Assessing the Process of Extension Program Development in Iranian Agricultural Extension System

Subject Areas : Environmental policy and management

Saeid Fe'li ¹ , Gholamreza Pezeshki Rad ² , Hassan Sadighi ³ , Esmaeil Shahbazi ⁴ , Seyed Javad Ghoraishi Abhari ⁵

1 - Ph.D Student of Agricultural Extension and Education Department, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
2 - Associate Professor of Agricultural Extension and Education Department, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
3 - Associate Professor of Agricultural Extension and Education Department, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
4 - Professor of Rural Development Department, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
5 - Assistant Professor of Ministry of Jihad-Agriculture, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2015-08-24 Accepted : 2015-08-24 Published : 2013-03-01

Keywords: Iran, Agricultural Extension System, Extension Manager, Extension Program Development,

Abstract :

The purpose of this study was to assess the process of extension program development in Iranian Agricultural Extension System (IAES). The research instrument was a structural questionnaire with close-ended questions which its validity and reliability was confirmed by using expert panel and Cranach’s alpha test, respectively. The target population of this research included all extension managers who were responsible for doing extension activities in Iran’s townships (N=334). According to Krejcie and Morgan’s table, a number of 191 persons selected as statistical sample in a stratified sampling method, and finally 198 questionnaires were gathered and analyzed (n=198). Overall, the use of the process of extension program development in IAES was at less than moderate level. The other results also indicated there was the significantly positive relationship between selected demographic characteristics of extension managers with their viewpoint on the use of the process of extension program development in IAES. These results highlight the need for the reform of the process of agricultural extension program development in IAES.