واكاوي سازوكارها و چالش هاي تقويت كاركرد نظام آموزش عالي كشاورزي كشور در عرصه تحقيقات كشاورزي

Analyzing Mechanisms and Challenges of Strengthening the Function of Higher Agricultural Education System in Agricultural Research System

Higher agricultural education is a component of Agricultural Knowledge and Information System (AKIS) and plays critical roles in the process of developing human capital, and integration of knowledge, information and technology in agriculture sector based on knowledge management approach in line with its well-known functions as research, education and outreach. According to empirical evidences and implications of sustainable agricultural development as a systemic process, integration of research function of higher agricultural education in Iranian agricultural research system seems necessary to be looked at as an ongoing and considerable necessity. With theaim of identification and component analysis of strategic mechanisms and challenges of strengthening the function of higher agricultural education system in agricultural research system, this explanatory research was carried out based on survey strategy. The population of the research consisted of all faculty members of public agricultural faculties and colleges of Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology (N=1260). Using multi-phase sampling method, 172 faculty members were selected and studied. A questionnaire was developed with two main parts to explore strategic mechanisms and challenges. Face and content validity of the questionnaire was established, employing a pannel of experts. A pilot test was conducted to determine the questionnaireʹs reliability based upon calculation ofCronbachʹs alpha (obtoined separately forthe two parts as.78 and .71). Data collected were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 10.5), and two explanatory factor analyses were carried out as related to mechanisms and challenges. According to findings of mechanisms analysis, five components were extracted. The first factor, called the networking-orientation factor explained 21.68% of thetotal variance,while the second factor, called the functional development factor explained 15.065% of the variances. The third factor, called institutional development factor explained 13.674% of the variances. The forth and fifth factors, named professional development and postgraduate research development factors respectively explained 12.621% and 11.987% of the total explained variances(75.026%) .Explanatory factor analysis of strategic challenges resulted in the extraction of four principal restraining components called, agricultural research and development context, constraints of systemic framework of research and technology, institutional/structural weaknesses, and functional/outcome weaknesses of agricultural research. These factors, in total explained 72.687% variances of the studied set of the strategic challenges