A Descriptive Study on the Preparation of Student Teachers to Work with Diverse Populations

If the agricultural education profession is to attract a more diverse audience to pursue agriculture as a viable career path, the secondary teacher education pathway must be reevaluated. The purpose of the study was to describe the degree to which the involved agricultural education programs prepared their students to work with diverse populations. The study also examined attitudes and beliefs of the student teachers regarding diversity. The results of the study suggest that this group of student teachers was not adequately exposed to diversity neither in their student teaching experience nor in their university preparation. To assist the national agricultural education goal of diversity in agriculture, a national study should be conducted to determine if there is a correlation between minority enrollment in agriculture and the race and gender of the teacher educator

Educator Beliefs Regarding Computer-Based Instruction

The purpose of the mixed quantitative/qualitative study discussed here was to ascertain the beliefs Purdue Extension Resources have regarding Computer-Based Instruction (CBI) for in-service training. Seventeen educators participated in the in-service training using two of five technical sections from an aquaculture CD-ROM tutorial. Educators completed pre-training questionnaires, content assessments, post-instruction evaluations, and follow up interviews. Educators participating in this study had favorable views toward the use of CBI for in-service training programs. The ability to spend less time out of their county and to review materials after the training were two of the key CBI benefits cited by educators

International Business Networks and Partnerships Development: A Case of Chinese Market Development Strategies By U.S. Agricultural Companies

There is a great need to be familiar with creating business networks and partnerships in China by U. S. businesses. The research objectives were to identify the strategies on how to build business networks and partnerships in China and evaluate the importance of those strategies in the development of an effective Chinese market by U. S. agricultural companies. By identifying the strategies and their importance, educators can better assist in the development of educational training programs. A three-round Delphi study was conducted in this study. Thirty-seven (37) panel members completed the first round survey with 34 of them completing the second and third round surveys. The panel members were U. S. agriculture business experts who understood the research topics, had international agriculture business experience in China, and were willing to share such experiences. Panel members were purposefully selected to represent the agricultural industry, government, and higher education sectors. The panel generated a total of 12 strategies on how to build business networks and partnerships in China. Of the 12 strategies, one reached a high consensus level, 10 reached a moderate consensus level, and one reached a low consensus level. Also, of the 12 strategies, one was considered essential, eight were considered very important, and three were considered moderately important. In conclusion, the strategies developed in this study regarding how to build business networks and partnerships cross-culture were all rated by the panel as important at various levels and should be included in international business and leadership educational training programs targeted at U. S. companies wishing to conduct business in China. As a result, international leadership competencies of U. S. business people could be enhanced

The Challenges Associated with Change in 4-H/Youth Development

This article discusses a study documenting the beliefs about proactive change among volunteers and Extension staff who develop policy for local Indiana 4-H Programs. Data analysis indicated that volunteers believe in the core values of the 4-H Program; recommend that the 4-H Program should reach more and different youth; and believe that the program\u27s rural image inhibits progress in these areas. Staff interactions with volunteers, lack of parental involvement, policy-making group organization and structure, and youth representation were cited as barriers to a more open, inclusive organization. The article makes recommendations based on the study\u27s findings and suggests topics for further research

Identifying Employee Training Topics and Their Value In Development of An Effective Chinese Business By United States Agricultural Companies: A Delphi Study

A three-round Delphi study was conducted to identify training topics required for development of a successful China business by U.S. agricultural companies. By identifying the training topics, business educators can better assist in the development of training programs targeted at U.S. companies wishing to conduct business in China. Thirty-seven (37) panel members completed the first round survey with 34 of them completing the second and third round surveys. In summary, the panel generated nine groups of training topics for U.S. agricultural companies wishing to enter the Chinese market. The nine training topics are: ethics and trust, Chinese markets, networks and partnerships in China, Chinese business practices, language and culture, product advantages and customer service, political and economic climate in China, legal counsel and intellectual property in China, and human resources and labor costs in China. Of the nine training topics, the “product advantages and customer service” group reached high consensus level among the panel. The other eight training topics reached moderate consensus level. Furthermore, of the nine training topics, the “ethics and trust” as well as the “Chinese markets” groups were both considered as essential by the panel for including into training programs that U.S. agricultural companies should consider when entering the Chinese market. The other seven training topics were considered as very important

Identifying the Roles and Challenges of Female Agricultural Teachers Employed in Illinois: A Descriptive Study

In 1980, one of the first female high school agriculture teachers opened the door to her classroom at Arthur High School, Arthur, Illinois. Since that time, the number of female high school agriculture teachers has grown significantly. A descriptive study was conducted to identify and describe the roles and challenges of female high school agricultural teachers employed in Illinois. The results of the study can be used as a preparation tool for those females who decide to pursue agricultural education as a career, and can be used to encourage more female students to enter this challenging career. This study also describes the demographics, background, and support given to female teachers of agriculture in Illinois prior to and after college. Almost half the current female high school agriculture teachers are under the age of 30, and 52% of these teachers are instructors of Agricultural Mechanization, a once male-dominated area of instruction

Profiling Indiana\u27s 4-H Horse and Pony Leaders

This article profiles Indiana\u27s nearly 600 4-H horse and pony leaders, describes their motives for becoming a leader, and documents the understanding these leaders have of running a 4-H club, teaching various aspects of the horse and pony project, and training hippology, horse bowl, and horse judging teams. The majority (\u3e70%) of Indiana\u27s 4-H horse and pony leaders are white, married women between the ages of 31 and 50. Eighty-eight percent volunteer as leaders because they enjoy working with youth. Over half (54%) of the leaders would like to receive additional training on how to conduct showmanship and horsemanship clinics

Promising Practices of Dairy, Horse, and Livestock Evaluation Career Development Event Coaches: A Mixed-Methods Study

The present study describes promising practices of successful dairy, horse, and livestock judging coaches. Expert coaches were interviewed regarding previous experience, coaching philosophy, coaching objectives, coaching style, and advice. Twenty-seven promising practices and eight themes were identified from the interviews. A questionnaire was sent to the accessible population of coaches to determine practice usage and relationship to youth performance. Influential and motivating practices were found to be most used by coaches. Youth performance was related to use of competitive and expectancy related promising practices. Findings suggest use of promising practices would facilitate greater coaching success in competition and youth development

Attributes of Indiana\u27s 4-H Livestock Judging Program

This article describes the degree of influence Indiana\u27s 4-H livestock judging program had on developing 10 life skills associated with workforce preparedness, profiles 185 alumni of the 4-H judging program, and documents the beneficial attributes of the judging program by listing qualitative responses from former 4-H livestock judges. The majority (\u3e80%) of the respondents were college-educated men between the ages of 21 and 50. According to the alumni, Indiana\u27s 4-H livestock judging program was highly influential in the development of the following skills: the ability to verbally defend a decision, livestock industry knowledge, oral communication, and decision making

Time to full enteral feeds in hospitalised preterm and very low birth weight infants in Nigeria and Kenya

Background: Preterm (born < 37 weeks’ gestation) and very low birthweight (VLBW; <1.5kg) infants are at the greatest risk of morbidity and mortality within the first 28 days of life. Establishing full enteral feeds is a vital aspect of their clinical care. Evidence predominantly from high income countries shows that early and rapid advancement of feeds is safe and reduces length of hospital stay and adverse health outcomes. However, there are limited data on feeding practices and factors that influence the attainment of full enteral feeds among these vulnerable infants in sub-Saharan Africa. Aim: To identify factors that influence the time to full enteral feeds, defined as tolerance of 120ml/kg/day, in hospitalised preterm and VLBW infants in neonatal units in two sub-Saharan African countries. Methods: Demographic and clinical variables were collected for newborns admitted to 7 neonatal units in Nigeria and Kenya over 6-months. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify factors independently associated with time to full enteral feeds. Results: Of the 2280 newborn infants admitted, 484 were preterm and VLBW. Overall, 222/484 (45.8%) infants died with over half of the deaths (136/222; 61.7%) occurring before the first feed. The median (inter-quartile range) time to first feed was 46 (27, 72) hours of life and time to full enteral feeds (tFEF) was 8 (4.5,12) days with marked variation between neonatal units. Independent predictors of tFEF were time to first feed (unstandardised coefficient B 1.69; 95% CI 1.11 to 2.26; p value <0.001), gestational age (1.77; 0.72 to 2.81; <0.001), the occurrence of respiratory distress (-1.89; -3.50 to -0.79; <0.002) and necrotising enterocolitis (4.31; 1.00 to 7.62; <0.011). Conclusion: The use of standardised feeding guidelines may decrease variations in clinical practice, shorten tFEF and thereby improve preterm and VLBW outcomes