A postgraduate training course in the interdisciplinary project approach for environmental science specialists emphasized the following critical elements: high degree of organization, feedback on actual practice from experts, cyclical working methods, project planning techniques, and product-oriented thinking. (SK)

Describes a teaching strategy that addresses three environments--natural, global, and organizational--at the levels of science, society, and individual responsibility. Demonstrates a way to integrate environmental imperatives and the need for economic and policy change into agriculture teaching. (SK)

A European project involved British and Dutch agricultural educators in assisting Hungarians with curriculum restructuring and staff development. Evaluation yielded evidence of systematic planning based on new political realities; lack of input from groups outside the university; and involvement of more than 50% of faculty in language training,…

A New Zealand project involving 17 farmers, 2 scientists, and 2 consultants classified their learning styles and found learning-preference and belief differences. The differences were used to guide design and evaluation of an extension program. (SK)

A Canadian extension program in Russia revealed two major problems facing Western extension agents: failure of Russian farms to treat dairy farming as a holistic, interdependent system, and a low level of human resource management skills due to the past history of direction by command. (SK)

The agri-food industry is concerned with maximizing global food output while preventing environmental damage. Agricultural education focuses on multidisciplinary, holistic, and integrative approaches that enhance student capabilities to address this complex issue. (SK)

In Zimbabwe, agricultural extension agents took a participatory approach involving farmers in experimentation and research. The attitude changes required for participatory approaches were highly dependent upon personalities and required major changes in planning, training, monitoring, and evaluating. (SK)

Training farmers to care for the environment must address the complex relationship between farming and the environment. The example of maize weeding in France demonstrates the process of decision making on a farm and the need for teaching about complexity and adopting a pragmatic approach to training. (SK)

Essential aspects of a linkage model for rural development and extension are an umbrella organization representing subcommunities and having overall coordination responsibility and program development committees. Principles include the following: development is about self-help; degree of community participation determines effectiveness; and…

As Irish farm households face difficulty remaining viable, the state-funded agricultural advisory service is beginning to charge for services and is suffering from a hiring freeze. Other rural development extension services are emerging and the role of traditional extension is being reevaluated. (SK)

Case studies from Dutch horticulture projects are used to evaluate the concepts of projects, planning, participation, and platforms. The artificiality of project boundaries and shortcomings of planning models and participatory approaches are addressed. Suggestions include choosing intervention boundaries that reflect reality in terms of time,…

Global restructuring trends in geopolitical, economic, cultural, social, environmental, and communications domains necessitate reordered priorities for higher agricultural education. Changes are needed in terms of target audience, content, institutional management, professionalization, and strategic planning. (SK)

Adoption of a learning-to-learn perspective in secondary agricultural education is affected by school policy, inservice training, and teachers' professional orientation. School management and policy must reflect the perspective that fostering the quality of students' independent learning is the central mission. School organizations should become…

Post-baccalaureate student teachers (n=130) in an agricultural certificate program were tested on technical knowledge and evaluated by cooperating teachers. Animal science and agricultural education majors scored significantly lower on plant and soil science than did other majors. Cooperating teachers perceived differences between major and…