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Social and Behavioral Sciences

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2019

Cooperative Extension

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Promoting Healthy Lifestyles For Extension Employees: An Exploratory Study, Joseph L. Donaldson, Karen L. Franck Oct 2019

Promoting Healthy Lifestyles For Extension Employees: An Exploratory Study, Joseph L. Donaldson, Karen L. Franck

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Employee health is regarded as a strategic advantage with individual, organizational, and societal benefits. This study sought to describe the major health issues, motivations, barriers, and needs related to healthy lifestyles for Cooperative Extension employees. A total of 16 focus groups were conducted throughout Tennessee with 105 participants. Separate focus groups were conducted with seven groups of University of Tennessee Extension employees: administrative assistants, county agents, county directors, program assistants, departmental faculty, administrators, and professional staff. Findings indicate chronic stress as the dominant health issue. Respondents were motivated to stay healthy to be role models for good health, among other …


Credible And Actionable Evidence In Extension Practice: Framing Issues, Contexts, And Principles, Benjamin Silliman, Scott R. Cummings Jun 2019

Credible And Actionable Evidence In Extension Practice: Framing Issues, Contexts, And Principles, Benjamin Silliman, Scott R. Cummings

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Organizations that translate emerging science and provide community outreach, such as the Cooperative Extension Service and similar outreach engagement programs at universities, face ongoing challenges in establishing the credibility of program content and results as the pace of discovery of new knowledge, demand for effective applications, and diversity of audiences and other stakeholders continues to expand. This special edition of the Journal of Human Sciences and Extension (JHSE) explores the theme, “What is credible and actionable evidence in Extension programs?” Like a good evaluation, we begin this introductory article by framing the question, including academic, policy, and practical contexts; definitions …


Burnout And Extension Educators: Where We Are And Implications For Future Research, Mia B. Russell, Prince A. Attoh, Tyrone Chase, Tao Gong, Jinhee Kim, Girvin L. Liggans Feb 2019

Burnout And Extension Educators: Where We Are And Implications For Future Research, Mia B. Russell, Prince A. Attoh, Tyrone Chase, Tao Gong, Jinhee Kim, Girvin L. Liggans

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Burnout is identified as an individual work-related outcome that plagues educators within Cooperative Extension. Extension educators are particularly susceptible to burnout due to the unique set of demands and stressors they face, including geographic isolation, long work hours, prolonged driving times, and emotionally demanding interactions with clients, peers, local government, and administration. This review examines the literature relevant to Extension and burnout, discusses predictors and outcomes of burnout, and examines theories that have been used to investigate burnout. While studies have shed light on burnout within Extension from discipline and individual state perspectives, this review identifies the need for an …