Profile for
Whitney Figland, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Agricultural Education

  • Faculty
College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
Contact Whitney
Office
AG/ET 153
Related Department
College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Whitney Figland is a passionate educator and advocate for agricultural education, shaping future teachers to inspire the next generation of agricultural advocates. She was raised on a small family farm in Iowa, where they raised and showed lambs. Dr. Figland’s life has been dedicated to promoting the values of agriculture, 4-H, and FFA for a sustainable future.

A Conversation with Dr. Whitney Figland

Get to know Dr. Figland better as she shares insights into her career and passions. Discover what drives her commitment to agricultural education.

What do you like most about your career?

I enjoy working with students to pursue their passions and help them develop and achieve their personal/career goals. I also enjoy working with students to help them develop into future agricultural educators and advocates.  

Tell us about a research project you’ve worked on and are passionate about.

Currently, I am working on multiple projects that focus on School-Based Ag Education teacher preparation, specifically within problem-solving/critical thinking skills development. I am also focused on STEM integration in technical content areas, like agricultural mechanics. My line of research is dedicated to narrowing the workforce development skills gap among agriculture students so they are efficient and effective problem-solvers, critical thinkers and productive communicators in the agricultural sectors.

Education

Here you will find a summary of your academic achievements.

Teaching Areas

Explore the primary teaching areas you can delve into and the specific courses offered within these disciplines.

  • Agricultural education and agricultural mechanics

Here are some of the specialized courses you might take as part of your studies.

  • AGED 317: Youth Leadership and Development
  • AGED 471: Program of Instruction for Agricultural Education
  • AMC 315: Agri Systems Technology Management
  • AMC 2303: Welding Techniques
  • AGED 465: Student Teaching Experience
  • AMC 424: Agricultural Safety

Research Areas

You can explore the core research areas where our faculty drives innovation in agricultural education and mechanics.

  • Agricultural Education Teacher Preparation; Agricultural Mechanics

Awards

Discover the significant awards our faculty have received, recognizing their valuable contributions to agricultural education.

  • 2022 Journal Article of the Year, Journal of Agricultural Education
  • 2020 Journal Article of the Year, Volume 70, Journal of Southern Agricultural Education Research

Professional Organizations

Consider joining these professional organizations to connect with peers and advance your career in agricultural education.

Recent Publications

You can explore the most recent scholarly articles and research publications.

  • Figland-Cook, W.L., Englin, Jacob, Roberts, R., Stair, K.S. (2024). Toward Globally Competent Teaching: A One-Year Retrospect on Agrisciences Teachers' Changes in Perspective after an International Experience. Journal of Agricultural Education.
  • Roberts, R., Stair, K. S., Figland-Cook, W. F., & Jayaratne, K. S. U. (2024). Teaching Outside of the Margins: School-Based Agricultural Education Teachers' Perspectives on Globally Competent Teaching During an International Experience. Journal of Agricultural Education, 65(2), 145-159.
  • Figland, W. L., Blackburn, J. J., Stair, K. S., & Burnett, M. F. (2023). Investigating the effects of cognitive style on the small gasoline engines content knowledge of undergraduate students in a flipped introductory agricultural mechanics course at Louisiana State University. Journal of Southern Agricultural Education Research.
  • Figland, W. L., Blackburn, J. J., Stair, K. S., & Burnet, M. F. (2021). Investigating the effects of cognitive style diversity on the hypothesis generation and troubleshooting ability of undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory agricultural mechanics' course at Louisiana State University. Journal of Agricultural Education, 62(1), 156-169. Access Article on Cognitive Style Diversity in Agricultural Mechanics *Article of the Year – Volume 63
  • Figland, W. L., Blackburn, J. J., & Roberts, R. (2020). Undergraduate students' perceptions of team-based learning during an introductory agricultural mechanics' course: A mixed methods study. Journal of Agricultural Education, 61(1), 262-276. Access Article on Team-Based Learning Perceptions
  • Figland, W. L., Roberts, R., & Blackburn, J. J. (2020). Reconceptualizing problem solving: Applications for the delivery of agricultural education's comprehensive, three-circle model in the 21st Century. Journal of Southern Agricultural Education Research, 70(1), 1-20. Access PDF of Article on Reconceptualizing Problem Solving *Article of the Year – Volume 70
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