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 correlation analysis results indicated that attitudes and perceived behavioral control are statistically significant and positively correlated with intention, suggesting that favorable attitudes and high confidence in completing professional development programs increase the participation rate. Moreover, multiple regression analysis revealed that attitudes and perceived behavioral control collectively accounted for 48.6% of the variance in intention, highlighting the effects of both external environmental influences and personal motivation in affecting individuals' intention to participate in supplemental professional development programs.

In the realm of elementary agricultural education (EAE), the self-efficacy of educators plays a pivotal role in shaping both their pedagogical practices and self-concept. Grounded in constructivist theory and employing a phenomenological approach, this study investigated the factors influencing EAE teaching self-efficacy. At the time of the study, there were a total of 30 EAE teachers in Georgia. To gain an in-depth understanding, all 30 teachers with diverse backgrounds and teaching experiences were invited to participate. Of these, 18 consented, providing a rich sample for analysis. However, the decision to select 12 participants was influenced by the available time for conducting the focus group sessions and their current teaching responsibilities. Focus group sessions were conducted, with participants stratified by self-efficacy scores. Preliminary analyses dictated the threshold criteria for Focus Group 1 (scores ≤ 7) and Focus Group 2 (scores ≥ 8). Anchored in Bandura’s (1986) triadic reciprocal determinism, the research accentuated the dynamic interaction among environmental stimuli, agricultural convictions, and behavior. Three key determinants emerged as influential to EAE teaching efficacy: personal values, boundary-breaking behaviors, and positive school culture. These determinants foster an EAE environment characterized by affective actions, contagious behaviors, and a constructive attitude. Given the implications of these findings, continuous and iterative evaluations of the EAE curriculum are paramount in educational research.

Background: A variety of residential and experiential therapeutic programs exist for youth who experience emotional, behavioral, or substance abuse problems that are not adequately responsive to traditional treatment options. While evaluations of programs are available in the literature, investigation of the experiences of professionals who undergird these programs and oversee reentry of youth back into their communities is lacking. Purpose: The research reported here aimed to explicate the experiences of recreational therapists. Methodology/Approach: Qualitative design was used to collect and analyze data. Semistructured interviews were employed, and data were analyzed by content analysis. Findings/Conclusions: Findings indicated recreational therapists were optimistic, intrinsically motivated to spend time outdoors, became personally invested in their work and experienced personal growth from their work. They required additional systems of support and guidance to effectively counter compassion fatigue and associated burnout. Measures for organizations to effectively counter compassion fatigue through enhancement of peer support systems and self-care guidance are needed. Implications: The results provided insight into the characteristics, needs, and experiences of recreational therapists who work with high-promise youth. Further, the work provided a proposed change to current models of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue subscale interactions in this population.

Ms. Nicole Deal has been teaching fourth grade for almost three years and recently attended a teacher’s conference on integrating experiential learningExperiential learning activities into the elementary classroomElementary classroom. Many of her students live in a rural area of Virginia and are often exposed to local wildlife like deer, turkeys, and squirrels but have limited knowledge about non-game animals like reptilesReptiles and amphibiansAmphibians in the classroom. Nicole decides to acquire a permit to keep an Eastern box turtle, a corn snake, and a tiger salamander in separate aquariums in her classroom. She is so excited to engage her students with the animals, helping them to observe their behavior and even hold them while delivering presentations in class and to younger grades at her school. As autumn sets in, her students start to notice their classroom animalsClassroom animals are not as active as they were earlier in the year, the students are deeply concerned for their well-being, and Nicole is unsure if this is normal behavior or if the animals are in need of medical attention. How should she handle this potential “teachable moment?”

Teaching awards provide faculty members external validation of their excellence in the classroom and opens pathways for leadership and research collaboration. The objective of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators experienced by faculty members during the nomination process. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 faculty members in agriculture and natural resources to gather information about their experiences during the teaching award nomination process. Barriers experienced during the nomination process included time and effort needed to prepare the nomination package lack of administrative support, lack of awareness of award opportunities, questioning one's own competitiveness, and perceived biases in the award selection process. Factors that facilitated a faculty member submitting a nomination package included a culture of support; demonstrated efforts to improve one's teaching effectiveness; self-confidence, valued external recognition, and persistence; promotion and tenure deadlines; and familiarity with the nomination process. Removing barriers and assisting faculty members during the nomination process requires improved communication about the existence and importance of teaching awards and support from administrators or faculty peers. This support could include teaching workshops, opportunities to participate in the scholarship of teaching and learning, and assistance in editing and preparing a teaching award nomination package.

Little research exists on the role Extension Agricultural and Natural Resources professionals play in communicating information about new turfgrass cultivars. In an effort to analyze behavioral intentions related to social media and its use in the turfgrass industry, the researchers drew from the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). A pilot instrument was developed to measure the intent of University researchers and county-based Extension professionals to use social media to disseminate turfgrass information, as well as their use of social media for seeking turfgrass information. This case study examined the role of county-based ANR Extension professionals across six states, analyzing their role as either creators or disseminators of ANR and turfgrass information, their intent to use social media, and their use of these communications to engage with ANR and turfgrass information. Findings of this study show that Facebook is the primary communications channel used by county-based Extension professionals. Further, it has been determined that the role of the county-based Extension professional in "creating" verses "using" previously established research-based information to disseminate to clientele is not well-defined. Broader implications include examination of performance expectations of county-based personnel related to their use of social media for communicating turfgrass information.

This study describes student interest in the agricultural content pathways established by the National Council for Agricultural Education. Differences exist between male and female students concerning curriculum choices in agriculture, food, and natural resources. Male students were most interested in food products and processing systems, while females averaged the highest interest in animal systems. Females were significantly more interested in animal systems. Males were more interested in power, structural, and technical systems, biotechnology, food products and processing, and agribusiness systems. When considering the students’ race and ethnic background, Native Americans or Alaska Natives reported the most interest in animal systems. Asian students reported the highest interest in natural resource systems. African American students averaged the highest interest in power, structural and technical systems. White Non-Hispanic students reported the highest interest in animal systems. White Hispanic students reported the highest average interest in natural resources. White Non-Hispanic students were significantly more interested in agribusiness systems, animal systems, food products, and processing systems than were African American students. Native American or Alaskan Native students were significantly more interested in animal systems than African American students. This study concluded that male and female students value agricultural curriculum content differently and that the differences were significant in most agricultural content pathways. Students of different races and ethnic backgrounds value agricultural content pathways differently, but most of these differences were insignificant.

This study sought to identify what messages are important to share regarding innovations of new turfgrass cultivars, and to determine the current, preferred, and emerging channels of communication as perceived by Extension/Outreach and Communications professionals in ANR for sending information. This study utilized a focus group consisting of turfgrass extension professionals, an interview with communication professionals, and individual semi-structured interviews. From the twelve questions presented through these methods, seven predominant themes emerged. Effectively communicating about turfgrass involves: (1) conveying long-term benefits of the innovations, (2) considering the sender and receiver of turfgrass information, (3) considering the traditional communication channels used for turfgrass, (4) emerging or sought channels for communicating with clientele about turfgrass, (5) barriers to adopting communication channels for disseminating turfgrass information, (6) factors that influence use of communication channels for turfgrass, and (7) who should be disseminating the identified messages. Respondents indicated that though Twitter was the preferred channel of social media communication for those in the turfgrass industry, interpersonal communication and factsheets were still being requested predominately by their clientele. Respondents recommended working with organizations such as city and county municipalities, as well as residential home builder groups, that are likely to adopt innovations, influence behavior change, and create and institute policies, will be essential for dissemination of information. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions associated with it, researchers are depending on emerging communications channels for dissemination of information more so than traditional methods utilized in the past such as field days.

There are fewer forestry/natural resources pathway classes being taught in Georgia high schools in relation to other commonly associated agriculture curricula (Georgia Agriculture Education, 2019). The purpose of this study was to investigate school-based agriculture education (SBAE) teachers’ perceptions of forestry/natural resources curriculum to investigate internal barriers towards implementation of the curricula. The participants of this study were Georgia SBAE agriculture teachers (N = 358). This study utilized a quantitative non-experimental survey research design. The findings of the study yielded data that reveals particular weaknesses in the importance and competence of forestry/natural resources curriculum. There were a significant number of teachers that did not teach a forestry/natural resource pathway. Teacher importance and competence of forestry/natural resources concepts was analyzed and ranked. The data further shows the discrepancy of perceived teacher importance and perceived teacher competence through Mean Weighted Discrepancy Scores (MWDS). MWDS were used to rank forestry/natural resources concepts to identify training needs of teachers within Georgia. Teachers that had more years of experience had the greatest discrepancy between perceived importance and perceived competence. Teachers with no personal experiences in forestry, natural resources, and/or wildlife management had a significant need for training within those concepts. The recommendations of this study support university and state staff address different avenues to market the core subjects within agriculture education, cultivate partnerships with forestry and natural resources professionals, and SBAE teachers should seek to bring individuals into their classroom to promote forestry/natural resources careers.

Youth in rural areas are exposed to all-terrain vehicles, but little is known about their knowledge of all-terrain vehicle safety and their likelihood to apply such knowledge.The purpose of this needs assessment was to determine what rural 4-H youth in Georgia knew about all-terrain vehicle safety and operating procedures.A total of 287 rural 4-H youth in fourth through sixth grade completed a previously validated all-terrain vehicle safety knowledge and behavior test administered during a regularly scheduled afterschool club meeting.Only 13.6% (n = 39) of respondents passed the safety test, while 13.9% (n = 15) of those who had taken an all-terrain vehicle safety course (n = 108) passed.Of youth who passed the test, 36% had at least three years of riding experience.Participation in an all-terrain vehicle safety course could save a child's life.Still, this study revealed that retention of safety information from these courses is limited, and riding experience does not necessarily imply adequate safety knowledge.Youth development professionals should consider partnering with local all-terrain vehicle dealerships to provide hands-on safety training experiences on properly equipped machines where youth can demonstrate their safety knowledge and behaviors and be evaluated by trained adults.

Many universities and professional associations recognize excellence in teaching with awards; however, research findings on the impact of an award on teaching identity are mixed. The objective of this study was to qualify the impact of receiving a National or Regional United States Department of Agriculture Teaching, Extension, and Research Award (TERA) on teaching identity. Secondarily, this study explored how well award-winning teachers’ self-identities and behaviors corresponded with recognized characteristics of excellent teaching. A phenomenological approach utilizing semistructured interviews and researcher reflexivity was used to gather information from 12 TERA recipients. Findings indicate that faculty members recognized for excellence in teaching demonstrate known characteristics of effective teachers, seek guidance from the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and feel that teaching continues to be less valued than research in their institutional cultures. Results suggest that departmental and college level administrators can foster subcultures that promote teaching excellence through access to professional development opportunities, support for peer mentoring and evaluation, and revised promotion and tenure policies that recognize teaching effectiveness as a productivity metric.

Adult agricultural leadership programs (ALP) train people to address the needs of a diversifying society with pressing social, economic, environmental, and political challenges. Additionally, these programs offer transformative learning experiences that lead to a greater capacity of current and prospective leaders to become change agents in their communities. In a profession where vitality, strength, and perseverance are fundamental, the agricultural industry needs leaders who remain aware of the foundational knowledge contributed by their predecessors. At the same time, it also necessitates innovation that may revolutionize the agricultural industry for decades to come. In this mixed-method study, we asked participants of a state-based ALP to complete the Loyola Generativity Scale (N=48) that measures generative concern, with higher scores indicating stronger generative concern. Survey results (N=48) indicated average overall generative concern. However, there was a considerable variation among participants, scores ranging from 45 to 77. To understand the range of attitudes, we conducted interviews (N=11) with ALP participants. Generativity Theory provided the foundation of our qualitative analysis. We identified how participants are acting generatively in their leadership roles by promoting the sustainability of agriculture through social engagement, capitalizing on opportunities for teaching and learning, and expanding social capital through intergenerational professional networks. From this research, scholars and practitioners will gain a more nuanced understanding of how this ALP is facilitating generative leadership among today’s leaders so they may continue transforming their industry by connecting generational cohorts through the transmission of experience, knowledge, and expertise.

Educators often use reptiles as ambassadors of environmental messages during presentations because of their ease of transport and handling. Although learners may be provided opportunities to touch or hold these animals, this presents a variety of safety and liability issues for the learner and animal. Little is known about whether touching or holding an animal influences perceptions of the animal and related environmental issues. This qualitative study investigated the perceptions of 16 fifth grade students who experienced a live, tactile encounter with a corn snake and Eastern box turtle while participating in an educational class using four focus groups. Regardless of whether students touched the snake or turtle, or fully held the animal, participants noted the uniqueness of the experience and their empathy for the animal and its habitat. Students who fully held the animal thought that they learned more during the experience while students who touched the animal mentioned getting to know the animal better, regardless of whether the animal was a snake or turtle. When learners are unable to completely hold a snake or turtle, educators should consider the equally positive outcomes that can result from touching these animals with two fingers and provide opportunities for such experiences.

The purpose of this study was to systematically identify “key players” and media channels within the turf industry to constitute the diffusion of innovations in emerging turf research and technologies. Online survey questions were structured using Borgatti’s KeyPlayer™ (TM Analytic Technologies) software to determine “the contribution of a set of actors to the cohesion of the network (Borgatti, 2006, p. 21). Turf industry professionals were asked to identify who they trust when they have questions regarding turfgrass. Researchers directly contacted 282 participants via email, collecting 239 responses. The top 25 key players, the number of distinct persons reached in the network, and the percent of the network reached were calculated for the entire sample and each strata of the sample (including golf course superintendents, landscapers, turf producers, Extension, and Others—including Extension Specialists, Turfgrass Faculty, and Sales representatives. Of the 422 unique names mentioned in the survey, key player data showed that the top 25 key players were 1 or 2 steps away from 305 distinct persons in the network (72.3% of the network). With their influence on the larger network, these individuals will now be enlisted to aid in the diffusion of emerging new turf research and technologies.

Organic agriculture has the potential to improve the environmental performance of U.S. agriculture, supporting increasing food demand and diversification of food consumption while improving the quality of ecosystems. Organic growers are challenged by a lack of Cooperative Extension agent support as agents have not served organic growers to the same extent as conventional growers nationwide. Rogers’ (2003) diffusion of innovations theory guided our phenomenological inquiry to explore (a) what agents experienced while supporting organic growers, and (b) how agents experienced providing support to organic growers in north Georgia. According to participants, the essence of the support offered to organic growers was an uneven bridge. Agents were willing to provide growers with the resources to support organic production; however, they lacked theoretical and empirical knowledge regarding organic agricultural production that would enable them to establish stronger relationships with growers. Findings from the study and the uneven bridge metaphor led to an original model to assist Extension agents in better serving the organic agricultural community.

Environmental education (EE) programs, when combined with human-wildlife interactions (HWI), can trigger emotions, an essential part of attitudes that influence pro-environmental behaviors (PEB). We used participant observation and a post-event evaluation survey to investigate emotional response to HWI among participants from marine educational programs at the University of Georgia Marine Education Center and Aquarium, Savannah, GA. We found that during HWI participants demonstrated positive (e.g., empathy) and negative emotions (e.g., frustration) with animals, including misconceptions and negative perceptions toward snakes and horseshoe crabs. In addition, outdoor exploration, contact with wildlife (direct or indirect), biofacts exhibitions and live animal presentations were the practices that most engaged participants in the programs, indicating that animals (e.g., turtles and crabs) can increase participants’ interest in educational activities. By incorporating wildlife in EE practices, educators can engage individuals in activities and stimulate their emotional attachment to animals, which can encourage changes in perceptions, leading to PEBs necessary for environmental conservation.

This mixed-methods study sought to determine the impact of a 4-H state-level youth leadership program on participants’ leadership and life skills (LLS) development. Youth who participated in the study served as a state-level leader for one year. Two cohorts, 2017 and 2018 (N = 18), participated in the study. Twelve youth completed the survey and interviews. Results from the Youth Leadership Life Skills Development scale (YLLSD) and interviews revealed participants gained LLS in the areas of understanding self, decision-making, strengthened oral communication, teamwork, and critical thinking skills. Participation in 4-H positively built LLS among participants. Long-term engagement in 4-H was found to increase and deepen LLS development among participants by reinforcing lessons learned and through positive role-modeling between peers. Further research should explore the relationship between assigning youth leaders with titles such as president, vice-president, and secretary and associated LLS outcomes as previous research indicated that those given these titles benefited more than youth without titles in spite of all youth receiving similar formative experiences.

Women are increasingly becoming the primary decision-makers of forested properties throughout the United States. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of women forestland owners in Georgia. A qualitative phenomenological research design was used to interview nine female forestland owners. Three themes emerged from the semi-structured interviews. Participants stated that land management involved: (a) initial feelings of inadequacy (an imposter syndrome), (b) personal and professional resources, and (c) genuine relationships. The theory of empowerment provided a basis for interpreting the findings and aided in the development of recommendations for future practice and research. We found that women experienced a temporary imposter stage early in land management that gave way to feeling empowered as their experiences with managing land increased. Access to trustworthy information, as well as genuine relationships with forestry professionals and other landowners, played key roles in such advancement. We recommend strategies for natural resource professionals to consider, including encouraging formal and informal networking opportunities when working with female audiences, including at educational outreach events like those hosted by Extension.

Agricultural and natural resource leadership development programs are designed to build leadership capacity amongst emergent and established leaders within the industry. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the characteristics of leadership development program participants and to propose a conceptual framework within which to capture the different contextual variables that exist for adult learners. A descriptive study provides baseline participant data across a range of demographic characteristics within both individual and work-related contexts. Agricultural educators and leadership development program directors are encouraged to use the study results as a starting point for preparing recruitment strategies, developing curriculum and educational interventions, and maintaining contact with adult agricultural leadership development program alumni.

Many studies have examined the positive learning outcomes of environmental education (EE), yet few have questioned the means for achieving such outcomes through non-formal teaching methods. Six interviews and four observations were conducted with 4-H environmental educators in Georgia. Study participants defined effective instruction in Georgia 4-H EE as novel and student-centered, where the educator utilizes their own distinct teaching styles, management of the learning environment, and extra resources while capitalizing on teachable moments. Educators worked to create both personal and environmental connections to inspire students to pursue science and environmental careers. EE trainings should prepare educators with either natural science or non-science backgrounds with teaching practice opportunities, extra curriculum materials, and co-worker support to maximize benefits for environmental educators and learners.