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2. Construction and validation of a psychometric scale to assess extension agents’ beliefs about extension and innovation
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Landini, Fernando (author), Beramendi, Maite (author), and University of La Cuenca del Plata Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) School of Psychology, University of Buenos Aires
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-07-24
- Published:
- Argentina: Taylor and Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 101 Document Number: D10880
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 25(5) : 318-399
- Notes:
- 18 pages, online journal article, Purpose This article aims at designing and validating a psychometric scale to assess extensionists’ and advisors’ beliefs about extension and innovation. Design/Methodology/approach The scale was developed by drawing upon results from a previous empirical research as well as insights from a literature review on extension and innovation approaches. The theoretical framework used to write the items was validated by 12 international experts from 11 countries. 608 Argentine extension workers completed the questionnaire. Replies were analysed using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Findings The scale has a good fit and satisfactory level of internal consistency. Five factors were identified: Dialogue and horizontal coordination; Transfer of technology; Blame on farmers; Participatory, farmer-led extension; and Self-critical attitude. Practical implications The scale has multiple and different uses, including research, theory development, institutional practice, diagnosis, and teaching. Theoretical implications Results show that a horizontal, facilitative extension approach shares a common epistemology, as well as underlying values and assumptions, with territorial development and with an innovation systems perspective, and that both contrast with a traditional transfer of technology approach. Nonetheless, practitioners would not tend to see these two contrasting perspectives as contradictory but as complementary. Originality/Value The scale is the first validated psychometric instrument, based on an ample theoretical framework, that allows for a quantitative assessment of beliefs about extension and innovation.
3. How Programme Teams Progress Agricultural Innovation in the Australian Dairy Industry
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Nettle, Ruth (author), Brightling, Pauline (author), Hope, Anne (author), and The University of Melbourne Harris Park Group, Ltd.
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2013-06-04
- Published:
- Australia: Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 109 Document Number: D10956
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 19(3) : 271-290
- Notes:
- 21 pages, via online journal, Purpose: This article outlines the emergence of programme teams in the Australian dairy farm sector as a response to counter weaknesses in the institutional environment for agricultural innovation which favours technology adoption/diffusion approaches. Design/methodology/approach: The strengths, weaknesses and risks of different approaches to innovation in the Australian dairy sector RD&E system are analysed and key features of an emerging programme team approach defined. The programme team approach is compared and contrasted with the features of innovation capacity from international literature. An analysis of the relative investment in this innovation capacity in different topics or domains of dairy innovation is provided. Findings: The programme team approach to innovation involves groups of researchers, extension people, public and private organisations, farmers, community groups, and policy and service groups brought together to progress innovation and change in a topic area or domain. Leadership of the process is provided by an area expert or champion. The team takes responsibility for: (a) understanding the businesses of key players who have an influence in the innovation or domain; (b) deciding the nature of the desired change that all stakeholders can align to; (c) identifying features of the enabling environment to establish what capacity is needed; (d) designing a ‘route to change’ strategy (in contrast to traditional route-to-market thinking); and (e) piloting and refining the approach within the target populations. The group manages emerging risks and keeps on top of issues, as well as identifies any knowledge gaps for research that are preventing innovation and change. Conclusions/practical implications: The programme team approach provides a semi-formal governance mechanism for innovation to develop, despite an institutional environment that favours technology adoption. Further, the activities of programme teams consist of practices which integrate research-led and demand-pull approaches. Currently, investment in such innovation capacity is relatively low and highly variable across different topic domains. Added value: The article provides tangible activities that managers of agricultural RD&E programmes can invest in to progress systemic approaches to innovation and is a guide for agricultural education and extension practitioners to proceed in their innovation work.
4. Information and communication for rural innovation and development: context, quality and priorities in southeast Uganda
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Sseguya, Haroon (author), Mazur, Robert (author), Abbott, Eric (author), and Matsiko, Frank (author)
- Format:
- Journal / Abstract
- Publication Date:
- 2012
- Published:
- Uganda
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 139 Document Number: D05825
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 18(1) : 55-70
5. On-farm demonstration: enabling peer-to-peer learning
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Sutherland, Lee-Ann (author) and Marchand, Fleur (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2021-10-04
- Published:
- UK: Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12644
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- V. 27, N.5
- Notes:
- 19 pages, This special issue presents recent European Commission-funded research into on-farm demonstration, undertaken through the Horizon 2020 PLAID (Peer-to-peer learning: Accessing innovation through demonstration), AgriDemo-F2F (building an interactive agridemo-hub community: enhancing peer-to-peer learning), and NEFERTITI (Networking European Farms to Enhance Cross Fertilisation and Innovation Uptake through Demonstration) projects, jointly branded ‘FarmDemo’.
6. Social integration mechanisms to strengthen absorptive capacity in agricultural advisory service organisations
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Stræte, Egil Petter (author), Hansen, Bjørn Gunnar (author), Ystad, Eystein (author), and Kvam, Gunn-Turid (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2022-09-03
- Published:
- UK: Taylor and Francis Ltd.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12640
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- Online
- Notes:
- 22pgs, To explore the structures and processes within agricultural advisory organisations that may enhance absorptive capacity (AC) and determine how organisations develop their AC.
7. The evolution of the MasAgro hubs: responsiveness and serendipity as drivers of agricultural innovation in a dynamic and heterogeneous context
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Camacho-Villa, Tania Carolina (author), Almekinders, Conny (author), Hellin, Jon (author), Martinez-Cruz, Tania Eulalia (author), Rendon-Medel, Roberto (author), and International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, Mexico, D.F. Wageningen University, The Netherlands Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Mexico Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas University of Bonn, Germany
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2016-10-17
- Published:
- Mexico: Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 108 Document Number: D10955
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 22(5) : 455-470
- Notes:
- 17 pages, via online journal, Purpose: Little is known about effective ways to operationalize agricultural innovation processes. We use the MasAgro program in Mexico (which aims to increase maize and wheat productivity, profitability and sustainability), and the experiences of middle level ‘hub managers’, to understand how innovation processes occur in heterogeneous and changing contexts. Design/methodology/approach: We use a comparative case study analysis involving research tools such as documentary review, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and reflection workshops with key actors. Findings: Our research shows how a program, that initially had a relatively narrow technology focus, evolved towards an innovation system approach. The adaptive management of such a process was in response to context-specific challenges and opportunities. In the heterogeneous context of Mexico this results in diverse ways of operationalization at the hub level, leading to different collaborating partners and technology portfolios. Practical implications: MasAgro experiences merit analysis in the light of national public efforts to transform agricultural advisory services and accommodate pluralistic agricultural extension approaches in Latin America. Such efforts need long-term coherent macro level visions, frameworks and support, while the serendipitous nature of the process requires meso-level implementers to respond and adapt to and move the innovation process forward. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the debate on how to operationalize large programs by showing that the innovation support arrangements enacted in the field should allow for diversity and have a degree of flexibility to accommodate heterogeneous demands from farmers in different contexts as well as continuous changes in the politico- institutional environment.