Agricultural Courses Research Articles

The Goals and Realization of ‘Socio-Horticulture’ as a University Character Education

This study aims to explore the potential of a new university character education model for today's college students who are seeking an immediate transition to an ecological civilization in various aspects of their daily lives. To achieve this, it examines the background, development process, operational methods, and key educational content of the course “SHARE Community Gardening” at E-University, which is based on the concept of “socio-horticulture.” In doing so, it will not only highlight the distinctions between this course and E-University's precursor course, “SHARE Leadership,” but also differentiate it from urban agriculture courses offered at other universities. Furthermore, the study intends to provide a detailed description and analysis of the course development process, including the establishment of farming spaces and facilities, urban agriculture training for instructors, and the identification of learner needs. Additionally, it will describe the assessment methods and operational support system for the course, and introduce a curriculum for “socio-horticulture” education suitable for the four seasons in Korea. Ultimately, this research seeks to evaluate the significance and value of “socio-horticulture” as a component of university character education.

A comparative analysis of the curriculum implemented in the village institutes

Village Institutes were educational institutions in Türkiye that were structured in line with the educational, economic, social and political needs of the period. They constituted an important dimension of the works carried out to develop the country economically propagate the newly founded republic and its basic principles to the public. These institutions aimed to train well-equipped village teachers to develop the villages and the villagers in every aspect. The teachers who graduated from these institutions also shouldered the task of strengthening the bond between the village and the villagers and the state and the republic. The curriculum that determined the education process of the Village Institutes was first put into practice in 1943. Educational activities were carried out in line with the "education in work, education for work, education with work" principle. The students were active and educational activities were done holistically in these institutions. Furthermore, the students had the opportunity to apply the knowledge they had learned in the culture courses for themselves and in the agriculture courses through technical courses. However, in these educational institutions, the curriculum diverged partially from this aforementioned main principle after 1947. In the 1947 curriculum, which was revised in line with the criticisms made for the 1943 program, the agriculture and technical courses were reduced, and the culture courses were increased. With the 1953 Teacher Training Schools and Village Institutes curriculum, the five-year education increased to six years and the technical and agricultural courses were greatly reduced. Since the Village Institutes were closed in 1954, this curriculum could not be implemented for a long time. For this reason, it would not be wrong to state that the 1943 curriculum was the curriculum which that was developed and implemented in such a way as to fully meet the basic aims and principles of the Village Institutes.

Technical agriculture skills teachers need to teach courses in the animal systems pathway

Fundamentally, agricultural teacher education programs and their faculty are tasked with preparing competent teachers capable of teaching students enrolled in public schools. As part of their design, an important facet of these programs is ensuring pre-service teachers are ready to provide educational opportunities in aspects of school-based agricultural education (SBAE), including teaching technical agriculture skills to students. We used a three-round Delphi technique to identify the technical agriculture skills SBAE teachers in Illinois and Iowa need to effectively teach courses in the Animal Systems pathway within the broader Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) Career Cluster. Thirty-four SBAE teachers who were nominated by state-level SBAE leaders and other SBAE teachers in their states contributed data for our study. Twenty-two teachers participated in all three rounds. In total, we identified 35 technical agriculture skill items. To help ensure teachers are competent and prepared to teach courses in the Animal Systems pathway, we outline several approaches agricultural teacher educators should contemplate: (1) facilitating opportunities to foster technical agriculture skill development within agricultural teacher education programs, (2) collaborating with agricultural faculty who teach technical agriculture courses to pre-service teachers, and (3) using our list of 35 skills to facilitate future scholarly investigation on the topic. While not generalizable beyond the SBAE teachers in these two states, we do believe our findings have value for SBAE stakeholders. To overcome the limitation of generalizability and to delve deeper into teachers’ technical agriculture skill needs, we suggest that our study be replicated in other states.

Yields of Biodynamic Agriculture of Ernst Stegemann (1882-1943): Experimental Circle Data of the First Biodynamic Farmer

Ernst Stegemann (1882–1943) was the first biodynamic farmer. He was an Anthroposophist with a 375 acre (150 hectares) mixed farm at Marienstein, midway between Frankfurt and Hamburg, Germany. Stegemann attended the Agriculture Course at Koberwitz (now Kobierzyce, Poland) in June 1924 at which the New Age philosopher, Dr Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925), laid the historical foundations for biodynamic and organic farming. Stegemann was a founding member of the Experimental Circle of Anthroposophical Farmers and Gardeners which was founded by Steiner during the Koberwitz course. Prior to the Course, Steiner gave Stegemann some preliminary insights on agricultural practice. Steiner’s injunction to the farmers and gardeners of the Experimental Circle was to test his “hints” for a new and then un-named agriculture, to establish what works, and then to publish the results, and thereby bring the ‘era of secrecy’ to a close. Until that point, members of the Circle were to maintain confidentiality of the Course and experiments. The present paper reveals some of the earliest results of putting Steiner’s indications to the test. For Stegemann, over eight years, the annual yield for sugar beet show increases using Biodynamics of up to 26% (compared to the base year of 1923). The annual yield for “cereals” show increases using Biodynamics of up to 42% (compared to the base year of 1923). Stegemann’s longitudinal yield data were presented in June 1931 to Experimental Circle members, under constraints of confidentiality, at his farm at Marienstein (in the then Province of Hanover; now in the German state of Lower Saxony), and now appear unbridled from those constraints of confidentiality.

Developing Virtual Field Trips for Agriculture

Field trips play an important role in teaching and learning, from stimulating students’ motivations to allowing students to connect in-class concepts and the real world. Including field trips within an agricultural curriculum is essential as concepts are highly interdisciplinary, and knowledge application to a range of production systems and environments is critical. Despite their importance, many factors, such as high enrolments, present challenges to its successful integration. Virtual field trips (VFT) allow universities to leverage the affordances of technology to mitigate some of the associated challenges while maintaining quality course delivery. In this pilot study, an experiential learning activity was designed around a VFT application, and the student experience and outcome were investigated. The student experience measures indicated satisfaction with multimedia elements, although it is noted that improvements to the user interface would enhance the experience. Students had positive reflections on the learning experience, including an increased interest in the field of study but did not see VFTs as replacing actual field trips. Paired t-tests showed students’ attainment of learning outcomes. This pilot implementation provides an activity design for other courses with similar challenges and highlights the value of VFTs to the curriculum for undergraduate agricultural courses.

Examining the Impact of Experiential Learning Activities on Student Performance in an Introductory Animal Science Course

The use of experiential learning in agricultural courses within postsecondary institutions has become increasingly important as educators seek to provide students with a meaningful education that increases knowledge acquisition and achievement. Hands-on, experiential learning activities within agricultural sciences, and more directly animal sciences, have previously been used to provide students with experiences that increase performance in courses and overall development throughout a student’s education. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the influence that experiential learning laboratory lessons had on students enrolled in an introduction to animal science lecture course at [University]. Researchers utilized a quasi-experimental study, in which students were placed into one of three groups, depending on the experiential learning lessons that were taught throughout the semester. This was done to determine if students who participated in specific hands-on, experiential learning lessons retained more content knowledge than those who did not receive these lessons, on summative assessments given throughout the semester. Researchers utilized the first quiz scores to examine prior knowledge between groups, and determined that there was no difference. While researchers were unable to determine significance between groups and student content acquisition due to unequal group sizes, researchers determined that students who received experiential learning lessons performed better on average, than those who did not. Researchers identified recommendations for future studies, which include replicating the study with modifications, and repeating the study with two introductory courses simultaneously, in which one course entirely utilizes experiential learning lessons and the other course utilizes traditional review sessions. Additionally, researchers recommended practitioners integrate blending experiential learning opportunities and traditional lecture and review when teaching introductory courses.

Eliciting farmers’ preferences towards agriculture education in Northern Ireland

ABSTRACT Purpose Agriculture education promotes farmers and societal welfare through a more efficient use of resources and the adoption of sustainable farming practices. Nevertheless, farmers’ educational attainment is limited across countries. This study explores farmers’ intention to participate in formal agriculture education. Design/methodology/approach A discrete choice experiment survey with 363 farmers exploring their preferences for different specifications within a diploma in agriculture was employed. We focus on Northern Ireland, a country with a relatively large agricultural sector and were farmers have a low level of formal education. Findings Our results show that farmers exhibited a preference for short courses delivered in the evenings, with 75% of the teaching time delivered online, favouring educational topics linked to farm performance against those related to socio-environmental outcomes. Part-time younger farmers, operating in small farms located in less favoured areas, reported the highest willingness to pay for the course. However, farmers that had previously participated in a Young Farmer Payment Scheme reported the lowest interest in undertaking the course. Practical implications The study provides useful information to education providers in relation to the design of agriculture courses to better meet farmers’ preferences and therefore encourage levels of uptake. Secondly, the study can help policymakers to make informed decisions about policy instruments incentivising farmers to engage in education. Theoretical implications By drawing from random parameter choice models, the study highlights that the heterogeneity of farmers’ preferences should be considered when modelling their decision to engage in agriculture education. Originality/value This is the first study that elicits farmers’ preferences towards agriculture education via a discrete choice experiment. Secondly, the study explores preference heterogeneity based on farmers and farms’ characteristics.

Marna Pease (1866-1947): Founder of Biodynamics for the English-Speaking World

Marna Pease (1866-1947) was the founder of Biodynamic farming in Britain. The ‘Anthroposophical Agricultural Foundation’ (AAF) was inaugurated at the ‘World Conference on Spiritual Science and its Practical Applications’ (WCSS), London, July 1928, with Marna as the Honorary Secretary. Under the auspices of the AAF, Marna shepherded the fledgling Anglo Biodynamic (BD) movement through the turbulent times of the Great Depression (1929-1939), the Great Anthroposophy Purge (1935), and World War II (1939-1945). Marna stepped down in 1946. By that time there were reportedly over 400 members of the AAF. With Dr Carl Alexander Mirbt, she produced the first BD preparations in Britain at her home, Otterburn Tower, Northumberland. She took up the role of Honorary Secretary of both the AAF and the ‘Experimental Circle of Anthroposophical Farmers and Gardeners’. The AAF initially operated out of Otterburn (315 miles north of London, 74 miles south of Edinburgh). Marna was a member of the Executive Council of the Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain. She relocated to the Old Mill House at Bray-on-Thames (30 miles west of London) in 1930. Marna typed, bound, and despatched copies around the world, of the English translation of Rudolf Steiner’s ‘Agriculture Course’, to those who joined the Experimental Circle. She edited the first Biodynamics journal in English: ‘Anthroposophical Agricultural Foundation Notes and Correspondence’. Marna provided members with the BD preparations and she published BD pamphlets. She established a showcase Biodynamic garden and apiary at Bray-on-Thames. She recruited members, hosted visitors, and maintained an international correspondence with enquirers and members. Marna hosted Carl Mirbt (aka Mier) and his family, first at Otterburn and then at Bray. She hosted Dr Eugen Kolisko, Lilly Kolisko, and their daughter at Bray. Lilly’s ‘Biologisches Institut am Goetheanum’ (Biological Institute at the Goetheanum) relocated from Stuttgart to Bray in 1935. Marna was fluent in German and she translated Steiner’s ‘Nine Lectures on Bees’ (published 1933) and Lilly’s ‘The Moon and the Growth of Plants’ (published 1938). Marna’s legacy continues with the Biodynamic Agricultural Association (BDAA) in Britain, and with BD agriculture in the Anglo-sphere presently accounting for 30% of global BD agriculture.

Face-to-Face versus Online Agricultural Courses: An Analysis of Preferences, Challenges, and Non-Adaptability

Short-term agricultural courses equip participants with marketable knowledge through an amalgamation of theoretical lectures and hands-on workshops. As time has progressed, many courses have transitioned heavily away from traditional classroom settings and into digital mediums. A survey was conducted at Convocation Expo during the Agricultural Clinic session at the UPM Bintulu Sarawak Campus. About 156 surveys were evaluated, and the results showed that, despite the potential challenges and lack of adaptability, our participants preferred online agriculture courses over face-to-face learning. Many respondents (34.88%) agreed they would not sign up for an online farming course because they didn't believe in the outcomes (34.88%), the fees were too high (30.23%), the learning platform was inefficient (16.28%), and there was a lack of relevance to current agricultural practices (16.28%). Moreover, the lack of hands-on sessions (61.54%), a preoccupation with marketing strategies (11.54%), and a lack of familiarity with the internet's functionalities (11.54%) were all cited as reasons for the inadaptability and impracticality of online learning. Nearly half (47.44%) of respondents indicated a preference for free face-to-face training, but just 37.18% would be willing to do so (provided the fee was less than RM100). The proliferation of online classes across several platforms has made education more accessible than ever before, so long as the recorded sessions are archived online. However, without the appropriate information or the referral to professional experts, their agricultural operations would continue to be plagued by technical difficulties.

Short-Term Courses in Organic Agriculture for Home Gardens: A Potential Approach to Securing Household Food Supply

Aims: The Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) takes responsibility and leadership in the Bicol region's agriculture and allied technological sciences field. This study determined the possibility of offering short-term courses in Organic Agriculture at the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture.
 Study Design: Descriptive design was used in the study.
 Place and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted in Pili, Camarines Sur, Philippines, for six months in 2019.
 Methodology: A survey questionnaire was used to determine the demographic profile, motivations, reasons, and learning areas of interest among prospective enrollees on short-term courses in organic agriculture. The respondents were selected using purposive sampling, including 30 SHS teachers, 58 School Administrators, and 91 home gardeners. The data were tabulated through frequency count and percentage.
 Results: Results revealed that most prospective enrollees are from the old age bracket (42.25%), interested in home gardening (50.84%), want to learn about basic competencies of organic agriculture (29.05%), and earn a National Certificate for teaching purposes (25.69%). Their main reasons if they are to enroll in the program was health or personal well-being (22.91%). Most respondents wanted to learn about crop and animal production (44.69%) among the learning areas in organic agriculture.
 Conclusion: This study indicates that short-term courses in organic agriculture have the possibility to be offered at the University.

Sleep quality and the teaching-learning process: a case study with Bahian students

Sleep is a natural physiological condition of the human organism, and performs functions such as: restoring the neurological system, modulating cognition, consolidating memory and learning and contributing psychologically to people’s mental well-being. Therefore, an investigation was developed during supervised curricular internship II, of the Degree course in Biological Sciences, with the objective of identifying the causes that compromise the quality of sleep of high school/technical students and its main consequences for the teaching-learning process. The research was developed in two 1st year classes of a Technical course in Agriculture of a Federal Institute located in the Northern Region of the State of Bahia. For the data production movement, a Form from Google Docs was used, in which 40 students participated. After analysis, it was noticed that the socioeconomic and psychological conditions of the students, the school infrastructure, the use of technologies and the number of activities requested by the teachers are the main causes that interfere in the quality of the students’ sleep. Thus, the investigated adolescents have a low sleep duration, which refers to the need for interventions.

Evaluation of the Quality of Practical Teaching of Agricultural Higher Vocational Courses Based on BP Neural Network

Agriculture is the backbone of any developing or developed country that makes any living to survive. To make food available throughout the year, it is necessary to know about agriculture and the work and strategies involved. Hence, agricultural courses have to be introduced to higher education students. Additionally, agriculture-related methods are available in many higher education institutions for longer. However, students and teachers will face difficulties in real-time practical classes during certain challenging circumstances. These situations require the teacher to utilize trending technologies to improve the teaching and learning process and to make it more manageable. In this study, for this process, a novel neural network-based recognition algorithm (NN-RA) is implemented that works similarly to a backpropagation neural network (BP-NN) to provide a practical agriculture course. The proposed BP-NN is compared with the existing NN-RA, I-SC, and I-VDT algorithms based on the data transfer and signal-to-noise ratio. From the results, it can be observed that the proposed BP-NN attains a higher accuracy in data transfer of 99%.

ВИХОДЕЦЬ ІЗ УКРАЇНИ ЗЕЛЬМАН АБРАХАМ ВАКСМАН — ВИДАТНИЙ ВЧЕНИЙ, НОБЕЛІВСЬКИЙ ЛАУРЕАТ, РОДОНАЧАЛЬНИК СТРЕПТОМІЦИНУ ТА СУЧАСНОЇ ЕРИ ПРОТИТУБЕРКУЛЬОЗНОЇ ХІМІОТЕРАПІЇ

Throughout its existence, humanity has experienced both evolution and progress in health matters and borne the burden of complex diseases and shortened life duration. Tuberculosis is an example of a pathology that until recently was a sentence for the patient. Every successful step in the search for tuberculosis treatment (which means saving a life) is priceless. The aim was to study of the biography of Selman Waksman and the history of the streptomycin discovery according to the literature data. Selman Waksman was born in 1888 in a Ukrainian village near Vinnitsa, and immigrated to the United States in 1910. He received a bachelor’s degree in 1915, and in 1916 — a magister degree in the agricultural course of Rutgers College. In 1918, Selman received Ph.D. in Biochemistry in the University of California. Since 1918, he worked in the Department of Soil Microbiology at Rutgers University and studied actinomycetes. In 1923, Waksman discovered that certain actinomycetes produced substances toxic to bacteria, and in 1939 he began an extensive research program to determine the nature of the substances by which various soil microbes destroyed each other. Actinomycin, an effective but toxic antibiotic, was isolated in 1940. In 1942, the antibiotic streptothricin was discovered and studied, a highly active against the M. tuberculosis, but too toxic. In 1943, together with graduate student Albert Schatz, two strains of Actinomyces were isolated, which produced a substance with antibiotic activity — streptomycin. Streptomycin had shown antibiotic activity against several bacteria, including M. tuberculosis. The drug was not toxic to animals. The great practical prospects of streptomycin for the treatment of tuberculosis and other infections led to the award of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1952. Dr. Waksman introduced and popularized the term “antibiotic” in microbiology. He published more than 447 articles and wrote, independently or with co-authors, 28 books. When the Nobel Prize was awarded to the developer of streptomycin, a drug that saved thousands of human lives, the outstanding scientist was recognized as one of the greatest benefactors of mankind. Key words: Selman Abraham Waksman, streptomycin, tuberculosis, history of medicine.

ПРОСВІТНИЦЬКО-НАУКОВА ТА ПРАКТИЧНА ДІЯЛЬНІСТЬ ПАСІКИ УМАНСЬКОГО УЧИЛИЩА ЗЕМЛЕРОБСТВА І САДІВНИЦТВА (КІНЕЦЬ XIX – ПОЧАТОК ХХ СТ.)

The article deals with the educational, scientific and practical activity of the apiary of Uman School of Agriculture and Horticulture at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries, based on references and publications. A number of source materials, containing information on the research topic, were used and analyzed as a part of study, namely: archival documents, periodicals, reports of the Department of Agriculture, rules and programs of courses on agriculture and its individual branches. The methodology is based on the use of general scientific and special historical research methods, such as the problem and chronological method, the comparative-historical method, the searching method, the descriptive method etc. Uman secondary school of agriculture and horticulture, a separate unit of which was an apiary with an exemplary organized economy, which had its own museum, a workshop for making beehives and a library, played a main role in the development of rational beekeeping on a scientific basis. The educational, scientific and practical activity of the school apiary was associated with the names of such teachers and outstanding scientists as V. P. Maksymchyk – the organizer of the apiary, H. S. Derevianko – an animal husbandry teacher, I. I. Korablov – a well-known scientist-beekeeper, professor, teacher of beekeeping and sericulture, head of the educational and research apiary and sericulture station etc. It was found that together with the significant practical training in the educational process, the school apiary also paid great attention to scientific research. It developed and collected statistical data on the beekeeping development not only in Uman district, but also throughout the Kyiv province, based on which a map on the state of beekeeping in Uman district was compiled. It was a significant contribution to the beekeeping statistics. I. I. Korablov carried out his own scientific research on urgent issues of theoretical and practical beekeeping, in particular on the hive system influence on the temperature inside the beehive and on honey collection, the efficiency of natural swarming of bees, the dependence of bribe on favorable weather conditions, the area, the number and variety of honeybees cultures, the effect of stimulating feeding on the growth of the bee colony etc. He is the author of the “Ukrainian” beehive with a narrow-high revolving frame of standard dimensions, which beekeepers still use today. In order to spread rational knowledge of beekeeping among the population and teach innovative methods of bee care, permanent agricultural courses on beekeeping for folk teachers and adult peasants were held on the basis of the apiary, which contributed to active educational work, the development of agrarian economy and increasing the culture of the rural population. Achievements of the apiary of Uman School of Horticulture and Agriculture were demonstrated at the All-Russian and regional agricultural exhibitions. They were also recognized with gold and silver medals and other awards.

Rural Society and Re-Imagination of Education

Education is the most powerful tool in the world to end poverty forever. India, where extreme poverty has grown, especially in rural areas, is a country where it is totally relevant. Indian society, a large portion of which lives in rural areas, lacks education due to factors like politics, which have been used over the years to keep them ignorant of the benefits of education. As a result, there has been no advancement in agriculture, and there is a lack of skills needed to obtain jobs in the manufacturing and service sectors. The majority of people in rural regions today are surviving, but they are malnourished because they are not getting the necessary nourishment, and at the same time, their income is so low that they cannot afford to buy supplements. The government gave universal education significant consideration after it was added to the Millennium Development Goals, although considering higher education is unrealistic given that only universal basic education has been accomplished. The most crucial thing the government can do is educate and assist the underprivileged in sending their children to school and to support further education with a practical emphasis, which would enable them to find employment in the sector. They should have easy access to agricultural courses if they desire to enrol in one. Rural residents do not receive their fair share of government benefits like the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichayi Yojana [4] and Fasal Bima Yojana [4] if they are not educated. Therefore, it is imperative to provide rural society with knowledge so that they can benefit appropriately from government programmes as well as from agricultural improvement and revenue diversification.

Strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and challenges of online learning in agriculture

COVID-19 has jeopardized the academic calendars of majority of the educational institutes across the world. Distance Education and online learning platforms have become a potential solution for education post pandemic situation despite many technical constraints. However, the questions about effectiveness of e-learning, especially for Agricultural courses is not defined. In this study, we focus on studying the SWOC (Strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and challenges) of online learning by students enrolled in Agricultural certificate courses offered by ODLC (Open and Distance Learning centre), ANGRAU (Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University) in the year 2021-22. The present study is conducted through an online survey of 300 randomly selected students of the five online certificate courses - Organic Farming, Bee Keeping, Mushroom Cultivation, Millets Production and Processing and Terrace Gardening in telugu offered by ANGRAU in 2021-22 which would be helpful in designing a more effective online learning environment for Agricultural courses. The results indicated that majority of the participants preferred online classes during the pandemic. The respondents who have completed the courses perceived high level of effectiveness (49.50 percent) about the two distance learning courses while 37.00 percent expressed medium level of effectiveness and a meagre 13.50 percent perceived the courses to be less effective. The SWAC analysis of the responses revealed that the major strength in online learning was the provision of session recordings for retention of learning followed by Location flexibility and Time flexibility. The major weakness perceived were Technical difficulties due to lack of power or poor internet connection followed by other network distractions and Online sessions unsuitable for practical learning. Opportunities felt were Reinforced learning with Recordings/PPTs followed by pursuit of interests outside one’s profession and Age is not a barrier for online learning. The major challenge expressed by the students was the Teacher-Student ratio. The findings of this study provide insights to academicians to redesign the courses in a hybrid mode complementing theory and practical sessions without shifting completely to online education as more number are interested to enroll for online classes rather than contact classes.

Determinants of students learning competencies in agriculture through hands-on experiences

The overall goal of this study was to assess the implementation of curricula for agricultural courses aimed at equipping students with the requisite emerging competencies that should make them self-reliant after training. Most technical and vocational colleges lack infrastructure such as agricultural laboratories, agricultural tools, equipment and farms for teaching the courses. In Kenya, there is currently no data indicating whether or not students study agricultural courses due to personal interest and conviction or because it was the only option available. The study sought to establish: ways in which teaching methodologies used by teachers’ impact the practical competencies gained by learners through hands on experiences, and find out the perceptions of learners towards pursuing further studies and activities in agricultural disciplines. The study observed 89% of those who had two practical lessons in a term indicated that they can practice agriculture on their own. It is concluded that, most teachers engage resource persons in their teaching. Majority of the teachers do not also embark on field trips with their students to places where students can have a real experience of certain concepts or materials that cannot be made available in their school environment for studies. More studies should be carried to explore ways of infusing value based learning by employing modern online techniques that enhance learners’ competencies in their careers.

EDUCAÇÃO DO CAMPO: ALFABETIZAÇÃO CIENTÍFICA E A PEDAGOGIA DA ALTERNÂNCIA EM UMA ESCOLA FAMÍLIA AGRÍCOLA

This work sought to investigate how the teaching of Sciences in Rural Education was constituted within the scope of the Escola Família Agrícola (EFA) project, through the instruments of the Pedagogy of Alternation. The EFA is located in the municipality of São Lourenço do Piauí and operates on an alternating basis, students spend 15 days at school and 15 days in the community where they live, a routine that is inspired by the guiding principles of the Pedagogy of Alternation. As for the methodology, a qualitative-quantitative approach was developed, also counting on the documentary and ethnographic method. Materials were consulted, including official documents that contribute to the understanding of the functioning of the EFA. In the field data collection, a version was used as a basic instrument for the Scientific Literacy Test (TACB), applied to students. For the monitors, in addition to the TACB, a semi-structured form was used to outline their profile. The results revealed that, of the 38 students in the 3rd year of the Integrated High School Technical Course in Agriculture and Animal Science, only 11 (28,9%) could be considered scientifically literate, while 27 (71,1%) didn´t reach the minimum number of hits in the three axes. The research carried out in this work indicated that the students´ results were unsatisfactory in relation to the Simplified Basic Scientific Literacy (TACB-S), which implies the quality of science teaching in this EFA.

Perception and Preferences of Online Learners of Certificate Courses in Agriculture

COVID-19 has jeopardized the academic calendars of majority of the educational institutes across the world. In this study, we focus on understanding the perception and preferences of participants of distance learning Agricultural courses of ANGRAU (Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University) through online platform. The present study is conducted through an online survey of 400 randomly selected participants of the four online certifi cate courses - Organic Farming, Bee Keeping, Mushroom Cultivation and Terrace Gardening in telugu off ered by ANGRAU in 2020-21 which would be helpful in designing an eff ective online learning environment. The study explores the eff ectiveness of online learning, perception and preferences of participants for various attributes of online classes. The results indicated that majority of the participants preferred online classes during the pandemic. The respondents who have completed the courses perceived high level of eff ectiveness (67.50%) about the two distance learning courses while 23.50 percent expressed medium level of eff ectiveness and a meagre 9 percent perceived the courses to be less eff ective. The fi ndings of this study provide insights to academicians to redesign the courses to a hybrid mode complementing theory and practicals without shifting completely to online education as more number are interested to enroll for online classes rather than contact classes

Technical Agriculture Skills Teachers Need to Teach Courses in the Plant Systems Pathway

Agricultural teacher education programs are designed to prepare competent teachers who are ready to teach students in public schools. One aspect of agricultural teacher education is ensuring teachers are ready to lead instruction in various aspects of school-based agricultural education (SBAE), such as teaching students various technical agriculture skills. As part of a larger study, we used a three-round Delphi study to identify the technical agriculture skills SBAE teachers in Illinois and Iowa need to effectively teach courses in the Plant Systems pathway within the broader Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) Career Cluster. A panel of 27 experienced SBAE teachers nominated by their colleagues contributed data for our study. Eighteen teachers participated in all three rounds. At the conclusion of our Delphi study, we identified 82 technical agriculture skills. To help ensure teachers are competent and prepared to teach courses in the Plant Systems pathway, we suggest several approaches agricultural teacher educators should consider: (1) facilitating opportunities to implement technical agriculture skill development opportunities within agricultural teacher education programs, (2) engaging with agricultural faculty who teach technical agriculture courses to pre-service teachers, and (3) using our list of 82 skills as a springboard to facilitate future scholarly inquiry on the topic. While our results are not generalizable beyond the SBAE teachers in Illinois and Iowa, we do believe our findings are valuable to SBAE stakeholders. To enhance generalizability and provide a more thorough exploration of teachers’ technical agriculture skill needs, replication of our study should occur in other states.