This study investigates the factors affecting financial literacy in Japan using data from Osaka University's Preference Parameter Study. We examine several demographic, socio-economic, and psychological variables drawn from the social learning, consumer socialization, and psychological theories of learning. The results indicate that the demographic factors of gender, age, and education; the socio-economic factors of income and occupation; and the psychological factor of perceptions of the future significantly affect the level of financial literacy. The results are robust to different measures of financial literacy and emphasize that social contact and people's future orientation can improve financial literacy levels in Japan.

Agricultural economics and agribusiness (AEAB) programs offer their graduates unique exposure to agricultural markets, policy, and production systems, which differentiates them from business programs. Despite the advantages associated with AEAB degrees, a significant challenge universities and AEAB graduates face is a general lack of recognition of what agricultural economics is and what an agricultural economist does. Using data collected from U.S. 1862 and 1890 land grant universities, we stress the importance of designing effective AEAB curricula based on enrollment trends, the desired attributes of graduates, and the current structure of AEAB undergraduate programs.

This paper provides an overview of the development of the Management Analysis and Strategic Thinking (MAST) program conducted by Kansas State University. This intensive management training course for progressive farm and agribusiness operators is being delivered successfully using a combination of face-to-face and distance extension delivery techniques. We find that some parts of the program are best delivered face to face and other parts are best delivered via distance. Of participants surveyed, 94% would recommend the MAST program to their peers, and 100% believe the program will have a positive impact on their businesses' bottom line.

Results are presented from a Web-based survey of instructors in agricultural economics and related departments about their use of, and attitudes about, classroom economic experiments.

Student evaluation of teaching (SET) is employed as an aid in improving instruction and determining faculty teaching effectiveness. However, economic theory indicates the existence of externalities in SET scores that directly influence their interpretation. As a test of this existence, a multinomial-choice, ordered data estimation procedure is employed to identify course externalities influencing SET. These externalities include student class standing, required courses, class size, days a class meets, class meeting time, classroom location, and classroom design. Results indicate that externalities have a significant impact on teaching evaluations. Thus, failure to internalize these externalities will lead to biases in SET and questionable use of SET as an aid in instruction improvement and determining faculty effectiveness.

Agricultural economics teaching programs are becoming stressed. They vary considerably because of different institutional settings and are conducted under changing college, university, and department trends and paradigm shifts. To ensure success, strategic marketing processes need to be used in analyzing programs: identifying potential students (clientele or customers), ascertaining what to offer (majors, minors, service courses, enrichment options, and distance education), finalizing the strategic plan, and executing the plan (with students, administration, industry, and disciplinary peers). Conclusions and recommendations for enhancing teaching quantity and quality are presented for the strategic marketing processes. Finally, some implications and conclusions for graduate education are discussed.

In this paper, we examine the impact of financial experience on financial literacy. Exploiting a unique feature of New Zealand, whereby domestic students can obtain interest-free student loans and can fully participate in the national retirement scheme while international students cannot, we employ an instrumental variables approach to identify the causal effect of financial experience on financial literacy. We conduct surveys on a sample of 338 business students and find that there is a positive and causal effect of financial experience on financial literacy. Our results have important implications for financial education programmes and may explain why many of these programmes to date have had limited success.