Master of Science

no abstract provided by author / Master of Science

The Problem.- To determine occupations entered by Agricultural Education graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute from 1948 through 1958, their financial advancement, and relationship of undergraduate success to success, after graduation. Purposes.- To determine fields of employment, beginning salaries, number who have changed jobs, reasons for job changes, educational advancements, relationship of quality credit average and co-curricular activities to occupational choices and advancement, and curriculum changes graduates thought desirable. Method.- Study was based on student records and on objective questionnaire which was mailed to each of the 333 living individuals to secure additional data. Returns were received from 272 (81.7 percent) of the graduates. Findings.- The 236 Bachelor's degree graduates entered 24 different occupations immediately after graduation, but in 1958 they were employed in 50 different occupations. Beginning salaries for all occupations averaged $3,211, while the 1958 salaries averaged $5,235. Salaries averaged $3,076 for 144 beginning teachers of vocational agriculture. In 1958, 82 teachers of vocational agriculture received salaries averaging $4,643. One hundred and ninety (69.9 percent) graduates changed jobs one or more times since graduation. Better opportunity to advance and to obtain a higher salary were the major reasons for not teaching vocational agriculture and for leaving the profession. Less than 15.0 percent of the graduates earned advanced degrees. There was no definite relationship between quality credit averages or participation in co-curricular activities and fields of employment, but an apparent relationship existed between these factors and success and advancement. Six areas of increased course offerings were suggested. / Master of Science

Master of Science

In order to determine the effectiveness of vocational agriculture in Virginia from 1918 to 1932, and to further assist the teachers in this follow-up work, this study was made with the following objectives in mind: 1. To determine the occupational status of former students of vocational agriculture in Virginia. 2. To determine trends in occupational selection and the relation of industrial and agricultural economic conditions to occupational selection. 3. To evaluate some of the influences on occupational selection, such as amount of vocational agriculture; type of agriculture of the community; efficiency of the Agriculture Department, and certain census data regarding counties. This study includes data from 148 white and 25 negro schools, and also includes follow-up records from 7,784 white and 1,583 negro ex-students of vocational agriculture in Virginia from 1918 to 1932. / Master of Science

The agricultural industry is changing every day, and new innovations are being developed faster than educational resources can be developed. Secondary agricultural education is faced with the challenges of keeping up with the changes in the industry. Determining how to bring cutting edge innovative content to the classroom is difficult and without a clear vision of what is relevant it is impossible. The purpose of this case study was to determine how modern agricultural education programs may be designed and developed to support innovative agricultural content. The researcher focused on the planning theory of (Cervero and Wilson, 2006), as well as the Diffusion of Innovations Theory (Rogers, 2003) for the theoretical framework of the research. The case study used a qualitative approach to examine the phenomenological views of stakeholders and artifacts collected to support the innovative program design. This qualitative study used interviews to describe and find the meanings to how modern agricultural education programs may be designed and developed to support innovative agricultural content. The findings of this study delivered a clear picture of this innovative agricultural education program. There were five categories and nine themes to emerge from the data collected, these categories and themes support the role the participants have played in the design and development of this innovative agricultural education program. The study showed that teachers were the key to a successful program. Teachers were then connected to professional development, program support, curriculum, and expectations of students at the end of their agricultural education program. / PHD / This case study looked at a modern rural high school agricultural education program in Southwest Virginia. The purpose of the study was to determine how this modern agricultural education program was designed and developed to support innovative agricultural content. The researcher focused on the data collected to describe the methods and resources used to establish the current program. There were twenty-one stakeholders interviewed to examine their views and lived experiences during the development of the program, also artifacts were collected to support the innovative program design. The findings of this study delivered a clear picture of this innovative agricultural education program. There were five categories and nine themes to emerge from the data collected, these categories and themes support the role the participants played in the design and development of this innovative agricultural education program. The study showed that teachers were the key to a successful program. Teachers were then connected to professional development, program support, curriculum, and expectations of students at the end of their agricultural education program.

Much information is available in the field of Apiculture, some technical and some practical. It would appear, however, that there is justification for an attempt to provide information of a practical nature for use in high school Vocational Agricultural classes. Available publications either are too comprehensive or do not contain sufficient material for students of Vocational Agriculture who wish to study beekeeping. It is the intent of this thesis to consolidate and organize factual information for class use by teachers, to suggest a few student problems and activities, and to develop a course calendar of units for study. A detailed discussion of only one type of honey production is presented; but from this type (bulk-comb honey) any other form of honey production may be developed. / M.S.

This questionnaire study was an attempt to determine the practices teachers follow in planning and conducting a program of vocational education in agriculture in Virginia high schools. The study revealed that the thinking of the regular teachers of vocational and the assistant teachers of vocational agriculture in charge of veterans was comparable as indicated by the nearly equal percentage of teachers from both groups who checked the practices on the questionnaire as “Commonly practiced" or "Recommended". Many practices were not carried out by a majority of the teachers; however, the additional recommendations to these practices indicates that the majority of all teachers favored the use of most of those practices in the instructional program of vocational agriculture. The responses to some practices were not complete, particularly by the assistant teachers of vocational agriculture in charge of veterans who failed to provide information on the practices dealing with the FFA program. The number of teachers who failed to recommend these practices were in a small minority and only one practice was checked as not recommended by a majority of the regular teachers of vocational agriculture. On the whole, most practices were favored by all teachers. The large majority of teachers who carried out these practices or recommended that they be carried out would tend to indicate that they favor using these practices in the program of vocational education in agriculture in Virginia high schools. / M.S.

M.S.

Research indicates that Kentucky agricultural educators are overworked and experience job related stress. Balancing work and home can be a struggle and stress induces burnout and teacher attrition. Shortages in the agriculture classroom could result in loss of agricultural education programs and negatively affect the profession. The purpose of this study was to 1) describe the demographics of Kentucky high school agricultural educators; 2) describe the work and home life balance for Kentucky agricultural educators; 3) determine the level of job satisfaction among Kentucky agricultural educators; 4) determine the perceived busiest time of the school year for Kentucky agricultural educators. The study was conducted on a census of the 2015-2016 Kentucky agriculture teacher directory and the survey was distributed online. Results indicate that agricultural educators work 52 hours per week, can balance work and home responsibilities with assistance from spouse/partner and experience job related stress on a regular basis. It was concluded that Kentucky agricultural teachers are satisfied with their job, but stressed about meeting the needs of work and family balance based on barriers including FFA activities, nightly meetings, childcare and time with spouse/partner.