JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AND EDUCATION RESEARCH
Year:2013 | Volume:6 | Issue:2 (22)|Papers Count:8

Evaluation of students’ attitudes toward the effectiveness of agricultural practical courses in agriculture and natural resources pardis at Razi University of Kermanshah was the main purpose of this study. The population study were agricultural students at Razi University in Kermanshah (N=1169). A sample of 284 students was selected through table of Kerjcie and Morgan. Results revealed that respondents had a modest attitude towards the effectiveness of practical courses in agriculture. Also, regression analysis showed that working experience in agriculture, grade point average of courses passed, educational level of education father and students’ age explained about 60 percent of changes in attitudes of respondents about effectiveness of agricultural practical courses.

The main purpose of this study was to analyze the wheat farmers behavior in related to agricultural advisory services project by using theory of planned behavior. For assessing behavior, attitude, and subjective norms, the theory of planned behavior was used. Questionnaire validity were confirmed by panel of experts and its reliability was calculated by Cronbach alpha coefficient (a=0.80). The research method was descriptive-survey. The total population consisted of farmers who were members and no-member of Agricultural Advisory Services Project. Using simple random sampling procedure, 113 members and 51 no-members were selected for the study. The results of Man whitney test indicted that there was not differences between the attitude, tendency, intellectual norms and efficiency of member and non members. It was also reported that the efficiency of advisors and attitude of farmers in related to project, were the best predictors’ of behavior.

This research wants to examine some factors which are affecting the adoption of innovations related to advanced irrigation systems. This research was an applied type research and descriptive (non-experimental) / correlative method was used. The total population includes farmers of Karaj Township who participated in extension-education classes related to advanced irrigation and irrigation systems. The total number was 1264 participants and based on Cochran formula, the sample size was determined to be 180 respondents which were selected by using simple random sampling method. The main tool of this research was questionnaire and its reliability was determined by using Cronbach Alpha coefficient (81%). By using SPSS software data analysis was done in two parts: descriptive analysis and inferential analysis. The results show factors such as educational level, farmers information levels, membership in rural organizations, amount of farming lands, the impact of insurance on systems application and taking information from extension centers had correlation with dependent variable at 99 percent level, while getting information from extension agents, improving crop yield and solving water shortage problems had correlation with dependent variable at 95 percent level. Results of stepwise multiple regressions showed that amount of farming land, improving product yield, affordability of sprinkler irrigation, the impact of insurance and getting information from extension centers had explained about 77 percent of changes in variance of dependent variable.

This study examines the role of agricultural engineers in empowering wheat producers to increase wheat in Kermanshah province. This was an applied type research and descriptive survey method was used to collect the data by using questionnaire. The statistical population for this study consisted of all farmers who were involved in producing wheat in Kermanshah (N=11470). Based on the Cochran formula, 291 respondents were selected by cluster sampling design. Content validity obtained by a panel of experts in the field of agricultural extension and faculty members. A pilot test was conducted to determine the reliability of the questionnaire and Cronbach alpha was determined to be 81%. The results of the study indicated that there was relationship between the variables of contact with advisory services in the field of agriculture, visiting irrigated and rain fed lands, using individual training classes, using practical training, lecture, using training classes with empowering wheat producers to increase wheat crops. The result of a multiple regression analysis (stepwise method) reveal that, the variables of using applied classes, visiting rain-fed land, using training classes and contact with advisors explained 55 percent of changes in dependent variable.

The present research has been conducted with the purpose of reviewing the role of entrepreneurship education in empowerment of rural female entrepreneurs in Ilam province. Research type was applied and descriptive (non-experimental) and correlative method was used. The total population was consisted 1523 rural female entrepreneurs in Ilam province and by using Cochran formula 143 respondents were selected. The data collected was analyzed by using SPSS18 software. Results of regression analysis showed that 15 percent of changes in dependent variable were explained by need to success.

The main purpose of this study was to identify the requirements in applying the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in horticultural products from the view of experts. It was an applied type research and the main instrument which used in this survey was questionnaire. The population of the study consisted of 50 experts, because of small population a census method was conducted. Validity of the instrument was established by panel of experts consisting of faculty members in agricultural extension and education department, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University and some specialists in Ministry of Jihad-e Agriculture. A pretest was conducted with 20 experts in the Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection to determine the reliability of the questionnaire for the study. Computed Cronbach’s Alpha score was acceptable for different parts of questionnaire (0.71-0.89), which indicated that the instrument was reliable. Factor analysis showed that five latent factors educational-extension; economic; policy making, technological; and monitoring & program planning explained 66 percent of variance.

The present study aimed to investigate the internet usage by undergraduate students of Besat Agricultural Education Center in Fars using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A survey methodology was employed to collect data. Using proportional randomized sampling method, a total number of 132 students were selected from the students majoring in Ornamental Plants and Medicinal Plants (N=210). A questionnaire was developed to gather data, which its validity was verified through a panel of experts, and its reliability was confirmed through a pilot study. Path analysis indicated that the following factors had the most influence on the internet usage, respectively: decision to use, attitude toward internet, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of usage. The results revealed that attitude toward internet had a significant influence on decision to use. Furthermore, perceived usefulness and ease of usage had positive and significant effects on attitudes towards internet.

The main purpose of this research was to identify the challenges facing development of precision agriculture in Iran. A descriptive survey research was undertaken and questionnaire was used to collect the data. The research population included agricultural specialists and experts familiar with precision agriculture (N=450) and by using proportional stratified sampling, a sample of 117 was selected based on the Cochran formula. Data were collected using a questionnaire, which its validity was confirmed by a panel of experts. Its reliability was established by collecting 30 questionnaires and Computed Cronbach’s alpha score was 81%, which indicated that the questionnaire was highly reliable. All survey data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 16.0). The results indicated that 50 percent of the variances in the challenges of developing precision agriculture could be explained by infrastructural and educational, content, managerial, human resources, extensional and program planning.