An Examination of the Learning Activities, Cognitive Level of Instruction, and Teacher Immediacy Behaviors of Successful Instructors in a College of Agriculture

Abstract

The National Research Council (NRC) has indicated that effective instruction in colleges of agriculture should prepare students to enter a dynamically changing workplace by helping students learn to be proficient in 21st century skills. The NRC suggested that effective instruction in colleges of agriculture should encompass a hospitable learning environment that includes a variety of learning activities that reach higher levels of cognition. The purpose of this study was to observe instructors in a college of agriculture who have been deemed successful and examine their teaching behaviors. This study investigated the learning activities used by these instructors, the cognitive level of instruction, and the teaching immediacy behaviors employed. Results revealed that these successful instructors use lecture a majority of the time; however, they also employ a variety of learning activities, such as cooperative learning, discussion, questioning, and individualized application. Additionally, these instructors teach mostly at lower cognitive levels, except when using cooperative learning. Furthermore, results showed that these successful instructors exhibit a moderate number of positive teaching immediacy behaviors.