Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D08590
Notes:
Located in Review of Extension Studies, volumes for 1946-1956, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., Summary of thesis for master of science degree, Iowa State College, Ames. 122 pages
Ethiopia: Sasakawa Centre for Continuing Education in Agriculture, University of Cape Coast, Ghana
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 134 Document Number: C20539
Notes:
Burton Swancon Collection, 83-85 pages from "Professional development of mid-career, front-line agricultural extension staff in Sub-Saharan Africa" Proceedings from a workshop
15 pages, via online journal, Purpose: This article assesses a non-traditional training methodology for extension agents, focused on the exchange of experiences among peers and the reflection on practice, with the aim of exploring its potential as a training strategy.
Design/Methodology/approach: A quali-quantitative investigation was conducted, which included interviews with extension agents, the use of different questionnaires, and recordings of the evaluation sessions carried out during each workshop.
Findings: This research allowed us to understand the importance of effective group coordination, a participatory climate, working in small groups, and the feedback loop between theory and practice for processes of experience sharing and reflection on practice. Some of the positive effects of the training observed were that extension agents acquired new knowledge and methodologies, reflected critically upon their practice, and put into question their own extension approach.
Practical Implications: Given its potentialities, implementing training processes focused on experience sharing and reflection on practice for rural extension workers, seems advisable.
Theoretical Implications: This article contributes to the understanding of how experience sharing and reflection on practice can generate transformations in rural extension agents’ approaches and positioning.
Originality/Value: This study systematically assesses the impacts that training has on extension workers, as well as the underlying processes that made it possible to generate them.
19 pages., ISSN: 2168-3565 (Print)
2168-3573 (Online), Via online journal, Biodiversity conservation outside designated protected areas remains challenging in South Africa, where 80% of the biodiversity resources occur on private and communal lands. This applies to the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, which is the focus of this study. Landholders logically choose agricultural production ahead of conservation, which they often perform using non-ecological methods. Extension is well positioned to promote ecological agriculture, but its current contribution is unknown. This study examined the role of extension in ecological agriculture in KZN by investigating extension’s promotion of ecological agriculture among smallholder farmers and the factors impacting their employment of ecologically compatible practices. Data was collected through semistructured interviews with 44 respondents, comprising 5 provincial biodiversity conservation practitioners, 1 national biodiversity conservation manager, and 1 national and 4 provincial agricultural extension managers, selected by purposive sampling; as well as 25 extension officers and 8 farmers, selected by convenience sampling. The study found that extension mainly engages in technology transfer and distribution of production inputs, which poses challenges to biodiversity conservation. Extension shows little concern for biodiversity, and effectively promotes its degradation. Four sets of factors impacting extension’s capacity to promote ecological agriculture emerged: household/community-level, governmental, extension management, and ecological factors. Key among these were inadequate involvement of youth and men in agriculture; inadequate household production resources; poor collaboration and coordination between extension and biodiversity conservation institutions; top-down extension intervention; poor extension management and delivery capacities; and irregular and inadequate rainfall, as well as droughts and flooding. The study concluded that there is a need for a clearly articulated extension and biodiversity conservation policy supporting appropriate linkages and better coordination and integration of services among extension and biodiversity agencies within the National and Provincial Departments of Agriculture and with farmers; more effective agricultural education in schools; strengthening extension support systems; and creating conducive atmospheres for effective extension.
Mwangi, J. Gowland (author / Egerton University) and Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education
Format:
conference papers
Publication Date:
1997-03-04
Published:
Kenya
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 133 Document Number: C20280
Notes:
Burton Swanson Collection, Section D; from "1997 conference papers : Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education", 13th Annual Conference, 3, 4, 5 April 1997, Arlington, Virginia
Tanzania: Sasakawa Centre for Continuing Education in Agriculture, University of Cape Coast, Ghana
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 134 Document Number: C20538
Notes:
Burton Swancon Collection, 81-82 pages from "Professional development of mid-career, front-line agricultural extension staff in Sub-Saharan Africa" Proceedings from a workshop
Parker, Robert (author), Abi-Ghanem, Rita (author), Carpenter-Boggs, Lynne (author), Koenig, Richard (author), Pannkuk, Chris (author), and Pan, William (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2009
Published:
Iraq
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: C37043
