Studying the Essential Components for Effective Application of Information & Communication Technology in Agricultural Higher Education as Perceived by Students

The main purpose of this research was to study the essential components in effective application of ICT in Iran’s agricultural higher education. The research method was descriptive correlation method and statistical population was consisted of all Master students in agricultural colleges. A sample of 230 students was selected by using stratified random sampling method. Data were collected through a questionnaire which its validity was confirmed by a panel of experts. Its reliability was established by calculating Cronbach Alpha coefficient, as estimated to be 84%. SPSSV16 software was used to analyze the collected information. According to the results of a factor analysis, the essential components were placed in six factor group which totally explaining 68.1% of the total variance. These six factors were named holistic thinking; fairness in access; accessibility; expert knowledge and skill; execution and performance; and culture and attitude. The results of stepwise regression also showed that above mentioned components could specify 59.5% of changes in effective application of ICT.