exposed to treatments containing an audio/video component, but significantly preferred treatment three (cue-summation) over treatment two (redundancy). It was also determined that learning style as measured by the GEFT produced no significant interaction effect on student performance. Recommendations include continued research as well as incorporating these findings into current curriculum development efforts for the betterment of the learners involved. Cue-summation produced student performance scores similar to redundancy but students were significantly more satisfied with the unit developed using cue-summation; therefore, the researcher recommends cue-summation be considered when developing electronic curriculum.
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