Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 141-149). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 58 p. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 37-38).

In 2010, an Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU) study (Crawford, 2010) found that the agricultural industry representatives, Land Grant University alumni, and government employees look for certain skillsets (e.g., communication, leadership) in prospective employees. With the U.S economy recovering from a major economic recession, a greater number of new UA graduates with undergraduate degrees from CALS have cause to be concerned about their overall workforce competitiveness. Crawford's 2010 study examined which soft skills students should possess in order to be deemed hirable by the agriculture industry. Building off of Crawford's research, the current study involves a needs assessment that examines how students perceive 21st century workplace competencies. Specifically, this study will explore and describe the level of perceived importance and ability of 2015 UA CALS students graduating with baccalaureate degrees specific to 21st century workplace soft skill sets. Such identification of needs gaps will lead to greater understanding of the connection between industry demands, higher education institutions, and undergraduate students. The current research required the generation of data capable of leading to insights into the current development needs of undergraduate students in the agriculture and life sciences disciplines specific to 21st century workplace competencies. Student perceptions of such competencies were measured first according to perceived importance, and then perceived ability (Borich, 1980). This descriptive research gathered information from participants with the goal of measuring, summarizing and generalizing among the study's target population (Ary et al., 2010). The results suggest which competencies UA CALS undergraduate students perceive to be important and how they perceive their own abilities within each competency. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the data relevant to each of the four research objectives framing this study. In particular, measures of central tendency and variability were used to assess the perceived levels of importance and ability subjects placed on individual competencies. To describe the professional development needs of CALS students in the seven constructs that together categorize 21st century workplace competencies as a whole (professionalism, team, leadership, decision making/ problem solving, experiences, communication, and self-management), mean weighted discrepancy scores (MWDS) were used to analyze the need for the competencies. Borich's needs assessment model was used to reveal the areas of highest training priority as determined by the MWDS.A web based questionnaire with multiple points of contact yielded 61 respondents with diverse backgrounds (e.g., transfer status, geographical background, major fields of study, co-/extra-curricular involvement) from across the college. Of the 52 competencies included within the seven competency categories, 16 had an MWDS that was prioritized as a tier I professional development need, which is of the highest priority. Of the remaining competencies, 20 of them had MWDS's that indicated tier II priority level set for professional development need. Lastly, there were 23 competencies that had MWDS's that indicated tier III priority level set for professional development need, which is the lowest priority level. Recommendations for curricular innovation to better foster student development in the context of the 21st century workplace are provided.

The number of farmers markets in the United States increased from 3,706 in 2004 to 8,268 in 2014 (Agriculture Marketing Service, 2014). Often times, small-scale agricultural producers do not harvest enough goods to be sold in large grocery store corporations and thus have turned to farmers' markets, roadside stands, you-pick operations, and community supported agriculture (CSA) shares as pathways for reaching customers directly (Chase & Winn, 1981; Payne, 2002). The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how such small-scale producers who participate in farmers' markets gain and develop business-related information and business skills. A single case study design developed and applied to explore the entrepreneurial learning environment relevant to small-scale agricultural producers in Cochise County, Arizona. The current study is framed conceptually by Politis's (2005) entrepreneurial learning model. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, and relevant documents. Data was organized and analyzed both ideographically and nomothetically. The findings indicate that some small-scale agricultural producers who reside in Cochise County, Arizona participate in Southern Arizona farmers' markets for economic viability and/or lifestyle reasons. The producers who participate in Southern Arizona farmers' markets as their sole means of generating income and/or to continue to be able to afford their engagement in agricultural activities were categorized under the economic viability theme. Those producers who participate in Southern Arizona farmers' market primarily to socialize and to exchange knowledge with community members and other farmers or ranchers were categorized under the lifestyle theme. The data also revealed that the participants engaged in entrepreneurial learning primarily within informal settings and through corresponding channels. While, informal learning is likely to remain the primary method of knowledge sharing across the small-scale agricultural producer community in Cochise County, Arizona. However, by providing such producers with greater opportunities to develop deeper and more robust knowledge and skills specific to entrepreneurship and small business development and management through non-formal learning opportunities (e.g., innovative Extension program), the number of producers with enhanced training capacities and cutting edge knowledge will increase across Cochise County.

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It has always been the initiative of agricultural education to provide our American society with the educational "needs of the day" (Meyer, 1999). As our nation and state enters a new era, it is fitting for an examination of the future needs of agricultural education teachers. In Texas, the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) currently has no assessment of the agricultural systems knowledge of agricultural education teaching candidates. This study examines the future agricultural systems competencies of beginning agricultural education teachers. Two groups, agricultural education professionals and administrators of agricultural education programs, were asked "what the future agricultural systems competencies of beginning agricultural science teachers should be." Two independent panels, the first composed of eleven (11) educators and the second composed of twelve (12) school administrators, were identified to serve as experts. A three-round Delphi was used to collect the data. Each round allowed the expert panelists to converge to a consensus of agreement that identified future competencies for beginning agricultural science teachers. Panelists were asked to provide competencies associated with the five powerful and fundamental conceptual areas of biological, physical, social, informational, and other integrative science which underpin agricultural education (Paul, 1995). The study revealed a three-fourths consensus with one-hundred (100) future competencies necessary for beginning Texas agricultural science teachers. Among these competencies twenty-three (23) were associated with the biological sciences, twenty-seven (27) were associated with the physical sciences, twenty-five (25) were associated with the social sciences, twenty (20) were associated with the informational sciences, and five (5) were associated with other integrative sciences. The study found seventeen (17) "highly recommended" topics and six (6) "recommended" topics related to the future agricultural systems competencies identified by the expert panelists. Cooper and Layard (2001) reveal that our future society will be much more technologically and sociologically advanced requiring teacher preparation institutions and state agencies associated with teacher preparation to develop new, innovative programs to better prepare tomorrow's educator. This study recommends that new agricultural systems standards be developed to adequately prepare future beginning agricultural science teachers.

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My research examined farmers' knowledge and practices of farmers supported by Volunteer Efforts for Development Concerns (VEDCO), a non-governmental organisation in Central region of Uganda. Farmers in VEDCO were trained in modern farming methods, and were supposed to apply them on their farms. I worked with farmers over a period of eight months, which is a full agricultural year, to understand how farmers negotiated their way around risk in different seasons of the year using their own knowledge. I was interested in understanding the knowledge they drew on to survive. The study was qualitative and employed a case study methodology. It relied on participant observation, focus group discussions, seasonality calendars, trends' analysis, informal interviews and document review to collect data. The livelihoods of farmers and the extension education intervention by VEDCO provided an opportunity to understand the concept of knowledge, risk and livelihoods security. In this regard, the theories of Paulo Freire (1972, 1973, 1973a,1985), Ulrich Beck (1992, 1998, 2000) and Robert Chambers (1983, 1991, 1995) formed the framework for theorising knowledge, agricultural extension education, risk and livelihoods in this research. The thesis engages with what constitutes livelihoods for poor people and what that means for survival and risk reduction. In the discussion, it becomes evident that knowledge for poor people is worthwhile if it enables them meet their livelihood needs. In the discussion it also becomes apparent that poor people's livelihoods security is dependent on many aspects, and they pursue livelihoods security in a multi-disciplinary, negotiated manner that incorporates all those aspects. And unfortunately, sometimes the way modern agricultural extension pedagogy is planned and executed puts livelihoods at risk in a context where farmers' own local knowledge is not enough to confront the challenges they have to confront. The gap created by both local and modern knowledge processes resulted into the emerging of a subsistence risk society (Beck, 1992, 1998). The thesis concludes with a discussion of a concept of really useful agricultural extension education drawn from the idea of 'really useful knowledge (Jane Thompson, 1997). The emerging really useful agricultural extension education is drawn partly from the livelihoods' analysis of poor people. And partly RUAEE is drawn from an emerging understanding developed, that adult education is not just about meeting needs, rather it is about confronting systems and structures that enable social injustice and livelihoods insecurity. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2011.