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A Scoping Review Of International Experiences By U.S. Extension Professionals: Lessons And Opportunities, Benjamin B. Grove, Sarah A. Bush, Jeremy Elliott-Engel

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The U.S. Cooperative Extension System (CES) faculty and administrators have contemplated internationalization for decades. A proposed way to support internationalization of CES is international extension experiences. This scoping review assessed the literature from 1980-2020 on direct international extension experiences of Extension professionals. Nineteen articles were included in the study after careful screening. We coded for the benefits that resulted from each article: (a) global/international perspectives, (b) personal belief in the value of international experiences, (c) learning/knowledge gains/skills building, (d) appreciation for diversity, (e) increased perceived value of Extension, (f) self-esteem/reinvigoration, and (g) benefits to domestic clientele. Emergent themes were found …

Gender, Access To Agricultural Extension, And Seed Sourcing Among Small-Scale Farmers In Uganda, Helaina M. Curtin, Travis Reynolds, Daniel Tobin

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Agricultural extension services have been vital for the development of the agricultural sector across the globe, providing information and support for farmers to improve their productivity and economic livelihoods. However, studies have shown that access to extension services may not be equitable, mediated by factors such as gender, remoteness, and type of production system. In Uganda, resource constraints and gender shape which small-scale farmers access extension services. This study uses data from two waves of the Ugandan National Panel Survey (collected with support from the World Bank through the Living Standards Measurement Study – Integrated Surveys on Agriculture) to investigate …

Using The Ranked Discrepancy Model To Identify Priority Topics For Professional Development For Agricultural Extension, Lendel K. Narine

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

In an ever-changing agricultural context, extension agents are expected to possess the competencies to provide relevant non-formal education to their clientele on persistent and emerging issues. This research note applies the Ranked Discrepancy Model (RDM) to assess priority topic areas for professional development activities in agricultural extension. The study followed a correlation design and gathered survey data from a sample of agricultural extension agents at [University] (n = 42). Results indicated the high priority areas for professional development irrigation technologies, weed control, post-farm activities (e.g., value-added products and marketing), and GPS technologies and drones for real-time monitoring. The study …

Perception Of The Glass Ceiling And Job Satisfaction Among Women In The Agricultural Industry Of Latin America, Maria Lopez-Escober, Sarahi Morales, Luis Sandoval, Raul Soto

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The representation of women in the agricultural sector of Latin America remains disproportionate in comparison to their male counterparts. However, women represent an untapped potential for economic growth in the region. The purpose of this study was to evaluate job satisfaction and to measure beliefs about the glass ceiling among women in the Latin American agricultural industry. Given the regional scope of this study, a descriptive-exploratory methodology was used through the administration of an online survey instrument (Gall et al., 2007). Participants were alumni from the Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural School who are working in the Latin American agricultural industry. They …

Examination Of Ugandan Educators’ Cultural Preferences When Teaching Agriculture: A Q Methodological Study, Rebekah Mccarty, Shannon Norris-Parish, Don Edgar, Lacey Roberts-Hill, Jeff Witte

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Increasing human capital is a critical challenge of developmental aid. Secondary education is known to be the single greatest contributor to agricultural productivity in developing countries. Ultimately, as technology advances, researchers and curriculum designers must investigate variables influencing the successful transmission of agricultural information or the gap will widen. We used framing theory to examine the impact of culture on the adoption of educational resources in a developing nation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cultural preferences of educators in Uganda when engaging with educational materials created by individuals from a developed nation. We used Q methodology …

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 …

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 The Dimensional Validity And Reliability Of The Critical Thinking Inventory (Cti) In The Kenyan Higher Education System: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Millicent A. Oyugi, Kristin Gibson, Alexa J. Lamm

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The global importance of critical thinking in enhancing academic success, employability, civic engagement, and mental health is universally acknowledged. Yet, its cultivation in educational systems, particularly in Kenya, requires further attention. This gap is pronounced in Kenya's higher education, where more research is needed to develop and validate effective critical thinking assessment tools given the paradigm shift in its educational curricular. This study contributes to this need by evaluating the applicability of the Critical Thinking Inventory (CTI) model in Kenyan higher education. Using a convenience sample of 387 undergraduates from Egerton University, the study assessed the alignment between the CTI …

Perceptions Of Professionals, Faculty, And Students Regarding The Implementation Of An Agricultural Communications Degree Program In The United Kingdom, Jefferson D. Miller, Abby Davis, Kobina D. Fanyinkah, Alex Mcleod, Casandra Cox, K. Jill Rucker

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of professionals, faculty, and students regarding the implementation of an agricultural communications degree program in the United Kingdom (U.K). It aimed to gather detailed opinions to aid in the planning of future agricultural communications curricula in the U.K., where no formal academic programs in this discipline exist in higher education. This study used a qualitative approach in the form of interviews to gain in-depth opinions on four different research objectives. Participants were pooled from three different demographic groups in the U.K: industry professionals, faculty, and students. These stakeholder expressed that …

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.

Manuscript Submission Guidelines, Mary Rodriguez

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Guidelines for submissions

Students’ Acquisition Of Agricultural And Entrepreneurship (Agripreneurship) Knowledge And Skills: Does Instructional Approach And Their Sex Matter?, Stephen C. Mukembo, M. Craig Edwards, J. Shane Robinson

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Agricultural and Entrepreneurship education are interdisciplinary due to amalgamating the natural sciences and social sciences. These disciplines have gained the interest of those looking to equip youth with skills for self-reliance. Teachers employ various instructional approaches, including student-centric approaches such as project-based learning (PjBL) and teacher-centric methods, for example, the lecture method, to facilitate learning. Existing research, however, suggests that students’ learning can be influenced by other factors, for example, learning styles, socio-cultural norms, sex stereotypes, and the instructional approach(es) used. We examined the impact of using the lecture method (counterfactual group) versus PjBL (treatment group) approaches on student acquisition …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Introduction And Table Of Contents, Mary Rodriguez

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Introduction to Volume 30, Issue 2 of the JIAEE.

Where Do Smallholder Farmers Get Their Information? An Exploration Of The Sources Of Agricultural Information In Northwest Cambodia., Presley Nickens, David Ader, Jean Pierre Enriquez, Ricky Bates, Tom Gill, Sovanneary Huot, Lyda Hok, Srean Pao

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

A significant emphasis on scaling up food security efforts is needed to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) by 2030. Scaling up sustainable intensification efforts for Cambodian smallholder farmers is key since they face greater exposure to the uncertainties of climate change, globalizing markets, and rural-to-urban migration. One way to increase the effectiveness of efforts and the scaling up of sustainable intensification technologies is through improving access to information about production and marketing technologies. This study aimed to identify sources of information about sustainable technologies available to smallholders and barriers that may be preventing adoption. Information was gathered from …

The Iita Agripreneur Movement: A Dynamic Approach To Youth Empowerment Across Africa, Nteranya Sanginga Dr, Adetola Adenmosun, John Obaniyi, Noel Mulinganya, Paul Woomer

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The Agripreneur Movement of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) allows youth to assume their rightful place in African agricultural transformation. It started as a single exploratory agribusiness incubation at IITA Headquarters in 2012, involving 37 youths. It has since grown to 10 countries through nine sponsoring organizations. We compiled the characteristics and outcomes of 40 Agripreneur projects between 2012 and 2021 to describe the movement’s growth. With time, the movement operated across 195 locations engaging 518 trainers within 493 training cohorts and 263 different learning enterprises. These efforts led to the training of 25,616 youth in modern agriculture …

Impact Of A Study Abroad Course In Helping Undergraduate Students Affirm Their Career Aspirations To Become Veterinarians: A Qualitative Inquiry, Jose M. Uscanga, M. Craig Edwards, J. Shane Robinson, Rob Terry Jr., Udaya Desilva

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Twenty-five students who participated in a study abroad course tailored to veterinary medicine during the summer of 2019 were the study’s sources of data. Using photovoice and phenomenology research methods, we sought to explore, understand, and interpret the impact of a study abroad course on pre-vet students’ views regarding veterinary medicine and their aspirations to become veterinarians. Students perceived that veterinary medicine in Mexico was structured differently from the U.S. approach and the nation’s socioeconomic and agroclimatology conditions impacted the delivery of veterinary care and affected the work settings and practice of veterinarians. They not only discerned the uniqueness of …

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) …

Manuscript Submission Guidelines, Mary Rodriguez

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Guidelines for submissions

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 …

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 …

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) …

Predicting Graduate Students’ Self-Efficacy For Thesis/Dissertation Completion In Sub-Saharan Africa, Millicent A. Oyugi, Mathew Baker, Alexa J. Lamm, Agnes Oywaya Nkurumwa Dr

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Despite the global surge in enrollment for master's and Ph.D. programs worldwide and, to some extent, in Sub-Saharan Africa, a considerable lag in completing theses and dissertations (TD) persists. Personal, situational, and contextual factors, such as supervision arrangements and research abilities, have been correlated with the time taken for TD completion. However, beyond these variables, there remains a significant gap in our understanding of what precisely predicts TD completion. To contribute to this knowledge deficit, we conducted a study to determine the predictive nature of specific information sources on students' self-efficacy regarding TD completion. These sources encompass gender, graduate program …

Manuscript Submission Guidelines, Mary Rodriguez

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Updated guidelines for submitting manuscripts to JIAEE.

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.

Farmer-Centered Pesticide Risk Reduction Education In Senegal: A Novel, Participatory Approach, Mary L. Halbleib, Berit Dinsdale

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

As pest pressures continue to intensify across Sub-Saharan Africa, many smallholder farmers are increasing their use of pesticides, including highly hazardous options, to meet the market demands for high-quality fresh produce. Many of these farmers, however, have not had access to pesticide risk reduction training or have participated in programs that have not enabled them to protect themselves and their families. Given the risks posed by dried and invisible though still toxic pesticide residues, new forms of information and realistic learning strategies are required. This study combined the innovative Adaptive Learner-Centered Education (ALCE) approach with the Farmer Field School (FFS) …

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 …