The purpose of this research was to describe the factors that motivate high school agriculture teachers to teach. The motivation to teach included intrinsic motivations, extrinsic motivations, and altruistic motivations. This was a census study using an online questionnaire that was sent to all (N = 252) high school agriculture teachers in Iowa.…

This descriptive-correlational study predicted performance of beginning agricultural education teachers on principles of learning and teaching (PLT) and Agriculture content (AgC) tests of the PRAXIS II examination using demographic and academic variables. Performance on the PRAXIS II was used for issuing initial teaching licenses to the…

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine if upper-level college students who participated in AgPAQ, an integrated course cluster learning community, would demonstrate enhanced learning in the areas of oral communication, written communication, and agronomic/economic technical content knowledge. The population (N = 182)…

The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate the usefulness of an interactive communications network for agricultural education at the secondary level. The Iowa Communications Network (ICN) is a two-way full motion fiber optics telecommunications system capable of linking secondary agricultural departments throughout Iowa. The…

Agriculture students (n=157) taking videotaped courses were asked about their learning strategies and cognitive styles. They liked the convenience of videos, studied independently, and rarely consulted instructors. Field-dependent and -independent learners used similar strategies. Most used a consistent approach to the task of learning from…

The most significant obstacles identified by 53 graduates of an off-campus agricultural degree program were limited course offerings, difficulty balancing responsibilities, access to library facilities, and costs. Because they took an average of five years to complete degrees, more distance education technologies were recommended to facilitate the…

A survey of 42 agronomy faculty showed their perceptions of Web-based distance education were higher when they were familiar with the master of science in agronomy program or had viewed a lesson. Their concerns included the value and rigor of Web-based degree programs and the effectiveness of online student-teacher interaction. (SK)

Of 218 students enrolled in off-campus agriculture courses, 110 received a videotape and bookmark of learning strategies. Compared with 108 controls, the video group did not have higher grades or more positive attitudes toward distance learning. (Contains 15 references.) (SK)

Students who received higher grades in videotaped agriculture courses (of a total population of 143) spent less time studying, more time viewing tapes, were more field independent, and viewed tapes as they were received instead of as time permitted. (SK)

In a study using a total quality management framework, 132 agriculture faculty perceived off-campus courses as being lower in quality. There were small quality differences on user- and value-related factors, but greater disparities in manufacturing-related and transcendent factors. (SK)

Using exploratory factor analysis, data from 132 agriculture faculty showed that they rated the academic rigor of off-campus courses (in terms of active learning, effort, and high cognitive levels) lower than on-campus courses. Their opinions were not related to their experience with distance teaching. (SK)

The purpose of this study was to describe experiences of graduates of an off-campus agriculture degree program. Additionally, selected teaching variables and attitudes related to agricultural courses delivered by videotape are described. Objectives were as follows: (1) describe selected variables related by graduates of an off-campus professional…

Surveys of Iowa secondary agriculture teachers in 1994 (n=102), when the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) began, and 1997 (n=141) showed that increased access to ICN did not increase its use. In both years, teachers identified obstacles to its use, including scheduling coordination, training, and preparation time. (SK)

According to responses from 61 of 78 enrollees in off-campus videotaped agriculture courses, most watched tapes without interruption and almost half viewed the tapes more than once. More positive attitudes emerged when instructors were perceived as facilitators rather than information providers and when it appeared that instructors used effective…

Secondary Ohio agriculture teachers (313 of 414) in 6 areas (agribusiness, mechanics, business planning/analysis, horticulture, natural resources, and production) were slightly to somewhat satisfied with 5 factors (achievement, advancement, recognition, responsibility, and the work itself). Significant differences appeared among the six…