Student involvement on college campuses is important for the professional growth, leadership development and learning of today's college student. This research sought to determine the factors that influence former high school FFA members' reasons for joining and participating in the Collegiate FFA. The study showed that students who are involved in the National FFA at the secondary level are more likely to join Collegiate FFA while attending a university that offers the Collegiate FFA option. These students were actively engaged on campus and were interested in helping others. Collegiate FFA programs, the National FFA, and universities across the country should begin their recruitment efforts with current high school FFA members.

ABSTRACT This study calculates the intrinsic value of the dry bulk shipping company by using the free cash flow (FCF) model[1]. This intrinsic value provides a solution for investors to overcome the stock market mispricing. Furthermore, this study uses Freight Forward Agreement (FFA) prices as the future prospect indicators for the dry bulk shipping industry. Usually, wrong estimating future prospects result in wrong valuation outcomes. By adding this future indicator, the accuracy of valuation outcome can be better enhanced. Finally, by using average stock market price as criteria, this study compares the biases among the different valuation models. The FCF model coupling with the FFA prices as future indicators has a minimum bias. It explains that FCF model coupling with the FFA prices is more effective for the investors to calculate the intrinsic value.

Known for their promotion of premier leadership, the FFA Organization has been known to produce leaders of quality. Followership is a large part of being a leader, knowing how to lead and understand whom you are leading. This thesis looks to highlight the need for follower-focused leadership. It is a descriptive study designed to explore the ways in which Texas FFA Chapter officers view followership. It also examined the perceptions of Texas FFA Chapter officers in relation to how often certain followership behaviors occur within their chapters. Agricultural science teachers were notified to give their chapter officers the opportunity to fill out the mailed surveys. This study uses a valid and reliable researcher designed questionnaire. Surveys include a quantitative Likert scale design as well as an open-ended question regarding good follower qualities. Findings suggested that officers surveyed showed a limited knowledge of followership. However, they did designate followers as playing a role within their chapter. Followership education could enhance the already existing leadership development within the FFA Organization, as leaders learn to focus on whom they are leading.

The primary objective of this thesis was to analyze trends among demographic profiles and personalities identified by the CliftonStrengths® assessment (formerly Clifton StrengthsFinder®) of Illinois FFA state officers in order to better understand and improve the team dynamics and training provided by National FFA facilitators and Illinois FFA staff. The population analyzed included Illinois FFA officers elected from 2006-2019. Major findings include a positive trend among male candidates advancing through the Illinois FFA major state officer election process, though also identified a trend of females being elected more during the years more females originally run for office. Geographic representation of major state officers remained fairly consistent among the Illinois FFA districts, though large differences were identified in the representation from specific Illinois FFA sections. Various trends were also identified among gender representation and personality trends from each of the different Illinois FFA districts. Personality trends were identified among Illinois FFA major state officers, and differences were identified, most notably within the Strategic Thinking Domain, between Illinois FFA major state officer talent themes and those of state FFA officers nationwide. A pendulum affect was also identified in the talent theme domains most prevalent among Illinois FFA major state officers over time.

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions and attitudes of college and university administrators toward secondary agricultural education programs and the FFA. The study followed a descriptive survey research design. A researcher-modified questionnaire was sent electronically through Qualtrics to 265 college and university administrators who were in charge or undergraduate programs in agriculture, natural resources, and related science programs were offered. One hundred one individuals responded in the study for a response rate of 38 percent. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, and ANOVA. The study found that current college and university administrators of agriculture programs for undergraduates were males over 46 years of age and had worked in academic for over 20 years. These individuals had been in their current positions for between 1 and 6 years. Less than a majority of current college administrators has high school agriculture as a secondary student, had a supervised agricultural experience program (SAEP), or had been a member of the FFA. College administrators who worked at non land-grant universities, who had high school agriculture classes, were FFA members, had an SAEP, or who volunteered for FFA activities had stronger perceptions regarding secondary agricultural education programs and the FFA than did their counterparts. Recommendations are made to work with secondary agricultural education programs in establishing positive relationships with teachers and students and to offer opportunities to expose students to educational opportunities on college campuses. Additional research should be conducted with faculty members on their relationships with secondary agricultural education programs and the FFA.

The purpose of this study was to examine how performance expectations influence contest performance at the National FFA Agricultural Mechanics Career Development Event. The population for this study included all participants at the national contest in the years 2001 through 2006 with a total response of 976 participants. Data were collected using a 20 item questionnaire administered after the contest. The questionnaire included questions to measure current educational status, aspired education and career, contest expectations, evaluations of contest relatedness to previous coursework and difficulty, preparation, and interest in agriculture and agricultural mechanics. Contest scores were used to quantify participant performance. Career Development Events are an important component to a complete FFA program used to enhance student learning. Expectations and aspirations may have an effect on student learning. Of the respondents, 61.7% had not graduated from high school. In addition, 86.4% planned to pursue education after high school, and 30.2% planned to pursue a career related to agricultural mechanics while another 40.4% planned to pursue a separate agriculturally related career. The mean response for expected individual finish was 55th place out of about 163 contestants, expected team finish was 15th place out of about 44 teams participating annually, and 43.1% expected to finish second on their team. The most statistically significant predictors of contest performance were expected individual and team finish. Participants who expected to perform better performed better. High education aspirations and career aspirations in agriculture also produced a significant influence on performance. The number of contests participated in before national contest, the relatedness of the contest to previous coursework, and the difficulty of the contest produced a significant direct influence on performance. The longer the participant has been in school and as the participant takes more agriculture courses, performance significantly increased. The interest of the participant in agriculture and agricultural mechanics positively influenced performance. Further research was proposed to specifically differentiate between aspirations and expectations, and measure performance aspirations and expectations before and after the contest. As agricultural science education moves toward a more multidisciplinary approach, it would be useful to determine how math and science courses influence performance.

This master thesis deals with the development of method for free fatty acids determination in natural and processed cheese. In the theoretical part the possibilities of extraction, fractionation and determination of lipid fractions, characterization of fatty acids and various methods of their determination are described, as well as determination of free fatty acids. The main scope of the experimental section is optimization and validation of the selected method for determination of free fatty acids in various cheese matrices. For extraction of lipids from the sample the method with the mixture of diethylether and petrolether according to ČSN EN ISO 1735 was selected. Thin-layer chromatography and solid phase extraction were tested and compared for separation of free fatty acids. The method according to ČSN EN ISO 5509, using methanol solution of bortrifluoride, was applied for esterification. Fatty acid methyl esters were determined by gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection.

Part of this research focused on the predecessors of the FFA by outlining the history and purposes of agricultural organizations formed since the late 1700s. The past two centuries of American agricultural history is rich with efforts to educate and improve agricultural practices through organized groups of farmers and other rural leaders. Early in the development of agricultural societies, experimentation and successful practices were shared with others in the local organization and works were often published in journals or newspapers for educational and informational purposes. Regular meetings and fellowship were also a major focus of the early groups. The national organizations that formed later such as the Grange, included the fraternal, social, and educational aspects while maintaining a focus on the economics of farming. The boys’ and girls’ club movement provided opportunities for youth to meet, learn, and participate in agricultural competitions. The center of activities for youth organizations quickly shifted from community groups to agricultural education programs in the public schools. Clubs that formed within agricultural education programs in Virginia soon united to create the Future Farmers of Virginia. The FFV and FFA that followed initiated the use of certain symbols, colors, and ritual ceremonies that can be traced directly to the agricultural societies. This research identified many agricultural societies and youth clubs that had a profound influence on the development of the National FFA Organization. The major purpose of this study was to describe the establishment of the Future Farmers of American and to document the accomplishments of Virginia FFA members at the state and national levels. The objectives of the study were: To describe the historical events and circumstances that led to the establishment of the Future Farmers of Virginia and the Future Farmers of America, To document Virginia FFA history by recording achievements of members and chapters at the state level, To document the achievements of Virginia FFA members and chapters at the national level, and To provide a history of the Virginia FFA Association from 1925 to the present. The Virginia FFA Association is rich with historical information that ranges from the formation of the Future Farmers of Virginia in 1925, the forming of a national organization in 1928, and 75 years of accomplishments by Virginia FFA members. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to determine if secondary agricultural education courses provide students with more experiential learning opportunities than other science-based courses in the high school curriculum. An ex post facto research design was employed for the study. A researcher created instrument was distributed to a sample of Alabama agriscience teachers (23), science teachers (35), and agriscience students (909). Based on the responses of 8 agriscience teachers, 12 science teachers, and 103 students, there was a statistically significant difference in the percentage of class time students spent participating in experiential learning activities. Teachers and students indicated that agriscience classes allowed students to spend a greater percentage of class time participating in service learning projects, and a lesser percentage of class time participating in teacher-centered activities and standardized test preparation and completion. Teachers and students also indicated that agriscience classes presented more opportunities for participation in service learning projects.

The purpose of this descriptive study was to analyze the LifeKnowledge® skills development within North Carolina agriscience education programs as viewed by veteran agriscience teachers, agriscience education students, and students' employers. The survey population consisted of 54 veteran agriscience education teachers, of whom 49 (91%) responded. One hundred sixty-two agriscience education students, of whom 115 (71%) responded and 162 employers, of whom 95 (59%) responded. Seventy-four LifeKnowledge® skills items and the 16 LifeKnowledge® precepts were evaluated by teachers to determine how often they provided instruction and experiences related to the development of employability skills development for students. The same 74 items and 16 precepts were evaluated by students to determine the extent to which they thought participating in their agriscience education programs and FFA increased their employability and personal skills development. Employers were asked to evaluate how often they witnessed agriscience education students exhibit the LifeKnowledge® 74 items and 16 precepts within the workplace. The major findings for this study included that teachers, students, and employers were generally consistent, with a few exceptions, in their perceptions of the development and demonstration of the LifeKnowledge® skills and abilities. Statistically significant differences were found among the three groups on select LifeKnowledge® skills items and precepts. A majority of teachers reported that they regularly or often provided students instruction and experiences related to the LifeKnowledge® skills. Students reported that regularly or often their participation in their local agriscience education programs and FFA had increased their employability and personal skills development. The employers reported that often, with a few regular observations, they witnessed students exhibiting the LifeKnowledge® skills within the workplace. One of the major recommendations for this study is that LifeKnowledge® lessons be implemented for pre-service and in-service teachers and findings shared with the National FFA Organization. Another suggestion is that an employability skills curriculum should be developed for use across all career and technical education programs and core courses to develop students' employability skills in response to business and industry demands. Finally, research should be conducted to determine how 4-H, career and technical student organizations, and other youth groups develop LifeKnowledge® skills. / Ph. D.