Agricultural education is responsible for preparing future generations to advance agriculture in a rapidly changing world. How can agricultural education best prepare students to be innovative problem-solvers who can keep up with these changes? Perhaps educators can create learning experiences that allow students to uncover material through their…

Inclusion of new and emerging technologies within agriculture, food, and natural resources education curricula is essential to empowering learners for future success. In the field of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) Education, however, scant literature exists exploring teacher adoption of new and emerging technologies within their…

The objective in this study was to explore factors that shape how residents manage their home landscapes, and we applied Rogers' (2003) Diffusion of Innovations to understand fertilizer practices and implications for Extension programming to address non-point source pollution. Data were drawn from a statewide survey of 1,197 Floridians. We…

Agricultural communicators and extension educators need to make scientific information about global warming, a critical component of climate change, more salient to the general public to increase knowledge and to encourage people to take action to mitigate its effect; however, views on global warming are diverse. Scientists have repeatedly shown…

Nursery growers are one of the largest agricultural users of water. Researchers have been developing new water treatment techniques and technologies for nursery growers to assist in preserving this precious resource, yet adoption within the industry has been limited. Extension professionals need to work closely with nursery growers to encourage…

In our increasingly competitive and rapidly changing world, it is critical that college graduates enter the workforce with the requisite skills for lasting success. However, recent studies suggest employers increasingly identify a workforce readiness gap in core applied skills, which must be bridged by company investment. Teaching strategies that…

Mobile technology is pervasive at institutions across the U.S. The study was framed with self-efficacy theory, self-directed learning theory, and the unified theory for acceptance and use of technology. The purpose of this study was to assess undergraduate students' behavioral intention towards mobile technology acceptance in agricultural…

Surveyed farmers (115 of 150) were very positive about the profitability and compatibility of sustainable agriculture, although certain practices elicited negative reactions. They wanted research and development directed toward maximizing profitability and compatibility to facilitate their adoption of these practices. (SK)

Comparison of an older group of agricultural producers (n=45), young producers (n=102) , and potential producers (n=77) showed the following: potential producers were more positive about sustainable agriculture, younger and potential groups were more likely than older to use dealers as information sources, and potentials were more likely to be…

Comparison of 143 farmers who attended sustainable agriculture conferences (76% response) with 143 controls (57% response) found no significant differences between the 2 groups, suggesting a need to change delivery methods for extension programming. Chemical dealers were the top source of information for both groups. (SK)

An agricultural innovation (nitrogen testing) had been used by 127 of a sample of 220 farmers. Adoption of the technique was influenced by information and change agents' attitudes. Adopters were also motivated by cost savings. Both adopters and nonadopters either did not have or use soil sampling skills needed to perform the test correctly.…

Survey responses from 46 of 57 Virginia middle school agriculture teachers revealed positive attitudes toward agriscience, knowledge about the curriculum, and high expectations. Length of tenure at a school decreased likelihood of teaching agriscience. These four factors were meaningful predictors of the amount of agriscience taught. (SK)

A telephone survey of 200 farm operators regarding adoption of innovations found 52% were early adopters or early majority adopters and 48% were late majority adopters or laggard. Importance of scientific research, learning about new concepts, and use of sources other than extension were factors distinguishing the categories. (SK)

Responses from 115 of 203 Louisiana secondary agriscience teachers identified the level of technology integration in their programs. They were most active in exploring its potential for teaching/learning and adopting for instruction; less active in experimentation and advanced integration. Level of technological anxiety and perceptions of barriers…

North Carolina secondary agriculture teachers (n=126) recognized the benefits of integrating biotechnology. Funding, equipment, and teacher knowledge were the greatest barriers to integration. Those most likely to teach biotechnology have some training and believe that the state-adopted integration course fulfills their curriculum needs. (Contains…