Education Commons^™

Assessing Extension Education Efforts In Afghanistan Through The Eyes Of U.S. Agricultural Support Personnel, Seburn L. Pense, John W. Groninger

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

Assessment of agricultural extension education efforts in Afghanistan was conducted through a qualitative case study of eight U.S. support personnel serving in the country. Security & access and provincial diversity were two overriding factors which determined how the three key attributes of assessment, content and process (Barrick et al., 2009) were able to function in an Afghan agricultural extension education program. Respondents indicated training should focus on young farmers and local farm demonstration sites should be essential program components. Respondents stressed recruitment of agents from local districts when this would not imperil the agents or their families. Respondents also insisted …

Perceived Professional Development Needs Of Idaho Secondary Career And Technical Education Teachers: Program Management, John G. Cannon, Karl Allen Kitchel, Dennis W. Duncan

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived professional development needs of Idaho secondary career and technical education teachers for a set of non-instructional competencies specifically associated with duties related to program management. The population of this study consisted of CTE teachers employed by Idaho secondary schools (N=725). Sixty-one percent (n=446) of the population participated in the study. The findings indicated that the top five perceived in-service training areas for the program management construct, as identified by a mean weighted discrepancy score (MWDS) ranking, to be “Grant writing & funding opportunities”; “Understanding federal (Perkins), state, and local funding”; …

Professional Development In Cte Data Driven Methods: Development Of A Research-Based Intervention, John Foster, Carol L. Hodes, Patricia Kelley, Sandra Pritz

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

An initial survey conducted by the authors in 2009 determined the amount and type of preparation career technical educators (CTE) had regarding the use of assessment data for program and instructional improvement; this survey was the basis for development of an intervention for teachers on interpretation of assessment data for improvement of classroom instruction. The intervention, titled Career and Technical Educators Using a Data Driven Improvement Model or CTEDDI, was developed and successfully piloted in five states during spring semester 2010; the results of the pilot study have been used to revise the materials and process to produce a professional …

Leadership For Change: Insights Gleaned From One District’S Implementation Of An Educational Innovation, Crystal V. Shelby-Caffey Ph.D., Ronald A. Caffey Ph.D.

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

The research reported here is extracted from a larger study aimed at describing the challenges and barriers to implementing the two way immersion (TWI) program at Stark Elementary School (a pseudonym). While Stark’s TWI program is used as the backdrop for the current discussion the perspective taken here is to examine the actions (and lack of action in some instances) of Stark’s administrators and describe how those actions impacted other stakeholders and led to challenges during the implementation process. The findings illuminate the need for leaders to gain support for proposed changes while maintaining dialogue with stakeholders and developing other …

Science, Math, Social Studies, And Language Arts Achievement Of High School Students In Complete Programs Of Agriscience Education, Dennis W. Duncan, John C. Ricketts, Todd Shultz

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

The purpose of this descriptive and comparative study was to describe the academic achievement of FFA (Future Farmers of America) members in a complete program of agriscience at Jackson County Comprehensive High School (JCCHS). A secondary purpose was to compare science, math, social studies, and language arts achievement of senior agriscience students/FFA members to the achievement of all seniors at JCCHS. The findings indicate that senior agriscience students/FFA members had a higher percentage of students achieving at the highest level (Pass Plus) of Language Arts on the GHSGT (Georgia High School Graduation Test) than the remaining student population at JCCHS. …

Career And Technical Education Teacher Preparation Trends: A Pilot Study, Paul Asunda

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine trends in CTE teacher preparation programs in the last 5 years. This descriptive pilot study utilized a self-reporting survey to collect data about CTE program enrollment requirements; CTE certification areas; enrollment with regard to gender, graduation rates, and alternative teacher certification. Findings of this study tend to lead to the questions: Where do we lose individuals interested in pre service CTE teacher programs; and on what basis should CTE educators, design, develop, and implement appropriate and effective programs that can attract, recruit, retain and sustain interested individuals into CTE teacher education …

First-Generation Students In Higher Education: Issues Of Employability In A Knowledge Based Economy, Malar Hirudayaraj

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

This paper explores the issues around the transition of first-generation students in higher education into the knowledge based economy. It discusses how the lack of parental education deprives first-generation students of the cultural capital that is transmitted through the family and how this influences the acquisition of the “soft currencies” that employers expect them to demonstrate in this economy. The article stresses the need for focused research on understanding the problems faced by these students with regard to their employability and actual employment, specifically in the context of mass higher education. It highlights the need for research that could inform …

Leveraging Generational Diversity In Today’S Workplace, Matthew Legas, Cynthia Howard Sims

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

Generational diversity has been noted as an obstacle for many U.S. organizations, yet there is a lack of understanding of how to leverage generational diversity in the workplace. This unawareness could be disastrous for companies wanting to increase economic wealth through human capital. The purpose of this paper is to identify the dilemma that exists when multiple generations coexist in the workplace and identify strategies that promote efficiency and improve employee communication and morale. The authors recommend developing new and innovative diversity training and incorporating an intergenerational mentoring program.

Partnering Industry And Education For Curricular Enhancement: A Response For Greater Educational Achievement, Deborah R. Barnett

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

Despite high rates of unemployment, research indicates that employers are having a difficult time finding workers that have the knowledge and skills needed for available jobs. President Obama, state lawmakers, and national higher education associations are calling upon educational institutions to not only fill the current gap but to reach aggressive goals set for educational attainment in the U.S. by 2020. This article looks at a historical view of how education has met workforce needs in the past, employment projections, employer needs, and how educational institutions might respond to the call to develop a highly skilled workforce. In addition, a …

The Integrated Basic Education And Skills Training (I-Best) Program: Equiping All Adults For The Global Economy, Robert W. Fox, Mitchell R. Williams

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

Abstract

In 2004, educational leaders in Washington State, recognizing the necessity of rapidly equipping adults with career skills, developed the Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program to meet workforce needs. I-BEST is now operational in all 34 of the State’s community colleges. I-BEST is an instructional method which provides basic skills support to ABE and ESL students while they receive career training. I-BEST uniquely pairs a basic skills instructor with a vocational instructor in the classroom at the same time. Previous research on the I-BEST program has been positive, but it has ignored the pivotal role instructors and …

Conflict Management Education In Medicine: Considerations For Curriculum Designers, Jeffery Kaufman

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

It is important to address conflict in the medical field for a variety of reasons ranging from reducing turnover to increasing the quality of care received by patients. One way to assist with the management of medical conflict is by teaching resolution techniques to medical personnel. There is an opportunity for conflict management curriculum to address many of the issues facing physicians, administrators, staff and patients, however, it is also necessary for those developing that curriculum to understand the nature of the environment and appropriate conflict management tools to be used in that environment as part of the design process. …

A Research Framework For Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Implementations Of Social Media In Higher Education, Abbas Foroughi

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

Following the lead of today’s hi-tech businesses and industries, many college campuses have begun using Web.2.0 social media technologies like Facebook, blogs, Twitter, and YouTube to facilitate information sharing and collaboration among administrators, faculty, and students. An examination of research on campus social media initiatives revealed that universities are beginning to provide support and infrastructure to support social media initiatives, and that social media tools are being used as part of course content and delivery, where students can use them for collaboration and group decision making on real-world projects. However, much of the research to date was found to be …

Evaluating Pre-Service Teacher Workforce: Environmental Health Knowledge, Attitude, And Behavior, Dhitinut Ratnapradipa, Darson Rhodes, Stephen Brown

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

Abstract

Research has shown that personal health behaviors and actions established early in life are often carried through adulthood. Thus, working with children to increase environmental health literacy may improve the environmental health literacy of future adults, potentially improving the health of the Nation. Given the amount of time children spend in school, this setting could be an ideal place to address environmental health with children. According to social cognitive theory, observation is one way in which learning takes place. Consequently, the environmental behaviors and attitudes modeled by teachers would likely impact the environmental behaviors and attitudes learned by …

Experiential Learning Curricular Development Model For Stimulating Student Interest In Green Collar Careers, Sally E. Arnett, Allen Kitchel, John G. Cannon

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

Green jobs are in high demand, yet there is lack of a trained workforce for the green industries. Early exposure to green careers can stimulate future employment interest among students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an experiential learning unit of instruction designed to expose students to and develop knowledge about the green collar workforce. The study used a mixed method research design. A purposive sample of 101 (n=101) secondary students in career development type classes were given a pre-test, treatment, and post-test that involved both quantitative and qualitative responses. The findings revealed that the …

A Perceptual Analysis Of The Benefits And Barriers To Creating All Inclusive Learning Environments In Secondary Agricultural Education Programs, Antoine J. Alston, Chastity K. Warren English, Anthony Graham, Dexter Wakefield, Frankie Farbotko

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

The purpose of this study was to gauge the state of inclusion in American Secondary Agricultural Education programs as perceived by state directors of agricultural education. It was found agricultural education is beneficial for minorities and women. Additionally, it was perceived that inclusion overall was critical for secondary agricultural education: however, barriers to its full implementation in secondary agricultural education were found to be the lack of role models, stereotypes, the perception of agriculture itself, guidance counselor support, and understanding student learning styles. Solutions to improving inclusion in secondary agricultural education were perceived to be preservice and inservice training in …

Webster's Dictionary Definition Of Creativity, Joyce R. Robinson

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

Creativity is considered important for our society to maintain its current economic status. Creativity is the key to achieving a better standard of living; this makes creativity an important element in a student's education. One factor that limits the capability to respond to educational needs is the lack of agreement about what the term creativity means. One source used to determine the correct meaning of a word is the dictionary. A longitudinal review of the definitions of creativity was conducted in dictionaries dating back to the 1950's. Nineteen dictionaries dating from 1953 to 2008 were reviewed. Although terms are updated …

School-To-Work Programs Effectiveness, Kathleen Mary Kash

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

Most high schools provide programs to prepare students for college or employment after graduation. These programs, also known as School-to-Work Programs, are supposed to help direct students to the career field that they would like to pursue. Unfortunately, the programs provided by the schools are not as effective as they should be. One of the main reasons why these programs are unsuccessful is due to the lack of participation from local businesses. Businesses are unwilling to participate because of the cost to partake in the program, the time that is involved with the program and the loss of retention for …

Implementing Adult Learning Principles To Overcome Barriers Of Learning In Continuing Higher Education Programs, Kristen M. De Vito

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

A fundamental aspect to continuing higher education is overcoming of barriers of learning when dealing with non-traditional students. With non-traditional student enrollment on the rise, continuing higher education programs have an obligation to address issues of accessibility, affordability and accountability in higher education. The purpose of the study was to identify the relationship between adult learning principles and overcoming barriers of adult learning in continuing higher education at higher education institutions based on published literature.

The Historical Development Of Program Evaluation: Exploring Past And Present, R. Lance Hogan

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

The purpose of this article is to present the historical development and significant contributions leading to the current status of the program evaluation field. Program evaluation has been defined as “judging the worth or merit of something or the product of the process” (Scriven, 1991, p. 139). Guskey (2000) updated this definition stating that evaluation is a systematic process used to determine the merit or worth of a specific program, curriculum, or strategy in a specific context. The author describes seven significant time periods in the development of program evaluation and identifies five evaluation approaches currently used by practitioners. This …

The Integration Of A Lean Manufacturing Competency-Based Training Course Into University Curriculum, John J. Cooper Jr.

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

The manufacturing industry has become extremely competitive in nature and each company’s survival depends on gaining an edge in their respective field. Lean manufacturing has emerged as the leading management philosophy in this struggle. The original model of lean, called the Toyota Production System, is utilized by the phenomenally successful automotive manufacturer Toyota and many others have followed suite. There is a need for a course in schools that offer manufacturing curriculum which will integrate the lean concepts with the current manufacturing program of study. Lean is a proven management strategy and should be offered as a course of its …