Vol. 75 No. 01 (2025)

The manuscripts in Volume 75, Issue 1 (2025) of the Journal of Southern Agricultural Education Research (JSAER) address teacher preparation and professional development in agricultural mechanics, the communication of agricultural innovations through Extension, and instructional design strategies for improving student learning outcomes in technical agricultural courses.

Teacher Professional Development in Agricultural Mechanics

• Early-Career PD Needs: Using mean weighted discrepancy scores, a quantitative study of early-career Georgia agriculture teachers identifies welding and metal fabrication — particularly AWS welding standards, structural welding procedures, and principles of metallurgy — as the areas of greatest professional development need, underscoring the gap between teacher preparation programs and the technical demands of the classroom.

Agricultural Communications and Extension

• Rethinking the Linear Model: A philosophical analysis drawing on diffusion of innovations theory, knowledge management frameworks, and organizational management models proposes a new communications framework for the agricultural and natural resources Extension context. The framework introduces and operationalizes the role of the "Ag Communicator" — a distinct position bridging knowledge creators and disseminators — to promote clearer, more efficient, and non-linear communication of turfgrass and broader agricultural innovations.

Instructional Design and Student Learning

• Situated Learning in Small Engines: A quasi-experimental study evaluates the effects of instructional treatments grounded in situated learning theory on student knowledge, self-efficacy, and interest in a college-level small engines course. Findings reveal that precision measurement instruction produced significant knowledge gains, while both topics showed modest decreases in self-efficacy and interest following instruction, pointing to the need for instructional designs that simultaneously sustain student engagement and promote knowledge acquisition.