Designing sustainable agriculture education: Academics’ suggestions for an undergraduate curriculum at a land grant university |
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Authors: | Damian M Parr Cary J Trexler Navina R Khanna Bryce T Battisti |
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Institution: | (1) Agricultural and Environmental Education, School of Education, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA;(2) International Agriculture Development, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, USA |
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Abstract: | Historically, land grant universities and their colleges of agriculture have been discipline driven in both their curricula
and research agendas. Critics call for interdisciplinary approaches to undergraduate curriculum. Concomitantly, sustainable
agriculture (SA) education is beginning to emerge as a way to address many complex social and environmental problems. University
of California at Davis faculty, staff, and students are developing an undergraduate SA major. To inform this process, a web-based
Delphi survey of academics working in fields related to SA was conducted. Faculty from colleges and universities across the
US were surveyed. Participants suggested that students needed knowledge of natural and social science disciplines relating
to the agri-food system. In addition, stakeholders suggested students learn through experiences that link the classroom to
field work, engaging a broad range of actors within applied settings. Stakeholders also emphasized the need for interdisciplinary
and applied scholarship. Additionally, they proposed a range of teaching and learning approaches, including many practical
experiences. Given the diverse suggestions of content knowledge and means of producing knowledge, the survey presented unique
challenges and called into question the epistemological and pedagogical norms currently found in land grant colleges of agriculture.
This study has implications for land grant universities seeking to develop undergraduate curriculum appropriate to the field
of SA.
Damian
M. Parr
is a doctoral student of Agricultural and Environmental Education, in the School of Education at the University of California
at Davis. His professional interests include organic farming, sustainable agriculture, experiential and transformational learning,
critical pedagogy, and participatory action research. He is currently working on linking on-campus student initiated sustainable
farm and food systems projects to curricula at land grant universities
Cary J. Trexler
is an assistant professor of Agricultural and Environmental Education at the University of California at Davis where he teaches
courses in the history of agricultural education, experiential learning, and research methods for practicing teachers. His
research focuses on experiential learning, sustainable agriculture education, and needs of teachers and informal educators
within the context of the agri-food system
Navina R. Khanna
is a graduate student pursuing an MS in International Agricultural Development at the University of California at Davis. She
is committed to facilitating community dialogue and education about sustainability issues. Her work at the university focuses
on the process and goal of sustainability in agricultural education and campus food system sustainability. Her primary professional
interests include democratic participatory process in agri-food system sustainability and urban revitalization
Bryce T. Battisti
is a doctoral student of Agricultural and Environmental Education, in the School of Education at the University of California
at Davis. His research interests include the development of alternative models for university education that are founded on
student-centered experiential learning. Specifically, he studies models of permaculture education that lead toward accredited
degrees and relates these models to sustainable agriculture degree programs |
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Keywords: | Curriculum Experiential learning Interdisciplinary Land grant university Pedagogy Post-secondary education Sustainable agriculture |
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