Skill Enrichment of Curriculum Development in Iranian Higher Agricultural Education System: case of the Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

Improving the employability of university graduates entails enhancement of skill training in curriculum development. Skill enrichment to the curriculum development in the agricultural higher education system implicates a systemic approach to understand the relevant requirements. The aim of this research was to develop a set of strategies and guidelines for the skill enrichment of the curriculum development in the agricultural higher education system. This research was carried out by qualitative approach using the focus group method. The research tool was a semi-structured interview with a group of the stakeholders of skill training in the higher agricultural education system (case of the Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources) who were selected by purposive sampling (n=12). In order to collect data in this research, first, by semi-structured interview, the narrative of the research participants was collected. Then, using qualitative content analysis of the narratives, key propositions were extracted, a focus group was formed and a facilitated group interview was conducted to find the components and indicators of the integration of skill training in curriculum development in the agricultural higher education system. According to the research findings, a model including five components was articulated: strategic principles of skill development, educational development measures with a skill training approach in three stages (design, implementation and evaluation), and finally, infrastructure development mechanisms for supporting skill training in the higher agricultural education system. As key implication of this research, reaching entrepreneurial learning as value add of university skill training requires which skill training, beyond an extracurricular activity, embedded in the process of university curriculum development.