Educational Development Strategies of National Agricultural Innovation System, Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center of Kohkilouyeh and Boyerahmad Province, Iran

The purpose of this study is finding strategies for development and expansion of education in the national agricultural innovation system, with an emphasis on experiences in Kohgiluyeh and Boyerahmad province. Accordingly, the qualitative method of the empowerment evaluation and SWOT technique was used and the quantitative method of QSPM matrix was used to select the strategies. Hence, the research community is included 40 experts from the Jihad-e-Agriculture Organization of the province, which is in close contact with agricultural education activities and is well acquainted with the challenges and opportunities. The required data were collected at the first stage for identification of factors through SWOT analysis protocol. The weights of each of the internal factors were: strengths (2.374), weaknesses (579.2), and external factors, opportunities (2.171) and threats (2.994). These data show the overcoming of weaknesses over strengths and threats to opportunities. The findings of the research showed that the basic view and overall orientation in developing strategies based on opportunities and removing the threats of the external environment in a "out sized" environment is possible. In the second step, the scores of attractiveness were used to determine the overall importance of the strategies. The findings showed that five of the above-average score strategies had to be considered. Establishment and designing in-service training programs and development of short-term skills training for farmers, changing attitudes among policymakers for paying attention and support of education centers, and designing and development of agricultural education justification schemes are the most important strategies.