Competency-based education (CBE) represents a crucial approach for aligning educational systems with community requirements. The approach is founded on principles that delineate the essential attributes of key educational components: educators, learners, curriculum, and learning environment. In light of the ongoing challenges within Iran’s agricultural higher education system to synchronize academic instruction with community needs, this study investigates the status of the competency-based agricultural higher education system in Iran. The population in this quantitative research included all educators and students in Iran’s public agricultural schools and government employers in the agricultural sector. Sample educators and students were selected using a multistage sampling method, while purposeful sampling was used to select employers. Data were collected using two questionnaires: one related to educators and students, and one related to employers. The validity and reliability of the tools were assessed and confirmed by a panel of experts using Cronbach’s alpha test, and data analysis was performed in SPSS version 22. We found that the characteristics related to the relationships between the various pillars of the agricultural higher education system and the external environment, like professional and management skills, were unfavorable. This indicates that graduates lack the necessary skills to effectively engage with industry professionals and manage agricultural enterprises. On the other hand, characteristics associated with the internal functions of the educational system, such as scientific ability and personal skills, were favorable. This suggests that the educational system is more successful in developing students’ academic knowledge and personal competencies than empowering them to enter the labor market.

PurposeThis study attempts to determine a set of characteristics for each educational component in the competence-based agricultural education system.DesignThis study reviewed 95 articles published in four relevant scientific journals to determine the characteristics of a competence-based higher agricultural education system. These characteristics were determined based on competence-based education principles.Findings: The results of this review indicated that, based on the CBE principles, the competencies for agricultural educational components identified in the reviewed articles could be summarized in 22 categories.Practical implications: The main practical implication is that the universities can consider the results of this study as a set of guidelines in the admission of qualified learners and educators, revising curriculum and organizing dynamic learning environment in line with the CBE characteristics.Theoretical implications: The results of this study could take CBE principles one step further in that, determining characteristics of a competence-based higher agricultural education system can be a guideline on how these principles could be implemented in an education system.Originality/value: This study is original because it tries to bring CBE principles as a valuable theory into practice by the agricultural education systems.

One of the extension approaches that are suitable for use in Iran’s agricultural conditions and to solve some of the problems of this section is a commodity specialized approach. This approach applies to contractual agricultural systems. In this regard, the present study aimed to identify the functions and challenges of conventional farming in Kermanshah province. To do this research, the qualitative research method has been used. Participants in this study included all employers and their contracting parties in contractual agricultural projects in Kermanshah Province, as well as key experts in organizations that were somehow engaged in agricultural development. Purposeful sampling was used. Individual interviews, focus group interviews and observation were used to collect data. The research findings indicate that the main function of contract farming is to increase farmers' knowledge, develop the farmers' economic potential, and reduce the perceived risk for producers. Employers also were introduced to risk management of raw materials for factories, extension and agricultural development, creating brand credibility and job creation as the function of contract farming. The most important contract farming problems of the Kermanshah province are also in the field of establishing and developing contractual agricultural projects, limitations on conventional farming projects as well as insufficient adherence to contract obligations. The results of this study can be used for organizations involved in agricultural development, including Agricultural Jihad Organization and the Governorate.

Experts believe that a solution to avoid the inefficiency of university graduates, especially graduates in Agriculture, is to revise the practical courses, especially internships, and transform and amend them. Taking this point into account, this study aimed to design a model for the internship course in the Iranian Agriculture Higher Education using the Delphi technique. The mental basis of this study was Akker’s ten-phase model. The panel was composed of the university professors supervising agriculture internship courses (N=34) and the employers to whom the students referred for passing the course (N=63). The results from the perspective of employers and the university professors, after three Delphi rounds, determined items for ten components of internship courses, i.e., logic, objectives and goals, content, learning activities, the role of trainer, materials, and resources, classification, location, time, evaluation and appraisal, which were used as the basis for the development of an internship model.

Purpose: This study uses the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to predicts the level of technology acceptance by vocational agriculture teachers at the secondary levels in Iran. Design/methodology/approach: In the literature review of appropriate models, the Technology Acceptance Model proved the most efficacious. A modified version of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) proposed by Davis, Warshaw, and Bagozzi (1989) was modified and expanded to include the variables of facilitating conditions, available resources, job relevance, computer self-efficacy, subjective norm, age, and computer anxiety and was implemented using structural equation modeling using data collected from 154 secondary-level vocational agriculture. Findings: This study shows that the modified TAM model, explained 15% of the variance in information technology usage among vocational agriculture teachers. Furthermore, at the 5% level, relationships showed that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, behavioral intention, subjective norms, computer self-efficacy and computer anxiety were all significant while age, and available resources showed significance at the 10% level. Practical implications: The paper will assist policy-makers in recognizing what factors they can control to promote the adoption IT as well as identifying characteristics of educators that could inhibit such adoption. Theoretical implications: The paper reveals the modified TAM model provides an adequate description of factors available to policy-makers for promoting the incorporation of IT as well as insights into how faculty members’ disposition toward the adoption of technology. The research provides useful insights into individual’s receptiveness toward the use of IT in classroom instruction, as well as extending the international scope of the modified TAM model with the inclusion of an Iranian study. Originality/values: The paper provides recommendations on factors that could be used to increase the adoption of IT while other external variables describe the receptiveness of faculty members to the adoption of IT.

Drought is a persistent, sluggish natural disaster in developing countries that has generated a financial burden and an unstable climate. Farmers should adopt early warning systems (EWS) in their strategies for monitoring drought to reduce its serious consequences. However, farmers in developing countries are reluctant to use EWS as their management strategies. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the decision of farmers to use climate knowledge through the model of farming activity in Kermanshah Township, Iran. A surveyor questionnaire was used to gather data from 370 wheat farmers using random sampling methods in multi-stage clusters. Results revealed that the decision to use climate information is affected by personal factors, attitude towards climate information, objectives of using climate information, and external/physical farming factors. The result of this study has implications for drought management practitioners. To be specific, the results can aid policymakers to design early alert programs to minimize the risk of drought and thus move from conventional to climate smart agriculture.

Prolonged drought is considered as a creeping natural hazard, which has created a financial burden and unsustainable environment in Iran. Moreover, the effect of drought phenomenon in rural areas is more extensive, causing significant challenges to the rural economy in general and agricultural production in particular. A common strategy to manage drought is based on crisis management (ex-ante). However, for effective drought management, risk management seems to be more in line with drought early warning systems. This quantitative study used risk assessment, which is the function of two elements such as hazard (SPI and SDI indices) and vulnerability (exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity). This study aims to build the foundations for drought early warning systems in limited resource areas such as Kermanshah Township in the northwestern part of Iran. The population of this study comprised of wheat farmers in which 293 farmers were selected using multistage cluster sampling method. In the next step, the drought risk map for Kermanshah Township was developed, which revealed that the majority of villages are at intense environmental risk. The result of this study has implications for drought management practitioners. For example, the results can aid policymakers in the design of an early warning system in order to reduce risk and thus empower farmers toward resilient farming.

The aim of the present study was to explore the impact of psychological factors on entrepreneurial willingness among students of agronomy at Islamic Azad University of Marvdasht. The population under study consisted of senior students, of whom 143 students were selected as the participants in the sample using Bartlett table. The instruments used in this study were a number of questionnaires whose validity and reliability were tested using the expert panel and structural equation modeling, respectively. The results indicated that the participants’ entrepreneurial willingness was at an average level. Besides, the participants’ low satisfaction with themselves and exclusion of entrepreneurship in career options were problematic for them. The results of structural modeling showed that norms, belief in self-efficacy, and attitudes have a positive impact on entrepreneurial willingness, respectively. According to the structural model, achievement motivation and subjective norms have a direct and positive effect on internal control and the latter, in turn, affects the belief in self-efficacy. Entrepreneurial internship, creative problem solving, entrepreneurial fairs emphasizing new products, self-regulated learning strategies, and development of entrepreneurial culture via producing documentary films are also discussed in detail in this study.

Drought as a natural disaster and an inevitable phenomenon has impacted different countries such as Iran. Since most Iranian rural households are dependent on agricultural production, they are severely vulnerable to drought. Studies on drought vulnerability have focused on individual farmers with less attention to the farm families. Therefore, the purpose of this survey research was to determine the vulnerability of farm families in Droud Faraman region, Kermanshah. The population comprised of 3329 households in which 172 farm families were selected using multi-stage random sampling techniques. Drought vulnerability was assessed using Deressa et al. formula that measures adaptive capacity, exposure and sensitivity. Results revealed that farm families formed three clusters of vulnerability, i.e. low, moderate and high drought vulnerability. Moreover, Kahrar Moghoofe and Choobderaz villagers were most vulnerable towards drought whereas Moradabad and Amme villagers were least vulnerable to this phenomenon. This study has implications for drought mitigation programs in Kermanshah province. Limited resources should focus on drought vulnerable regions so that adaptive capacities in those regions would be enhanced.

Purpose: This quantitative study sought to investigate the perceptions of teachers and students regarding competency-based education (CBE) principles at the College of Agriculture at Razi University. Design: This research is a comparative analysis of two groups. The first group consists of undergraduate and graduate students majoring in agriculture who are members and non-members of student cooperatives (n = 256). The second group consists of agricultural faculty members (n = 59). Findings: The results of this study show that students and teachers have different views with regard to the extent to which CBE principles are practiced in the College of Agriculture. Moreover, students with different learning patterns had different perceptions regarding the extent to which CBE is practiced, whereas teachers with different teaching patterns had the same perception of the application of CBE principles in the College of Agriculture. Practical implications: This study has practical implications for agricultural higher education in general and colleges of agriculture in particular. Colleges of agriculture across Iran could encourage their students to establish and engage in student cooperatives so that the 'what' and 'how' aspects of CBE are put into practice. Theoretical implications: This study has theoretical implications for CBE principles. For example, student cooperatives can be utilized by faculty members as one of the main strategies for developing CBE in agricultural colleges. Originality/value: This study is original in that it moves from theory to practice when considering CBE.

As an assessment method of the water resources, Water Poverty Index (WPI) has become an available tool in water resources management. In particular, Agricultural Water Poverty Index (AWPI) is an assessment tool for agricultural water in rural areas. During the past decades, Mahidasht Basin in Kermanshah Province has been declared by water policy makers as "forbidden" basin in terms of water exploitation. Therefore, effective water resource management in the basin is deemed important. AWPI provides an appropriate tool in managing water resources more effectively. AWPI is an extension of Water Poverty Index (WPI) with five components including resources, access, use, capacity, and environment. This study sought to investigate the Agricultural Water Poverty Index in Mahidasht Basin in Kermanshah Province. Results revealed that Mahidasht Basin is faced with severe Agricultural Water Poverty (AWP= 49.06). Moreover, although farmers had limited water resources (R= 27.4) but these limited resources were highly accessible (A= 74.9). The result of this study has practical implications for water policy makers in Kermanshah Province. For example, agricultural policy makers can use the result of this study to devise better policies to alleviate agricultural water poverty in Mahidasht Basin where it is faced with water crisis.

Canola production is an important alternative for agricultural policy-makers in Iran to reduce dependency on the imported vegetable oils. Nevertheless, the canola planted area is only increasing at a slow pace, indicating a low willingness-to-accept of farmers. The general aim of this study was to determine the factors influencing the canola adoption in the Kermanshah Province in Western Iran. Employing stratified random sampling method, 106 farmers from each adopter and non-adopter group were selected. Helping to reach a suitable extensional program, two main categories of variables were defined; i.e. “farmers’ personal characteristics” and “extension parameters”. The analysis of farmers’ personal characteristics variables revealed that the adopters had larger farms and were younger. The results also show that 80% of the adopters were “highly” to “very highly” willing to cultivate canola. Furthermore, a logistic regression model estimated the influence of extensional parameters variables on the canola adoption. According to the regression model, the most effective factors are “contact with extension agents” and “participating in extension classes”. As a conclusion, it is suggested that the focus of extension services should be to reduce the distance to agricultural service centers in combination with more contact with extension agents and classes.

I ncreasing rate of unemployment among the graduates of Iranian higher agricultural education system has been developed into one of the major socio-economic problems of the nation. Entrepreneurship is one of the most important factors contributing to economic and social development, that is, it is a main driver for employment creation. As such, many policy initiatives in Iran attempt to pull agricultural students toward an entrepreneurial career choice. In this regard, considering the importance of entrepreneurship, and applying Ajzen’s (1991) theory of planned behavior, the present study was conducted to investigate the factors affecting entrepreneurial behavior of agricultural students in Razi University. The population of this study consisted of all senior agricultural students of Razi University in Iran (N=300), 169 of whom were selected as the sample using the proportional stratified sampling method. Data were analyzed by SPSS and AMOS version23 software in two phases of descriptive and inferential statistics. Results of structural equation modeling revealed that personal attitude toward entrepreneurship, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm were the main predictors of entrepreneurial intention (R 2=0.46) and behavior (R 2=0.45) among agricultural students. The findings of this study can have practical implications concerning the promotion of entrepreneurial intention and behavior among agricultural students for higher agricultural education managers, planners, and educators.

Although agriculture has a major role in economy, in general, and employment opportunities for unemployed population, in particular, limited ability of individuals to recognize entrepreneurial opportunities in agriculture has reduced the share of agriculture in employment. Therefore, the enhancement of opportunity recognition skills among individuals in the agriculture sector is believed to solve unemployment challenges. Social capital is a rich source of information that permits the individuals to identify different combinations of the means-ends in the creation of new products or services for a particular market. Thus, this study sought to explore the role of social capital components in agricultural entrepreneurial opportunity recognition in Kermanshah province. The statistical population of this study consisted of all agricultural entrepreneurs in Kermanshah province (N=136), 102 of them were selected as the sample of the study based on Krejcie and Morgan’s sampling table and the use of a proportional stratified sampling method. The main instrument in this study was a questionnaire whose validity was confirmed by a panel of experts; its average variance was extracted, and its discriminant validity and reliability coefficient was established by using a Cronbach's alpha as well as the composite reliability index. Data were analyzed by SPSSV23 and Smart PLS3 softwares. The result of the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) revealed that the social capital components (strong ties and weak ties) were the main predictors of opportunity recognition among agricultural entrepreneurs in Kermanshah province. Findings of this study carry important implications for agricultural policy makers and educators aiming to foster greater inclusion and cohesion, and to increase transparency and accountability, in order to develop the recognition and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities in the process of promoting agricultural entrepreneurship.

Investigating the Role of Personal Turbulence in Entrepreneurial Opportunities Recognition in Agriculture Sector (The Case of Kermanshah Province)

With regard to the role of children in agricultural activities, the current study aimed at analyzing the attitudes of experts towards the advantages and disadvantages of rural child labor in agricultural activities. The study was conducted by Q-methodology; The study population included the experts of Sayed Yaqub Health Center of Mahidasht County, Iran, and the staff of Charity Committee of Kermanshah County. Totally, 16 experts were selected by the purposeful sampling method. Results showed that the first group believed that children labor deprives the children from childhood activities. The other group believed that child labor lessens the focus of children in the class; on the other hand, strengthens the culture of the region. The third group believed that agricultural activities are among the factors that cause responsibility in children. The fourth group believed that child labor, due to the independence of children, causes joint diseases. The fifth group had a different viewpoint about child labor; they believed that child labor makes the child more agile from the physical point of view, but causes emotional depression. It can be said that the child labor phenomenon in rural areas is associated with the nature of pastoralism. Child labor contributes to economic affairs, households, and family by cultural truism rural residents. But in Iran can be the valve kind of transfer, age of onset, the quantity and quality of work and children's rights into action.