Vol. 68 No. 01 (2018)

The manuscripts in Volume 68, Issue 1 (2018) of the Journal of Southern Agricultural Education Research (JSAER) address expanding agricultural education's reach through food safety integration, youth development, Extension communication strategies, and preparing teachers and communities to meet the evolving demands of rural and agricultural contexts.

Teacher Preparation and Clinical Experience

• Time Allocation During Student Teaching: A quantitative study of preservice agricultural education teachers at Texas Tech University examines how student teachers allocate their time across the three-circle model and related roles, finding that the most time was devoted to FFA advising and classroom instruction, with considerable variation in experiences across individuals, highlighting the need to examine how time allocation relates to self-efficacy and long-term retention in the profession.
• Future Ready Graduate Attributes in Rural Schools: A quantitative study of rural North Carolina superintendents finds that while teachers demonstrate awareness of most future-ready graduate attributes, multilingualism, financial literacy, and self-directed learning are reinforced only to a limited extent in the instructional environment, signaling a gap between state education goals and classroom reality in rural districts.

Food Science, Safety, and 4-H Education

• Food Science Integration in Tennessee Agricultural Education: A quantitative study assessing Tennessee agricultural teachers' knowledge and readiness to integrate food science finds that professional development is most needed in areas such as safely transporting and storing packaged food products, recommending that food safety lessons be incorporated into existing curriculum pathways and that a new Food Science and Safety pathway be actively supported.
• Poultry and Egg Food Safety for 4-H Youth: A quantitative study evaluating the USDA-funded Poultry and Egg Education Project with 190 fourth through sixth grade 4-H youth finds that post-test knowledge scores were significantly higher than pre-test scores and that participants showed improved attitudes and intentions toward safe food handling practices, recommending continued expansion and curriculum refinement of the program.

Youth Development and 4-H Programming

• 4-H Wildlife Habitat Education and Career Exploration: A qualitative focus group study of Tennessee 4-H Wildlife Habitat Education Program participants finds that the program sparked genuine interest in wildlife management careers and deepened understanding of natural resource stewardship, recommending national-scale research to further examine how youth programs transfer conservation knowledge and cultivate career aspirations.
• Motivations for 4-H Horse Judging Participation: A quantitative study of 71 contestants from Colorado, Florida, and Texas state 4-H horse judging programs finds that intrinsic motivation — particularly a desire to learn and genuine interest in horses — is the strongest driver of participation, followed by extrinsic factors such as team performance and scholarship competition, offering Extension professionals a foundation for designing more engaging and effective horse judging programs.

Extension Communication and Water Policy

• Public Perceptions of Agricultural Water Use: A quantitative national study finds that the public generally trusts farmers regarding water use, but regional differences emerge — particularly with western respondents holding more negative views of farming's environmental impact — recommending that Extension develop geographically tailored programs to build a more informed public on agricultural water needs.
• Communication Strategies for Water Conservation in Florida: A quantitative study examining how Florida residents' perceptions of government-mandated water conservation initiatives relate to their conservation behaviors finds that demographic characteristics meaningfully segment audiences, recommending that Extension and water managers use targeted communication strategies to reach different groups more effectively.
• Blueberry Health Benefits Knowledge Gap: A quantitative survey of grocery shoppers across 31 states finds that respondents with lower levels of education demonstrate a significant knowledge gap regarding blueberry health benefits compared to those with college experience, recommending targeted communication efforts to reach lower-education consumer segments and expand awareness of blueberries' nutritional value.

Rural Agricultural Leadership and Resilience

• Tobacco Producer Resiliency in Greene County, TN: A qualitative study of ten Greene County burley tobacco producers finds that despite profound economic and regulatory changes in the global tobacco industry over the past two decades, producers have drawn on adaptive leadership and deep cultural ties to the crop to forge new agricultural enterprises and sustain community resilience in a declining market.

Vision for the Field

• Distinguished Lecture: Dr. Ricky Telg's 2018 Distinguished Lecture uses the theme of time travel to reflect on over two decades in agricultural education and communication, offering career wisdom on mentorship, resilience, professional relationships, and the enduring value of curiosity — encouraging early-career educators to embrace uncertainty as a core feature of a meaningful academic life.