Browsing by Author "Anderson, Glenn A."
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- Access to Discourse and Professional Identity Development of Doctoral Students in Communities of PracticeMckee, Katherine Elizabeth (Virginia Tech, 2011-02-17)This qualitative case study examined the development of doctoral students' professional identities through the negotiation of boundaries among communities of practice and through the social forces within a community of practice. The five doctoral students who participated in the study had been secondary agriculture teachers and were in their second and third years of a Teaching and Learning concentration of an Agricultural and Extension Education doctoral program at a Land Grant University. The participants had from four to seven years of teaching experience in secondary agriculture programs and were on full graduate assistantship with their academic department at the time of the study. The over arching theme was developed through analysis of interviews which were developed through a priori propositions, document analysis, and participant observations. This theme - Doctoral students must lose some legitimacy in their previous communities of practice to gain legitimacy with the faculty community of practice and access the faculty Discourse. Doctoral students' ability to define themselves as "good" and to have legitimacy reinforce each other and increase access which facilitates their professional identity development in relation to the faculty community of practice - emerged to describe the entire study and suggest influences that hinder or facilitate professional identity formation.
- Curriculum and Facilities for Agricultural Education: An Agriscience ApproachBroyles, Thomas W. (Virginia Tech, 2004-07-06)Agricultural education has changed its curriculum, its focus, and its mission. The early days of agricultural education prepared pupils to enter the workforce by training for specific jobs. The emphasis in agricultural education has shifted to the integration of academics with career and technical education. This paradigm shift is called agriscience. The concept of agriscience is delivered utilizing classroom teaching, supervised agricultural experiences, and laboratory learning. Facilities are the linking point from classroom instruction to problem solving and hands-on experience. Facilities must be furnished with equipment and modules that are highly correlated with the curriculum being implemented. Laboratory experiences must be modernized to reflect the integration of academics with agricultural education. A facility problem being encountered is that agricultural educators do not know the essential components needed for a functional agriscience facility. The purpose of this study was to ascertain essential components needed for a functional agriscience course taught in Virginia entitled Biological Applications in Agriculture. Specific objectives of the investigation were to determine the essential agriscience laboratory and classroom components needed to implement the Virginia course entitled Biological Applications in Agriculture. Identifying essential components of a functional agriscience facility was achieved using the modified Delphi methodology. The panel for this investigation was comprised of 17 adult individuals representing three constituency groups. The groups were categorized as agricultural educators, local school administrators, and career and technical education directors. The respondents completed questionnaires spread over two rounds. The Round I included an initial list of 49 pieces of equipment and components from similar courses taught in Georgia, North Carolina, and New York. The expert panel added an additional 41 pieces of equipment and components to the Round I questionnaire. The Round II questionnaire sought to obtain consensus of the list of essential equipment and components for an agriscience laboratory and classroom. The expert panel reached a consensus on the 90 items essential to implementing the course Biological Applications in Agriculture.
- The Effects of the Student Teaching Experience on Cooperating Teachers in Secondary Agricultural Education Programs: A Case StudyEdwards, Stephen Wyatt (Virginia Tech, 2012-07-24)The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the effects of the student teaching experience on secondary agricultural education teachers. Eight of the thirteen participants in this study served as a cooperating teacher during the 2012 spring semester for pre-service teachers in agricultural education from a land-grant institution. Three of the participants had served as a cooperating teacher during either the 2010 or 2011 spring semester but had reported a negative student teaching experience with their last student teacher. Two of the participants had served as pilot interviews for the study, but they were added as participants during the analysis of the study. The participants provided interviews, opportunities for professional observations, and teaching documents for analysis. Four major themes emerged in the study 1) The professional identities of secondary agricultural education teachers are affected by their membership in the pre-service teacher community. 2) Secondary agricultural education teachers volunteer as cooperating teachers to help others and themselves professionally. 3) Secondary agricultural education teachers empower themselves and other members of their communities through their leadership due to their strong sense of political efficacy. 4) The professional practices of agriculture teachers are influenced by their service as a cooperating teacher.
- History of the Virginia FFA AssociationBryant, Bradley Wayne (Virginia Tech, 2001-03-22)Part of this research focused on the predecessors of the FFA by outlining the history and purposes of agricultural organizations formed since the late 1700s. The past two centuries of American agricultural history is rich with efforts to educate and improve agricultural practices through organized groups of farmers and other rural leaders. Early in the development of agricultural societies, experimentation and successful practices were shared with others in the local organization and works were often published in journals or newspapers for educational and informational purposes. Regular meetings and fellowship were also a major focus of the early groups. The national organizations that formed later such as the Grange, included the fraternal, social, and educational aspects while maintaining a focus on the economics of farming. The boys’ and girls’ club movement provided opportunities for youth to meet, learn, and participate in agricultural competitions. The center of activities for youth organizations quickly shifted from community groups to agricultural education programs in the public schools. Clubs that formed within agricultural education programs in Virginia soon united to create the Future Farmers of Virginia. The FFV and FFA that followed initiated the use of certain symbols, colors, and ritual ceremonies that can be traced directly to the agricultural societies. This research identified many agricultural societies and youth clubs that had a profound influence on the development of the National FFA Organization. The major purpose of this study was to describe the establishment of the Future Farmers of American and to document the accomplishments of Virginia FFA members at the state and national levels. The objectives of the study were: To describe the historical events and circumstances that led to the establishment of the Future Farmers of Virginia and the Future Farmers of America, To document Virginia FFA history by recording achievements of members and chapters at the state level, To document the achievements of Virginia FFA members and chapters at the national level, and To provide a history of the Virginia FFA Association from 1925 to the present. The Virginia FFA Association is rich with historical information that ranges from the formation of the Future Farmers of Virginia in 1925, the forming of a national organization in 1928, and 75 years of accomplishments by Virginia FFA members.
- Leadership competencies to be taught in the young farmer instructional programAnderson, Glenn A. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1985)This study identified and rated the leadership competencies that were considered needed by young farmers and should be taught in the young farmer instructional program. The participants in the study were the young farmer advisors, certain young farmer members, state staff, and teacher educators. All participants were from the state of Virginia. The participants rated a list of 43 leadership competencies according to the following rating scale: 4...High Importance, 3... Medium Importance, 2...Low Importance, and 1...No Importance. The mean of the ratings for the four groups were computed as well as the total mean for all groups. The total mean for all competencies was 2.5 or above. All competencies were placed in the medium to high importance category. The ratings of the four groups were examined to determine if the groups rated the competencies similarly. The two groups who rated the most competencies similarly were the advisors and the members. The groups who rated the fewest competencies similarly were members and state staff, and state staff and teacher educators. Also, the respondents ranked the top ten competencies. The competencies which were ranked the top ten are listed below: Bank Competency 1 37. Assume responsibility. 2 34. Cooperate with others. 3 36. Develop enthusiasm. 4 38. Learn to be fair in dealings with others. 5 30. Speak effectively to others. 6 31. Listen effectively to others. 7 39. Participate in community activities. 8 18. Obtain participation by all members. 9 1. Open and close a meeting correctly. 10 32. Accept others as they are.
- Perceptions of the Influence of the Virginia Governor's School for Agriculture on VGSA AlumniCannon, John Glen (Virginia Tech, 2005-04-25)The Virginia Governor's School for Agriculture (VGSA) is a summer enrichment program for gifted and talented students from throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. The program is sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education, and it takes place at Virginia Tech during the month of July each year. The program is housed in the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Students who participate in the program receive hands on, cutting edge instruction in the broad fields of agricultural sciences, natural resources, and veterinary medicine.The nature of agriculture has and continues to evolve. Farmers comprise a very small portion of the population; however there are many careers in agriculture which require a steady supply of well-trained and highly educated professionals. It is projected that the demand for qualified college graduates to fill agricultural jobs will exceed supply. The VGSA has been developed as an agricultural literacy tool, to expose gifted and talented students to the diverse careers in the industry.The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the VGSA on the students who have completed the four classes. Specific objectives were to develop demographic information; to ascertain the perception of the influence of the VGSA on alumni choice of college, major, and career; and to ascertain the perception of the influence of the VGSA on alumni knowledge and perception of the agricultural industry.A survey instrument was sent to all students who had completed the VGSA (N=316). Over half of the alumni (n=182) returned the instrument. No significant difference was found between early, late, and non-responders. The findings show that the average VGSA student is a white female that resides in an urban area with a population greater than 20,000. This student has a high school GPA of 3.93 and is in the top 6% of her high school graduating class. She has an SAT math score of 627 and an SAT verbal score of 630. She is not a member of the FFA or 4-H.The findings show that the VGSA does not have an overwhelming influence on alumni choice of college or college major. The VGSA does not have an overwhelming influence on alumni career goals. The findings show that the VGSA does have much influence on alumni knowledge and perception of the agricultural industry.