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With the emergence of the Internet, e-learning has increasingly become the promising solution that continues to grow day after day. Considering students' perception toward e-learning is important in successful development of e-learning in higher education, since attitude of user towards application of information technology is one of the most effective factors. This paper examines perception of virtual students' attitudes towards e-learning in Iran. A descriptive--correlation survey approach was used in this study. Students (n = 110) filled in a web-based closed questions questionnaire. Reliability and validity of instrument were determined by investigating the attitudes of e-learning specialists in Tehran University and application of Cronbach's Alpha (a = 0.88.) Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data using SPSS Win13. Questionnaires received were analyzed, putting the students' perceptions in relation to gender, age, knowledge of computers and attitudes to advantages and disadvantages of e-learning. Results showed that students have positive perception to e-learning. Liner regression analysis indicated that 68% of variation in virtual students' perceptions of e-learning was determined by the four variables of: Students' assessment about competency of e-learning, access to internet, computer and internet usage and assessment of current higher education system's shortcomings.

Today, due to the effective role of higher education in building a knowledge economy, varied missions and expectations have been assigned to the university. Accordingly, the university must, with the long-term support of economic development through the production of knowledge, and the mechanism of technology transfer, affect the economies of countries and promote their economic prosperity. In this context, it is merely an entrepreneurial university that, as a third-generation university with a more Transcendental duty than traditional universities, ensures a better university capacity in response to changes and expectations, Such as improving the job skills of graduates and reducing the number of unemployed graduates, especially in agriculture. The Iranian agricultural sector, being one of the most important sectors of the economy, desperately needs to develop and improve, therefore, building Entrepreneurial Agriculture and Natural Resources University (EANRU) and making fundamental changes in current universities is more urgent. Therefore, this study aims to identify the necessities of creating an entrepreneurial university using the qualitative paradigm. The statistical society was comprised of 37 faculty members of the Iranian Higher Education Centers. Grounded theory was used to collect data. Snowball sampling method was used. The conceptual model of entailments for creating EANRU was developed after reaching the theoretical saturation, open coding, axial coding and eventually selective coding. Finally, practical suggestions for implementing the model were presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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While there is a large body of literature on the behavior of stockpersons with regard to nonhuman animal welfare in developed countries, no such study has yet been carried out in the developing countries. This study uses an extended model of the Theory of Planned Behavior to predict stockpersons' intentions and behavior regarding animal welfare. The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey. The population of interest consisted of stockpersons in the Sirjan district in the Kerman province, Iran. We found that attitude, moral norms, and perceived behavioral control are significant predictors of intention regarding animal welfare. These three variables predicted 36% of the variance in animal welfare intentions. Furthermore, regression revealed that intention, moral norms, and perceived behavioral control are significant predictors of behavior regarding animal welfare. These three variables predicted 39% of the variance in animal welfare behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical evidence has revealed that farmers can manage the negative impact of drought effectively by changing and adapting their current farming practices. Adaptation is thus a focal point in reducing farmers' vulnerability. Knowledge of what farmers do in response to drought events can broaden adaptation options and improve resilience within the sector. To design effective public drought adaptation strategies, it is crucial to understand farmers' adaptive decision-making at the farm level. The aim of this study was thus to investigate farmers' ongoing adaptation measures and to identify factors influencing their choice of methods. To identify the factors influencing farmers' decisions, we used Protection Motivation. The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey. The population of interest consisted of farmers in Dehloran, in the Ilam Province of southwestern Iran. The study sample consisted of 320 farmers selected through a multistage random sampling procedure. The structural equation modelling result revealed that the response efficacy, perceived vulnerability and response cost respectively had a significant effect on the adaptive response. From the practical point of view, the present study provides a justification for using constructs of the Protection Motivation Theory in policy and decision-making aimed at encouraging farmers to reduce drought risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today's world faces two major crises including environmental pollution due to fossil fuels and the reduc- tion of these fuels, so energy supply through renewable energies has been considered a sustainable solution. The purpose of this study was to assess factors affecting the tendency to use biofuels among villagers. Heads of households in rural areas in Chavarzagh district, Tarom township, Zanjan province formed the statistical population of the study (N=2742). The sample size was estimated using the Cochrane formula (n=161) and samples were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling method. The descriptive and correlational research method was used in this study. The validity of the questionnaire was approved by a panel of related faculty members. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to confirm the reliability of the questionnaire (0.70-0.83). Data was analyzed using SPSS 21. Regression analysis showed that risk, attitudes towards biofuels, self-efficacy, training, eliminating subsidies for fossil fuels and encouraging the use of biofuels, increasing public awareness about the benefits of biofuels and perceived barriers explained 40.6 percent of the variation of villagers' tendency to use biofuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]