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2. Are farmers empowered? The role of empowerment in farmer decision making about weed and invertebrate management
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Major, Jason (author), Grant, Will (author), and Stocklmayer, Sue (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- Australia
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 163 Document Number: D11649
- Journal Title:
- Rural Extension and Information Systems Journal
- Journal Title Details:
- 14(1) : 1-10
- Notes:
- 10 pages., Researchers investigated empowerment in the context of two strategies, Integrated Weed Management and Integrated Pest Management. Findings suggested: "With the rise of chemical resistance, the agricultural industry has placed considerable emphasis on the need to accelerate and achieve farmer adoption if IWM and IPM, but our evidence suggests that greater emphasis should be given to understanding the socio-cultural factors that affect farmer decision making. Farmer empowerment emerged as a core concept from the data."
3. 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.
4. Cooperative extension can better frame its value by emphasizing policy relationships
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Gupta, Clare (author), Campbell, David (author), and Cole-Weiss, Alexandra (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-02-01
- Published:
- USA: University of California
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 12 Document Number: D10387
- Journal Title:
- California Agriculture
- Journal Title Details:
- 73(1) : 11-18
- Notes:
- 13 pages., Via online journal., Based on research-to-policy narratives provided by UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) academics, we argue that current, effective Cooperative Extension (Extension) practices support a broader, more convincing account of Extension's public value than its leaders often articulate. This proposed account incorporates the familiar Extension narrative in which technical expertise and objectivity are emphasized. It also incorporates the insight, derived from our data, that Extension can achieve its greatest relevance in policy circles when it weaves together its ability to provide trustworthy technical knowledge with its capacity to influence policy dialogue, debate and practice across multiple settings and over the long term. In a policy world often marked by short-term thinking and polarization, Extension's ability to foster deliberative, context-sensitive and future-oriented policymaking is a critical contribution to society. Interview data reveals three approaches to effective policy-oriented relationship building: community-government partnership building; stakeholder-oriented experimental research; and community empowerment. Understanding these approaches can help reframe the story that we in the Extension system tell ourselves and the public about the public value we create.
5. Happily ever after... A systematic literature review of the use of storytelling in extending agricultural research
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Thomson, Michael (author), Cosby, Amy (author), and Swain, Dave (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- Australia
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 163 Document Number: D11653
- Journal Title:
- Rural Extension and Innovation Systems Journal
- Journal Title Details:
- 15(1) : 62-72
- Notes:
- 11 pages., Authors focus on the Australian perspective and draw on a detailed global context to better understand how research might inform the use of creative non-fiction storytelling to aid new technology development.
6. The Military Families Learning Network: A Model for Extension-Based Virtual Learning Communities
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Plein, Christopher (author), Cassels, Alicia (author), and West Virginia University Auburn University
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-12
- Published:
- United States: Extension Journal, Inc.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 124 Document Number: D11229
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 57(6)
- Notes:
- 9 pages, via online journal, This article provides an overview of Extension's Military Families Learning Network. The network is an example of Extension's commitment to building virtual learning networks in the support of targeted professional and lay audiences. The network uses well-established and emergent pedagogical approaches focusing on adult-centered learning while employing state-of-the-art online learning technologies. We present a four-dimensional model of learning activities to illustrate how the network offers different options for and approaches to adult-centered learning and training. The Military Families Learning Network can serve as a model for broader adoption of such entities across the Extension community.
7. Using the theory of planned behaviour framework to understand Tasmanian dairy farmer engagement with extension activities to inform future delivery
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Turner, Lyia (author), Hall, Alison (author), Kilpatrick, Sue (author), and Dairy Australia
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-02-01
- Published:
- Tasmania, Australia: Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 151 Document Number: D10118
- Journal Title:
- The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 25(1)
- Notes:
- 17 pages, via online journal, Translator disclaimer Full Article Figures & data References Citations Metrics Reprints & Permissions Get access ABSTRACT Purpose: To identify and understand factors influencing farmers’ decisions to engage with extension activities. To understand farmer segments and how these factors vary in order to develop recommendations for future extension delivery. Methodology: Qualitative data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with 30 Tasmanian dairy farmers. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) framework was used to identify and explore factors influencing farmer engagement intentions and behaviour. Findings: There was a negative effect of social influence on experienced farmers’ intention to re-engage with extension, due to the belief extension activities were targeted to less experienced, younger farmers. Perceived control factors limiting engagement included lack of confidence about existing knowledge, resulting in farmers perceiving extension activities as confronting. Practical implications: Key factors influencing intention to engage and continued engagement with extension were identified. These findings will inform future design and targeting of extension activities to improve initial and continued engagement. Subsequent recommendations are presented. Theoretical implications: Previous TPB studies on adoption as an outcome of extension have typically focused on quantifying adoption predictions, rather than exploring how social factors interact and influence intentions and behaviours. This paper demonstrates how the TPB can be qualitatively applied to better understand farmer decision making, in this instance with respect to their initial and continued engagement with extension. Originality/value: This paper demonstrates how the TPB can provide an evidence-based framework to qualitatively explore farmer intentions and behaviour. This approach has led to new insights into farmer decision making that will inform improvements in future extension development.