An Industry Perspective on Changes Needed in Agricultural Education Curricula

Abstract

If agricultural education programs are to survive, they must be dynamic and able to adjust to new situations and environments that help to improve the on-the-job effectiveness of future graduates. The purpose of the study was to identify appropriate modifications for the agricultural education curricula being offered by the Department of Agricultural and Extension Educaion at The Pennsylvania State University. Data for the study were colleced via a focus group technique. Four focus groups consisting of 42 people participated in the study. The findings indicated that employers in the agribusiness industry recognized the need for changes in the agricultural education curricula to include the inccorporation of an agriculturala industry option. The most mentioned business skills included human relations, organizational, managerial, and analytical thinking. The respondents also recognized the need for employees to work together in teams and the critical need for leadership skills. The results of this study suggest that there is potential for an agricultural industry option to be incorporated into the major. Participants felt that students prusuing a major in agricultural educaiton should have the opportunity to select between preparation for formal educaitonal settings or non-formal educaitonal jobs in agricultural industry.in education in a formal sense, their jobs still require them to organize and communicate complicated

Increasing the Disciplinary Breadth in Graduate Training in Agricultural Science to Meet the Industry Need for Addressing Global Food System Complexity

“…With increasing complexity associated with global food production systems, graduates of agricultural programs should receive training from several disciplines focusing on social, economic, and environmental issues surrounding food production systems to equip graduates with the ability to address future challenges in agriculture. Results from the present study agreed with previous studies (Scanlon et al, 1996, Schneider et al, 2005 regarding the need for dynamic and interdisciplinary programs. The majority (66%) of respondents preferred interdisciplinary programs over traditional programs (Table 4), and the same percentage also preferred multidisciplinary programs over programs Table 3.…”

“…Klein (1990) suggested that educating students for a career in agriculture and natural resources demands an improved skillset and a holistic approach in terms of interaction with society. To meet industry needs, agricultural curricula should be dynamic so that future graduates are increasingly effective on the job (Scanlon et al, 1996). Broader, more interdisciplinary curricula in agricultural science are essential for addressing the complexity and challenges of modern agriculture.…”

Journal of Applied Communications vol. 96(2) Full Issue

“…A focus group is a "carefully planned series of discussions designed to obtain perceptions on a defined area of interest in a permissive, nonthreatening environment" (Krueger & Casey, 2009, p. 2), usually consisting of 5 to 10 participants, but "can range from as few as four to as many as twelve" (p. 8). Focus groups and interviews have been used successfully to gather curriculum information in previous studies (Frasier, Slatt, Kowlowitz, Kollisch, & Mintzer, 1997;Scanlon, Bruening, & Cordero, 1996;Sprecker & Rudd, 1997).…”

Assessment of critical thinking skills in undergraduate animal science students and curriculum

“…The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (1991) reported critical thinking, decision making, and problem solving skills as the highest workplace skills needed by employees. The interpersonal skills sought out by employers are skills that students are needing to learn within higher education (Scanlon, Bruening, & Cordero, 1996). Recent studies show that 75% of employers want colleges to place more emphasis on critical thinking skills and real world problem solving (AACU, 2013).…”