Are Agricultural Graduates Meeting Employers' Expectations? A Perspective from Iran

Autor/inn/en	Alibeigi, Amir Hossein; Zarafshani, Kiumars
Titel	Are Agricultural Graduates Meeting Employers' Expectations? A Perspective from Iran
Quelle	In: Perspectives in Education, 24 (2006) 3, S.53-61 (9 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0258-2236
Schlagwörter	Teaching Methods; Foreign Countries; College Graduates; Sampling; Experiential Learning; Ethics; Factor Analysis; Communication Skills; Agricultural Education; Surveys; Competence; Employer Attitudes; Job Skills; Questionnaires; Problem Solving; Business Skills; Computer Literacy; Leadership; Teamwork; Higher Education; Educational Change; Iran + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Ausland; Hochschulabsolvent; Hochschulabsolventin; Experiental learning; Erfahrungsorientiertes Lernen; Ethik; Faktorenanalyse; Kommunikationsstil; Agriculture; Education; Landwirtschaftliche Ausbildung; Landwirtschaft; Ausbildung; Survey; Umfrage; Befragung; Kompetenz; Arbeitgeberinteresse; Produktive Fertigkeit; Fragebogen; Problemlösen; Computerkenntnisse; Führung; Führungsposition; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Bildungsreform
Abstract	A high level of personal capacity, the relevant professional competence and technical skills are essential for a graduate's successful transition to the workplace. The purpose of this survey was to identify the main competencies that higher agricultural education graduates should possess, based on the perceptions of potential agricultural employers. The population of this study comprised public, private, and cooperative managers and employers in the agricultural sector in the provinces of Mazandaran, Khuzestan, Kermanshah and Hamedan (N=485). A sample of 212 employers was selected using a stratified random sampling method. A four-part instrument in the form of a questionnaire was developed by the researchers to gather the required data. Factor analysis was used to elicit the preferences of employers for key competencies. The results show that employers value generic competencies relatively higher than field-specific competencies for agricultural graduates entering the agricultural field. The generic competencies identified include communication skills, problem-solving ability, agricultural ethics, business and computer skills, and general administrative skills and abilities, such as leadership and team-work. Technical skills and agricultural professionalism were identified as field-specific competencies. To develop these competencies, a new didactical arrangement, including supervised agricultural experience programmes, experiential learning, and fundamental changes in the teaching and learning process are proposed. (Author).
Anmerkungen	Perspectives in Education. Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa. Tel: +27-12-420-4732; Fax: +27-12-420-3003; e-mail: perspect@postino.up.ac.za; Web site: http://journals.sabinet.co.za/pie/index.html
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10