Education Commons^™

Evaluating The Organizational Advancement Of Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Extension Education, John M. Diaz, Lendel K. Narine, Cody Gusto

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

In response to global trends and calls for greater inclusivity, the field of extension education has made significant strides towards embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles. This study explores the progress of DEI initiatives in the Cooperative Extension System (CES), which has aligned with industry groups, non-profit organizations, academia, and scientific societies worldwide. Through a multifaceted approach, CES has pursued strategies such as intercultural competence (ICC) training for professionals, diversity action plans, and culturally responsive teaching techniques. This study assessed the advancement of DEI in extension education using a survey of DEI specialists across extension organizations in the U.S. …

Assessing Connectedness To Water As A Catalyst For Change: A Multidimensional Approach To Extension Education On Water Conservation, John M. Diaz, Laura Warner

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

As issues of water security remain pervasive, extension educators continue to search for strategies to promote water conservation. Social marketing represents such a strategy that can be leveraged as a tool to better understand target audiences and develop strategic communication campaigns to promote practice adoption and behavior change. Research demonstrates that social marketing efforts that focus on understanding and developing personal norms and values hold promise for increasing the implementation of residential conservation behaviors. The construct of Connectedness to Nature is one strategy for developing environmentally aligned personal norms. This study leverages a similar concept, connectedness to water, to understand …

Introduction And Table Of Contents, Mary Rodriguez

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.

Feature - Factors Influencing Maize Farmers’ Adoption And Use Intensity Of Hermetic Storage Bags In Dormaa, Ghana, Namah Taku-Forchu, Misty D. Lambert, Michael S. Retallick, Jonathan D. Ulmer, George P. Opit

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

ABSTRACT

Maize is a key staple in Ghana with a high production rate. With the growing development of the poultry and livestock sector, there is a need to boost maize production to meet the growing demand. The unfortunate thing is a significant amount of maize produced is lost during storage. The hermetic storage bag is an innovation proven to reduce maize storage loss. This study ascertains factors influencing smallholder maize farmers' adoption and use intensity of hermetic storage bags in Dormaa, Ghana. We used a multi-stage sampling technique and collected data from 217 maize smallholder farmers from four communities where …

Manuscript Submission Guidelines, Mary Rodriguez

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Guidelines for submissions

Fighting Alone: The Lived Experiences Of African Women Immigrant Farmers Acquiring Land In The U.S., Willis Ochieng, Damilola Ajayi

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The study adopted phenomenology to understand the lived experiences of African Women Immigrant Farmers (AWIFS) acquiring land in the U.S. Seven participants were interviewed through semi-structured interviews. The study found that AWIFs acquire land from friends, and organizations serving immigrants, including government agencies. AWIFS also partners with spouses or close relatives to purchase agricultural land. Nonetheless, AWIFS experiences numerous challenges such as limited social networks which restrict access to land-related information. Other challenges include a lack of knowledge of American land structures and tenure systems, financial challenges, and stringent funding requirements. To overcome such barriers, AWIFS, engage in expanding their …

4-H Senegal Community Of Practice Developing Stem Curricula That Leads To Youth-Driven Discovery And Innovation, Fatima Z. Kebe, Hannah H. Scherer

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

In 2015, Jeunesse en Agriculture (JEA), French for “Youth in Agriculture” formed 4-H clubs in Senegal, West Africa. JEA set out to develop culturally relevant STEM curricula for their 4-H youth learners. This led to the novel formation of the 4-H Senegal STEM Community of Practice (CoP), a group designed to create engaging content and activities that leverage local interest and resources. The CoP Practice used a conceptual framework that applies the United States National Research Council’s Engage-Respond-Connect framing as criteria contextualized for 4-H Senegal STEM learning. JEA team members and the CoP used a design-based educational research approach to …

Introduction And Table Of Contents, Mary Rodriguez

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Introduction to Volume 30, Issue 2 of the JIAEE.

Manuscript Submission Guidelines, Mary Rodriguez

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Guidelines for submissions

A Journey To A Global Scholar Identity: An Autoethnography Of Agricultural And Extension Faculty’S Experiences, Lacey Roberts-Hill, Richie Roberts, T. Grady Roberts

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Working in the academy can be a very rewording career, but more and more faculty and graduate students are considering non-academic careers. Understanding the career journey of faculty in academic positions working in international agricultural and extension education (AEE) could be insightful to better understand this niche discipline and be informative to other faculty and graduate students along their own journeys. This article explores the journeys of three faculty members in international AEE. We used an autoethnography to our stories. We are an assistant professor, an associate professor, and a professor. We conducted a focus group and then examined: (a) …

Reflective Perspectives Of Host And Guest Participants Of An International Professional Development Experience, Melanie J. Miller Foster, Joseph Y. Cho, Laura L. Rice, Brad Kinsinger, Daniel Foster, Nur Husna Abd Wahid

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Global competence is a skill set that has become a necessity in every discipline in the agricultural sciences. With an increasingly diverse student population in our school systems coupled with an increasingly complex global agrisystem, now more than ever we need globally competent educators and learners to develop a globally competent workforce and society. A common intervention in cultivating global competency is the study abroad immersive experience for the traveling participants, but little is known about the global competency gains in hosting individuals. The immersive study abroad experience provided the opportunity for school-based agricultural educators (both candidates and practicing educators) …

Casting A Critical Lens On Thailand’S Higher Education System: A Case Study Of Women’S Experiences As Agricultural Extension Faculty, Morgan A. Richardson Gilley, Richie Roberts, Kristin Stair, J. Joey Blackburn

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The agricultural industry and higher education have traditionally been male-dominated spaces in the developing world. However, in recent decades, significant progress in female representation has been achieved in both sectors. Previous research has suggested that women in the Southeast Asian agricultural industry have been more empowered than women in other regions. However, women in Thailand’s agricultural postsecondary programs have been understudied. In response, this study examined the experiences and perceptions of women agricultural extension faculty in Thailand’s higher education system. Through qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with women, three distinct themes emerged: (1) gendered disparities, (2) barriers to success in …

Drivers Of Farmers’ Adoption Of Hermetic Storage Bags In Ghana, Namah Taku-Forchu, Misty D. Lambert, Michael S. Retallick, Jonathan D. Ulmer, George P. Opit

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Post-harvest loss is a global challenge due to its serious threat to food security. Hermetic storage bags offer one way to combat the loss of food after harvest. The rate at which farmers adopt hermetic bags largely depends upon their access to information and training about the technology. The adoption of hermetic storage bags in Dormaa, Ghana, was the focus of this quantitative cross-sectional research study. This study sought to describe maize farmers’ perceptions of the hermetic storage bags in Dormaa, Ghana, based on the perceived innovation attributes and to ascertain farmers’ stages of adoption of the hermetic storage bags …

Manuscript Submission Guidelines, Mary Rodriguez

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Updated guidelines for submitting manuscripts to JIAEE.

Going The Distance: Examining The Impact Of A Long-Term International Fellowship, Meikah Dado, Jessica R. Spence, Jack Elliot

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

AgriCorps, an American organization, created a fellowship program to connect agricultural professionals to school-based agricultural education in developing countries. Previous scholars researched the impacts of international experiences on learners, usually through the lens of short-term study abroad. This study seeks to examine the impact of long-term international fellowship experiences in education and provide recommendations for future like-programs by analyzing the experiences of previous AgriCorps fellows. Fellows lived and taught school-based agricultural education in a community in Ghana or Liberia. Eighteen previous AgriCorps fellows participated in a semi-structured interview through a virtual meeting platform. The interviews were used to collect data …

A Cross-Platform Exploratory Study Of International And Domestic Scholar Post Engagement On Social Media, Allison R. Byrd, Catherine E. Sanders, Alexa Lamm

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Social media use varies globally across cultures, even within extension services. Recognition of the contributions of international scholars at the universities where they serve also varies. Social media use in international scholars’ countries of origin may differ from that of their institution’s country, affecting social media engagement with a university’s posts featuring international scholars. Using the conceptual framework of audience segmentation, this study explored the differences in social media audience engagement between research themes and international and domestic scholars on Instagram and Twitter. Using a causal-comparative design, this study created Instagram and Twitter posts highlighting peer-reviewed research conducted by both …

The Intersection Of Gender, Media, And Policy: A Qualitative Analysis On Thai Newspaper Coverage Of Women In Agriculture, Morgan A. Richardson Gilley, Richie Roberts, J. Joey Blackburn, Kristin Stair

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Women empowerment and gender equality have been found to be statistically significant and positive predictors of global agricultural development. Therefore, reducing gender disparities can encourage economic progress and growth in developing nations. As such, determining effective ways to stimulate social progress and women’s empowerment has emerged as a critical need. One strategy used to raise the public’s consciousness about gendered issues in Thailand has been through mass media. In response, this study aimed to (1) determine to what extent Thailand’s newspaper coverage focused on topics related to women and the agricultural industry; and (2) describe how women in agriculture …

Introduction And Table Of Contents, Mary Rodriguez

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.

A Phenomenological Pre- And Post-Reflective Comparison Of Graduate Student Intercultural Competence From Agricultural Service-Learning Experiences, Kim E. Dooley, Catherine E. Sanders, Leslie Edgar

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The purpose of this study was to determine growth in intercultural competence after graduate students participated in an international service learning (ISL) experience. One method for developing intercultural competence is service learning, where students apply learning in real-world settings through a cycle of action and reflection. This study used an interpretative phenomenological analysis related to the lived experience of eight graduate students who participated in two intensive ISL projects in Timor-Leste or Guatemala. Results included the student point of view (emic) narrative as an ethnographic crafted profile for each participant to demonstrate the process of intercultural competence development across individual …

Introduction And Table Of Contents, Mary Rodriguez

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.

Submission Guidelines, Mary Rodriguez

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Updated guidelines for submitting manuscripts to JIAEE.

Determinants Of Performance In Smallholder Farmer Groups In Uganda, David Agole, Connie D. Baggett, John C. Ewing, Edgar P. Yoder, Margaret N. Mangheni

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The performance of farmer groups is critical for the success of the farmer-led Agricultural Extension approach currently used in Uganda. This study examines factors affecting performance of farmer groups accessing agricultural extension and advisory services from the National Agricultural Advisory Services in Eastern Uganda. The study collected data 200 members of 19 farmer groups in Eastern Uganda. Performance of farmer groups was the dependent variable, which was perceived to be influenced by individual members’ objectives, participation culture, power distance, structure of task, perceived equity, reward allocation and participation in group activities. Farmer group performance had a statistically significant positive relationship …

Development And Validation Of An Empirical Instrument To Measure Organizational And Institutional Functioning Capacity Within International Extension Networks, Kevan W. Lamm, Alexa Lamm, Kristin E. Davis, Catherine Sanders, Alyssa Powell

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

International extension networks provide vital services to stakeholders using a variety of organizational structures. To continue offering services desired by stakeholders, it is important that both public and private extension networks develop effective organizational functioning capacities. Despite this need, an instrument to empirically examine the perceived capacities of effective international extension network organizational and institutional functioning was unavailable in the literature. The present study developed and validated the International Extension Network Organizational Functioning (IENOF) scale. Scale development included validation of content, response process, internal structure, and consequential utility. Structural analysis indicated the 21-items loaded on four factors, including: network structure …

Moving Beyond Short-Term Impacts Of Service-Learning Study Abroad Program On Students’ Transformation: An Irish Case Study, Caroline Cully Garbers, T. Grady Roberts, Dale Pracht

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The purpose of this study was to better understand the impacts on students who participate in short-term service-learning study abroad programs. Using Mezirow’s theory of Transformational Learning as a guide, students were interviewed on the lasting impacts that the program had on their transformation. Student participated in semi-structured interviews lasting in length of 30 minutes to an hour. These interviews took place approximately 7 months after the completion of their study abroad program. Student’s transformation was categorized into the 4 main areas of transformation according to Mezirow (1991): refining meaning schemes, learning new schemes, transforming schemes, and …

Farmers’ Perceptions Towards Privatisation Of Extension Services In Eastern Cape And Kwazulu-Natal Provinces Of South Africa, Olwethu Loki

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

In South Africa, the state provides all extension and advisory support services to smallholder farmers. However, it appears that the government is struggling to provide adequate farmer support, and production among smallholders is not improving, leading to many calling for the states' withdrawal and the private sector to deliver extension services to farmers. The study aimed to assess farmers' perceptions of the privatisation of extension services in South Africa, and it was guided by the following research questions: 1) What are smallholder farmers' perceptions of the privatisation of extension services? 2) which factors influence these perceptions? 3 If extension services …

Dissecting The Roles Of Social Capital In Farmer-To-Farmer Extension: A Review, Colby J. Silvert, Willis Ochieng, Jose Perez Orozco, Ange Asanzi

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Various types of relationships within a farmer-to-farmer (F2F) extension system can influence farmers’ access to advancement opportunities, resources, capacity building, and social and professional networks. Using a social capital theoretical lens, this review elucidates the nature of these relationships and networks to better understand how bonding, bridging, and linking social capital may be leveraged in positive and negative ways and how relationship dynamics relate to farmers’ power, opportunities, and gender equity. This research demonstrates that all three types of social capital are instrumental but play different and often complementary roles in F2F extension. While bonding social capital is crucial for …

Manuscript Submission Guidelines, M. Todd Brashears

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Updated guidelines for submitting manuscripts to JIAEE.

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 …

Exploring The Impacts Of Lead Farmer Selection On Community Social Learning: The Case Of Farmer-To-Farmer Model: A Review Of Literature, Willis Ochieng, Colby J. Silvert, John Diaz

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Agricultural extension has shifted towards community-centric, farmer-centered, and participatory approaches that enhance rural change through a social learning lens, resulting in the emergence of the farmer-to-farmer extension model. The purpose of the study was to understand lead farmer selection criteria within the farmer-to-farmer model and their impacts on community social learning. We applied Torraco’s (2005) integrative literature review method to guide our discussion around lead farmer selection processes, types of lead farmers selected and their impacts on social learning. The study indicated farmer-to-farmer extension model has the potential of re-invigorating the provision of agriculture extension services owing to its low …