We examined authors' treatment of instrument validity in a stratified random sample (n = 94) of quantitative studies published in the Journal of Agricultural Education from 2007 to 2016. A majority (78.7%) of studies reported use of either a researcher-developed instrument (41.5%) or an existing instrument modified by the researchers (37.2%). In…

One of the keystones of scientific disciplines is the production and dissemination of quality, valid research. Within the Journal of Agricultural Education, traditions passed down from mentor to mentee have led to the establishment of magic words and symbols that, while used to meet criteria for acceptance for publication, actually obscure and…

As members of a profession committed to the dissemination of rigorous research pertaining to agricultural education, authors publishing in the Journal of Agricultural Education (JAE) must seek methods to evaluate and, when necessary, improve their research methods. The purpose of this study was to describe how authors of manuscripts published in…

This study analyzed 336 peer reviews of 112 manuscripts submitted for possible presentation at the 2014 National Agricultural Education Research Conference (NAERC). There were scoring errors on 6.8% of the reviews; the most frequent errors were failure to record a score or assigning a score above the range of points possible for one or more of the…

As teachers search for ways to improve their craft through reflection, critical friendships have proven to be effective at improving preservice and inservice teachers' reflective behaviors. This qualitative study sought to understand the experiences of agricultural education preservice teachers participating in critical friendships with other…

Because publications serve as the institutional memory of a discipline, researchers have the responsibility of becoming familiar with and acknowledging previous literature. The use of citations in manuscripts is considered ethical best practice, and is a method of manuscript evaluation. In agricultural education, researchers have recommended that…

Students and faculty in a land-grant college of agriculture were surveyed to determine their perceptions of current and future Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use in undergraduate agriculture courses. There was a large, positive relationship (r = 0.83) between student and faculty perceptions of the extent to which 40 specific ICT…

The University of Arkansas developed and integrated visual communications curriculum related to agricultural communications into secondary agricultural programs throughout the state. The curriculum was developed, pilot tested, revised, and implemented by selected secondary agriculture teachers. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate…

The effectiveness of different methods of instruction has been discussed since the early years of formal education systems. Lecture has been deemed the most common method of presenting information to students (Kindsvatter, Wilen, & Ishler, 1992; Waldron & Moore, 1991) and the demonstration method has been symbolized as the most effective…

This study sought to assess required information and communication technology (ICT) tasks in selected undergraduate agriculture courses in a land-grant university during a 10-year period. Selected agriculture faculty members in the fall 1999 (n = 63), 2004 (n = 55), and 2009 (n = 64) semesters were surveyed to determine the ICT tasks they required…

Undergraduate students (n = 429) were surveyed to determine the style of advising used by their current advisor, the students' preferred advising style, and their satisfaction with advising. A majority of students (79.8%) identified their current advisor as using a developmental advising style. Nearly all (95.5%) respondents preferred…

Of 169 agriculture students surveyed, 79% had computer training, 66% owned computers; they had slightly above average computer self-efficacy, especially in word processing, electronic mail, and Internet use. However, 72.7% scored 60% or less on a test of computer knowledge. There was little correlation between self-efficacy and computer knowledge.…

Responses from 213 of 259 Arkansas agriculture teachers demonstrate strong support for granting science credit for agriculture. The most powerful predictors of support were perception of student benefits, enhancement of agriculture's status, and no adverse impact on existing agriculture programs. (SK)

Administrators, counselors, and teachers from 41 Mississippi schools (n=123) supported a pilot agriscience curriculum. Science teachers expressed strong support for granting science credit for agriscience. The curriculum was perceived as primarily for students planning agricultural careers. (SK)

Of 175 freshmen agriculture students, 74% had prior computer courses, 62% owned computers. The number of computer topics studied predicted both computer self-efficacy and computer knowledge. A substantial positive correlation was found between self-efficacy and computer knowledge. (SK)