Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on September 4, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

<p> The purpose of this research study was to identify and prioritize the professional development needs for teachers of CTAE subjects within metropolitan Atlanta school systems. The methodology was primarily relational with descriptive components that relied on quantitative data. The administered survey called for participants to self-report demographic groups (i.e. Experience Level, School Type, and School Population). Secondly, participants completed online surveys yielding data that identified professional development needs relative to demographic variables. A modified Borich (1980) Needs Assessment Model was used to identify the perceived importance and perceived competency of 20 competencies prescribed by the Georgia Teacher Assessment of Performance Standards (TAPS). Once analyzed, the researcher identified and described professional development needs relative to demographic variables.</p><p>

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of educational technology integration on school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teacher self-efficacy. In-service SBAE teachers from four upper middle-western states were surveyed to assess their current teacher self-efficacy in terms of educational technology in their classroom and curriculum. According to the findings of this study, SBAE teachers are using educational technology in their classroom and curriculum daily and are only slightly confident in their ability to do so. It is recommended that teachers participate in professional development which is focused on not only how to use educational technology, but also on how to teach agriculture content using the educational technology specific to their 1:1 issued device.

Most research studies of American agricultural education begin with an overview of the events leading to the passage of the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917. By doing so, researchers have neglected an important, foundational era of agricultural education. With the passage of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890, states began establishing land-grant colleges to provide instruction in the scientific method of agriculture. However, the faculty found that students attending the colleges were ill prepared for collegiate level agricultural courses. At the same time, there was increased interest in agricultural education due in part to the establishment of the land-grant system and later the development of a national system of experiment stations. This interest, coupled with a strong national movement to improve secondary education, provided the incentive to for educational leaders to campaign for secondary agricultural education. Hence, the movement for Congressional district agricultural schools began. The state legislatures of Alabama, Georgia, and Virginia established a system of Congressional district agricultural schools. The states of Arkansas and Oklahoma set up similar systems. These schools only lasted a short time but had a great influence on the development of agricultural education, cooperative extension, and public education in general. The purpose of this dissertation is to document the establishment and accomplishments of Congressional district agricultural schools in the United States with an emphasis on Virginia. An overview of the agricultural schools in states other than Virginia is provided. The events leading to the development of such schools in Virginia are described as well as the statutory establishment. Finally, the researcher has described the 11 Virginia Congressional district agricultural schools and their accomplishments are documented. A careful review of related material was conducted. The major outcomes of this study are as follows. First, the study provides historical documentation of the Virginia Congressional district agricultural schools. Secondly the study explores the strong programming partnership that developed between extension and the Congressional district agricultural schools in Virginia. Lastly, the study highlights the importance of the Congressional district agricultural schools in the foundational development of the public school system, the cooperative extension program, and vocational education in Virginia. / Ph. D.

The review of the literature reveals the historical nature of Vocational Education programs and how they relate to the importance of Virginia Tech's two-year post-secondary Agricultural Technology Program. The literature review also provides a historical review of information regarding Virginia Tech's Agricultural Technology program, brief histories of other post-secondary land-grant two-year agricultural programs, vocational education philosophers, and two-year program evaluations. The purpose of this study was to perform an evaluation of past performance of the two-year Agricultural Technology Program at Virginia Tech as perceived by the two-year program graduates. The study focused on two points, a) the graduate's opinions with regards toward the improvement of the program on behalf of the students, and b) the strength and weaknesses of the program in order to determine what the program has accomplished and where it should be headed. Five research questions guided this study: 1. How pleased were the graduates with the education they received through the Agricultural Technology Program? 2. What is the salary range of the graduate's first job after graduation and what is their present salary range? 3. What were the strengths and weaknesses of the program as perceived from the graduates? 4. What are the Agricultural Technology graduates current occupations? 5.What recommendations do the graduates have for the improvement of the Agricultural Technology Program? A survey instrument was used as the research method for the collection of the data. A pilot study was performed to test the survey instrument. Three rounds of survey instruments were sent to increase the possible response rate. A non-respondents study was performed to determine if there was a difference between the respondents and non-respondents of the survey instrument. Frequencies, mean, median, mode, and standard deviation were used in the analysis of the data. The population consists of all of those that graduated from the two-year Agricultural Technology Program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University from the date of the programs first graduation class (1989) to the fall semester of 1998. Because there was such a small number of subjects within the population, to prevent sampling error, and to be able to prevent any deviation of assumptions between the sample and the population the whole population was mailed an evaluation instrument. All three of the mailings yielded a total 215 received survey instruments for a 62% response rate from an N of 343. This left a total of 128 or 37% non-respondents. A reliability test was run in SPSS using the Cronbach Alpha method, also know as Alpha coefficient, the Standard Item Alpha = .7661. The major conclusions of the study were that the Agricultural Technology Program graduates were pleased with the overall education that was received at Virginia Tech, the mean salary for the graduates first job was between $18,000 and $23,999, the mean of the graduates current job is between $24,000 and $29,999, the major strengths to the program were the mandatory internship requirement, the hands-on courses, and the advisors for the program, the weaknesses of the program are issues with the transferability of credit hours to the four-year program, additional computer and technology courses and information are needed, and a lack of available elective course offerings. Just over 78% of the program graduates are employed within the field of agriculture and 16% have gone back to farm ownership or to work on the family farm. Some of the major recommendations that were made by the program graduates were to offer additional courses and options, add more emphasis to computers and technology, additional job placement services, and to allow students to take more four-year courses. Based on the findings recommendations were made about further studies for the addition of courses, faculty, program options, more emphasis of technology in courses, curriculum development, job placement, and credit hour transferability. Specific recommendations were made for an external review to be performed of the Agricultural Technology Program, a formal review of curriculum, additional courses in computers and technology, and further research to be performed with regards to policy change in transferability of credit hours to the four-year program, addition of courses offered as electives, and for students to take courses provided by the four-year program. / Ph. D.

A questionnaire containing 69 curriculum areas for a vocational agricultural program in Utah County, Utah, and a proposed rating scale was mailed to 720 students who had graduated in vocational agriculture from eight high schools; to 14 agricultural teachers, and to 22 secondary school administrators and supervisors from Utah County; and to 28 other agricultural teachers selected at random in the state. Each person was asked to evaluate each curriculum area according to four suggested rating values: no value, has value, recommended, or essential. The rating from each respondent was tabulated for each curriculum area by total points by numerical rating sequence. All respondents approved all curriculum areas as having value, but they differed as to degree of acceptability. Four areas received a rating of (1-12) by all respondents. Forty-three areas received total point ratings between 13-56. Eleven curriculum areas were rated low (57-69) in acceptability by three or four groups of respondents. It is recommended that graduates from vocational agricultural programs, vocational agricultural teachers, administrators, and supervisors in secondary schools be involved in curriculum planning to correlate the agricultural program with interests of students and the needs of the communities and that data, such as revealed in this study, be considered in vocational agriculture curriculum planning.

The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of allowing concurrent enrollment in the College of Agriculture to selected high schools in the state of Utah. "Introduction to Agricultural Plant Science" (Plant Science 100 ) was the course being tested. A purposive sampling technique was used to identify four vocational agriculture programs to participate. There were 86 high school students in the study and 38 college students who took the course on campus at Utah State University. In this study, 47.7% of the high school students passed the course with a 70% average or above. Comparisons between high school and college student performance showed a marked difference in percentage points accumulated on exams and the final, with the college students performing more consistently.

The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate the farm machinery distribution system in Utah using market structure analysis. Questionnaires to farm machinery firms as well as to farmers were used to gather data on market structure and conduct. The traditional market structure theory was used as an analytical framework. Examining the efficiency of factor markets revealed possible avenues for savings to farmers.

Agriscience is the growing study of biotechnology, business, and economics within the agriculture industry. Through 4-H, youth can experience hands on learning through different program areas. The purpose of this study was to identify the barriers, roles, and how Utah 4-H personnel preferred to learn about new programs. The study showed time and available volunteers were a barrier for 4-H Extension personnel to implement Agriscience projects. Other results included internet and workshops as the top choices for training programs. The Extension personnel agreed it was their job to involve and educate youth. Yet, need training in how to integrate Robotics; Biotechnology; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and Agriscience into their existing program areas.

This study was conducted to develop a standardized agricultural literacy assessment using the National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes (NALOs) as benchmarks. The need for such an assessment was born out of previous research, which found that despite numerous programs dedicated to improving agricultural literacy, many students and adults remain at low or very low levels of literacy. Low literacy levels lead to negative associations with the production and processing of food, clothing, and shelter, as well as misinformed public perceptions and policies. Agricultural literacy researchers recognized that the development of a standardized assessment for post-12th grade, or equivalent, could unify both research and program development efforts. The assessment was developed by forming two groups of experts. Teaching experts and agricultural content experts worked together in an iterative process. They crafted 45 questions using research methods and models. The 45 items were placed in an online survey to be tested for validity by a participant group. During the Fall 2018 semester, 515 Utah State University students between the ages of 18-23 years old participated in the online assessment. The participant data assisted in determining which questions were valid and reliable for determining agricultural literacy, as aligned to the NALO standards. Additional demographic information was also collected from participants. The demographic items asked students to self-report their level of exposure to agriculture and their self-perceived level of agricultural literacy. The study concluded that two separate 15-item Judd-Murray Agricultural Literacy Instruments (JMALI) were valid and reliable for determining agricultural proficiency levels based on the NALOs. Participant scores were reported as a single proficiency stage: exposure, factual literacy, or applicable proficiency. The study also determined that students who had a “great deal” or higher level of exposure to agriculture also had a strong, positive correlation with a “good” or higher level of agricultural literacy. Findings show participants who reported a “good” level of agricultural literacy shared a positive correlation with either performing at a factual literacy (middle) or applicable proficiency (highest) level on the assessment. The results suggest JMALI instruments have the potential to assist in improving current agricultural education endeavors by providing a critical tool for determining the agricultural literacy proficiency stages of adult populations.