19 pages., This article reports on a technology stewardship training program to promote ICT leadership development with agricultural extension practitioners in Sri Lanka. Researchers used a multi-method approach with a single embedded case study. Data were collected using a pre-course survey, formal course evaluation, classroom observation, and semi-structured interviews with participants. Kirkpatrick's four-level evaluation model was used to structure analysis of the results. Findings from this study show a positive response to technology stewardship training among agricultural extension practitioners in the course, that learning objectives of the course are achievable when offered as an in-service training program, that self-confidence with ICT is improved, and that some participants applied their learning in a post-course activity. Results from the study also raise a number of considerations for future course design in order to better support digital leadership development in practice. Technology stewardship training shows promise as a form of ICT leadership education for agricultural communities of practice in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. This article contributes to a better understanding of the role of social learning among communities of practice in agricultural extension services, and in contributing to effective use of ICT for agriculture development more broadly.
17 pages, Agricultural mechanics is a prominent agricultural subject matter area in many agricultural education programs throughout Georgia. Hainline and Wells (2024) indicated that early-career agriculture teachers often have different agricultural mechanics professional development (PD) needs than their more-experienced colleagues. Hence, our study focused on early-career agriculture teachers. We used human capital theory (HCT) to theoretically underpin our study. To conduct our study, we used a valid and reliable research instrument that contained eight demographics items and 65 agricultural mechanics items. Wells and Hainline (2021) previously used this instrument to conduct their national-level study of agriculture teachers’ agricultural mechanics PD needs. We distributed this instrument via e-mail to 253 early-career agriculture teachers throughout Georgia; however, only 243 emails delivered successfully. Seventy-six teachers provided usable data, yielding a 31.3% response rate. Using mean weighted discrepancy scores (MWDS), we found that the greatest PD needs among early-career Georgia agriculture teachers were: (1) American Welding Society (AWS) standards for welding procedures, (2) Procedures for structural welding, and (3) Principles of metallurgy (ex. identifying metals, proper use of metals, etc.). We recommend that Georgia agricultural education stakeholders use our findings to structure PD sessions that address early-career Georgia agriculture teachers’ greatest agricultural mechanics PD needs. We advise that scholars should engage with mid- and late-career Georgia agriculture teachers to examine their agricultural mechanics PD needs as well.
11 pages, Climatic change has a negative impact on people’s livelihoods, agriculture, freshwater supply and other natural resources that are important for human survival. Therefore, understanding how rural smallholder farmers perceive climate change, climate variability, and factors that influence their choices would facilitate a better understanding of how these farmers adapt to the negative impacts of climate change. A Zero-inflated double hurdle model was employed to estimate the factors influencing farmers’ adoption of adaptation strategies and intensity of adoption at the household level in South Africa. Different socioeconomic factors such as gender, age, and experience in crop farming, institutional factors like access to extension services, and access to climate change information significantly influenced the adoption of climate change adaptation strategies among beneficiaries of land reform in South Africa. Concerning intensity of adoption, age, educational level, farming experience, on-farm training, off-farm income, access to information through ICT and locational variables are the significant determinants of intensity of adaptation strategies. Thus, education attainment, non-farm employment, farming experience are significant incentives to enhance smallholder farmers' adaptive capacity through the adoption of many adaptation approaches. This study therefore concluded that farm-level policy efforts that aim to improve rural development should focus on farmers’ education, on-farm demonstration and non-farm employment opportunities that seek to engage the farmers, particularly during the off-cropping season. The income from non-farm employment can be plough-back into farm operations such as the adoption of soil and water conservation, use of improved planting varieties, insurance, among others to mitigate climate variability and subsequently increase productivity. Policies and investment strategies of the government should be geared towards supporting education, providing on-farm demonstration trainings, and disseminating information about climate change adaptation strategies, particularly for smallholder farmers in the country. Thus, the government, stakeholders, and donor agencies must provide capacity-building innovations around the agricultural extension system and education on climate change using information and communication technologies.
Chamala, Shankariah (author), Martwanna, N. (author), and Martwanna: Training Officer, Department of Agricultural Extension, Thailand; Chamala: Department of Agriculture, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
unknown
Published:
Australia
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 88 Document Number: C05980
