Strengthening Agricultural Education and Training in sub-Saharan Africa from an Innovation Systems Perspective: A Case Study of Mozambique

Abstract

This paper examines how post-secondary agricultural education and training (AET) in sub-Saharan Africa can contribute to agricultural development by strengthening the capacity to innovate—to introduce new products and processes that are socially or economically relevant to smallholder farmers and other agents. Using the AET system in Mozambique as a case study, this paper examines the role of AET within the context of an agricultural innovation system. This innovation systems perspective offers an analytical framework to examine technological change in agriculture as a complex process of interactions among diverse actors who generate, exchange, and use knowledge, conditioned by complex social and economic institutions. The paper argues that while AET is conventionally viewed as key to the development of human capital, it also has a vital role to play in building the capacity of organizations and individuals to transmit and adapt information, products and processes, and new organizational cultures and behaviors. The paper emphasizes the importance of improving AET systems by strengthening the capabilities of organizations and professionals; changing organizational cultures, behaviors, and incentives; and building innovation networks and linkages. The paper offers several recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of AET for agricultural innovation and development. Key reforms include aligning the mandates of AET organizations with national development aspirations; inducing change in the cultures of AET organizations through the introduction of educational programs and linkages beyond the AET system; and enhancing innovative individual and organizational capacity by improving incentives to forge stronger links between AET and other stakeholders.     

A Longitudinal View of the Liberal Arts Curriculum a Decade After Merger: A Multiple Case Study of Community Colleges in Connecticut,Kentucky, and Louisiana

This study is an examination of the state of the liberal arts curriculum in community colleges in three geographic regions of the United States. From a constructivist paradigm and using globalization theory as a theoretical framework, this multiple case study examined faculty work life and administrative processes related to curriculum change in merged community and technical colleges. Through an examination of research on globalization, mergers, and trends in the general education and liberal arts curriculum, a gap in the literature emerged in the studies of community college curriculums after merger. This study considers whether the focus on workforce development and decrease in the transfer mission has diminished the liberal arts courses in the college curriculum. Research on liberal arts courses identified them as courses that emphasize higher order thinking and the development of intellectual skills needed to engage in a democratic society. If students are not exposed to these skills, it may have a detrimental effect on a democratic society. Study findings suggested that the English and communication curriculums are narrowing and the mission is more toward workforce skill preparation. Also, the changing demographics of today[#x02019]s community college students, as well as the ongoing budget constraints, create challenges and frustrations for faculty members.     

Centering Indigenous Knowledge: Three Southwestern Tribal College and University Library Collections

ABSTRACT

At tribal colleges and universities, libraries are challenged to serve Indigenous communities while supporting Western formal education. In this article, we examine three tribal higher education institutions in the southwestern United States: Diné College, the Institute of American Indian Arts, and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute. In examining the collections and their use at these libraries, we find multiple strategies to “center” Indigenous knowledge despite most materials being written by and for non-Natives. We hope the strategies present here can inspire people at libraries of all types to consider ways to include the diverse perspectives of their own communities.     

Choosing Strategies of Children and the Impact of Age and Gender on Library Use: Insights for Librarians

Libraries continue to be an important source of books for young people, though relatively little is known about how gender and age influence visitation frequency for this purpose. In addition, while supporting children to choose books is part of the role of both school and public librarians, little is known about the strategies and processes children use to select books, and the beliefs and attitudes that underpin them. Findings from the 2016 Western Australian Study in Children's Book Reading offer insights into these areas that can support librarians to guide book choice, and they encourage targeted intervention to ensure that boys and older children make use of their libraries to support their literacy growth.     

Early Adverse Experiences and Repeated Wheezing From 6 to 30 Months of Age: Investigating the Roles of Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis Functioning,Child Sex,and Caregiving Sensitivity

This study examined associations among early adversity, diurnal cortisol, child sex, and caregiver sensitivity at age 6 months in relation to wheezing in children (47% male) followed to 30 months. Analyses included 676 mother-child dyads, 393 of whom completed an observational caregiver sensitivity measure. Participants were primarily ethnic minorities (42.7% Black, 25.4% Hispanic); 22.1% of children had ≥ 1 wheezing episode. Higher adversity was associated with increased wheeze frequency and blunted diurnal cortisol slope. The indirect effect of adversity on wheezing through cortisol slope was significant for females, but not males. Higher caregiver sensitivity was protective against wheezing for males, but not females, with high cortisol. Findings suggest complex associations among adversity, cortisol, child sex, and caregiver sensitivity in predicting wheezing.     

An examination of alternate assessment durations when assessing multiple‐skill computational fluency: The generalizability and dependability of curriculum‐based outcomes within the context of educational decisions

The current study extended previous research on curriculum‐based measurement in mathematics (M‐CBM) assessments. The purpose was to examine the generalizability and dependability of multiple‐skill M‐CBM computation assessments across various assessment durations (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 minutes). Results of generalizability and dependability studies (N = 104 students) suggest that relative interindividual decisions can rely on the results from 1‐minute administrations for low‐stakes decisions and the results of 4‐minute administrations for high‐stakes decisions. Moreover, absolute intraindividual decisions can rely on the results from 4‐minute administrations for low‐stakes decisions and 13‐minute administrations for high‐stakes decisions. The implications and limitations of these results are discussed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 615–622, 2005.     

Simians in the Shape School: A comparative study of executive attention

Executive functions (EF) have been studied extensively in children and adults. However, EF tasks for young children can be difficult to administer and interpret. Espy (1997, Developmental Neuropsychology, 13, 495–499) designed the Shape School task to measure inhibition and switching in preschool-aged children. Shape School presents cartoon-like characters that children must flexibly name by their color, their shape, or both, depending on cues that indicate the appropriate rule. Shape School has been found to be age sensitive as well as predictive of performance on other EF tasks. We presented a computerized analogue of Shape School to seven rhesus macaques. Monkeys were trained to categorize characters by color or shape, or to inhibit this response, depending on whether the characters had eyes open, eyes closed, or wore hats. Monkeys performed above chance on the inhibition and switching components of the task. Long runs of a single classification rule and long runs of noninhibition trials had no significant impact on performance when the rule changed or inhibition was required. This nonverbal adaptation of Shape School can measure EF in nonhuman animals and could be used in conjunction with other EF tasks to provide a clearer picture of both human and nonhuman executive functions.     

An examination of the criterion validity and sensitivity to brief intervention of alternate curriculum‐based measures of writing skill

Curriculum‐based measures have been validated for use in evaluating reading, mathematics, and writing skills (Marston, 1989). Despite its common use by school psychologists (Wilson & Reschly, 1996), the relationship between the Woodcock Johnson‐Revised and curriculum‐based measures of writing has not been evaluated. This study investigated the relationship between the Woodcock Johnson‐Revised Writing Samples subtest and alternate curriculum‐based measures of written expression. In addition, the sensitivity of the measures to the effects of a short group writing intervention was assessed. Forty‐five third and fourth graders participated in an intervention that consisted of brainstorming ideas, presenting those ideas on a dry‐erase board, and writing a complete sentence on paper with writing quality feedback before completing a CBM (curriculum‐based measurement) writing passage. Numbers of words written as well as five alternate measures of writing samples were used to assess the effects of the intervention. The intervention had a positive effect on total words written. Total punctuation marks, simple sentences, and words in complete sentences emerged as the best predictors of the Woodcock Johnson‐Revised Writing Samples subtest scores in regression analyses. The implications of the analyses, limitations of the study, and directions for future research are discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 291–300, 2004.