<p>The purpose of this study was to explore ways that higher education institutes (HEI’s) that<br />offered agriculture education and training (AET) in their curriculum could change the behavior<br />to improve the quality of education offered to students. Faculty at a regional conference in<br />Africa participated in a daylong focus group workshop aimed at addressing these needs and<br />offering solutions that could be implemented immediately. Using the theory of planned<br />behavior as a guide, participants discussed the challenges and solutions they saw at their<br />institutions and the amount of time it would take to implement changes. A qualitative analysis<br />was conducted using a codebook to analyze various pieces of data that included video clips and<br />artifacts created by the participants at the workshop. Results from the analysis were split in<br />two main themes, challenges or solutions. The main challenges included access to higher<br />education and lack of preparation at the primary and secondary level of school. The main<br />solutions proposed were to restructure the leadership and offer more training to faculty<br />through mentoring programs. These results can guide higher education initiatives for<br />agriculture education and training as well as other discipline areas in higher education.</p>

Like many institutions around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted us to shift our summer 2020 in-person undergraduate experiential learning program to a remote, virtual format. Here, we present our observations, summarized in 10 best practices, for moving a STEM-focused research experience for undergraduates, experiential learning program or research-based course online. We will also discuss how our program was originally designed and implemented, and how we adapted our activities to deliver an at-home research experience that maintained student engagement, mentorship, and a shared sense of community.

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine if there are differences in pre-service teachers' depth of reflection when using a written self-reflection form, a written self-reflection form and a thinkaloud protocol, and collaborative reflection. Twenty-six pre-service teachers were randomly assigned to fourteen teaching teams. The teams taught a lesson that was videotaped and completed a written selfreflection form while viewing their lesson. The participants were randomly assigned to a control group or experimental group. The control group reflected individually using a written self-reflection form. Experimental Group #1 reflected collaboratively using a written self-reflection form, and Experimental Group #2 reflected individually using a think-aloud process while completing the written self-reflection form. The reflection forms were analyzed for depth of reflection, and a one-way ANOVA revealed significant differences in depth of reflection between the three groups. Participants also engaged in focus group interviews to describe their experiences. Two significant themes emerged: reflection on the teaching experience and reflection on the process used. We recommend that reflection should be used to help pre-service teachers learn from experience. In addition, the use of collaborative reflection and reflection using think-aloud protocols should be considered to promote deeper reflection and understanding.

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