Purpose: To explore how advisors communicate with farmers and the mental frames that they use in their communication. Method: A case study in Norway observing meetings between farmers and advisors at 17 farm visits and 43 separate interviews with 26 different informants (advisors and farmers) related to these visits. Empirical analysis is based on…

The long-standing mission of 4-H has been to positively develop youth, assist them in career development, and provide high-impact experiences. The attrition of extension agents has substantially impacted this youth development goal. Although numerous reasons exist why extension agents are leaving the profession, a lack of employability skills…

Extension agents frequently teach adult audiences, who require a different approach than youth audiences. Andragogy has been frequently used to frame research in Extension. However, it is not clear if Extension professionals apply andragogical principles in practice when teaching programs. We used Knowles' theory of andragogy and the Personal…

Not all Extension professionals enter the workplace with knowledge and experience in program development. Some may possess extensive expertise in their subject matter but need additional training in teaching-related competencies for adult or youth audiences. Even educators with extensive skill and experience benefit from thoughtful and intentional…

This study sought to investigate the motivating factors for Georgia Extension Agents to participate in supplemental professional development opportunities beyond those required for their current role. The study was based on Ajzen's theory of planned behavior, focusing on intention, attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. The…

Purpose: This article describes the development and validation of a survey designed to measure the vision of European agricultural advisors towards innovation. Design/Methodology/Approach: The items of the instrument were developed based on the conceptual framework provided by the position paper for the Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium.…

Needs assessments serve a pivotal role in identifying the diverse competency needs of adult learners, particularly in the Cooperative Extension System (CES). While previous studies have found that an evaluation competency gap exists among Extension professionals (EPs), little is known about how to prioritize and sequence evaluation competency…

Turnover and employee burnout are problems the Cooperative Extension system is facing nationwide, and the Clemson system is no exception. Research within Extension has identified factors contributing to turnover and burnout; however, both remain an issue. To further investigate factors contributing to burnout, this pilot study was conducted with…

Purpose: To assess the potential of a paper diary for strengthening accountability in public agricultural extension services. Therefore a paper diary called 'Diary for Agricultural Extension Officers' was developed and tested in Uganda. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative case study research approach was applied for the development and…

Agriculture, food, and natural resource (AFNR) systems need leaders to catalyze positive change. Thus, Extension professionals have consistently developed innovative and impactful leadership programming. In the current study, the alumni of one such program in Michigan were surveyed to evaluate the sustained impact of the program. Program alumni…

The effectiveness of Extension work is highly dependent on the preparedness and professional competencies of Extension practitioners. One area of training that is of importance to Extension practitioners is adult learning. According to Malcolm Knowles, andragogy is the art and science of adult learning. This study looked at the principles of adult…

The past several decades of Extension scholarship have addressed topics related to creating pathways for stronger campus-field based connections. Several attempts have been made to support such efforts, including creating content-driven teams of research/teaching faculty and Extension professionals; state-wide tours where campus-based faculty and…

The 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans now include recommendations for infants and toddlers. Extension educators can use these expanded guidelines to provide feeding recommendations for caregivers of infants/toddlers. The purpose of this study was to explore 1) the infant and toddler feeding topics that Extension educators discuss with…

As markets are changing in the beef industry, producers are seeking new opportunities for value-added beef production. A select group of beef industry experts and experienced beef producers have come to consensus regarding challenges that producers face in the current marketplace. They identified competencies that would be a positive addition to a…

The three articles included in this dissertation are connected through theory and practice. Study one identifies the factors influencing Extension agents' participation in supplemental professional development opportunities using Ajzen's (1985) theory of planned behavior. Study two was a systematic investigation of Extension personnel's…