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Introduction - Table Of Contents, M. Todd Brashears

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education is the official refereed publication of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE). Its purpose is to enhance the research and knowledge base of agricultural and extension education from an international perspective.

The Global Climate Change Knowledge And Practices Of 4-H And Extension Youth Educators, Roberta H. Hunter, Hui-Hui Wang, Bryanna J. Nelson, Devarati Bhattacharya

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

4-H and Extension educators who work with youth are uniquely positioned to help them meaningfully learn about global climate change (GCC) in a way that connects to their everyday lives and interests. Yet we don’t have a baseline understanding of these educators’ knowledge of GCC or how they teach about it. This paper presents brief findings of a study intended to fill that gap in knowledge. Educators from six states responded to an online survey in 2020. GCC knowledge varied by topic and by educator instructional focus, with STEM and Civic Engagement educators scoring highest. Questions about greenhouse gasses and …

Manuscript Submission Guidelines, M. Todd Brashears

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Updated guidelines for submitting manuscripts to JIAEE.

The Exploration Of Undergraduate Attitudes And Knowledge About International Agricultural Issues And Us Agricultural Policy, Caitlin Bletscher, Megan Gould, Shuyang Qu

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

In today’s globalized world, educators and employers generally agree on the necessity for undergraduate agricultural [ag] students to develop a sound understanding of global ag issues and policy. Because of this, many U.S. universities have promoted internationalizing curriculum and increased international study abroad experiences. However, few studies have examined the impact of international experiences on students’ knowledge and attitudes about international ag issues and policies. This study bridges this gap by identifying the relationship between student knowledge and attitude toward international ag issues and U.S. ag policy, and how international experience and demographic variables play a role in that relationship. …

Small Farm Resource Centers As Informal Extension Hubs In Underserved Areas: Case Studies From Southeast Asia, Abram Bicksler, Patrick Trail, Ricky M. Bates, Richard R. Burnette, Boonsong Thansrithong

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

A Small Farm Resource Center (SFRC) is an informal in-situ extension model used for testing promising agricultural and rural livelihoods options on a physical central site, with some measure of extension methodology. There is a need to evaluate SFRCs as research-extension models operating outside of formal government extension and advisory services. Seven SFRCs located in Southeast Asia were studied to classify extension methodologies adopted by those centers, evaluate extension efficacy, and to provide recommendations for amplifying their services. On average in 2013, SFRCs were 21.1 years old, covered 24.2 ha, cost 242,000 USD to establish and had a yearly operating …

Table Of Contents - Introduction, M. Todd Brashears

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education (JIAEE) is the official refereed publication of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE). The purpose of the JIAEE is to enhance the research and knowledge base of agricultural and extension education from an international perspective.

Identifying Respondent Group Representation In Extension Capacity Assessments: A Meta-Synthesis Of The Literature And A Primary Study, Kevan W. Lamm, Alyssa Powell, Alexa Lamm, Kristin E. Davis

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

A key factor in determining the future of agricultural extension efforts is ensuring that the voices of those who need to be heard are represented at all stages of the decision-making process. As agricultural extension becomes increasingly globalized, it is critical that the diversity of voices represented within capacity assessments likewise increases. Using two distinct approaches, the present study attempts to address a current gap within the extension literature specifically related to extension assessment respondent groups. First, 97 extension related assessment manuscripts were identified during a literature review and analyzed for respondent group. The results indicated most studies included only …

It’S Who We Are: New Approaches, Supported By Evidence, Jack Elliot, Jessica R. Spence, Ignacie Tumushime, Meikah Dado, Ana Casas, Olawunmi Ilesanmi, Megan Gould, Mathilde Le Bon

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

This issue poses the question, “Where do we go from here?” Agricultural and extension educators are well equipped to grow, reimagine, and improve our work. First, we go to our foundational training and educational background and apply those key principles in a new contextual setting.

1) Although we never left the country, we built a virtual study abroad using Kolb’s model (1984) of experiential learning to incorporate all four phases into our VHIE teaching and learning process. 2) Creating the SPS Policy Framework for Africa introduced our team to the Continental SPS Committee, which provided credibility to conduct two virtual …

Higher Education Leadership Development During The Covid-19 Pandemic: An Exploration Of Online Learner Readiness, Kevan W. Lamm, Alyssa Powell, L. Rochelle Sapp, Alexa Lamm

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated profound disruptions across the higher education sector as institutions were forced to restructure entire systems and operate with significantly reduced resources. Most notably, many institutions were forced to transition to fully virtual instruction. The present study examined adult leadership development program participants’ perceptions of online learning readiness during the transition to a fully virtual training environment precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A census of the 2020 LEAD21 class was taken, and perceptions of online learning readiness were collected via a retrospective pre- and post-test. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Respondents had the highest levels of …

Training, Trust, And Technology: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Latin American Extension Workers’ Experiences During Covid-19, Pablo Lamiño Jaramillo, Amy Boren-Alpizar, Sarahi Morales Vanegas, Carla Millares-Forno

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected people's lives around the world, including agricultural extension workers. To date, few studies have been conducted to understand the adaptation of extension services in Latin American countries during the pandemic. This mixed-methods study explored Latin-American extension professionals’ preparation to implement knowledge-sharing activities and sought to understand extension professionals' responsiveness to COVID-19. The results revealed significant differences in extension responsiveness, between field extension workers and in-office extension workers. Delving into this difference revealed that field extension professionals perceived lower responsiveness because they were not able to continue their pre-pandemic, face-to-face activities in the field with …

Manuscript Submission Guidelines, Alexa Lamm

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Updated guidelines for submitting manuscripts to JIAEE.

Development And Validation Of The International Extension Network Advocacy Capacity Scale, Kevan W. Lamm, Alexa Lamm, Kristin E. Davis, Catherine Dobbins, Alyssa Powell

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Extension is sometimes viewed globally as less important than academic research and innovation, even though these networks are crucial to agricultural development. Using Lewin’s (1947) organizational change theory as a conceptual background, an instrument to measure advocacy capacity within international extension networks was developed. The resulting scale was analyzed for content validity, response process validity, internal structure validity, and consequential validity. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed on the proposed scale. The underlying structure of the scale was found to load onto five factors. The five extracted factors were labelled: 1) network support of advocacy, 2) network integration of …

How Are Egyptian Agricultural Students Preparing For A Career?, Ramjee P. Ghimire, D. Hashini Galhena Dissanayake, Paul Ebner, Nanda Joshi, Leah Thompson

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Egypt has made substantial progress in access to education. However a high unemployment rate among university graduates and employers being unable to find a skilled workforce are of great concern. A pragmatic approach for education that enables student to participate in career preparation activities in and outside the classrooms and prepare them for a job following their graduation is of paramount importance. Soliciting opinions from undergraduate students and professors in five agricultural universities and employers from major agricultural industries in Egypt this study aimed to identify student participation in career preparation activities, ascertain major sources for career advice and information …

Transformative Learning In Nicaragua: A Retrospective Analysis Of University Agriculture Students’ Long-Term Changes In Perspective After A Study Abroad Course, Janiece Pigg, Adam M. O’Malley, Richie Roberts, Kristin S. Stair

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Study abroad courses have become a priority for institutions of higher education because of a need to broaden students’ perspectives of the world. However, a dearth of knowledge existed regarding whether the reported outcomes of study abroad courses, such changes to students’ perspectives, endure over time. In response, this retrospective study explored how university agriculture students’ (n = 5) shared experiences during a one-week study abroad course to Nicaragua influenced their long-term changes in perspective after returning to the U.S. in 2018. Through our phenomenological analysis, three themes emerged: (1) dichotomous learning outcomes, (2) recognition of power and privilege, and …

Building Self-Reliance: A Framework To Evaluate Smallholder Coffee Farmers’ Pursuit Of Commercialization, Colby J. Silvert, John Diaz, Laura A. Warner, T. Grady Roberts, Raul Injoque

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

This study examines the application of a self-reliance framework for practitioners and evaluators to better understand the capacities and intrinsic factors impacting smallholder coffee farmers’ commercialization behaviors. We surveyed 40 smallholder coffee producers in Peru using a quantitative instrument. Data were analyzed to determine if statistical relationships exist between farmers’ self-reliance (measured via knowledge and skills, attitudes, and aspirations) and their commercialization behaviors. Findings indicate the self-reliance framework effectively illustrates relationships between farmers’ aspirations, knowledge and skills and their commercialization behaviors, while future, additional studies are needed to better measure and understand the role of commercialization-related attitudes. Practitioners can leverage …

Whose Journey To Self-Reliance? Participation In The Journey To Self-Reliance And The Land-Grant Imaginary, Lia R. Kelinsky-Jones, Kim L. Niewolny

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Land-grant university and civil society development actors have long partnered with local and global communities to eliminate food insecurity. Despite the common aim of addressing food insecurity as a wicked problem, their approaches and designs differ in scope and scale. Similarly, levels of local stakeholder participation in agricultural development historically vary reflecting the complexity in relinquishing hierarchal decision-making power. In this pilot study, we investigated how participation is framed within the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) policy, “The Journey to Self-Reliance”. Subsequently, we sought to understand the implications of this framing on land-grant universities’ agricultural development aims in …

Cultural Differences In Critical Thinking Style: A Comparison Of U. S. And Chinese Undergraduate Agricultural Students, Peng Lu, Scott Burris, Matt Baker, Courtney Meyers, Glenn Cummins

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

This study aimed to compare critical thinking styles between students studying agriculture in the U.S. and China. A survey of critical thinking styles was administered to two groups of students in U.S. (n = 104) and China (n = 103). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was applied to determine if there were significant differences in critical thinking styles between the two groups. Results indicate that U.S. students tended to prefer an engaging critical thinking style, whereas Chinese students tended to prefer an information seeking critical thinking style. These differences between critical thinking style preferences may be explained by students’ cultural …

Information And Communication Technology Use Capacity Within Extension Networks: Development And Preliminary Validation Of An Empirical Scale, Kevan W. Lamm, Kristin Davis, Catherine E. Sanders, Alyssa Powell

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Advancing information and communication technologies (ICTs) has become central to international agricultural and extension development efforts. ICTs are crucial in facilitating information transfer, ensuring stakeholder access to information, and increasing the decision-making capacity of smallholder farmers. The research presented here introduces an instrument developed to quantify perceptions of ICT use capacity within international extension networks. The aggregate scale was verified for content validity, response process validity, internal structure validity, and consequential validity informing its use. The instrument was administered to network members (n = 122) associated with the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was …

Table Of Contents - Introduction, Alexa Lamm

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education (JIAEE) is the official refereed publication of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE). The purpose of the JIAEE is to enhance the research and knowledge base of agricultural and extension education from an international perspective.

Model Of Success: Extension Services Helping Ugandan Youth Find A Career In Agriculture, Kevan W. Lamm, Chandler Mulvaney, Alexa J. Lamm, Kristin Davis, Falls Masambuka-Kanchewa, Silim Nahdy

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

As the world continues to experience a population boom amidst growing food insecurity concerns, the need for well-trained and competent youth in agriculture-related industries is on the rise in Sub-Saharan African countries, specifically Uganda. With 78 percent of Uganda’s population below the age of thirty, the number of unemployed and unskilled workers presents a challenge to a country that relies heavily on jobswithin the agricultural sector to thrive. Due to the increased number of unskilled youths, extension-based services such as the National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS) and the Uganda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (UFAAS) are needed to connect with …

Development Of Livelihood Skills Through School-Based, Agripreneurship Projects Integrating Youth-Adult Partnerships: The Experiences Of Youth Partners In Uganda, Stephen C. Mukembo, M. Craig Edwards, Craig E. Watters

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Equipping young people with livelihood skills is essential for positive youth development and empowerment as they transition into adulthood to become productive and engaged members of their communities. In Uganda, which may be the case in other nations of Sub-Saharan Africa, and elsewhere, even though many youth are becoming better educated and graduating from high schools and colleges, a majority of these graduates remain either unemployed or underemployed. Many have not acquired the necessary skills to transition from school to becoming employable and self-reliant. This phenomenon has been attributed to an outdated curriculum that does not meet the needs of …

Benefits Of And Best Practices For International Experiences For College Students: A Synthesis Of The Literature, Katy E. Lane, Theresa P. Murphrey

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Implementation of international experiences for students has increased. Anecdotal evidence suggests that these experiences enhance the quality of students upon graduation. However, a synthesis of literature related to the benefits of international experiences was lacking. We rooted the study’s conceptual framework in the concept of high-impact activities/experiences and related inputs, processes, and outcomes with a focus on the benefits of student participation in an international experience. Our purpose was to establish a benchmark documenting research conducted related to the benefits of an international experience and to identify research gaps. The rigorous literature review process identified 108 articles published across 55 …

Manuscript Submission Guidelines, Alexa Lamm

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

No abstract provided.

The Development And Validation Of A Personal Agency Scale Based In The Community Capitals Framework, Abigail Borron, Kevan W. Lamm, Keith Atkins

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Used in a variety of community contexts and needs, the Community Capitals Framework (CCF) is an analytical tool to holistically examine the complex and unique characteristics that exist at the local level. While CCF—which focuses on social, human, cultural, political, natural, financial, and built capitals—has been used to collect community information to identify and assess suitable programming efforts, a gap currently exists in the literature providing agricultural and extension educators with the tools necessary to examine CCF characteristics, both at the community and individual levels. Designed as a pilot study targeting six counties in [STATE], this research developed a personal …

Awakening Transformative Learning: A Comparison Of The Dissonance Experienced By Agriculture Majors During Study Abroad Courses To Costa Rica And Thailand, Janiece Pigg, Morgan A. Richardson, Richie Roberts, Kristin S. Stair

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Students who have participated in study abroad courses exhibit an improved capacity for citizenship, emotional growth, and global competence. However, achieving such requires that study abroad courses be designed to allow students to question their underlying beliefs and values – a concept called dissonance. When individuals reflect on dissonance, it has been reported to spur a process in which their previously held perspectives are transformed. As such, this investigation sought to compare the dissonance experienced by agriculture majors (N =21) at Louisiana State University during study abroad courses to Costa Rica and Thailand. We bounded cases by academic college, degree …

A Typology Of University Agriculture Students’ Projected Motivations To Study Abroad: An Application Of Q Methodology, Ritchie Roberts, Shelli D. Rampold, Raegan Ramage, Benita Komunjeru

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The study’s purpose was to understand Louisiana State University freshman agriculture students’ projected motivations to study abroad. To achieve this, we used a Q methodological approach. When viewed through the lens of the expectancy-value model of achievement motivation, findings suggested students’ motivations could be interpreted through three typologies: (1) Goal-Oriented Students, (2) Social-Oriented Students, and (3) Learning-Oriented Students. In particular, the Goal-Oriented Students expressed they were motivated to enroll in a study abroad course because they perceived it could enhance their educational and career-related ambitions through personal growth. Meanwhile, Social-Oriented Students articulated that the social dimensions of study abroad courses, …

Introduction Pages, Alexa Lamm

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education is the official refereed publication of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE). Its purpose is to enhance the research and knowledge base of agricultural and extension education from an international perspective.

Impact Of Agricultural Communication Interventions On Improving Agricultural Productivity In Malawi, Fallys Masambuka-Kanchewa, Mary T. Rodriguez, Emily Buck, Jera Niewoehner-Green, Alexa J. Lamm

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Agricultural communication (AGCOM) has been known to aid in disseminating research-based agricultural information among Malawian farmers. In 1958 the Malawi Government, via the Ministry of Agriculture, established the Agricultural Communications Branch (ACB) in an attempt to increase access to and adoption of scientifically-proven technologies among farmers. Moreover, in 2000 the Malawi Government started implementing an agricultural extension policy that promoted pluralistic demand-driven extension, which led to the increased availability of non-governmental organizations providing AGCOM services to farmers. However, after several decades of using different communication tools to promote new technologies, low productivity in most small holder farms remains a challenge, …

Prospects And Evaluation Of An Integrated Extension Model Designed For Anthrax-Free Area Development, Shahjahan Ali Sarker, Ajran Kabir Samin, Muket Mahmud, Nazmul Hoque, Sk Shaheenur Islam, M. Asaduzzaman Sarker, Bahanur Rahman, Nazmul Hussain Nazir

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The main purpose of this study wasto assess and evaluate anIntegrated Extension Modelto improve the overall knowledge, attitude and practice habits of community people over a sustained period.The survey questionnaire results have indicated that the various sources of anthrax message dissemination had played a significant role in the study. Among those responsible for disseminating the information, it was realized that studentsserving in the role of message disseminators played the most significant role (15%) indelivering the anthrax-related key information to the community. Majority community members (97.5%) were made aware of the nature, occurrence, public health importance, and management of the disease. …

Piloting Of The Concerns-Based Adoption Model: Farmer Concerns About The Participatory Guarantee System In Cambodia, Meghan Mize, Cary J. Trexler, Amanda Crump, Glenn M. Young, Borarin Buntong, Karen Legrand

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

While there is a large body of adoption and agricultural extension literature on the process of introducing a new technology, agricultural development projects are often expected to produce immediate results that do not always allow for the integration of these theories into practice. The Concerns-based Adoption Model (CBAM) is a framework that places participants at the center of the change process to identify their concerns and challenges, providing a roadmap for projects to guide individuals with the correct support for their particular stage of adoption. CBAM has typically been used for the introduction of new curriculum in formal education. But …