Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary

Description

Teach courses in the agricultural sciences. Includes teachers of agronomy, dairy sciences, fisheries management, horticultural sciences, poultry sciences, range management, and agricultural soil conservation. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Tasks

Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as crop production, plant genetics, and soil chemistry.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
Prepare course materials such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction.
Supervise laboratory sessions and field work and coordinate laboratory operations.
Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
Select and obtain materials and supplies such as textbooks and laboratory equipment.
Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.
Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
Perform administrative duties such as serving as department head.
Participate in campus and community events.
Act as advisers to student organizations.

Knowledge

Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Biology: Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Abilities

Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Work Activities

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Work Context

Electronic Mail: How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Structured versus Unstructured Work: To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled: How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Freedom to Make Decisions: How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Contact With Others: How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Frequency of Decision Making: How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate: How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results: How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company?
Work With Work Group or Team: How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?

Interests

Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Work Style

Analytical Thinking: Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Achievement/Effort: Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Independence: Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Innovation: Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Persistence: Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Stress Tolerance: Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

Work Values

Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Related Occupations

Biological Technicians

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Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education

Dietitians and Nutritionists

Pharmacists

Psychiatrists

Veterinarians

Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists

Lay Titles

Agribusiness Professor

Agricultural Economics Professor

Agricultural Education Professor

Agricultural Engineering Technology Instructor

Agricultural Science Professor

Agriculture Department Chair

Agriculture Instructor

Agriculture Professor

Agriculture Teacher

Agronomy Instructor

Agronomy Professor

Agronomy Teacher

Animal Anatomy Teacher

Animal Husbandry Teacher

Animal Nutrition Teacher

Animal Pathology Teacher

Animal Physiology Teacher

Animal Science Instructor

Animal Science Professor

Aquaculture and Fisheries Professor

College Professor

Dairy Husbandry Teacher

Dairy Science Teacher

Entomology Professor

Extension Specialist

Faculty Member

Farm Crops Teacher

Farm Management Teacher

Farm Manager

Floriculture Teacher

Horticulture Instructor

Horticulture Professor

Horticulture Teacher

Instructor

Irrigation Teacher

Livestock Judging Coach

Meat Cutting Teacher

Olericulture Teacher

Plant Biology Professor

Plant Pathology Teacher

Plant Sciences Professor

Pomology Teacher

Poultry Husbandry Teacher

Professor

Research Scientist

Sericulture Teacher

Silviculture Teacher

Soil Biology Teacher

Soil Conservation Teacher

Soil Science Professor

Soil Science Teacher

Teacher

Viticulture Teacher

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $0.0 hourly, $80,490 annual.

Employment (2008):: 10,500 employees