Suggests that the traditional problem-solving approach to teaching vocational agriculture be reexamined and at least partially replaced with other methods. (JOW)

The problem-solving approach was used with 68 vocational agriculture high school students, and the subject matter approach with 61 students. Tests of problem-area achievement and retention revealed that the problem-solving approach was neither more nor less effective than the subject-matter approach. (JOW)

Comparison of vocational agriculture teachers' and secondary school principals' perceptions of the importance of teacher activities associated with agricultural education revealed that teachers rated supervised occupational experience activities, budget management, use of summer time, and involvement in community and professional activities higher…

Critical thinking is a cognitive skill that can be directly developed by specific practices and strategies. Creating a classroom environment that supports and nurtures critical thinking should be a consideration of vocational agriculture instructors and teacher educators. (JOW)

In an examination of methods courses for students of vocational agriculture education, concern is expressed about whether Vo-Ag teachers are mastering techniques which invite student participation. A national survey in which methods course syllabi were analyzed for emphasis on developing competence in teaching techniques is described, and…

A study was conducted to determine the livestock skills possessed by agricultural production teachers in Ohio and to examine the extent to which livestock skills were taught in high school vocational agriculture classes. Questions concerned teacher knowledge of livestock skills, teacher confidence, teaching methods, and relationship between…

Discusses a study of the state-of-the-art as it relates to computer usage by agricultural education programs. The study sought to determine the types of computer experiences received by students, how the experiences were acquired, and investigated the present and future use of computers. (JOW)

A study found that there is a significant difference in student achievement when teaching farm management and agricultural marketing concepts and problem solving with microcomputer-assisted instruction as compared to the lecture-discussion teaching method; and that there is little difference in achievement when comparing teachers' knowledge and…

This study compares the effects of two instructional techniques--traditional lecture-demonstration and small group self-study--using the Ford power train unit as an instructional aid. (JOW)

The effects of three types of laboratory instruction on transfer of learning from a single-cylinder agricultural engine to a multicylinder agricultural engine in the area of carburetion were studied. There were no significant differences among treatment groups on mean quality scores. Instruction method did affect task completion time. (JH)

The effects of lecture versus laboratory method of teaching on the achievement of forty-six students enrolled in a unit on soil and water management (surveying) were studied. Results indicated no significant differences between groups as measured by cognitive and motor skill tests. (JH)

Describes a study conducted to ascertain the effect of using microcomputer-assisted instruction as compared to a lecture-discussion technique in teaching principles and methods of cost recovery and investment credit on agricultural assets to graduate students in agricultural education. The lecture method proved more effective, perhaps because the…

Although agricultural education professors held a positive attitude toward cognitive skill development and frequently used cognitive skill development techniques in their classrooms, the average attitude score and the average use score were lower than might have been expected considering agricultural education's historical commitment to problem…