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At the colleges of agriculture in Iran, lecture is used as a dominated teaching method. Team learning is one of the most commonly used educational methods in the present erea. The aim of this study was to compare the Team Member Teaching Design (TMTD) and the regular lecture method on the academic achievement and teamwork behavior of agricultural students. A within-subject design was followed for two courses in which students first attended a series of lectures and then participated in team teaching. Differences between lecture and team teaching methods were examined for their academic achievement and teamwork. The study samples were taken of Agricultural Extension and Education Department of the University of Tehran during the academic year of 2017-2018. The mean scores of academic achievement and the teamwork behavior of students were compared. In compared coursess, the effect of TMTD method on the academic achievement of students was shown. The results of means comparison tests indicated a significant difference between the two methods of teaching in the field of academic achievement and the strengthening of the teamwork behavior of students. The paper further discusses team method implementation and its implication for teaching and proffers the way forward for an effective use of teaching methods for better results in the classroom teaching and learning process.

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This study adopted a survey approach to address and determine the effects of educational system components on strengthening the teamwork behavior of students in the agricultural higher education system of Iran. The statistical population consisted of all agricultural students in five universities of Iran. A sample of 291 students was selected using random stratified sampling method with proportional allocation. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The data were analyzed by structural simulation technique using Smart PLS software. The results showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between teamwork behavior of students and the components of the higher education system, which included the teacher, student, curriculum, and the learning environment. The results also showed that the curriculum component had the most impact compared to other components. Also, the presented Applied Structural Equation Model is a strong theoretical model for predicting the teamwork behavior of the students.

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International collaboration is the key element to expand the horizons of knowledge and technology and to solve sustainability problems. To plan and implement this issue as effectively as possible, this study analyzed the lived experiences of agricultural students about the benefits and challenges of international research collaboration. This applied research used a mixed-method approach in two steps. First, an interview was done with PhD-agriculture students at the University of Tehran, who had published at least one article with international co-authorship in an international journal. Interviews were continued with 19 participants until the saturation point was reached. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the six stages of thematic analysis of Clarke and Braun (2006) and by conducting MAXQDA software. Secondly, a questionnaire was developed and conducted to investigate the importance of each of the items from the same 19 students who participated in the interview step. In this step, descriptive statistics were done by using SPSS software/ver23. Percentage, mean, and standard deviation were calculated for descriptive analysis. The findings showed that the international research collaboration had 24 benefit codes in the four dimensions of communication, scientific-research, academic, and personal-professional. On the other hand, 17 challenge codes were categorized into three groups of personal, motivational, and attitudinal group; managing the research and publication process; and cultural, technical, and economic group. Based on the means of benefits and challenges of students’ international research collaboration, the first ranks were “academic” with a mean of 4.06, and “personal, motivational, attitudinal” with a mean of 4.28 for benefits and challenges, respectively. According to the findings, building teamwork skills in higher education is recommended as it can positively promote students’ collaboration with others for research projects. This original and innovative study has theoretical and practical implications and value. The results are beneficial for universities to make decisions and plan activities that enhance students’ international research collaboration.