Author Description

Agricultural education and training institution engage more directly with the outside world than most educational programmes. Students visit research stations and farms, and specialists are brought in to give lectures on their subjects of expertise. Internships, attachments, placements and study visits all form part of the curriculum. From time to time, when new courses are developed or old courses are revised, experts - both in agricultural and associated subjects and (perhaps more rarely) in education and training - are consulted on the new curriculum. Because of their involvement with these courses, such outsiders become stakeholders in the agricultural education and training programmes. Other stakeholders include teachers, students and their parents, funders, government agencies, employers, farmers unions, industry, profesional bodies and users of agricultural services. This training guide seeks to help those engaged in agricultural education and training to identify the stakeholders for their own programmes. It explores the reasons and methods for involving these stakeholders in the development of curricula at three different levels: determining the aims and goals of the programme and courses; setting the learning objectives (in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes, the so-called KSA approach to curriculum development); and designing the learning activities by which these objectives are to be achieved. The guide also outlines the implications of involving outsiders in curriculum development processes. This publication is intended for all those who work in agricultural education and training, whether as teachers, administrators or researchers in educational institutions or as planners and administrators in ministry of agriculture training divisions. It is an essential tool for anyone engaged in the development of more effective agricultural education and training programmes. Contents: Chapter 1: The Curriculum, (1) The Curriculum: Definitions and Perspective