Whitney Figland, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Agricultural Education

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

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

• Ph.D., Agricultural and Extension Education, Louisiana State University, 2024
• M.S., Agricultural and Extension Education, Louisiana State University, 2019
• B.S., Agricultural and Life Sciences Education, Iowa State University, 2017

Teaching Areas

• Agricultural education and agricultural mechanics

Featured Courses

• 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

• Agricultural Education Teacher Preparation; Agricultural Mechanics

Awards

• 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

• AAAE: American Association for Agricultural Education
• NAAE: National Association of Agricultural Educators

Recent 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. https://doi.org/10.5032.2021.01156 *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. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2020.01262
• 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. http://jsaer.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/70-Figland-Roberts-Blackburn.pdf *Article of the Year – Volume 70