Grady Roberts

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• Doctor of Philosophy
• Professor at University of Florida

Developing knowledge, skills, and research attitudes is crucial for undergraduate students to address issues and innovation in food systems. Universities play a significant role in addressing these needs by providing students with high-quality educational experiences. This research employed a case study research design to obtain insights and percep...

This is the annual State of the Journal report for Advancements in Agricultural Development. 2024 was another great year for AAD. First, we formed a new partnership to elevate the digital presence of research published in AAD. Second, we published our first special issue. Third, we refined several policies to provide greater clarity for our authors...

The world of the 21st Century is a world that is constantly changing. New approaches to higher education need to be considered so graduates can adapt to an increasingly complex world. This article will discuss why and how systems thinking can be developed and utilized in colleges of agriculture. Based on a thorough review of the literature, we prop...

While smallholder agricultural commercialization has been posited as a catalyst to bring about broad economic benefits, evidence demonstrates that commercialization efforts that are gender blind can exacerbate inequalities. This study employed a consensus-building process for gender and agricultural development experts to formulate a perspective fo...

Teaching is an important part of an Extension agent’s duties; however, little is empirically understood about effective teaching practices in an Extension context. The purpose of this study was to explore the adult teaching practices of exemplary extension agents. Through a nomination process, seven agents in Florida were interviewed. The analysis...

Extension agents frequently teach adult audiences, who require a different approach than youth audiences. Andragogy has been frequently used to frame research in Extension. However, it is not clear if Extension professionals apply andragogical principles in practice when teaching programs. We used Knowles' theory of andragogy and the Personal Adult...

Given the shortage of agriculture teachers across the country, understanding individuals' motivation to pursue a career in teaching agricultural education is critical to developing strategies for teacher recruitment and teacher education. Several studies have investigated factors that motivate preservice and in-service agriculture teachers to pursu...

An emerging challenge of closing the gap of supply and demand in School-Based Agriculture Education (SBAE) is recruiting and retaining male agricultural teachers. This case study was conducted under the lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior to examine this phenomena. Ten male participants, who were active in SBAE as youth and are currently attendi...

Background: Systems thinking has been proposed as a means to address complex and wicked problems. Systems thinking involves moving beyond looking at an issue from a static perspective and seeing interrelationships between parts and wholes. Students will be better prepared to handle the complexity of the world if they develop a systems thinking para...

Today’s agriculture, food, and natural resources (AFNR) sectors face many wicked problems like climate change. Addressing these complex problems will require people to have both social and technical knowledge. However, having knowledge is insufficient. Individuals must be able to think about things as they occur in complex systems. Systems thinking...

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences that contributed to the development of a systems thinking paradigm in instructors in a college of agriculture. Design/Methodology/Approach: A phenomenology design was used to understand the lived experiences of eleven instructors. Findings: Three themes emerged regarding how they per...

This poster outlines our year 1 outcomes for a research and extension experience for undergraduates (REEU) funded by USDA/NIFA

Experiential learning is widely used at the post-secondary level, but it requires intentional curricular planning, and proper facilitation from the instructor. The effects of experiential learning in agricultural education settings at the higher education level have not been tested extensively. Therefore, additional examination is needed to inform...

While all learning and knowledge can be attributed to experiences, not all experiences are educative. Experiential learning is a highly utilized theory and pedagogical practice in agricultural education and has been since its inception as a discipline. The purpose of this research is to examine the theory of experiential learning as it applies to a...

Universities are increasingly working to better prepare students for success in the workforce and increasingly advocating high-impact learning experiences. This case study explores the short-term impacts on students who participated in a short-term service-learning study abroad program in Ireland through a lens of Transformative Learning Theory. Da...

Background: College students need the ability to generalize and apply solutions through reflective practice. University faculty need professional development to use authentic cases to prepare students for the future. Purpose: This study was to explore the experiences of faculty through a year-long professional development program that included a fi...

As we race towards 2030, the target date for achieving the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, it is critical that we examine our approaches to agricultural development research and practice. We should not expect extraordinary results by using the approaches we have always used. Rather, we must innovate. To that end, Advancements in Agricultural De...

This is the annual state of the journal report for Advancements in Agricultural Development. This report: (a) highlights key accomplishments from 2023, (b) discusses changes beginning in 2024, (c) shares journal statistics from 2023, (d) presents goals for 2024, and (e) lists reviewers for the year. 2023 (Volume 4) was a banner year for Advancement...

This is a presentation I gave to UConn teaching faculty in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources about the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

This is a presentation I gave to UConn extension personnel.

This is a presentation I gave to the University Research in Teaching and Learning (RiTL) kick off session in August 2023. RiTL is the University of Florida's initiative to encourage more classroom-based inquiry by its faculty. RiTL is more commonly known as the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).

Working in the academy can be a very rewording career, but more and more faculty and graduate students are considering non-academic careers. Understanding the career journey of faculty in academic positions working in international agricultural and extension education (AEE) could be insightful to better understand this niche discipline and be infor...

This is a presentation if gave to students participating in a Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEU) focused on Circularity and Digitalization of Food Systems.

This panel will focus on development processes in the areas of food and agriculture. Hunger and food insecurity impact millions, denying the innate human right of food sovereignty. Agricultural and food systems stressed by climate change, population growth, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, economic challenges, migration, and other fact...

This is a presentation I gave to extension professionals who deliver the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) to citizens in the state of Florida, USA.

Most research is reported in scientific journals published by various professional societies, organizations, and institutions. These journals have evolved over time, with the Internet leading to substantial changes in the dissemination of research. The American Association for Agricultural Education’s (AAAE) Journal of Agricultural Education (JAE)...

Building human capacity through education and training programs is a key component of agricultural development. This article lays out a framework for educators working in agricultural development to use local knowledges to enhance capacity building efforts. Local knowledge systems are complex social phenomena consisting of unique combinations of on...

School based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers are required to have expertise in pedagogy and a complex array of agricultural content areas. This study integrated an experience with agricultural technical skills and pedagogical experimentation for preservice teachers in a teaching methods course. An integrated skills acquisition (ISA) treatmen...

Although post-secondary school agricultural education degree programs strive to meet the need of supplying agriculture teachers, the gap between teacher demand and supply continues to exist. The Teach Ag Campaign is a joint effort of the agricultural education profession to recruit and retain agricultural educators and encourage students to pursue...

Faculty members' network characteristics influence their teaching and the types of information they acquire. Given the gap in empirical knowledge on agriculture university faculty members' teaching-focused networks, this mixed-methods study focused on identifying characteristics of agriculture university faculty members' teaching-focused personal n...

Background: Experiential learning is commonly used in postsecondary settings, especially in undergraduate, agricultural, and laboratory courses. However, a lack of attention has been paid by educators to critical components of experiential learning. Purpose: The effects of reflection mode (peer-verbal or written journal reflection) and transfer lev...

This is a presentation I gave to introduce university faculty to qualitative research methods they may wish to use when conducting Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research.

Global education is becoming increasingly important in higher education institutions in the United States. Concurrently, service-learning is another educational activity becoming more popular in higher education institutions. Very little research has been done on the impact on the community from a service-learning perspective, especially as a part...

This is the annual state of the journal report for Advancements in Agricultural Development. This report highlights activities and accomplishments in 2022 (Volume 3).

University engagement within communities is becoming more important, and public land-grant universities (LGUs) are uniquely situated to create knowledge that benefits society. Intercollegiate Extension programs could be a novel approach to improving university engagement by using the Extension mission as a catalyst for socially relevant programs. H...

The social aspects of faculty instructional development programs are increasingly recognized because the programs' impact is greatly influenced by social interactions among faculty participants. These interactions allow faculty members to reflect on and improve their teaching practices. Although the literature has shown that effective instructional...

University engagement in community settings is increasingly valued and expected. Extension efforts vary slightly from community engagement conducted at private institutions but the ultimate goal has been focused on a stronger level of societal relevance that improves both society and the overarching goals of higher education. The Organizational Cha...

This is the annual state of the journal report for Advancements in Agricultural Development. This report highlights activities and accomplishments from 2020 (Volume 1) and 2021 (Volume 2).

University engagement in community settings is increasingly valued and expected. Extension efforts vary slightly from community engagement conducted at private institutions but the ultimate goal has been focused on a stronger level of societal relevance that improves both society and the overarching goals of higher education. The Organizational Cha...

The purpose of this study was to explore the phenomenon of leadership development as experienced by non-government organization (NGO) executive leaders in international agricultural development. Data were collected from twelve executive NGO leaders through in-depth interviews to understand the textural and structural essences of the participants’ l...

Collaborative learning is a teaching method that prioritizes high levels of student participation or increased student engagement in the learning process through social production of knowledge among peers. The goal of this study was to assess the student perceptions on individual and collaborative tests in an undergraduate-level bio-history course....

This study examines the application of a self-reliance framework for practitioners and evaluators to better understand the capacities and intrinsic factors impacting smallholder coffee farmers’ commercialization behaviors. We surveyed 40 smallholder coffee producers in Peru using a quantitative instrument. Data were analyzed to determine if statist...

Academic departments need to periodically assess their programs to ensure that students are developing the competencies needed for successful careers. Consistent with this goal, a new framework for guiding the doctoral specialization in extension education was developed by the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication at the University...

Experiential learning is a foundational element to agriscience education. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of reflection type and abstraction order on students’ scientific reasoning skills when teaching experientially. Three major conclusions can be drawn from this study: (a) reflection type and abstraction order are independent...

Inconsistent terminology used to describe agricultural education has plagued the profession for years. Colloquial terms such as “big A” or “little a” used to differentiate meaning demonstrate the struggle to clearly identify agricultural education within the academe. We sought to identify the subjective norms of the four specializations commonly co...

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 disrupted education all over the world. Teachers and students were forced to adapt to online learning. In the U.S., school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers faced challenges in delivering what is traditionally a hands-on curriculum. This study used a Pedagogical Design Capacity framework to understand the ex...

Related disaster stresses such as employee burnout negatively influences effective disaster response. The prevalence of hurricanes and other natural disasters impact Extension agents around the world. This research explored barriers affecting UF/IFAS Extension agents’ ability to effectively engage in post-hurricane response. Resilience and burnout...

For learners to be better prepared to solve current and future complex problems, teachers must continue to strengthen and refine their teaching and learning practices throughout their career. One known modality to assist teachers in refining their pedagogical skills is teacher participation in professional development opportunities. The purpose of...

The purpose of this study was to compare the 5E method of inquiry-based instruction (IBI) and the four-stage model of direct instruction (DI) on students' content knowledge achievement. The population for this study was all secondary high school students enrolled in the CASE® Natural Resources and Ecology course and whose teachers completed the CAS...

Experiential learning is fundamental to agricultural education. Current literature indicates some methods of pedagogically implementing experiential learning are more effective than others. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of reflection type and abstraction order on content knowledge and content knowledge retention when teaching...

Human capacity building in Haiti’s agricultural sector can be utilized to reduce the country’s food insecurity. Haitian agricultural university and technical schools are responsible for supplying workforce ready graduates and therefore play a role in poverty reduction. Previous research has been conducted to assess these institutions from the persp...

In 2018, Hurricane Michael caused extensive damage in the Florida panhandle as a Category 4 hurricane. Cooperative Extension has a disaster preparedness and information dissemination role in hurricane response (Medford-Davis & Kapur, 2014; Washburn, 2006). Personal resilience focuses on reducing stress and increasing coping abilities in stressful s...

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer a unique platform through which Extension can provide valuable education. We explored The Meat We Eat, a MOOC designed to create a more informed meat consumer and increase perceptions of transparency surrounding meat production. Compared to pretest respondents (n = 490), students who completed the posttest...

Dissemination of research is a critical part of the research process. Researchers in agricultural education have long embraced this process. However, the Internet has changed the ways in which research is disseminated, with the potential for much broader impacts around the world. The purpose of this study was to provide a benchmark of the current i...

In disaster crises, communication among stakeholders and response organizations are important. In Florida, the role of the County Extension Director (CED) is threefold – educational programming, leadership of a county extension program, and county office administrative responsibilities. However, their primary role in disaster emergencies is to faci...

Agricultural activities in developing countries are critical for the future of the world’s food security. These countries have the lowest agricultural productivity and dissemination of agricultural technologies are often insufficient. Extension has a vital role in improving agricultural productivity. The Caribbean country of Haiti is one such case....

Many students currently in preservice agricultural education teacher education programs do not have traditional agricultural backgrounds. Many of those students are experiencing skills they will be required to teach or utilize upon employment for the first and sometimes only time in introductory course work within their teacher education programs....

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes and beliefs of school-based agriculture education (SBAE) students toward international agricultural concepts. This study builds on several previous studies (Conner, Greer, & Stripling, 2017; Elliot & Yanik, 2002; Heinert, Lavery, & Roberts, 2014; Radhakrishna, Leite, & Domer, 2003). To explor...

This project was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop the Preparing Organizational Leaders in Agriculture (POLA) Academy. The Academy was composed of thirty-six (N = 36) multidisciplinary and multi-institutional group of faculty with potential for impacting large numbers of st...

Locally grown food systems in urban areas is globally important for numerous reasons such as food security, nutrition, financial well-being, and solutions to the many complex issues observed in areas with increasing populations. An understanding of the barriers to urban food production is needed because, if not addressed properly, they may lead to...

The literature suggests that in Haiti, the extension work is primarily conducted by graduates from agricultural TVET schools. However, Haiti is a country with alarming data for food insecurity and severe hunger index. This situation arises questions about the manner in which TVET contributes to the dissemination of best agricultural practices among...

In the island nation of Trinidad, farmers have access to public extension services provided through the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries but still struggle to get the information they need in a timely manner. Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) offer opportunities to improve the relationship between Extension and farmers. This...

Faculty development programs in agricultural colleges have aimed to improve teaching and learning in undergraduate and graduate courses. The purpose of this study was to examine how students perceived instructor teaching behaviors after instructors participated in the Teacher’s College program at the University of Florida. Student course evaluation...

Purpose: While Extension agents should be ready to deal with recovery efforts, emotional stress can hinder their ability to respond effectively. This study sought to provide overall insights into Florida’s Extension agents’ ability to engage in post-hurricane response. Design/Methodology/Approach: Resilience and coping literature facilitated a rese...

Haiti, with its alarming hunger index, and serious concerns for the population’s food security status, suggests that its agricultural production and productivity are insufficient to guarantee availability of food for the people. Increased productivity supposes the dissemination of best agricultural practices among farmers, and enough qualified exte...

Haiti is a country which suffers from food insecurity, therefore, agricultural production and productivity are important to ensure availability of food for the Haitian population. Dissemination of best agricultural practices amongst farmers is crucial, and extension agents bring the scientific discoveries into the rural communities. In Haiti, exten...

The country of Haiti has faced chronic food insecurity for decades. Increasing domestic food production has been identified as a key part of the solution, but this requires building human capacity, especially related to agricultural extension and research. Haiti's agricultural universities can be key players in this process. The purpose of this stu...

Purpose: The effectiveness of new extension approaches hinges on farmers’ willingness to adopt innovative ways to interact with extension. Therefore, this study explored farmers’ willingness to use mobile text messaging for two-way interactions with Ministry Extension officers. Design/Methodology/Approach: Guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance...

Faculty at universities must prepare students to successfully enter the workforce. Preparing students requires effective teaching, but excellence in teaching is complex and can be difficult to achieve. To capitalize on excellent and effective teaching, a teaching philosophy is necessary to embody the teaching faculty members’ personal philosophy of...

The Ministry Extension struggled to provide adequate services to Trinidadian farmers because of a reliance on top-down methods. Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been touted as an effective and efficient way to serve farmers in the Caribbean. This study sought to describe the factors affecting Ministry Extension officers’ decisions...

College graduates should be ready to function in a complex global environment, working within and across cultures to achieve organizational goals. Study abroad courses focused in agriculture provide a platform to examine the complex relationships between people (social science) and agriculture (natural sciences). The purpose of this study was to ex...

Urban food producers play an important role in food systems around the world. Understanding the factors that may influence producers’ intention to produce food is important to predict their behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine one city in the United States and describe factors that may influence the intention of urban food producers t...

The contribution of agricultural universities to long-term food security in developing countries is widely acknowledged. The extent to which these universities in each country are helping students develop the requisite competence to meet employment needs is unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore Haitian faculty members’ perceptions of st...

As the world’s population is set to increase to an estimated 9.6 billion people, the greater the strain becomes on the food system to meet people’s food and nutrition needs (United Nations, 2013). The MENA region is expected to increase in population by double by 2050 further straining their water and food resources (IFPRI, 2010). Improved innovati...

Extension is challenged with meeting the needs of a variety of stakeholders. As the country becomes more urban, Extension may need to adapt programming to reach new clients. Having an understanding about what, when, and how urban food producers gather information is important to address their needs. Information that is relevant , up-to-date, an...

Extension is challenged with meeting the needs of a variety of stakeholders. As the country becomes more urban, Extension may need to adapt programming to reach new clients. Having an understanding about what, when, and how urban food producers gather information is important to address their needs. Information that is relevant, up-to-date, and mee...

Acceleration of courses has been documented to achieve an extended academic calendar, financial benefits to universities, time savings for professors, and provide more flexibility for students. The purpose of this study was to examine preservice teachers’ learning experiences while enrolled in two accelerated teacher preparation courses. Results sh...

Entrepreneurship in rural areas has been seen as a potential tool to mitigate rural outmigration. Entrepreneurship has long been a part of the comprehensive model for school based agricultural programs in the United States, often emphasized through Supervised Agricultural Experience Programs (SAEP). Using case study methodologies, this study sought...

In order to better understand the lived experiences of change agents in the North Department of Haiti, a hermeneutical phenomenological study was conducted. Change agents must work against a variety of barriers in order to help influence change within their spheres of influence in rural Haiti. The change agent experience in this study is collaborat...

The purpose of this research was to identify how teaching at multiple institutions impacts social capital of faculty within the Haitian AET system. Putnam’s social capital framework was used in the current study. Social capital is developed based on relationships with others. Bonding social capital is homogenous; bridging social capital is heterogo...

Today's college graduates must be prepared to think critically about complex global issues. Study abroad programs can be a great learning opportunity for students. The purpose of this study was to explore the impacts a short-term study abroad experience had on students' critical thinking. A reflective journaling process was implemented while on a s...

Food insecurity is widespread in Haiti. The tertiary agriculture institutions have the great challenge of educating the future professionals who will help in meeting the growth needs of the Haitian agriculture sector. The extent that faculty are prepared for the teaching roles is unknown. This study examined this topic using a basic qualitative stu...

Our climate is changing and this will impact food security around the world. The impacts from climate change will not be evenly felt around the world. Some of the most vulnerable areas will be coastal zones and island territories. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are especially vulnerable. This chapter provides an overview of climate change, d...

Rural entrepreneurship education programs may be a great tool for enhancing rural livelihoods and reducing rural outmigration. Entrepreneurship has received attention in school based agricultural education, primarily through implementation of Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs. Very little research has looked at the teaching of entre...

Agriculture plays a fundamental role in securing economic growth and development within developing countries (United States Agency for International Development [USAID], 2011). Haitian agricultural students are future leaders within Haiti's agricultural sector (USAID, 2011). It is critical that these students receive proper education in necessary e...

Haiti is one of the economically poorest countries in the world. As a result, billions of dollars have been invested into agricultural initiatives in Haiti, however, less emphasis has been placed on building the capacity of farmers through training and educational programs. Limited research has been conducted on barriers faced by Haitian farmers. T...

Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (EAS) provide vital services to individuals within the developing world. Extension personnel are at the heart of extension services because they are the ones who provide essential support, training, and skills to farmers in rural areas. The capacity of extension personnel, therefore, is an essential comp...