Pathology of Agricultural Graduates' Unemployment: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

Movahedi, Reza; Saadi, Heshmatollah; Akbari, Sima; Azizi, Minoo

doi:10.22059/ijaedr.2013.50974

Pathology of Agricultural Graduates' Unemployment: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

¹ Assistant Professors, Agricultural Extension and Education Department, Bu-Ali- Sina University of Hamedan, Iran

² M.Sc. Students, Agricultural Extension and Education Department, Bu- Ali- Sina University of Hamedan, Iran

10.22059/ijaedr.2013.50974

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify challenges and problems of agricultural graduates' unemployment as well as to find available solutions for this problem. Required information has been collected through quantitative-qualitative methodologies using both questionnaire and interview tools. The validity of the questionnaire was verified by professors majoring in agriculture. Reliability of the questionnaire was also calculated by using Cronbach's Alpha test and it was 0.91(α=0.91).data analysis in quantitative part was done by a factor analysis method and a key words in context (KWIC) method of content analysis was utilized for qualitative section. Results showed that injuries from agricultural graduates' unemployment can be divided into seven factors. They were injuries from government, labor market, agricultural education system, agricultural professors, teaching and learning, agricultural students, and inadequate information and advisory works for agricultural graduates. Some solutions about improving agricultural graduates' unemployment presented such as emphasis on practical and applied agricultural practices, improvement in teaching quality of agricultural professors, reinforcement of different students' activities, investment and supportive policies for agriculture sector, and labor market collaboration to engage agricultural graduates.

Keywords