Preparing agricultural leaders: an assessment of agricultural students’ perceived importance and development of employability skills

References

• Abbey, Lord, Eric Dowsett, and Jan Sullivan. 2017. “Use of Problem-Based Learning in the Teaching and Learning of Horticultural Production.” The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 23 (1): 61–78. doi:10.1080/1389224X.2016.1202846.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Alston, Antoine J, Wilfred Cromartie, Chastity Warren English, and Dexter Wakefield. 2009. “Employer Perceptions of Graduates of the United States Land Grant University System's Workforce Preparation.” Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development 3 (4): 1–11. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/ojwed/vol3/iss4/7.
   Google Scholar
• Alston, Antoine J, Richie Roberts, and Chastity Warren English. 2020. “Toward a Holistic Agricultural Student Recruitment Model: A National Analysis of the Factors Affecting Students’ Decision to Pursue an Agricultural Related Degree.” Journal of Research in Technical Careers 4 (1): 1–23. doi:10.9741/2578-2118.1071.
   Google Scholar
• Artavia-Rojas, Kenny Joel. 2019. “Determination of Soft Skills Expected for Professionals in the Urban Food System Industry.” PhD diss., Kansas State University. https://krex.k-state.edu/dspace/handle/2097/40071.
   Google Scholar
• Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. 2009. “Human Capacity Development: The Road to Global Competitiveness and Leadership in Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (FANRRS).” https://www.aplu.org/members/commissions/food-environment-and-renewable-resources/CFERR_Library/human-capacity-development-the-road-to-global-competitiveness-and-leadership-in-food-agriculture-natural-resources-and-related-sciences/file.
   Google Scholar
• Becker, Gary S. 1964. Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education. Cambridge: National Bureau of Economic Research. https://www.nber.org/books-and-chapters/human-capital-theoretical-and-empirical-analysis-special-reference-education-first-edition.
   Google Scholar
• Brüderl, Josef, Peter Preisendoerfer, and Rolf Ziegler. 1992. “Survival Chances of Newly Founded Business Organizations.” American Sociological Review 57 (2): 227–242. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2096207.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Colclasure, Blake C. 2020. “Entry-Level Workplace Competencies Needed by Graduates of a Community College Agriculture Program: A Midwest Case Study Using the Delphi Technique.” Journal of Research in Technical Careers 4 (2): 3–23. doi:10.9741/2578-2118.1083.
   Google Scholar
• Cole, Lee, and Greg Thompson. 2002. “Satisfaction of Agribusiness Employers with College Graduates They Have Hired.” NACTA Journal 46 (1): 34–39. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43765645.
   Google Scholar
• Cooper, Arnold C, Javier F. Gimeno-Gascon, and Carolyn T. Woo. 1994. “Initial Human and Financial Capital as Predictors of New Venture Performance.” Journal of Business Venturing 9 (5): 371–395. doi:10.1016/0883-9026(94)90013-2.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Corporate Finance Institute. 2015. “Communication.” https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/careers/soft-skills/communication/.
   Google Scholar
• Crawford, Pat, and Wendy Fink. 2019. “Employability Skills and Students Critical Growth Areas.” NACTA Journal 64: 122–131. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27157784.
   Google Scholar
• Crawford, Pat, Suzanne Lang, Wendy Fink, Robert Dalton, and Laura Fielitz. 2011. Comparative Analysis of Soft Skills: What is Important for New Graduates?. East Lansing: Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. https://www.aplu.org/members/commissions/food-environment-and-renewable-resources/board-on-agricultureassembly/academic-programssection/documents/SoftSkillsSurvey2011CrawfordLangFinkDaltonFielitz.pdf.
   Google Scholar
• Davis, James A. 1971. Elementary Survey Analysis. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
   Google Scholar
• de Guzman, Allan B, and Kyounf Ok Choi. 2013. “The Relations of Employability Skills to Career Adaptability Among Technical School Students.” Journal of Vocational Behavior 82 (3): 199–207. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2013.01.009.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Deming, David J. 2021. The Growing Importance of Decision-Making on the Job. Cambridge: National Bureau of Economic Research. https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w28733/w28733.pdf.
   Google Scholar
• Dillman, Don A, Jolene D. Smyth, and Leah Melani Christian. 2014. Internet, Phone, Mail, and Mixed-Mode Surveys. 4th ed. Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons.
   Google Scholar
• Duke, Charles R, and Richard M. Reese. 1995. “A Case Study in Curriculum Evaluation Using Strategic and Tactical Assessments.” Journal of Education for Business 70 (6): 344–47. doi:10.1080/08832323.1995.10117775.
   Google Scholar
• Dymnicki, Allison, Megan Sambolt, and Yael Kidron. 2013. Improving College and Career Readiness by Incorporating Social and Emotional Learning. Washington, DC: College & Career Readiness & Success Center at American Institutes for Research. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED555695.pdf.
   Google Scholar
• Easterly, (Tre) R. G, Anna J. Warner, Brian E. Myers, Alexa J. Lamm, and Ricky W. Telg. 2017. “Skills Students Need in the Real World: Competencies Desired by Agricultural and Natural Resources Industry Leaders.” Journal of Agricultural Education 58 (4): 225–239. doi:10.5032/jae.2017.04225.
   Google Scholar
• Elias, Maurice J, and Steven E. Tobias. 1990. Problem Solving/Decision Making for Social and Academic Success. Washington, DC: National Education Association.
   Google Scholar
• English, Chastity Warren, Chantel Simpson, and Antoine J. Alston. 2019. “The Perceived Impact of Life Experiences and Selected Growth Areas Upon the Employability Preparation of Land-Grant College Graduates.” Journal of Southern Agricultural Education Research 69: 1–13. https://www.jsaer.org/pdf/Vol69/2019_014formattedtoprint.pdf.
   Google Scholar
• Fan, Weimiao, and Zheng Yan. 2010. “Factors Affecting Response Rates of the Web Survey: A Systematic Review.” Computers in Human Behavior 26 (2): 132–139. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2009.10.015.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Feldpausch, Julie A, Courtney L. Bir, Nicole J. Olynk Widmar, Stacey M. Zuelly, and Bryan T. Richert. 2019. “Agricultural Student Perceptions of Career Success Factors: Ranking Attributes of Collegiate Experiences.” Journal of Agricultural Education 60 (1): 234–267. doi:10.5032/jae.2019.01234.
   Google Scholar
• Foreman, Elizabeth A, and Michael S. Retallick. 2012. “Undergraduate Involvement in Extracurricular Activities and Leadership Development in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Students.” Journal of Agricultural Education 53 (3): 111–123. doi:10.5032/jae.2012.03111.
   Google Scholar
• Fraenkel, Jack R, Norman E. Wallen, and Helen Hyun. 2019. How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education. 10th ed. New York: McGraw Hill Education.
   Google Scholar
• Francis, Charles, James King, Geir Lieblein, Tor Arvid Breland, Lennart Salomonsson, Nadarajah Sriskandarajah, Paul Porter, and Mary Wiedenhoeft. 2009. “Open-Ended Cases in Agroecology: Farming and Food Systems in the Nordic Region and the US Midwest.” The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 15 (4): 385–400. doi:10.1080/13892240903309645.
   Google Scholar
• Garton, Bryan L, and Shane J. Robinson. 2006. “Career Paths, Job Satisfaction, and Employability Skills of Agricultural Education Graduates.” NACTA Journal 50 (4): 31–36. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43766170.
   Google Scholar
• Gerhardt, Megan. 2007. “Teaching Self-Management: The Design and Implementation of Self-Management Tutorials.” Journal of Education for Business 83 (1): 11–18. doi:10.3200/JOEB.83.1.11-18.
   Google Scholar
• Gliem, Joseph A, and Rosemary R. Gliem. 2003. “Calculating, Interpreting, and Reporting Cronbach’s Alpha Reliability Coefficient for Likert-Type Scales.” Paper presented at the annual meeting for the Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education. http://hdl.handle.net/1805/344.
   Google Scholar
• Griffin, Mamie, and Pedro Coelhoso. 2019. “Business Students’ Perspectives on Employability Skills Post Internship Experience: Lessons from the UAE.” Higher Education, Skills, and Work-Based Learning 9 (1): 60–75. doi:10.1108/HESWBL-12-2017-0102.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Harun, Haryanni, Rohani Salleh, Mohamed Noor Rosli Baharom, and Mumtaz Ali Memon. 2017. “Employability Skills and Attributes of Engineering and Technology Graduates from Employers’ Perspective: Important vs.” Satisfaction.” Global Business and Management Research: An International Journal 9 (1): 573–581. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1903433176?accountid=7082.
   Google Scholar
• Hendrix, Rachel, and Carley C. Morrison. 2018. “Student Perceptions of Workforce Readiness in Agriculture.” Journal of Agricultural Education 59 (3): 213–228. doi:10.5032/jae.2018.03213.
   Google Scholar
• Holden, Ronald R. 2010. “Face Validity.” In The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology (4th ed.), edited by B. Weiner Irving, and W. Edward Craighead, 637–638. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.
   Google Scholar
• Hughes, Richard L, and Steven K. Jones. 2011. “Developing and Assessing College Student Teamwork Skills.” New Directions for Institutional Research 2011 (149): 53–64. doi:10.1002/ir.380.
   Google Scholar
• Juhász, Tímea, and Gabriella Horváth-Csikós. 2021. “The Emergence of Soft Skills in Agricultural Education.” Problems and Perspectives in Management 19 (3): 453–466. doi:10.21511/ppm/19(3).2021.37.
   Google Scholar
• Knobloch, Neil A, Mingla Charoenmuang, Jessica L. Cooperstone, and Bhimanagouda S. Patil. 2020. “Developing Interdisciplinary Thinking in a Food and Nutritional Security, Hunger, and Sustainability Graduate Course.” The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension 26 (1): 113–127. doi:10.1080/1389224X.2019.1690014.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Leighton, Margaret, and Jamin D. Speer. 2020. “Labor Market Returns to College Major Specificity.” European Economic Review 128: 1–25. doi:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2020.103489.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Mahmudah, Umi, and Siti Fatimah. 2021. “Bootstrap Approach for Analyzing the Influence of Interpersonal Communication Skills on Science Performances.” International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies 8 (1): 137–148. doi:10.23918/ijsses.v8i1p137.
   Google Scholar
• Mettas, Alexandros. 2011. “The Development of Decision-Making Skills.” Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education 7 (1): 63–73. doi:10.12973/ejmste/75180.
   Google Scholar
• Nafukho, Fredrick M, Nancy Hairston, and Kit Brooks. 2004. “Human Capital Theory: Implications for Human Resource Development.” Human Resource Development International 7 (4): 545–551. doi:10.1080/1367886042000299843.
   Google Scholar
• Norris, Shannon L, Theresa Pesl Murphrey, and Holli R. Leggette. 2019. “Do They Believe They Can Communicate? Assessing College Students’ Perceived Ability to Communicate About Agricultural Sciences.” Journal of Agricultural Education 60 (4): 53–70. doi:10.5032/jae.2019.04053.
   Google Scholar
• Parrella, Jean A., Theresa Pesl Murphrey, Holli R. Leggette, Christi Esquivel, and A. Anna Bates. 2022. “Help is Available: Free Curriculum for Teaching Decision-making and Communication Skills.” The Agricultural Education Magazine, March–April.
   Google Scholar
• Phillips, Andrew W, and Steven J. Durning. 2017. “How to Calculate a Survey Response Rate: Best Practices.” Academic Medicine 92 (2): 269. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000001410.
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Rateau, Richard J, Eric K. Kaufman, and D. Adam Cletzer. 2015. “Innovative Classroom Strategies That Prepare College Graduates for Workplace Success.” Journal of Agricultural Education 56 (3): 52–68. doi:10.5032/jae.2015.03052.
   Google Scholar
• Rauch, Andreas, and Serge A. Rijsdijk. 2013. “The Effects of General and Specific Human Capital on Long-Term Growth and Failure of Newly Founded Businesses.” Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 37 (4): 923–941. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6520.2011.00487.x.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ricketts, Cliff, and John Ricketts. 2010. “Leadership Categories and Styles.” In Leadership: Personal Development and Career Success. 3rd ed., 2–41. Clifton Park: Delmar Cengage Learning.
   Google Scholar
• Roberts, Grady T, Becky Raulerson, Ricky Telg, Amy Harder, and Nicole Stedman. 2018. “The Impacts of a Short Term Study Abroad on Critical Thinking of Agriculture Students.” NACTA Journal 62 (2): 168–174. https://www.nactateachers.org/attachments/article/2729/13T.G.Roberts.pdf.
   Google Scholar
• Robinson, Shane J. 2006. “Graduates’ and Employers’ Perceptions of Entry-Level Employability Skills Needed by Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Graduates.” PhD diss., University of Missouri-Columbia. doi:10.32469/10355/4328.
   Google Scholar
• Robinson, Shane J, and Bryan L. Garton. 2008. “An Assessment of the Employability Skills Needed by College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Graduates at the University of Missouri-Columbia.” Journal of Agricultural Education 34 (4): 96–105. doi:10.50322/jae.2008.04096.
   Google Scholar
• Rodriguez, Jacqueline, Heather Fox, and Heather McCambly. 2016. “Work-Based Learning as a Pathway to Postsecondary and Career Success.” Insights on Equity and Outcomes, October. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED574535.pdf.
   Google Scholar
• Ross, Sean. 2021. “What is the Human Capital Theory and How is it Used? Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/032715/what-human-capital-and-how-it-used.asp.
   Google Scholar
• Rowley, Clarissa. 2014. “Student and Employer Perceptions of the Importance of Entry-Level Employability Skills.” PhD diss., California State University, Chico. http://hdl.handle.net/10211.3/125043.
   Google Scholar
• Scott, Vicki. 2001. “Development and Implementation of a Professionalism Workshop for Students Enrolled in Allied Health Care Professions.” PhD diss., Concordia University. https://digitalcommons.csp.edu/legacy-capstones_maom/115.
   Google Scholar
• Seong-O, Bae, and Louise Patterson. 2014. “Comparison and Implications of Human Capital Theory at the Individual, Organization, and Country Levels.” Journal of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict 18 (1): 11–28. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1647822738?accountid=7082.
   Google Scholar
• Stephens, Clinton M, and Cameron C. Beatty. 2015. “Leading and Thriving: How Leadership Education Can Improve First-Year Student Success.” Journal of Leadership Education 14: 119–131. doi:10.12806/V14/I3/T1.
   Google Scholar
• Suvedi, Murari, Ramjee P. Ghimire, and Kelly F. Millenbah. 2016. “How Prepared are Undergraduates for a Career?” NACTA Journal 60 (1a): 13–20. https://www.nactateachers.org/attachments/article/2398/NACTAJournalSpecialMay2016.pdf#page = 16.
   Google Scholar
• Sweetland, Scott R. 1996. “Human Capital Theory: Foundations of a Field of Inquiry.” Review of Educational Research 66 (3): 341–359. doi:10.3102/00346543066003341.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Texas A&M University Accountability. 2019. “Student Enrollment by College". https://accountability.tamu.edu/All-Metrics/Mixed-Metrics/Student-Enrollment-by-College.
   Google Scholar
• Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. n.d.a. Graduate Degree Search.https://aglifesciences.tamu.edu/programs-majors/.
   Google Scholar
• Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. n.d.b. Undergraduate Programs & Majors. https://aglifesciences.tamu.edu/undergraduate/undergraduate-programs-majors/.
   Google Scholar
• Truax, Timothy Frank. 2020. “Preparing our Students for the Future: An Employability Skills Analysis Within a College of Agriculture.” PhD diss., California State University, Fresno. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2518778513?pq-origsite = gscholar&fromopenview = true.
   Google Scholar
• United States Department of Agriculture. 2015. “Employment Opportunities for College Graduates in Food, Agriculture, Renewable Natural Resources, and the Environment.” https://www.purdue.edu/usda/employment//wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2-Page-USDA-Employ.pdf.
   Google Scholar
• Vetter, Austin, and Gary Wingenbach. 2019. “Self-Perceived Employability Skills from Agricultural Study Abroad Experiences.” NACTA Journal 63 (1a): 164–172. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2374117345?accountid=7082.
   Google Scholar
• Virginia Tech. 2021. “Career and Professional Development: Professionalism.” https://career.vt.edu/develop/professionalism.html.
   Google Scholar
• Westhead, Paul, and Marina Z. Solesvik. 2016. “Entrepreneurship Education and Entrepreneurial Intention: Do Female Students Benefit?” International Small Business Journal 34 (8): 979–1003. doi:10.1177/0266242615612534.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Yaghmaie, F. 2003. “Content Validity and Its Estimation.” Journal of Medical Education 3 (1): 25–27. doi:10.22037/jme.v3i1.870.
   Google Scholar
• York, M. 2006. “Employability in Higher Education: What It Is – What It Is Not.” https://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/hea-learning-employability_series_one.pdf.
   Google Scholar
• Zimmerman, Barry J. 2001. “Theories of Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Achievement: An Overview and Analysis.” In Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Achievement: Theoretical Perspectives, edited by J. Zimmerman Barry, and Dale H. Schunk, 1–37. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
   Google Scholar