Agricultural and forestry advisers and other technical service providers play an important role in supporting farmers and foresters to adapt to climate change. However, not all agricultural and forestry advisers are comfortable talking about climate change with land managers. While there is a demonstrated interest related to climate-related professional development, few examples of curricula developed with the express purpose of serving this audience and a systematic review of these curricula has not been conducted. To address this gap, we reviewed 12 curricula which were developed and implemented between 2001 and 2017. The goal of this review is to apply the lessons learned from a range of climate change-focused curricula to new, regionally or sector-specific educational programs targeting both agricultural advisers and innovative farmers. Our findings suggest that developers of future educational programs consider the following: (a) the specific needs of their audience, including topical interests and learning needs; (b) the use of interdisciplinary teams for curricula development; (c) trade-offs associated with inclusivity and depth of course content; and (d) the advantages of project-based education approaches suited for adult learning audiences. By applying these concepts to future curricula, these curricula are likely to have the greatest level of impact.
AndersonA. (2012).
Climate change education for mitigation and adaptation. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development,
6(2), 191–206.
2.
ArbuckleJ. G.HaighT.HobbsJ.KnootT. (2013).
Climate change beliefs, concerns, and attitudes toward adaptation and mitigation among farmers in the Midwestern United States. Drought Mitigation Center Faculty Publications,
11, 1–13.
3.
BecerraT. A.MiddendorfG.CampbellA.TomlinsonP. (2016).
Climate change challenges for Extension educators : Technical capacity and cultural attitudes. Journal of Extension,
54(6), 1–14.
4.
BobbittJ. F. (1918). The curriculum.
Cambridge, MA:
The Riverside Press.
5.
BozemanB. (2000).
Technology transfer and public policy: A review of research and theory. Research Policy,
29(4), 627–655.
6.
BurkeM.EmerickK. (2015).
Adaptation to climate change: Evidence from US agriculture. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy,
8(3), 106–140.
7.
ChatrchyanA. M.ErlebacherR. C.ChaoprichaN. T.ChanJ.TobinD.AllredS. B. (2017).
United States agricultural stakeholder views and decisions on climate change. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change,
8(5), 1–21.
8.
ChurchS. P.DunnM.BabinN.SaylorA.HaighT.ProkopyL. S. (2018).
Do advisors perceive climate change as an agricultural risk? An in-depth examination of Midwestern U.S. Ag advisors’ views on drought, climate change, and risk management. Agriculture and Human Values,
35(2), 349–365.
9.
ColemanG.Byrd-BredbennerC.BakerS.BowenE. (2011).
Best practices for Extension curricula review. Journal of Extension,
49(2), 5.
10.
CountG. S. (1932). Dare the school build the new social order.
Carbondale, IL:
Southern Illinois University Press.
11.
DeweyJ. (1897). My pedagogic creed.
New York:
Kellogg and Company.
12.
FinkbeinerN.BraunB. (1999). Curricula assessment tool.
College Park, MD:
University of Maryland Extension.
13.
FlindersD. J.ThorntonS. J. (Eds.). (2004). The curriculum studies reader (2nd ed.).
New York:
RoutledgeFalmer.
FranzN.PiercyF.DonaldsonJ.RichardR.WestbrookJ. (2010).
How farmers learn: Implications for agricultural educators. Journal of Rural Social Sciences,
25(1), 37–59.
16.
FreireP. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed.
New York:
Bloomsbury Academic.
17.
HaighT.MortonL. W.LemosM. C.KnutsonC.ProkopyL. S.LoY. J.AngelJ. (2015).
Agricultural advisors as climate information intermediaries: Exploring differences in capacity to communicate climate. Weather, Climate, and Society,
7(1), 83–93.
18.
HubbardW. G.SandmannL. R. (2007).
Using diffusion of innovation concepts for improved program evaluation. Journal of Extension,
45(5), 1–7.
19.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2014). Climate change 2014: Impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. Working Group II contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report.
Cambridge, UK:
Cambridge University Press.
20.
JonesC.LenartM. (2014).
Forestry professionals and Extension educators vs. climate change: Implications for cooperative Extension programming. Journal of Extension,
52(3), 1–8.
21.
KirchhoffC. J.LemosM. C.DessaiS. (2013).
Actionable knowledge for environmental decision making: Broadening the usability of climate science. Annual Review of Environment and Resources,
38(1), 393–414.
22.
KnowlesM. S.SwansonR.HoltonE. F. I. (2005). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resources development (6th ed.).
San Diego, CA:
Elsevier Science and Technology Books.
23.
LeithP.VanclayF. (2015).
Translating science to benefit diverse publics: Engagement pathways for linking climate risk, uncertainty, and agricultural identities. Science, Technology & Human Values,
40(6), 939–964.
24.
LyallC.BruceA.MarsdenW.MeagherL. (2013).
The role of funding agencies in creating interdisciplinary knowledge. Science and Public Policy,
40(1), 62–71.
25.
LyleG. (2015).
Understanding the nested, multi-scale, spatial and hierarchical nature of future climate change adaptation decision making in agricultural regions: A narrative literature review. Journal of Rural Studies,
37, 38–49.
26.
McDowellG. R. (2001). Land-grant universities and Extension into the 21st century: Renegotiating or abandoning a social contract.
Ames:
Iowa State University Press.
MonroeM. C.PlateR. R.AdamsD. C.WojcikD. J. (2015).
Harnessing homophily to improve climate change education. Environmental Education Research,
21(2), 221–238.
29.
MorrisH. L. C.MegalosM. A.VuolaA. J.AdamsD. C.MonroeM. C. (2014).
Cooperative extension and climate change: Successful program delivery. Journal of Extension,
52(2): Article no. 2COM3
30.
OtaC.DiCarloC. F.BurtsD. C.LairdR.GioeC. (2006).
Needs of the adult learner. Journal of Extension,
44(6), 1–4.
31.
PathakT. B.BernadtT.UmphlettN. (2014).
Climate masters of Nebraska: An innovative action-based approach for climate change education. Journal of Extension,
52(1), 4.
32.
PoortingaW.SpenceA.WhitmarshL.CapstickS.PidgeonN. F. (2011).
Uncertain climate : An investigation into public scepticism about anthropogenic climate change. Global Environmental Change,
21(3), 1015–1024.
33.
ProkopyL. S.ArbuckleJ. G.BarnesA. P.HadenV. R.HoganA.NilesM. T.TyndallJ. (2015).
Farmers and climate change: A cross-national comparison of beliefs and risk perceptions in high-income countries. Environmental Management,
56, 492–504.
34.
ProkopyL. S.CarltonJ. S.ArbuckleJ. G.HaighT.LemosM. C.MaseA. S.AbinN. (2015).
Extension’s role in disseminating information about climate change to agricultural stakeholders in the United States. Climatic Change,
130(2), 261–272.
35.
ProkopyL. S.CarltonJ. S.HaighT.LemosM. C.MaseA. S.WidhalmM. (2017).
Useful to usable: Developing usable climate science for agriculture. Climate Risk Management,
15, 1–7.
36.
RogersE. (1962). Diffusion of innovations.
New York:
The Free Press.
37.
RölingN.de JongF. (1998).
Learning: Shifting paradigms in education and extension studies. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension,
5(3), 143–161.
38.
SchattmanR. E.Roesch-McNallyG.WienerS.NilesM. T.HollingerD. Y. (2018).
Farm Service Agency employee intentions to use weather and climate data in professional services. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems,
33(3), 212–221.
SeeversB. S. (1995).
Extensionists as adult educators: A look at teaching style preference. Journal of Extension,
33(3), 1–2.
41.
SimpsonD. J.JacksonM. J. B. (2003).
John Dewey’s view of the curriculum in the child and the curriculum. Education and Culture,
19(2), 23–27.
42.
StephensonG. (2003).
The somewhat flawed theoretical foundation of the extension service. Journal of Extension,
41(4), 1–10.
43.
StrongR., HarderA. & Carter, H. (2010).
Agricultural Extension agents’ perceptions of effective teaching strategies for adult learners in the master beef producer program theoretical framework & review of literature. Journal of Extension, 48(3), 1–7.
44.
TobinD.JanowiakM.HollingerD.SkinnerR. H.SwanstonC.SteeleR.ChatrchyanA. (2015). Northeast and northern forests regional climate hub assessment of climate change vulnerability and adaptation and mitigation strategies.
Northeast Hub:
Durham, NH.
45.
TobinD.RadhakrishnaR.ChatrchyanA.AllredS. (2017).
Addressing climate change impacts on agriculture and natural resources: Barriers and priorities for land-grant universities in the northeastern United States. Weather, Climate, and Society,
9, 591–606.
46.
ToombsW. E.TierneyW. G. (1993).
Curriculum definitions and reference points. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision,
8(3), 175–195.
47.
WalthallC.HatfieldP.BacklundL.LengnickE.MarshallM.WalshS.DkinsS. (2012). Climate change and agriculture in the United States: Effects and adaptation.
Washington, DC:
USDA Technical Bulletin.
48.
WhitefieldE.SchmidtD.Witt-SwansonL.SmithD.ProntoJ.KnoxP.PowersC. (2016).
Animal agriculture in a changing climate online course: An effective tool for creating Extension competency. Journal of Extension,
54(2), 27.
49.
WienerS.Roesch-McNallyG.SchattmanR. E. (2018). National survey of USDA field staff on climate and weather.
Washington DC:
United States Department of Agriculture Climate Hubs.
50.
WilesJ. (2009). Leading curriculum development.
Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press.
51.
WolfeD. W.DeGaetanoA. T.PeckG. M.CareyM.ZiskaL. H.Lea-CoxJ.EmanianA. R. (2018).
Unique challenges and opportunities for northeastern U.S. crop production in a changing climate. Climatic Change,
146(1–2), 231–245.
52.
ZhangP.ZhangJ.ChenM. (2017).
Economic impacts of climate change on agriculture: The importance of additional climatic variables other than temperature and precipitation. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management,
83, 8–31.
