Curricula Importance in Enhancing the Capabilities of Agriculture Extension Agents at the Field

Abstract

Present study was conducted in the three provinces of Pakistan with the objectives to study the curricula relevancy with the participatory extension, supervision and administration and its practical applicability at the field level. For this extension agents of the selected provinces were selected purposively. Mail questionnaire were used as instruments for data collection form 227 respondents and were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. Findings of the study revealed that the respondent either strongly agreed or agreed with the statements that the curricula in an extension education program helped them to win farmers trust for effective agriculture extension (93%), organize farmers into participatory learning groups (75%) and answer the questions raised by farmers (89%) and to use audio visual aids respectively (92%). This implies for the acceptance of null hypothesis that the curricula improve the extension agent's skills in different field levels programs. Respondent were also either strongly agreed or agreed that the curricula in an extension education program helped them to supervise and guide official duties of field staff (87%), monitor the work of junior field staff (85%), maintain office morale (82%) and to develop leadership potential (86%) of the staff at the field. This implies for the acceptance of alternative hypothesis. Furthermore the respondents also reported rated the curricula contents and structure with respect to scope and topics as excellent (14%), good (61%), fair (21%) and poor (4%). The study as a whole concludes that the extension agents perceived the existing curricula as effective and result oriented. The study recommends that to make the curricula more effective for sustainable agriculture development there is a need for looking into the farmer's needs and expressions, learning and instructional technologies and giving importance to the views of the extension field staff for revision and development of the curricula.