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AN ASSESSMENT OF EXTENSION EDUCATION CURRICULUM
AT LAND GRANT UNIVERSITIES
Amy Harder, Assistant Professor
University of Florida
Diane Mashburn, 4-H Extension Agent
University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service
Matt Benge, 4-H Extension Agent
University of Florida IFAS Extension
Abstract
A critical assessment of extension education is needed to ensure there are adequate
opportunities for students to study extension education and that the curriculum is relevant to
today’s Cooperative Extension Service. This descriptive study was conducted to assess extension
education curriculum by identifying and comparing the courses being taught at land grant
universities with the competency areas in the Ohio State model of extension education. Courses
related to extension knowledge, leadership, and management; theories of human development
and learning; program planning, implementation, and evaluation; and applied research were
most commonly included in the curriculum. The lack of balance in the curriculum and the
discrepancies between the Ohio State model and current practice indicate a need for continued
discussion about the types of courses that should be included in extension education curriculum.
Introduction as desirable (National Job Bank, 2008). Yet
extension agents need to improve their skills
Cooperative Extension is a dynamic in job-related areas beyond their specific
organization that seeks to meet the needs of programmatic expertise and the scope of
a constantly changing society. Its ability to primary and secondary classroom
be successful in this mission is largely management. Adult education and volunteer
dependent on the professional abilities of the management are two such skill areas closely
extension agents interfacing with clientele associated with employment in Cooperative
(Stone & Coppernoll, 2004). Enrolling in an Extension (Franz, 2007; Schmeising &
undergraduate or graduate degree program Safrit, 2007).
in extension education is a common way According to Scheer, Ferrari, Earnest,
agents prepare themselves for employment, and Connors (2006), ―developing and
yet research has often favored topics such as revising academic programs must be an
inservice training and professional ongoing process‖ (Implications and
development (e.g., Conklin, Hook, Conclusions, ¶ 1). Extension education
Kelbaugh, & Nieto, 2002; Gamon, should not be exempt from such scrutiny.
Mohamed, & Trede, 1989; Waters & However, Scheer et al.’s review of extension
Haskell, 1988) rather than academic education at The Ohio State University was
preparation. the first published article to focus
The lack of research directed toward exclusively on extension education in recent
extension education curriculum may be years. Studies addressing the academic
because the need for such a program is preparation of extension agents are largely
misunderstood. The written position absent from the major journals of the
descriptions for open Extension positions profession (e.g., Journal of Extension,
frequently describe a desire for applicants Journal of Agricultural Education, Journal
with degrees in programmatic fields other of International Agricultural and Extension
than extension education; rarely is a degree Education). This stands in contrast to peers
in extension education specifically identified within agricultural teacher education, who
Journal of Agricultural Education 22 Volume 50, Number 3, 2009
Harder, Mashburn, & Benge An Assessment of Extension…
have re-examined their coursework and needs, (b) formulation of objectives, (c)
program focus at regular intervals (Barrick, selection of content, (d) organization of
1993; McLean & Camp, 2000; Myers & content, (e) selection of learning
Dyer, 2004). Given the challenge of keeping experiences, (f) organization of learning
extension education curriculum relevant experiences, and (g) determination of what
(Acker & Grieshop, 2004), it is past time for to evaluate and how to do so. Taba’s model
a critical assessment of extension education illustrates the theory that content can be
throughout the country. organized so as to achieve educational
objectives. Therefore, selection of the
Review of Literature and appropriate content is a critical step towards
Theoretical/Conceptual Framework achieving a program’s educational
objectives.
Historically, extension education has Scheer et al. (2006) developed a
focused on topics typically associated with conceptual model known as the Ohio State
being an extension agent, such as program model to organize extension education; it is
planning and evaluation. Legacy and Wells the only one known to have been published
(1987) found experienced agents identified and thus provides a starting point for
program planning, evaluation, and the curriculum research. Tyler (1949) argued,
development of media presentations as the
three most important instructional items for Since the real purpose of education is
extension education. The most important not to have the instructor perform certain
topics for internship preparation were activities but to bring about significant
considered to be program planning and changes in the students' pattern of
maintenance, committee involvement, and behavior, it becomes important to
personal visits. recognize that any statements of
Acker and Grieshop (2004) examined objectives … should be a statement of
the types of undergraduate and graduate changes to take place in the students. (p.
courses offered in the broader area of 44)
agricultural and extension education. Most
common at the undergraduate level were Although in recent years some
topics such as communication, personal and universities have expanded their view of
professional leadership, and teaching extension education to include a variety of
methods. Graduate coursework focused on nonformal education careers, the broad
research, advanced teaching methods, and objective of the Ohio State model is to teach
leadership development. Program planning students the knowledge, skills, and
and development courses were common at behaviors necessary for eventual
both academic levels, but the frequency of employment in Cooperative Extension
their occurrence was not indicative of the (Scheer et al., 2006).
importance found by Legacy and Wells The Ohio State model has 10 core
(1987). competency areas (see Figure 1) necessary
Formal extension education programs for success in Cooperative Extension and,
can play an integral role in developing consequently, essential for inclusion in
students’ job skills by providing a extension education curriculum. The
curriculum uniquely tailored to the competency areas were identified using
competencies required of extension selected portions of the work of Cooper and
professionals. According to Kelly (2004), Graham (2001), Levine (as cited in Scheer et
curriculum is ―the overall rationale for any al., 2006), and common requirements for
educational programme‖ (p. 4). Taba’s employment in Cooperative Extension
(1962) theory of curriculum development (Scheer et al.). Cooper and Graham found
proposed a sequential approach to designing that extension agents and supervisors
curriculum based on the scientific analysis considered seven competency areas to be
of society, culture, the learner, and the important. In order of greatest to least
nature of knowledge. Seven steps were importance, they were: (a) faculty/staff
included in Taba’s model: (a) diagnosis of relations; (b) public relations; (c) work
Journal of Agricultural Education 23 Volume 50, Number 3, 2009
Harder, Mashburn, & Benge An Assessment of Extension…
habits; (d) pr ogram planning, (d) c ommunication skills; (e) e ducational
implementation, and evaluation; (e) personal and infor mation technology; (f) fa cilitative
skills, (f) man agement responsibilities, and leadership (g) diversity a nd
(g) personal and professional development. multiculturalism; (h) mar keting a nd
Similarly, Levine id entified 10 core quality se rvice; (i) e xternal linkages; and
competencies: (a) pr ogram planning and (j) professionalism and career development
development; (b) pr ogram implementation (Michigan S tate University Ex tension,
and delivery; (c) e valuation, applied 2008).
research, and sc holarship;
Figure 1. Foundations of The Ohio State model of extension education.
Scheer et al. (2006) linked the identified thirty supporting theoretical references has
competencies to the theoretical foundations not been included in this article.
of extension education. Each competency Scheer et al. (2006) used the Ohio State
area identified from the research was model to evaluate the undergraduate and
grounded in theory. For example, the adult graduate extension education curriculum at
learning competency area was theoretically The Ohio State University and to determine
supported by the work of Brookfield (1988), where improvement might be needed. Their
Knowles (1990), and Knowles, Holton, and use of the model to evaluate the curriculum
Swanson (1998). Because of space led to the identification of gaps and the
constraints, an exhaustive listing of the subsequent addition of a course to the
Journal of Agricultural Education 24 Volume 50, Number 3, 2009
Harder, Mashburn, & Benge An Assessment of Extension…
curriculum. A similar process, based on the included in the study. Courses listed as
Ohio State model, was used in this study to departmental requirements and/or approved
identify gaps in extension education electives for extension education were
curriculum at the national level. included in the data analysis. Graduate
courses were defined as courses designated
Purpose at the 500/5000 level or above.
Undergraduate courses were defined as
The purpose of this study was to assess courses designated at the 400/4000 level or
the content included in extension education below. To the extent possible, general
curriculum at land grant universities with university requirements for undergraduates
formal extension education majors, minors, were not included in the data analysis.
or graduate specializations. Specifically, the Examples of courses considered to be
objectives were to: general university requirements included
basic mathematics courses and freshman
1. Identify the courses included in orientation seminars.
extension education curriculum at Gall et al. (2007) said ―the use of
the undergraduate and graduate standard coding categories permits
levels. comparison with other studies that have used
2. Compare the courses included in the same system‖ (p. 289). Given the stated
extension curriculum at the objective to compare courses included in
undergraduate and graduate levels extension education curriculum at the
with the competency areas in the undergraduate and graduate levels with the
Ohio State model of extension competency areas in the Ohio State model,
education. the competency areas within that model
were used to code the data. The competency
Methods/Procedures areas were: (a) extension knowledge,
leadership, and management; (b)
This descriptive study used a technology; (c) communications; (d)
quantitative approach to content analysis program planning, implementation, and
(Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2007) to gather data evaluation; (e) applied research; (f) diversity
from the Web sites of universities and tribal and pluralism; (g) marketing and public
colleges within the land-grant system. A relations; (h) theories of human
quantitative approach to content analysis development and learning; (i) risk
differs from a qualitative approach in that management; and (j) community
frequencies are used to derive meaning from development process and diffusion. The
the data, whereas a qualitative approach placement of a course into a competency
emphasizes the researcher‘s own area was primarily based on the course title.
interpretation (Gall et al.). In the context of Course catalog descriptions were used to aid
this study, a quantitative approach to content in the coding process when course titles
analysis literally meant counting the number were perceived to be ambiguous.
and the types of courses offered by land Frequencies and percentages were reported
grant universities. A census of the 1862, for the types of courses available at the
1890, and 1994 land grant universities and undergraduate and graduate levels.
tribal colleges (collectively abbreviated as Where the Ohio State model failed to
LGUs) was conducted in September 2007. capture certain courses, the researchers
The population for the study was restricted clustered those courses into categories based
to the primary campus of each LGU (N = on course titles and catalog descriptions.
108). Revisions were conducted until consensus
Courses within extension education were was reached among the researchers with
identified by reviewing each LGU‘s Web regard to the placement of courses into
site. Only LGUs which clearly designated categories. The use of the terminology
an extension education undergraduate major ―category‖ to describe clusters of courses
and/or minor (n = 11) or graduate not captured in the Ohio State model versus
specialization (n = 21) had their courses ―competency area‖ should be noted because
Journal of Agricultural Education 25 Volume 50, Number 3, 2009
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