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Full-Text Articles in Education
Catalyzing Transformation: Conditions In Extension Educational Environments That Promote Change, Nancy K. Fran, Barry A. Garst, Sarah Baughman, Chris Smith, Brian Peters
Catalyzing Transformation: Conditions In Extension Educational Environments That Promote Change, Nancy K. Fran, Barry A. Garst, Sarah Baughman, Chris Smith, Brian Peters
Nancy K. Franz
Extension faculty and administrators have suggested Cooperative Extension's goal and niche is transformative education—to bring about deep change in individuals, families, and communities. However even though transformative learning appears to be a desirable approach to Extension education, few scholars and practitioners have examined the conditions in Extension learning environments that promote transformation. In fact, Extension agents and faculty ask what they can do to increase the likelihood their work will result in transformation. The research reported here explored conditions that catalyze transformation in two Extension educational contexts: 1) Cornell Cooperative Extension agent/specialist work teams and 2) Virginia 4-H Camps.
Enhancing Accountability: Servsafe™ Impact Template Delivers, Renee Boyer, Matthew Benson, Heather Boyd, Mena Forrester, Nancy K. Franz, Karen Gehrt, Patsy Pelland, Kirsten Roan
Enhancing Accountability: Servsafe™ Impact Template Delivers, Renee Boyer, Matthew Benson, Heather Boyd, Mena Forrester, Nancy K. Franz, Karen Gehrt, Patsy Pelland, Kirsten Roan
Nancy K. Franz
Generating statewide impact data from Extension programs can be challenging. To streamline reporting, Extension specialists, with the help of county agents and administrators, generated a statewide impact statement for the ServSafe™ program in Virginia. This template includes knowledge gain, behavior change, and economic impact from participants generated from current standardized evaluation methods used by all Extension educators across the state. Providing this template for agents resulted in easier, more consistent yearly reporting for those agents administering the program.
How Farmers Learn: Improving Sustainable Agricultural Education, Nancy K. Franz, Fred P. Piercy, Joseph Donaldson, Jessie Deelo, Johnnie Westbrook, Robert Richard
How Farmers Learn: Improving Sustainable Agricultural Education, Nancy K. Franz, Fred P. Piercy, Joseph Donaldson, Jessie Deelo, Johnnie Westbrook, Robert Richard
Nancy K. Franz
This project examines how farmers prefer to learn and what that means for agricultural education, especially Extension educational program development and delivery. Extension educators use a variety of methods for teaching content and processes that enhance farmer learning and adoption of new practices. This research project specifically looked at farmer learning preferences and Extension educator’s instructional methods.
Enhancing Extension Employee Coaching: Navigating The Triangular Relationship, Nancy K. Franz, Robin Weeks
Enhancing Extension Employee Coaching: Navigating The Triangular Relationship, Nancy K. Franz, Robin Weeks
Nancy K. Franz
Coaching Cooperative Extension employees is not easy but provides invaluable results. All three parties in the triangular coaching relationship--the coachee, the coach, and the organization--develop and grow from the process, in turn improving and sustaining the organization. The coaching process helps employees get to know themselves better, be more conscious about their way of being in the world, and contribute more fully to the work around them. This article addresses the importance of coaching employees, characteristics of good coaching, coaching risks, and tips for successful coaching of Cooperative Extension employees.
Reporting Program Impacts: Slaying The Dragon Of Resistance, Nancy K. Franz, Mark Mccann
Reporting Program Impacts: Slaying The Dragon Of Resistance, Nancy K. Franz, Mark Mccann
Nancy K. Franz
Virginia Cooperative Extension has responded to today's environment of enhanced accountability by improving the organization's program impact reporting. Successful strategies to enhance the quantity and quality of program impact reports include new hires, training faculty and administration, individual and small group technical assistance, development of reporting tools, and tying impact reporting to performance and recognition. This holistic approach resulted in enhanced reporting and use of program impacts as well as improved program design and evaluation.
Adult Education Theories: Informing Cooperative Extension's Transformation, Nancy K. Franz Dr.
Adult Education Theories: Informing Cooperative Extension's Transformation, Nancy K. Franz Dr.
Nancy K. Franz
As the largest adult education institution in America, Cooperative Extension should ground organizational operations in adult education theory. This connection with theory is especially important as Extension systems work towards organizational transformation to create more participatory and democratic learning. Adult education theories of transformative learning and critical reflection from a critical theory perspective are especially pertinent to inform this type of transformation. This requires that Extension create opportunities for learners to experience disorienting dilemmas, critically reflect on their assumptions, and facilitate how to learn not just what to learn.
Transformative Learning In Extension Staff Partnerships: Facilitating Personal, Joint, And Organizational Change, Nancy K. Franz
Transformative Learning In Extension Staff Partnerships: Facilitating Personal, Joint, And Organizational Change, Nancy K. Franz
Nancy K. Franz
Partnerships can enhance individual and organizational success through more effective problem solving and improved adaptation to change. Learning is often required for successful collaboration that may transform the partners. This article discusses a study that explored learning in Extension staff partnerships that transform the individual, the partnership, and the organization. Three types of learning and eight types of transformative learning are identified. Conditions that promoted transformative learning in successful partnerships included strong partner facilitation, critical reflection, critical events, partner difference bridged by common purpose, and independence with interdependence. Recommendations for nurturing transforming Extension staff partnerships are shared.
Extension Workers As Orchestrators Of Civic Renewal Through Civic Professionalism, Nancy K. Franz
Extension Workers As Orchestrators Of Civic Renewal Through Civic Professionalism, Nancy K. Franz
Nancy K. Franz
I have a passion and a bias. I am passionate about the important role of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) in civic renewal. My bias is that extension workers (also known as agents or educators) are the key to civic renewal throughout the United States. No other institution has the same ability to reach all of America with education and organizing efforts. With extension workers in every county in the nation, this group of professionals and their work cut across age, race, ethnicity, religion, geography and many other demographic characteristics. Extension has a long history of being active in civic …