Departmental Projects in Outreach
and Research
Research in the Department of Agricultural
and Extension Education focuses on how people learn, apply
and create new information in the sciences and technologies
of agriculture. This includes inquiry in how to improve teaching
and learning within an agricultural context.
Research takes place in a variety of locations.
The department maintains on-campus labs to develop new methods
and techniques in teaching and learning in agriculture. Faculty
members also conduct research in both formal and non-formal
educational settings such as schools and communities.
Some of the recent research conducted by faculty
and graduate students in Agricultural and Extension Education
include the development and testing of new curriculum materials
in AgriScience education. Through departmental efforts, new
materials and procedures in teaching practical applications
of science at the K-12 levels are being developed with aquaculture
and hydroponics systems placed in numerous schools.
In another example, the department recently
conducted community-based research on barriers to participation
in agricultural careers among minority youth in Arkansas.
A different study compared hands-on, active learning with
more traditional lpassive learning strategies on secondary
school student academic performance and satisifaction torward
learning. Yet another study seeks to describe the professional
mobility of graduates of agricultural education.
Departmental research in agricultural communications
focuses on the popular media's role in public acceptance
of agricultural technology and biotechnology.
Several faculty members regularly publish their
research in refereed journals such as the Journal of Agricultural
Education and The Proceedings of the National Agricultural
Education Research Meeting. Departmental faculty members
have served on the editorial boards of professional journals
and have chaired the national professional research meeting. |
