Vol. 53 No. 01 (2003)

The manuscripts in Volume 53, Issue 1 (2003) of the Journal of Southern Agricultural Education Research (JSAER) address a wide range of issues central to the modernization of agricultural education, including technology integration in teaching and Extension, critical thinking, distance education, freshmen retention, and the ongoing challenge of reaching all constituents of the land-grant system.

Technology Integration in Agricultural Education

• AAAE Members' Computer Technology Assessment: An experimental study of 389 AAAE members finds that agricultural education professionals report low computer anxiety, positive attitudes toward computers, and strong support for web-based survey methods, while full professors show notably higher anxiety and less favorable technology attitudes, and females hold less favorable attitudes toward computers but more favorable views of web-based surveys, recommending expanded faculty development and web-based research participation.
• Factors Related to Technology Adoption Among Agriscience Teachers: A correlational study of Louisiana agriscience teachers finds that home internet access, interactive technology resources, self-directed learning, and college coursework in technology are significantly associated with higher technology adoption, while perceived barriers and technology anxiety reduce adoption, recommending that administrators address barriers and that teacher education strengthen technology coursework.
• Instructional Technology Characteristics in North Carolina and Virginia Agricultural Education: A correlational study finds no significant demographic or program variables that predict an instructional technology profile among agriculture teachers in these two states, recommending further research and a train-the-trainer approach to increase technology adoption.
• Student Attitudes Toward Information Technology in Mississippi: A large-scale study of 1,312 Mississippi secondary students in both agricultural science and biology/business programs finds broadly favorable attitudes toward information technology careers, with students generally agreeing that IT is accessible to females and minorities and does not require strong math skills, recommending that AEST teachers receive professional development to better leverage these positive attitudes for IT career awareness.

Distance Education and Instructional Delivery

• On-Campus vs. Distance Student Progress in a Web-Based Course: A content analysis of student behavior in a Texas A&M asynchronously delivered graduate course finds that on-campus students engage earlier, remain engaged longer, and complete the course sooner than distance students, though overall performance is comparable, recommending firm time-goals within flexible asynchronous formats and continued study of academic rigor in distance settings.
• Critical Thinking Disposition in Distance vs. On-Campus Learners: A causal-comparative study finds that distance and traditional learners are generally similar in critical thinking dispositions and perceptions of course effectiveness, though traditional learners showed significantly greater gains in truth-seeking and inquisitiveness subscales, recommending continued development of technology-based strategies that build critical thinking in both delivery contexts.

Critical Thinking in Agricultural Education

• Undergraduate Agriculture Students' Critical Thinking and Career Goals: A quantitative study using the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory finds no significant relationship between students' career choice and critical thinking disposition among College of Agricultural and Life Sciences students, while noting a gender-based conflict with an earlier study, recommending further examination of factors that shape critical thinking dispositions by major and career pathway.

Teacher Inservice, Burnout, and Hiring

• Inservice Needs of Middle and High School Agriculture Teachers: A comparison of Florida middle and high school agriculture teachers finds that inservice needs are similar across grade levels in FFA/SAE supervision, program planning, and professional development, but differ significantly in technical agriculture and curriculum instruction, with writing grant proposals for external funding identified as the greatest need for both groups, recommending differentiated professional development programming.
• Teacher Burnout and Student Misbehavior: A study of 165 agriculture teachers in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia using the Maslach Burnout Inventory finds that teachers experience moderate emotional exhaustion, low depersonalization, and high personal accomplishment, and that student misbehavior is not rated as a serious problem, though age and years of experience are related to depersonalization, recommending continued monitoring of burnout factors given widening gaps between public expectations and teacher capacity.

Freshmen Retention and Learning Communities

• Residential Learning Community for Agriculture Freshmen — Quasi-Experiment: A quasi-experimental study of an Oklahoma State University agriculture freshmen learning community finds that participants persisted at higher rates than non-participants but had lower GPAs, with no impact on psychosocial development, recommending continued evaluation and refinement of the program structure and interventions.
• Freshmen in Transition — Second Year Evaluation: A formative evaluation of the same FIT program finds continued evidence of positive academic achievement and retention outcomes, but no changes in leadership skills or institutional integration, recommending a review of the nature and number of required program interventions.

Extension Education and Outreach

• Adult Education Competencies Among County Extension Faculty: An ex post facto case study of 60 Florida Extension county faculty finds that while most perceive themselves as effective adult educators and spend roughly 50% of their time on adult education, they also perceive a substantial training need, with gender and formal adult education background as significant predictors of perceived competency, recommending that Extension integrate adult education more actively into hiring, training, and professional development.
• Ranch to Rail Program Impact on Beef Producer Knowledge and Practices: A causal-comparative study of 382 Texas A&M Ranch to Rail Program participants finds large, practically significant increases in self-perceived knowledge and use of recommended beef production practices following program participation, providing strong evidence of the program's effectiveness and a model for Extension outcome evaluation.
• Disengaged Farmers as Overlooked Land-Grant Clientele: A study of Oklahoma wheat producers finds that those unaware of Extension programs fit the profile of laggards in Rogers' diffusion of innovation model — being less educated, lower income, and more isolated — recommending that the land-grant system become more proactive in identifying and reaching this underserved group.
• Research, Education, and Extension Needs of Oklahoma Wheat Producers: A companion survey of Oklahoma wheat producers finds that family, friends, and fellow farmers are the primary information sources, that most contact Extension regularly, but that few have direct contact with on-campus faculty, presenting a replicable model for collecting stakeholder input to guide research and educational priorities at land-grant universities.
• Informational Sources and Educational Delivery for Private Forest Landowners: A descriptive study of South Carolina private forest landowners finds that delivery method preferences vary by age and occupation, with significant differences found for video and internet preferences, recommending that Extension tailor its delivery methods to demographic characteristics of landowners while not abandoning traditional approaches.

Science, Biotechnology, and Agricultural Literacy

• Agriculture and Science Educators' Attitudes Toward Biotechnology: A study of North Carolina high school agricultural and science educators finds that participation in biotechnology training is associated with increased awareness, while attitudes vary — suggesting educators are at different stages of the innovation-decision process — recommending training programs designed to move educators toward adoption and integration of biotechnology instruction.
• Governor's Institute for Agricultural Sciences Follow-Up Evaluation: A follow-up evaluation of Pennsylvania's Governor's Institute for Agricultural Sciences finds high participant satisfaction, significant knowledge gains, and widespread use of Institute content to integrate curriculum and collaborate with science teachers, offering a model for professional development that bridges academic and agricultural standards.

Research Methods and Faculty Issues

• Behaviorist vs. Constructivist Teaching in Psychomotor Instruction: An experimental comparison at the Virginia Governor's School for Agriculture finds no significant difference in short-term psychomotor performance between behaviorist and constructivist-based instruction, but a significant student preference for the behaviorist approach, challenging the prevailing trend toward constructivist methods for linear psychomotor tasks.
• Faculty Perceptions of Advising Roles and Competence: A study of University of Florida agricultural education faculty finds that most view advising as part of their teaching load but few have received formal training in it, that meeting degree requirements and career counseling are considered the highest-priority advising roles, and that faculty support compensation in the tenure process for advising but resist student-based evaluation, recommending professional development in advising and further study of evaluation methods.
• Agricultural Education Faculty Compensation Perceptions: A descriptive and correlational survey of agricultural education faculty nationwide finds that over 60% perceive their compensation as too low, with compensation satisfaction improving when salary comparisons within and across institutions are perceived as fair, recommending that administrators use these findings to strengthen recruitment and retention strategies.
• Qualitative Analysis of an Experiment Station Research Publication: A qualitative case study finds that the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station's Partners in Progress wheat report is not effectively reaching most producers due to poor distribution and audience confusion, while it does succeed in demonstrating accountability to policy decision-makers, recommending clearer audience targeting and improved distribution strategies for research communications.