Negotiating the Complexities of Qualitative Research in Higher Education: Fundamental Elements and Issues- A Book Review

For many of us in Extension, our comfort is in the quantitative research realm, with only forays into qualitative research. Negotiating the Complexities of Qualitative Research in Higher Education, by Susan R. Jones, Vasti Torres, and Jan Arminio, provides readers with valuable guidance and perspectives, and a discussion of key complexities that qualitative researchers must negotiate. It is practical and covers a range of topics that are important for Extension professionals, especially as we seek to improve our scholarship. Add this text to your recommended reading list to strengthen your understanding of qualitative research

Using an Initiative to Focus Programming Efforts: A Case Study of the Ohio 4-H Workforce Preparation Initiative

Extension is facing many challenges, including increasingly complex and changing societal conditions. One method to address these challenges is to implement targeted efforts around programmatic or organizational themes organized as an initiative. We use the Ohio 4-H Workforce Preparation Initiative as a case study to illustrate how the process of focusing and redirecting programming efforts can be an effective strategy for addressing issues important to Extension clientele. We also describe in general the benefits of using a change process or model to organize such efforts and specifically how Kotter\u27s (1996) model fits well with our concept of an initiative

Extension\u27s Role in Preparing Youth for the Workforce: A Challenge to Extension Professionals

During the first decade of the 21st century, much as been written about the knowledge economy, implications for work, and concerns about a widening gap between the skills employers need and the capabilities of employees. An intentional focus on workforce preparation will improve the impact of 4-H programming by more clearly demonstrating a return on investment to stakeholders, better preparing future leaders for the workforce and life, and helping fill a gap for employers. A call to action and five questions (e.g., Why 21st century skills? ) are presented with initial thought from the authors

Evaluation of the Leadership Institute: A Program to Build Individual and Organizational Capacity Through Emotional Intelligence

The purpose of the study reported here was to evaluate the impact of Leadership Institute, a program designed to strengthen leadership capacity through developing individuals\u27 emotional intelligence (EQ). A pre- and posttest approach was used to collect data from two workshops with identical EQ content, program structure, and evaluation. Results showed the program yielded significant improvement on evaluation participants\u27 overall EQ score and composite scales and subscales measuring specific areas of EQ. The findings support previous research that EQ can be learned and developed. Extension professionals are encouraged to consider programs to improve EQ as a tool for building capacity

Improving the Training of Frontline Extension Workers in Tanzania: A Pilot Curriculum Reform Initiative with the Ministry of Agriculture Training Institute at Ilonga

Promoting the transition of smallholder farmers from subsistence to more commercial and market-oriented production is an important goal of the Tanzanian extension system. The Ministry of Agriculture Training Institutes (MATIs) contribute to this goal by providing training to frontline extension workers (FEWs). However, the capacity of the MATI system to produce agricultural extension practitioners with job-ready competencies has declined, leading stakeholders and employers to raise concerns about the quality and training of FEWs. The main purpose of this study was to develop recommendations for curriculum revisions at MATI Ilonga to improve its program of study. This was done using a competency-based approach that incorporated inputs from stakeholders into the curriculum assessment and revision process. A panel of eight local and external experts derived 23 competencies from a review of the MATI curriculum and extension literature. A survey instrument to assess competencies based on perceptions of importance and graduates’ ability was designed and administered to 189 stakeholders from four stakeholder groups. Stakeholder-respondents considered all but two of the 23 competencies to be very high importance. Weighted discrepancy scores indicated that the highest rated areas for curriculum revision were Value Chains, Business skills, Climate Change, Fisheries, and Land Resource Management. All stakeholder groups except graduates, indicated Value Chains and Business Skills as high priorities requiring enhanced training to improve the ability of FEWs. Follow-up stakeholder consultations indicated support for using the competency-based approach, engaging stakeholders in the curriculum review process, and interest in applying the approach with other MATIs in Tanzania

Preparing Teens for Success: Building 21st Century Skills through a 4-H Work-Based Learning Program

There is widespread concern that youth lack the skills essential for job success and are entering the workplace unprepared. To address issues of workforce preparation, Extension educators at an urban 4-H education center created the Job Experience and Training (JET) program, a work-based learning program for teens. JET is conducted over a six-month period, culminating in an eight-week summer work experience in collaboration with a local park district. Supervisors and teens completed a performance appraisal measure based on SCANS workforce skills at two points during the program. Both teens and supervisors provided written comments addressing teens’ strengths and areas for growth, as well as comments on their satisfaction with the program itself. Overall, the experience appears to have produced improvements in teens’ workforce skills, as evidenced by their own self-assessment and that of their supervisors. We conclude with implications for conducting work-based learning programs

Preparing Teens for Success: Building 21st Century Skills through a 4-H Work-Based Learning Program

There is widespread concern that youth lack the skills essential for job success and are entering the workplace unprepared. To address issues of workforce preparation, Extension educators at an urban 4-H education center created the Job Experience and Training (JET) program, a work-based learning program for teens. JET is conducted over a six-month period, culminating in an eight-week summer work experience in collaboration with a local park district. Supervisors and teens completed a performance appraisal measure based on SCANS workforce skills at two points during the program. Both teens and supervisors provided written comments addressing teens’ strengths and areas for growth, as well as comments on their satisfaction with the program itself. Overall, the experience appears to have produced improvements in teens’ workforce skills, as evidenced by their own self-assessment and that of their supervisors. We conclude with implications for conducting work-based learning programs

Early lens extraction with intraocular lens implantation for the treatment of primary angle closure glaucoma:An economic evaluation based on data from the EAGLE trial

This study was funded by the UK Medical Research Council (ref G0701604), and managed by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR-EME 09-800-26) on behalf of the MRC-NIHR partnership, Efficiency and Mechanism Evaluation Programme. The Health Services Research Unit and the Health Economics Research Unit are both funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates. The funders had no role in the study design; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the article for publication. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the MRC, National Institute for Health Research, the Department of Health, or the Scottish Government.Peer reviewedPublisher PD