Objectives



Today, the main capital of societies is the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of human resources. Learning and improving skills is no longer optional but vital. Therefore, enhancing the skills of students, graduates, and the workforce has become a key priority in recent years. This issue has consistently been of great importance to various countries, including Iran. Iran, like many other nations, has paid close attention to this matter, and it has been reflected in upstream policy documents and among the priorities of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology.

What is important in the skill development of agricultural students is that it cannot be achieved through theoretical courses alone; rather, their skill development and empowerment must be addressed through a variety of approaches. However, many national and international opportunities for skill development and deep learning have not been fully utilized by universities and higher education institutions. Given this, the need to focus on the skill development of students and graduates—and to review, reform, and enrich agricultural education in order to increase productivity in the agricultural sector-has never been more apparent.

A review of the findings and existing literature shows that previous studies have presented various skill frameworks and models. Nevertheless, important issues such as identifying the drivers and barriers to skill development in order to take advantage of national and international opportunities have received less attention and have often been overlooked. Thus, the present study addresses the question: What are the drivers and barriers to improving the skills of agricultural students? Accordingly, the objectives of this research are: (a) identifying the drivers of skill development for agricultural students, (b) identifying the barriers to skill development for agricultural students, (c) ranking the drivers of skill development for agricultural students, and (d) ranking the barriers to skill development for agricultural students.



Methods

The present study was conducted using a mixed-methods approach (qualitative-quantitative). In the first phase, a qualitative approach was employed, and data were collected through in-depth interviews with 17 professors and experts familiar with the subject. This process continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Prior to each interview, the required information and interview protocol were provided to the participants, and they were assured of the confidentiality of the information and discussions. Thematic analysis was then used to identify the key components. Coding was carried out following Braun and Clarke's six-step method to identify the requirements and challenges of skill development for agricultural students from various perspectives. The analysis steps were performed using MAXQDA software, a powerful tool for analyzing qualitative data. To validate the findings, the criteria proposed by Lincoln and Guba (including credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability) were examined.

In the next phase, a quantitative approach was adopted to measure the importance of each of the extracted codes and categories, as well as to rank the drivers of and barriers to skill development for agricultural students. Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to 280 final-year Ph.D. students and graduates. Descriptive and inferential data analysis was conducted using SPSS software.



Results

The findings showed that the drivers of skill development among students fell into six categories: (a) individual and human resources, (b) legal, (c) governance, financial, and institutional, (d) infrastructure and support, (e) scientific and educational, and (f) communication and networking. Similarly, the barriers to skill development for agricultural students could be grouped into three categories: (a) individual and university-level, (b) higher education-level, and (c) post-higher education-level.

Based on the results, the most significant driver of students' skill development was the scientific and educational category, followed by communication and networking; governance, finance, and institutional; infrastructure and support; individual and human resources; and legal. Among the barriers, the most critical category was at the higher education level, followed by the post-higher education level and the individual and university level, respectively.



Discussion

Despite all its limitations, the university is still recognized as the primary institution for developing human resources. The findings of this study indicated that the agricultural higher education system, in order to achieve effective skill development, requires a revision in its existing policies, procedures, and structures. In this regard, a sole emphasis on educational aspects without due attention to governance, financial provision, and communication networks cannot adequately address the complex and dynamic needs of the agricultural labor market. Accordingly, it is recommended that the agricultural higher education system enhance students' skill development through precise educational needs assessment, targeted financial support, and the establishment of effective collaborative networks with national and international institutions. Furthermore, identifying and introducing skill-development opportunities through the university portal, developing guidelines for engaging specialists and entrepreneurs in the teaching process, and strengthening academic and career counseling at the school and university levels are among other practical strategies that can serve as a roadmap for policymakers, educational planners, and university administrators to skilling agricultural students and enhance the productivity of this sector.