ERIC EJ955661: Taking Agricultural Education to The Next Level: Distinguished Lecture Presented at the 2010 Annual Conference of the American Association for Agricultural Education, Omaha, Nebraska, May 25, 2010

2011·0.05 MB·English

by  ERIC

Journal of Agricultural Education
Volume 52, Number 1, pp. 1–8
DOI: 10.5032/jae.2011.01001

Taking Agricultural Education to The Next Level
Distinguished Lecture Presented at the 2010 Annual Conference of the American Association for
Agricultural Education, Omaha, Nebraska, May 25, 2010

Ed Osborne, Professor and Chair
University of Florida

Thank you for the invitation to present the years of the four–year degree, so agriculture
AAAE Distinguished Lecture this year. I deans recommended that agriculture be taught in
consider this both an honor and immense the secondary schools to help prepare agriculture
challenge. You’ve heard mystery speakers in students for college – major change #1. The
years past describe the intimidation factor Smith–Hughes Act of 1917 formalized and
they’ve felt in preparing for and presenting their funded agriculture as an instructional program in
distinguished lectures. I assume that most of the the secondary schools and included funds for
previous speakers have faced the same fear that I teacher preparation – major change #2.
have today – will I offer anything meaningful, or Agricultural education rolled along as a
inspirational, or perhaps even transformational vocationally oriented production agriculture
in some way to those in this room and the wider program for the next 45 years until passage of
discipline? My idealistic hope is that my the Vocational Education Act in 1963.
remarks will spur some level of positive change Suddenly, agriculture instruction in the
in agricultural education. But here’s our secondary schools included horticulture,
dilemma, good ideas are not really all that hard forestry, small animal care, agribusiness, and
to come by. Read, listen, reflect, put some other areas – major change #3. About that time,
informed and creative people in a room for 30 one of the first university agricultural
minutes and the ideas will come. Recognizing communication programs was started at the
promising ideas requires a higher level of skill, University of Illinois. Beginning in the 1970s
but lots of people can do this as well, though and over the next 30 years, a majority of
many good ideas are lost in the interference that agricultural education programs began
people create, either intentionally or relocating one by one from colleges of education
unintentionally. It’s the execution of great ideas to colleges of agriculture – major change #4.
that requires the really tough work. Significant Agriculture deans generally embraced the
change, whether incremental or relocation of agricultural education programs to
transformational, requires determination, their colleges, perhaps because agricultural
persistence, and hard work. So how have we communication programs were already housed
done in agricultural education over the years? in colleges of agriculture in many cases, and
We’ve run some races very well, had a they saw some connections. One note: if these
disappointing pace in others, and probably agricultural education programs had not
started more races than we’ve finished, but we relocated, most would probably not be in
can do better. Agricultural education existence today due to the serious philosophical
colleagues, it’s time to take our discipline and divide in the 1980s between faculty members in
our profession to The Next Level. agricultural education and other faculty
Let’s take a quick stroll down memory lane. members in what were predominantly vocational
What have been the significant changes in teacher education units in colleges of education.
agricultural education in the last 100 or so Those comprehensive vocational education
years? We know that agriculture was taught in departments have now all but disappeared from
some elementary schools in the late 1800s, but at university campuses. In 1988 the National
the time of the 1862 Land–grant Act, agriculture Research Council released a landmark report
was taught in only a few secondary schools. As that called for expanded purposes of agricultural
colleges of agriculture became established, education in schools to include agricultural
agriculture was mostly taught in the last two literacy and science integration – major change

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Osborne Taking Agricultural Education…
#5. As agricultural education faculty members common purpose is quite clear (we are all in the
gradually began to embrace their broader role people development business), and our
and new environment, along came major change disciplinary roots are the same at the broadest
#6 – new, somewhat larger academic units in level. I would sum up agricultural education in
colleges of agriculture that most often included this way. Our passion lies in developing
agricultural education, agricultural individuals and understanding how they interact
communication, and/or extension education, and in groups and organizations within an
in a few cases, already existing leadership agriculture and natural resources framework.
education programs. And so we stand today, I Our work in agricultural education focuses on
believe, at the edge of the next major change in using research–based strategies in education,
our discipline, one that will require a new mass and interpersonal communication,
maturity and unprecedented resolve if we are to leadership development, and change principles
take agricultural education to The Next Level. to help individuals, groups, and organizations
We have made excellent progress in advance toward their potential. Our hope is that
advancing agricultural education, but we are not these efforts will lead to greater personal and
even close to our potential. We are passionate organizational success, while supporting a
about our cause of agricultural education, yet strong, viable, and sustainable agriculture and
willing to accept the status quo at times, even natural resources sector. Shared root disciplines,
when we know the potential for advancement is shared contexts, highly complementary methods,
significant and within reach. I wonder why. common goals. We are well positioned at this
Why is change, fundamental change, so moment to cast aside any continued focus on
difficult? Do we consciously connect our differences in our disciplinary areas and take
knowledge of change processes to efforts aimed agricultural education to The Next Level as a
at advancing our discipline? Our isolated single discipline with a fundamentally important
perspectives on occasion and “leave us alone” purpose – to develop individuals who will help
posture at times undoubtedly have hindered the ensure the future of agriculture and help create
advancement of our discipline and profession. an agriculturally educated public that actively
Interestingly, history has shown that when supports the sustainability of agriculture as an
external pressure is great enough, such as the industry and way of life in the decades ahead.
science integration movement that started back This is the essence of our academic and
in the 1980s, we do find ways to change and professional existence. I feel more strongly
adapt in agricultural education. In fact, many of about this shared cause in our discipline today
the significant changes in agricultural education than ever before in my professional career. But
have been driven by forces external to our to see our common cause we must first change
profession. But in the absence of perceived our perspective. Think about Wall Street from a
external threats we can easily become street–level view. We would see different
complacent and satisfied with the routine. The buildings, businesses, architecture, and so on as
opportunity to make a high level impact in we look down the street. It’s pretty tough to
agricultural education lies before us today like grasp what’s around us and what’s on the
never before. How will we respond? horizon from this perspective. But if we step
I see four major ways that we can take back away from the details, or better yet, take a
agricultural education to The Next Level. First, broader view from above, the chaotic details
we need to embrace the notion that agricultural disappear and we can see patterns,
education is a single, broad social and commonalities, destinations. That’s what we
behavioral science discipline that includes need to do in agricultural education – step back
teaching and learning in formal and non–formal and look at the bigger picture. Though not
settings; reaching widely varied target audiences openly stated, the first version of the National
through interpersonal, group, and mass Research Agenda (NRA) was intentionally
communications; and strengthening the designed to take us from the street level view
leadership capacity and effectiveness of and help us gain a new perspective of our
individuals and organizations – education, discipline from about the 20th floor. The NRA
communication, and leadership all within an 2.0 will take us further to the top and give us
agriculture and natural resources context. Our that skyscraper perspective, a Next Level view

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of our work, our discipline, our place in the programs and communication campaigns; about
people arena of agriculture. The challenges are motivating and engaging students in the study of
much too great for continued solo, segmented agriculture; about how opinions and perceptions
performances in our discipline. The only way of agriculture and natural resources are shaped,
we have a reasonable chance of significantly altered, or firmly held; why certain individuals
impacting today’s complex agricultural issues is emerge as effective leaders while others have all
if we unify our discipline and approach the tools but have no leadership impact; why
disciplinary and interdisciplinary problems in a some communities are vibrant and resilient and
routinely collaborative manner. others are in decline; why the public, in general,
Research is a second area of our discipline could care less about its food–producing, life–
that needs to be taken to The Next Level. Some sustaining, and lifestyle–supporting industry?
of you have read the 2009 National Research We must have research–based disciplinary
Council (NRC) report titled A New Biology for expertise and a much better working knowledge
the 21st Century. This report, which is getting a of the science of our discipline if we are to
lot of attention in USDA circles, makes a contribute in a substantive way in resolving
powerful argument that only through an major research problems. In the research
integrated science approach will solutions be proposal development course that I teach each
found for major societal needs in food, the summer, on the first day of class I invite the
environment, energy, and human health. The students to share their thesis or dissertation
report states that only a fully integrated approach topics. Later in the same session I ask students
among the many science disciplines will create to work in groups to identify the top three most
the research capacity required to tackle these pressing issues in their disciplinary area. I then
broad and complex problems. Further, such pose the question, “Assuming that the profession
integrated research must be complementary to at large concurs with your top three issues, is
and not replace continued, excellent disciplinary your thesis/dissertation focused on one of these
research in biology, chemistry, physics, and so issues? If not, why not?” As researchers, we
on. I believe these same principles hold true in have a responsibility to ask ourselves this same
agricultural education. Only through a fully question before we undertake a research project.
integrated approach across our subdisciplines of Does this project have the potential to inform a
formal and non–formal education, solution to a major issue or problem in our
communication, and leadership – A New discipline and/or the broader agricultural and
Agricultural Education – will we begin to make natural resources arena? If the answer is
meaningful research contributions to the honestly no, then we should redirect our efforts.
complex issues in agriculture and natural And we must intentionally and thoughtfully
resources. We need more scientists in our apply our science to the solution of real and
discipline who develop deep expertise in a key important problems. Too often I sense that we
area of inquiry and who offer that expertise as an connect our research to the literature only as an
expert member of interdisciplinary research academic exercise undertaken to meet
teams tackling complex research problems. A manuscript guidelines. Are we really shaping
parallel from the NRC report suggests that our research based on what is currently known
integrating knowledge across our subdisciplines and intentionally conducting research to add to
in agricultural education will permit deeper our knowledge base and inform practice? Our
understanding of human behavior, lead to faculty and academic units need to invest in and
solutions to agricultural issues that are informed focus their research in a way that creates clear
by social science research, and strengthen our disciplinary identity and scientific depth. We
discipline. First and foremost, we must need to invest much more effort in pursuing
systematically advance the science of our cumulative, additive scientific investigations.
discipline. Only then will we be in a strong We need to strengthen our focus on disciplinary
position to contribute to interdisciplinary science and organize our science so it is readily
research teams. accessible and informative to both our fellow
Let’s take a quick look at our science. What researchers and practitioners in the field. In
has our research told us about effective doing so we and our potential research partners
laboratory teaching; about effective educational

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will know in what areas and on what projects we conducting research that impacts practice.
can confidently contribute. Taking our research in agricultural education to
When addressing the NCAC–24 Committee The Next Level means having scientists in our
at the University of Arizona several years ago, discipline who, over the course of their careers,
David Cox, Associate Dean for Research at discover solutions to the most important issues
Arizona and former agricultural education and problems in our discipline and in agriculture
faculty member said, “We need to conduct less and natural resources. We have avoided
research about our stakeholders and more tackling the most significant research problems
research for our stakeholders.” He’s exactly in our field because they are too complex,
right. We need to be more solution–based rather require too much time, and require a long–term
than knowledge–based as we plan our research commitment. We have the intellectual capacity
outcomes. Even though our discipline is based within our profession to accomplish great things,
on the processes of human thought and action, and our college deans are inviting us to join the
we cannot accept additional insight into those “impact party” with open arms, but we often
processes as our only final research product. We stand outside the door because we’re not
also need to take our research to The Next Level prepared, willing, or able to apply our expertise
by using this research–based insight to help in addressing these higher level needs. We need
formulate solutions to the key problems in to proactively position ourselves to be key
agriculture and agricultural education. Our players in these interdisciplinary research arenas
research has historically been driven by “what” by becoming deep experts in our discipline and
questions. We need to refocus our research on then seeking opportunities to contribute to
the “why” questions that potentially explain the interdisciplinary research teams. Among other
phenomenon under investigation, and then changes, we need for our associate and full
follow this by designing and testing potential professors to remain engaged in research and
solutions aimed at changing practice. We actively lead ongoing research programs that
should use existing theory to initially shape our address important issues in our discipline and in
research and be willing to revise and adapt that the agricultural industry. Consider this
theory as we learn more about how people think evidence: in the five volumes of the Journal of
and behave with regard to agricultural issues. Agricultural Education published from 2004
As we take agricultural education research to through 2008 only three faculty members
The Next Level we must replace activity as our averaged at least one article per year as the lead
implicit metric of research productivity with a author. Graduate students and young faculty
disciplined focus on impact. members are carrying the research load in our
About 10 years ago I was invited to deliver discipline, leaving our disciplinary science to
the distinguished lecture at the AAAE Southern advance at a slower than required pace. Too
Region Conference. I told the story of Charles often our most capable and experienced
Brown, a senior faculty member at the researchers turn the investigative reigns over to
University of Illinois who had been recognized a the “young whippersnappers,” as I was routinely
few years before with a prestigious college called in my early teaching days, just when those
award for his work in plant breeding. The faculty members have the knowledge, research
presenter noted the following about Dr. Brown’s skills, and conceptual understanding to begin to
work: the best oat breeding program in the really make an impact with their research
world, has done more to increase oat yield and programs. In talking about research productivity
quality than any other breeder in recent history, with my department chair colleagues at the
developed the highest yielding oat variety in University of Florida, they say that their most
history, and his varieties were grown on more productive and impactful researchers are
than one–third of all oat acreage in the nation. internally driven to discover new knowledge.
Or how about a faculty member at the These researchers build their own research
University of Florida who after testing more teams, often serving as the primary idea source
than 4,000 substances over 15 years discovered and overall manager instead of the actual
a safe, yet equally effective alternative to Deet researcher. We’re talking about a cultural shift
insect repellant? Talk about commitment, in our professoriate – weekly conversations with
persistence, focus! These are great examples of our colleagues about research and teaching,

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weekly time set aside for writing and research, A third area of our discipline that must be
making research a higher priority among our taken to The Next level is our role as
many faculty responsibilities, conceptualizing comprehensive academic units in colleges of
and actively pursuing long–term research agriculture. We must not overlook the obvious:
programs, using stakeholder needs as the starting colleges of agriculture invited us to join them
and ending points in our research, shifting over a 30–year major transitional period not
assignments so our best researchers are given the because they had extra money to spend but
maximum possible opportunity to conduct because they generally felt that we could
research, being more selective in our research contribute to their teaching, research, and
projects for maximum stakeholder benefit, extension missions in important ways. Have we
conducting solutions–driven research, routinely made the most of their investment? Relocating
disseminating recommendations to respective to a college of agriculture and continuing
stakeholder groups at the conclusion of our business as usual in a new office is like adding a
investigations, and converging our collective Smartboard to a classroom but only using it as a
research time and energy around a smaller projection screen. As faculty members in
number of more fundamentally important colleges of agriculture, we need to realize that
problems. Finally and most importantly, when our stakeholders have fundamentally expanded
we look in the mirror we should see both an to include the broad agricultural community.
expert teacher and a capable scientist. Our agricultural education units must become
The New Agricultural Education to which integrated into the goals and priority programs
we must aspire requires us to become less of our colleges and institutes of agriculture. We
independent in our research and more openly have made some progress in this area, but we are
collaborative and interdisciplinary. We need to far from achieving The Next Level to which we
take the initiative and find the resources to should aspire. The issues of the day in
organize research workgroups that brainstorm, agriculture and natural resources demand our
plan, conduct, and evaluate collaborative expertise more than ever before. In my nearly
research on a long–term, ongoing basis. I 30 years as a faculty member I have never seen a
realize that creating productive research teams time where our expertise in agricultural
that are active over the long term is not easy, but education is more valued, more sought after, and
I believe we can begin to make this happen. Our more embraced by the various agricultural
AAAE Special Interest Groups can proactively disciplines. As the tagline on our department’s
prompt the development of productive research logo reads, connecting people and agriculture,
teams. We can make more productive use of our the solution to every major agriculture and
time at conferences in maintaining the natural resources issue today has a complex
momentum of our research teams. We need to people dimension. Our colleagues in colleges of
immerse our graduate students in collaborative agriculture are, by and large, ill equipped to
research locally and across state lines. We need address these critical human factors, and they’re
to think bigger in terms of research design and realizing this more and more. We have the
impact and develop larger scale conceptual expertise to significantly contribute to these
models to guide long–term research programs. solutions. What we don’t have is much
We need to hold each other accountable, experience in applying our expertise in these
individually and collectively, in ensuring that broader contexts, and in some cases, the
our discipline is advancing in knowledge and confidence needed to do so. And time, as we are
scientific discovery and we, individually and currently structured, is surely our number one
collectively, are significantly contributing to enemy when it comes to leading and
research–based solutions in agriculture and contributing to these large, complex projects.
natural resources. We need to organize Nonetheless, we must find a way. Working at
recurring opportunities for our researchers to The Next Level is, in my opinion, a prerequisite
talk at length with each other about their shared for our continued growth and strength as
research programs. These and other strategies academic units in colleges and institutes of
will surely advance the science and impact of agriculture. A few months after speaking to
our discipline and take agricultural education to more than 50,000 FFA members in Indianapolis
The Next Level. last fall, Mike Rowe, of television’s Dirty Jobs

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Osborne Taking Agricultural Education…
fame, posted a message on his website titled, our discipline when they assume a faculty role.
“The Future of Farming.” He asked a great Sharing a common language at some level will
question, “How is it that 300 million Americans provide the understanding required for
– all addicted to eating – have become so envisioning integrated projects and embracing
disconnected from the people who grow our shared goals. Our discipline needs this, our
food?” We in agricultural education have a role departments need this, and the problems of the
to play in answering this question and in day demand this. We have inadvertently
rebuilding the public’s connection with hindered this area of development of our
agriculture. We have a window of opportunity graduate students by historically segmenting our
to pull our chairs up to the table and work AAAE conference research paper sessions by
alongside the scientists in our sister agricultural disciplinary area. For example, a session with
disciplines, rather than sit quietly in the outer papers focused only on extension education
circle, or even in the building next door. We implicitly says (a) only extension educators need
must take our effort to The Next Level if attend and (b) the research problems addressed
agricultural education is to become widely are not relevant to faculty in other areas of our
embraced as a worthy scientific contributor to discipline. Just this past spring I attended an
research–based solutions in agriculture and agricultural communication research paper
natural resources. session that was held concurrently with similarly
The fourth area in which we must segmented AAAE paper sessions, and I think I
proactively take agricultural education to The was the only non–communication faculty
Next Level centers on our faculty. Most member or graduate student in the room. As I
importantly, we must prepare and develop listened to the excellent papers, I kept wishing
faculty members who are broad thinkers and that all of the AAAE members at the conference
who embrace the notion of a unified discipline were in that session, because the research
of agricultural education with a larger purpose. presented focused on fundamentally important
We need to develop future faculty members in agricultural issues that could be most effectively
all areas of our discipline who are genuinely addressed by drawing on the expertise and
intrigued with the “why” questions that will capacity of our full discipline. Just as we expect
unlock the solutions to the most pressing issues of our graduate students, our faculty also need to
in our discipline and the larger agriculture and embrace a larger view of our discipline and how
natural resources context. We have an we can be most effective in our respective units.
interesting paradox in our profession. Our Our academic units must provide an integrated
promising young researchers are most often and collaborative daily work environment. If
mentored by faculty members whose our newly prepared faculty members find
professional interests and activities are themselves in an academic environment that
dominated by teaching. This potentially leads us does not embrace the notion of disciplinary unity
to unconsciously focus the professional interests and genuine collaboration within and beyond
of these young faculty members toward a their academic units, we run the risk of only
teaching–first perspective of their faculty role. inching toward A New Agricultural Education
Our faculty members must know that they are versus taking large, confident strides toward this
vitally important contributors to the full land– goal.
grant mission. We’ve also done a disservice to I firmly believe that the faculty members in
our graduate students if we allow them to isolate a department are largely in control of the destiny
their course work, research, and outreach of that academic unit. Hire great faculty,
projects in a single dimension of our discipline. support them, remove barriers to their success,
As suggested in the NRC report, we must encourage them, mentor them, and enjoy
develop scientists who have a deep knowledge celebrating their successes. However, we also
in one disciplinary area and a working need to realize the primary reason that faculty
knowledge in the other dimensions of our members have been hired in agricultural
discipline. If students leave their graduate education. Historically, with a few exceptions
program with this larger disciplinary around the nation, we have primarily hired
perspective, they will be ready and eager to faculty members to lead programs, almost
collaborate with faculty members in all areas of always academic programs of some sort. This is

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Osborne Taking Agricultural Education…
drastically different from the typical hiring 6. How can we refocus the goals of scientists
patterns in other departments in our colleges, in our discipline away from intermediate
where the objective is predominantly to hire outcomes and toward solutions for
capable scientists who can lead the discovery stakeholders?
and application of science in a specific 7. How do we develop agricultural education
dimension of their respective discipline. The faculty members that embrace their
implications of these two alternate universes are responsibilities to teach and conduct
huge in terms of faculty time available to research with equal enthusiasm, energy, and
contribute to interdisciplinary research and commitment? How do we develop faculty
extension projects. I’m not suggesting any members who see themselves as teachers
lesser emphasis in our units on academic and scientists?
programs. I’m simply saying that we are way 8. How can we become outstanding teachers
out of sync with our sister units, and we need whose practice is based on research and
more agricultural education faculty members outstanding researchers whose
with assignments that provide significant time investigations are based on practice?
for discovery and outreach. In order to achieve 9. How do we develop agricultural education
this next level of development in our units, we academic units that are equally known for
must demonstrate to our college administrators outstanding teaching, research, and
and fellow scientists that our expertise is needed outreach? How do we convince university
and helpful when responding to priority issues administrators to make the necessary
faced by the industry. investments needed to create these academic
So, allow me to leave you with some units?
fundamentally important, unanswered questions 10. How do we transform and restructure our
for our profession: academic units to provide the faculty time
needed for conducting long–term, high
1. Who is best positioned to look at our impact research programs?
profession and discipline from above, see 11. Can we, as a profession, reorient our view of
how and where the traffic flows, and note disciplinary science needs, societal issues,
the vibrant and neglected areas, growth and agricultural problems from a top–of–
opportunities, refueling stops, and dead the–building perspective, recognizing that
ends? Who will lead us toward A New only through a shared vision and integrated
Agricultural Education? approach will agricultural education have
2. What role can and must AAAE and related the capacity to make meaningful
professional societies play in proactively contributions in the long term?
advancing agricultural education as a unified
discipline and enhancing the capacity of our My message to the profession today and to
profession? each of you is that our best work is ahead of us,
3. Can we move now toward paper sessions at and we must jointly commit to creating A New
our research conferences that are organized Agricultural Education – one characterized by
by issues rather than by the traditional (a) a unified discipline with greater disciplinary
segments of our discipline? capacity; (b) a stronger and deeper scientific
4. How can we enhance the leadership capacity base; (c) a broader purpose in colleges of
and effectiveness within our profession and agriculture; and (d) faculty members with broad
proactively pursue evolutionary and perspectives and deep expertise in their
transformational change with pure vision discipline. Our window of opportunity to take
and unwavering persistence? agricultural education to The Next Level is right
5. How do we advance the science and before us, but it won’t remain open for long.
discipline of agricultural education to a point We must act now in bold and new ways. Our
where it exists and is seen as a valuable and agricultural industry needs us, our citizens and
unique player in addressing the complex policy makers need us, and our discipline needs
issues in agriculture and natural resources? us to make this higher level commitment. Now
Who’s standing guard over our profession is the time to refocus our efforts toward a greater
and our discipline? common cause in agricultural education and

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Osborne Taking Agricultural Education…
proactively use our unique disciplinary expertise continue its vital role in our society in the
in collaboration with other scientists to ensure decades ahead.
that American agriculture is solidly positioned to

ED OSBORNE is Professor and Chair of the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication
at the University of Florida, PO Box 110540, Gainesville, FL 32611–0540. ewo.ufl.edu

Journal of Agricultural Education 8 Volume 52, Number 1, 2011