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Introduction

From the Executive Editor

It is next to impossible to maintain a sense of calm in times of great uncertainty. The COVID-19 pandemic has no doubt led to one of the most uncertain times the world has faced. One of the ways I find solace within myself in this time of uncertainty is a knowledge of the deep connections extensionists across the world have within their local communities. Their ability to keep people informed and making good decisions based on sound science gives me hope. Stories of extensionists working diligently alongside those keeping food chains open, ensuring the physical and mental well-being of every global citizen, and advocating for continued research and outreach while caring for and protecting their own families are awe inspiring. I want to thank each of you, on behalf of the editorial team of the JIAEE, for your contributions at the local, regional, national and international level within which you work as you strive to share research-based information and help our communities stay informed amid this chaos.

Browse through the April 2020 issue of the JIAEE and you will notice a wide variety of research projects that encompass the totality of agricultural and extension education offering recommendations for how we improve and support educational practice in the field. Within this issue you will find an in-depth discussion of the need for collective professionalization across global and regional Extension networks. You will then find a complimentary study examining the role Technical, Vocational, Education and Training schools play in professionalizing agricultural and extension educators in Haiti. Another study highlights the importance of global exposure and its impact on the intercultural effectiveness of secondary youth, emphasizing the importance of intentionally exposing students to global perspectives when educating about agriculture. Finally, a study conducted in Uganda revealed how youth-adult partnerships utilized during an educational experience impacted not only youth, but their adult partners.

You will also find ways to best educate and communicate about critical agricultural issues with specific audiences within this issue. Contexts covered include the adoption of integrated pest management practices, communicating about genetic modification science as a possible solution to citrus greening, and agricultural risk management. For example, one study found Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) could be an effective way for extension officers to engage with farmers in Malaysia, further building on research conducted in the Caribbean shared in the previous issue of the JIAEE. Finally, you will find a methodological piece highlighting the importance of scale development and validation. The article offers researchers a way to effectively create and test scales to ensure the reliability and validity of international agricultural and extension education research.

The articles in this edition of the JIAEE remind me of our solidarity as a community of researchers striving to better agricultural and extension education practices, so we are prepared as extensionists when faced with times of crisis. I encourage you to read the articles cover-to-cover in this April 2020 edition of JIAEE and be at peace knowing we are all together in spirit despite our physical distance.

Sincerely,

Alexa J. Lamm, PhD

Executive Editor, Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education