Catherine DiBenedetto

Associate Professor
Agricultural Sciences Department

Office: 251 McAdams Hall, Lab: 152 McAdams Hall
Phone: 864-656-0296

Email: CDIBENE@clemson.edu

Educational Background

Ph.D Agricultural Education
University of Florida 2015

Certificate - Teaching and Learning in Agriculture and Life Sciences
University of Florida 2015

M.S. Instruction in Agriscience Education
University of Delaware 2009

B.S. Plant Science
University of Delaware 1992

Courses Taught

AGED 1000 Orientation and Field Experience
AGED 1020 Agricultural Education Freshman Seminar
AGED 2030 Teaching Agriscience
AGED 2031 Teaching Agriscience Lab
AGED 4000 Supervised Field Experience II
AGED 4010/6010 Teaching Methods in Agricultural Education
AGED 4011/6011 Teaching Methods in Agricultural Education Lab
AGED 4060 Directed Teaching
AGED 4230/6230 Curriculum
AGED 4280/6280 Special Problems in Agricultural Education
AGED 8040/41 Special Topics in Teaching Agriscience
AGED 8100 Clinical Research in Agricultural Education
AGED 8910 Masters Thesis Research
AGED 9910 Doctoral Dissertation Research

Profile

Throughout the nation,I work with and design professional development for pre-service and in-service agriscience teachers to assist with curriculum development focused on STEM integration using inquiry-based instruction methods aligned with my research agenda, which identifies the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed for career readiness to prepare students for the 21st century workforce. My position in the Agricultural Education Program is focused on teaching in the areas of instructional methods,curriculum design,and teaching in agriscience laboratories. I also serve as the undergraduate program coordinator for the Agricultural Education Program and Agricultural Education Teaching Certificate Program.I am very passionate about advising, mentoring, and working with pre-service teachers to prepare them to be effective instructors in successful school-based agricultural education programs. I serve as an active member of the CAFLS Teaching and Learning committee and enjoy mentoring colleagues to help improve their teaching effectiveness. Prior to joining the Agricultural Sciences Department,in the Agricultural Education Program at Clemson University, I spent several years working in various facets of the ornamental horticulture industry and seven years as an agriscience teacher and FFA Advisor at Caesar Rodney High School in my home state of Delaware.

Research Interests

My research agenda focuses on the study of student readiness in the 21st century to provide teacher professional development and effectively prepare students with the 21st century employability skills needed to become career ready. My research interests also include inquiry-based instructional methods,STEM integration, teacher self-efficacy/effectiveness,and interdisciplinary education. My STEM it Up program supported by the American Floral Endowment and USDA NIFA Professional Development for Agriculture Literacy is nationally recognized and has supported over 100 agriscience teachers across the United States.

Lab Members

Rustie Robison, Doctoral Graduate Student Research and Teaching Assistant

Extension and Outreach

My goal is to provide strategies to agriscience teachers throughout the nation to enhance effective teaching practices, design innovative instructional materials and disseminate my research findings to better prepare pre-service and in-service agriscience teachers with opportunities to increase their instructional self-efficacy and highlight inquiry-based instruction and STEM education in their school-based agricultural education classrooms and laboratories.
I serve as the Co-Director of the CAFLS Office of Teaching and Learning Scholars and the Co-consulting editor of the Land-Grant Press Teaching Section, a peer-reviewed resource for CAFLS faculty and students to share effective teaching and learning strategies.

Publications

Ferand, N. K., DiBenedetto C. A., Myers, B. E., & Barry, D. M. (2023). Implications of science illumination on student motivation to learn science in agriculture. Association for Career and Technical Education Research 48 (2), 60-79. https://doi.org/10.5328/cter48.2.60

Albritton, M., Roberts, T. G., DiBenedetto, C., & Bunch, J. (2023). Exploring how an integrated skills acquisition activity impacts the teaching ability and perceived self-efficacy to teach agricultural technical skills of preservice teachers. Journal of Agricultural Education, 64(1), 156–170. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v64i1.35

Ferand, N. K., DiBenedetto C. A., Myers, B. E., & Barry, D. M. (2022). Implications of science illumination on student content knowledge of technical floriculture and core scientific ideas. Journal of Agricultural Education (63)2, 165 – 181. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2022.02169

Eck, C. J., Layfield, K. D., DiBenedetto, C. A., Jordan, J. K., Scott, S. O., Thomas, W., Parisi, M., & Dobbins, T. (2022). Assessing Awareness and Competence of Best Practices in Synchronous Online Instruction During the COVID-19 Pandemic for Clemson Cooperative Extension Professionals. The Journal of Extension, 60(1), Article 8. https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.60.01.09

Eck, C., Layfield, K., DiBenedetto, C., & Gore, J. (2021). School-based agricultural education teachers competence of synchronous online instruction tools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Agricultural Education, 62(2), 137-147. http://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2021.02137

Ferand, N. K., DiBenedetto, C. A., Thoron, A. C., & Myers, B. E. (2020). Agriscience teacher professional development focused on teaching STEM principles in the floriculture curriculum. Journal of Agricultural Education, 61(4), 189 – 202. http://doi.org/10.5032/jae.202004189

DiBenedetto, C. A. & Willis, V. C. (2020). Post-secondary Students' Perceptions of Career Readiness Skills. Journal of Agricultural Education, 61(1), 44-59. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2020.01044

Barrick, R. K. & DiBenedetto, C. A. (2019). Assessing the Critical Thinking Styles of International Faculty to Enhance Teaching. Journal of Advances in Education and Philosophy, 3(6), 236-240. doi:10.21276/jaep.2019.3.6.1 ISSN 2523-2223 (Online), ISSN 2523-2665 (Print).

Scherer, H. H., McKim, A. J., Wang, H., DiBenedetto, C. A., & Robinson, K. (2019). Making sense of the buzz: A Systematic Review of STEM in, Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources. Journal of Agricultural Education. 60(2), 28-53. doi.org/10.5032/jae.2019.02028

DiBenedetto, C. A. & Whitwell, T. (2019). Promoting teaching excellence and supporting student learning in US colleges of agriculture. North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Journal. 63(1),13-19. https://www.nactateachers.org/index.php/vol-63-1-mar-2019/2824-associate-deans-and-academic-leaders

DiBenedetto C. A. (2018). Twenty-First Century Skills. In: McGrath S., Mulder M., Papier J., Suart R. (eds) Handbook of Vocational Education and Training: Developments in the Changing World of Work. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49789-1_72-1

DiBenedetto, C. A., Willis, V. C., & Barrick, R. K. (2018). Needs assessments for school-based agricultural education teachers: A review of literature. Journal of Agricultural Education. 59(4), 52-71. doi: 10.5032/jae.2018.04052

DiBenedetto, C. A., Blythe, J. M., & Myers, B. E. (2017). Effects of the Order of Abstraction and Type of Reflection on Content Knowledge when Teaching Experientially in a High School Classroom. Journal of Agricultural Education. 58(2), 67-82. doi; 10.5032/jae2017.02067

DiBenedetto, C. A. & Myers, B. E. (2016). A Conceptual Model for the Study of Student Readiness in the 21st Century. North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Journal. 60(A1). 28-36.

DiBenedetto, C. A., Lamm, K. W., Lamm, A. J., & Myers, B. E. (2016). Examining undergraduate student attitude towards interdisciplinary education. Journal of Agricultural Education. 57 (1), 167-178. doi:10.5032/jae.2016.01167

DiBenedetto, C. A., Easterly, R. G., & Myers, B. E. (2015). Can scientific reasoning scores predict the likelihood of SBAE students intent to pursue a STEM career, a career in agriculture, or plan to attend college? Journal of Agricultural Education 56(1), 103-115. doi: 10.5032/jae.2015.01103

Blythe, J. M., DiBenedetto, C. A., & Myers, B. E. (2015). Inquiry-based Instruction: Perceptions of National Agriscience Teacher Ambassadors. Journal of Agricultural Education. 56(2), 110-121. doi: 10.5032/jae.2015.02110

Conner, N. W., Rubenstein, E. D., DiBenedetto, C. A., Stripling, C. T., Roberts, T. G., & Stedman, N. L. P. (2014). Examining Student Perceptions of Flipping an Agricultural Teaching Methods Course. Journal of Agricultural Education 55 (5), 65-77. doi 10.5032/jae.2014.05065

Links

STEM it Up Program
STEM it Up 2.0 Program
AGED Certificate Program
Clemson TeachAg Program
STEM it Up^2 Program