Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 152 Document Number: D11605
Notes:
2 pages., Masters thesis - technical journalism, Kansas State College, Manhattan. 56 pages., Report of farmer interviews in Gear County, Kansas, assessing their readership and perceptions of agricultural publications distributed by the Agricultural Extension Service. Questions also invited their suggestions for improving access to desired agricultural information.
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
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.
Claar, John B. (author), Dahl, Delbert T. (author), and Watts, L.H. (author)
Format:
Report
Publication Date:
1982
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 48 Document Number: C00026
Notes:
AgComm Teaching, Urbana, IL: INTERPAKS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 27 pp. (International Agriculture Publication INTERPAKS Series No. 1)
