Reviews changes in the economy and agriculture, proposing that higher education must prepare students to cope with change through knowledge for being. In addition to knowledge for knowing and doing, knowledge for being involves information exchange and analysis, group work, critical thinking, and problem solving. (SK)

A survey of 24,107 high school students in Swaziland found that 11th and 12th graders had significantly higher positive attitudes toward agriculture. Achievement level, farming background, and rural residence influenced positive attitudes. (SK)

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)

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)

Wageningen Agricultural University's use of systems approaches and simulation for undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate education suggests the following elements are necessary: (1) congruence between the aims/interests of teachers and participants; (2) appropriate course level; (3) applicability to relevant research fields; and (4) a range of…

Interviews with 20 British agricultural educators with less than 5, 5-15, or more than 15 years of teaching experience identified the main influences on their development of expertise to be colleagues and administrators. Primary inhibiting factors were policy, rules, terminology, and timetables. Those who used reflection actively advanced most…

Agricultural extension in Tanzania is largely top-down technology transfer but would be more effective if participatory and demand driven. Implementation of decentralized decision making and participatory training requires time preparation and systematic change strategies. (SK)

Responses from 678 British farmers, 30 environmental professionals, and 30 land managers identified constraints on training: cost, time, remoteness, complexity of the training infrastructure, farmers' place in the life-cycle, and attitudes about past training. Other means besides training may be needed for developing new skills. (SK)

The experience of the International Centre for Research in Agriculture shows that successful interdisciplinary research requires (1) appreciation of systems concepts; (2) common understanding of goals and objectives; and (3) effective communication and management procedures. (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,…

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)

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…

Cross-sectional analysis of 19 agricultural extension projects conducted by the German Agency for Technical Cooperation in Asia and Africa identified influential features: open attitude, participatory analysis, and focus on priorities of the target group. Among the problem areas were superficial analyses of situations and methodological…

From an analysis of educational reform and the teaching crisis in agricultural/food sciences in Central and Eastern Europe emerged three key issues: (1) redefinition of the role of agricultural/food science managers; (2) replacement of production orientation with a comprehensive approach to rural development; and (3) recognition of the educational…

In a cost-effective way to assess training benefits, replies to open-ended questions are analyzed for patterns, and common themes are grouped hierarchically. Trainees perceived benefits in terms of improved professional skills; their managers stressed personal and attitudinal changes in trainees. (SK)