This national study examined effective student recruitment and retention practices used by colleges of agriculture in the United States among 1862 land-grant, 1890 land-grant, and non-land-grant institutions. Respondents reported that faculty at colleges of agriculture were primarily white. Through the analysis of subgroup percentages, the researchers found that the ethnic makeup of faculty was not reflective of the general population. The researchers found that administrators from 1862 land-grant institutions reported statistically significant differences (p < .05) regarding the use of specific strategies to target underrepresented populations in student recruitment as compared to other institutional types. Further, 1862 land-grant institutions reported statistically significant differences in student retention strategies (p < .05) as compared to other institutional types regarding the delivery of programs that aimed to retain first-year students. Based on key findings from this investigation, the authors developed the agricultural student retention model (ASRM) to help guide colleges of agriculture in improving their holistic retention program as they navigate inclusive and diverse institutional contexts. Additionally, key recruitment strategies were identified as well, that could facilitate holistic student recruitment efforts. Perhaps more significant progress can be made toward creating a sustainable agricultural workforce that is more reflective of U.S. population demographics using this model.

The purpose of this study was to gauge the perceptions of North Carolina secondary agricultural educators regarding the benefits and barriers to diversity inclusion in North Carolina secondary agricultural education programs.Additionally, the perceived solutions to increasing diversity inclusion in North Carolina secondary agricultural education programs were also assessed.Respondents agreed that diversity inclusion benefits include the development of leadership and character skills for minorities and women, in addition to the development of critical thinking skills in students.North Carolina secondary agricultural teachers reported that the barriers to diversity inclusion included prejudicial issues, the perception of agriculture itself, stereotypes, and guidance counselors.Study participants indicated that having agricultural education stakeholders focus upon varying student learning styles, examining educational materials for diversity content, multicultural education, infusing diversity competencies in agricultural teacher education programs, and mentoring were strategies agreed upon for increasing diversity inclusion in agricultural education.Final recommendations for increasing diversity inclusion included utilizing diversified curriculum materials, establishing collaborative relationships with school officials such as guidance counselors, and preservice and inservice multicultural training.

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The purpose of this descriptive research study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Web-enhanced agricultural education pedagogy as perceived by students in a collegiate agricultural education program. Overall, respondents agreed there were many benefits to Web-enhanced courses and perceived all Web site components under study to be very useful. It was recommended that Webenhanced instruction be increasingly utilized in agricultural education settings in order to encourage learning, increase problem-solving skills, and increase technological literacy.

The purpose of this study was to assess teachers' perceptions regarding the future of instructional technology in secondary school agricultural education programs in North Carolina and Virginia. A stratified random sample was selected from the populations of agricultural education teachers in North Carolina and Virginia. Likert-type scales were used to measure the future role instructional technology will play in agricultural education programs, the potential benefits of instructional technology, and the potential barriers to the use of instructional technology. In general, teachers in both states were "undecided" about the future role of instructional technology in agricultural education programs. Accessing lesson plans via the Internet was the primary way teachers perceived themselves using instructional technology in the future. Teachers in both states perceived an array of benefits from future use of instructional technology in their programs, including teacher access to information resources as the primary benefit. To a large extent, teachers were undecided about barriers to future use of instructional technology in their programs. Teachers in both states identified the cost of equipment and the cost of software as the greatest barriers.