Sustaining Global Food Systems with Youth Digital Livestock Production Curricula Interventions and Adoption to Professionally Develop Agents of Change

Robert Strong (), Sarah Sprayberry, Kim Dooley, Jaehyun Ahn, Jennifer Richards, Jim Kinsella, Chin-Ling Lee, Nicole Ray, Sarah Cardey, Carmen Benson and Andrea Ettekal
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Robert Strong: Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Sarah Sprayberry: Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Kim Dooley: Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Jaehyun Ahn: Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Jennifer Richards: Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Jim Kinsella: School of Agriculture and Food Science, Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 C1P1 Dublin, Ireland
Chin-Ling Lee: Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communication, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
Nicole Ray: Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
Sarah Cardey: Department of International Development, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6BZ, UK
Carmen Benson: Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Andrea Ettekal: Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 18, 1-11

Abstract: Improving the sustainability of global food systems requires competent and impactful change agents who are tasked with disseminating knowledge to stakeholders in local communities. Agricultural Extension agents and agricultural educator, who provide mentorship and preparation of youth, are pivotal for the positive outcomes of youth livestock production programs. Digital professional development, as one intervention for both formal and nonformal educators, can be a more effective use of an educator’s time. This study examined the needs and competency levels of agents and teachers related to their capacity for training youth livestock exhibitors. Through an online course, participants completed a pre-posttest within an interactive module. The data revealed that agents and agricultural teachers were proficient in Texas, USA, youth livestock production programs. This study found that the majority of both groups scored over 90% on the curricula’s assessment. There was a significant difference; agricultural education teachers reported higher mean scores than Extension agents on the Effective Teaching assessment. Both groups reported agreement with the Time to Complete, Tool Navigation, and Effective Teaching assessments. The data indicated that participants should additionally receive training materials on ethics policy and livestock validation. Livestock production digital professional development for nonformal agents of change is essential for sustaining global food chains.

Keywords: experiential learning; transformational learning; youth development; youth livestock projects; 4-H; FFA (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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