AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AND COMMUNICATION

TOPICS:
 Meaning and Related concept
 History of Extension in the Philippines
 Communication in Extension
 Adoption Process
 Attributes of Technologies
 Extension Approaches
 Extension Teaching Methods
 Community Organizing
AGEX 100- PRINCIPLES
OF AGRICULTURAL
EXTENSION AND
COMMUNICATION

Prepared by:
Dr. Imelda SA. Navarro
Associate Professor V
Bulacan Agricultural State College
 INTRODUCTION

Meaning of Related Concepts

1. Education - is conceived as a lifelong process of

learning. It is a continuing process of bringing about
desirable changes in the behavior of human beings
which involves a variety of methods and sources.
 Types of Education

 Informal education – is the life long process by

which every person acquires and accumulates
knowledge, skills, attitudes and insights from daily
experiences and exposure to the environment at
home, at work, at play from the example and
attitudes of family and friends, from travel, reading
newspaper and books or by listening to the radio or
viewing films or televisions.
 Formal education- refers to the highly
institutionalized, chronological graded and
hierarchically structured “education system”
starting from the primary school and reaching the
university education.

Non-formal education- refers to any

organized, systematic, educational activity carried
on outside the framework of the formal system to
provide selected types of learning to particular
subgroups in the population, adults as well as
children.
 Non-formal education includes for example
agricultural extension and farmer training
programs, adult literacy programs, occupational
skill training given outside the formal system;
youth clubs with substantial educational purposes
and various community program of instruction in
health, nutrition, family planning, cooperatives
and the like(Supe, 1983)
There are differences in the types of education,
there can be considerable overlap and interaction
between them. For instance, newspapers, books,
TV, radio are considered sources of informal
learning but these can be used also as
methods/media for both formal and non-formal
education.
Differences between the formal
and non-formal type of education
Bases of Formal Non-formal
Comparison
Educational For future application/ Immediate application
Objectives preparation for life
Groups served/ Generally youths Youths and adults,
Clientele/audience heterogeneous

Curriculum Fixed curriculum or course Based on people’s needs/no

of study fixed curriculum or course
study

Place/venue Classroom/schools Where the people are,

anywhere in the community

Sponsorship National government and National government and

other sources other sources
Certification Confers degree and Gives certificates
diploma
2. Extension- means to extend, to spread or to
disseminate useful information and ideas to rural
people outside the regularly organized schools
and classrooms (Supe, 1983).

 This concept of extension connotes providing

people with educational opportunities and
services outside the boundaries of the school.
This is expressed in the philosophy of one state
university in the Philippines which states: “
 The ultimate measure of the effectiveness of
any institution of higher learning is its contribution
to and impact on the educational, economic,
social, cultural and political well-being and
environmental consciousness of the people it
serves”.
 Conceptually, the role of extension is to bridge
the gap between the research system and the
client system.
Research System Extension Delivery System Client System
3. Extension- is a well-planned program of
bringing the results of agriculture research and
technology to the rural people in many ways in
order to bridge the gap between the scientist and
the farmer. All forms of extension take education
to the rural people
4. Extension education- extension takes to the
rural people that form of educational assistance
appropriate to their needs. It is a process of
bringing about desirable changes in an individual
such as knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Thus, the
term extension education.
5. Agricultural extension- is highly regarded as
a system of educating and training the rural
people to develop skills and abilities in farming,
homemaking and youth building (Medina
Ancheta, 1978).

6. Extension Services – refers to the provision of

training, information, and support services by
the government and non-government
organizations to the agriculture and fisheries
sectors to improve the technical, business and
social capabilities of farmers and fisher folks.
 The concept of extension in the Agriculture and
Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 (RA8435)
emphasizes the services to be provided in
order to improve the status of farmers and
fisher folks.
Philosophy of Extension

1.That education is the most permanent ways

through which to bring about change;
extension is fundamentally education.
2.That effective extension education must be based
upon freedom of choice, voluntary
participation and that participation in extension
activity functions best when
democratic processes are applied.

3.That extension must be a form of education that

teaches people to do things, not a
system of doing things for people.
4. That extension must be a form of education that
teaches people to do things, not a system of doing
things for people.

5.That idea must be put to work for the betterment

of the human race. Pursuing knowledge for its
own sake is like keeping tools locked up in tool
chest. Tool must be used. Like knowledge must be
put to work.
6. That knowledge can only be transferred through
a process of “man helping his fellowman”. With
this, we must also accept a fundamental belief in
the ability of people to help themselves and in the
fact that all levels of society can learn to make
decisions.

7.That there is no fundamental difference in the

intellectual abilities of any race or sex, if given a
chance to acquire education and if helped in the
application of knowledge.
Principles of Extension
1. Principle of cultural difference
 People differ in their culture. Their cultural
background, place of origin, parents, and
environment contribute to this.

 An extension worker must know and should be

able to adjust to the culture of the people.
Cultural barriers are ethnicity, religion, social
status, level of education, membership to
organizations, economic situation and others.
2. Principle of cultural change

 The culture of the people changes with

extension if they could feel and see the
outcomes and impacts of the efforts of the
extension workers.

 Cultural change may be noted if the people

believe in the relevance, importance and
usefulness of information and technology
disseminated/shared by extension workers.
3. Principle of interests and needs

 People are likely to support extension

programs based on their needs and interests.

 In order to determine the needs, interests,

problems and aspirations of the people, the
extension worker gathers data and information
about them.
4. Principle of grassroots approach

 In extension, the differences in the educational

attainment, culture of the people , their
economic and social status and types of
farming should be carefully considered.

 Start where the people are and with what

resources they have.
5. Principle of cooperation

 The rural people and the extension worker

should cooperate with each other for the
development of the community.

 The extension worker can identify cooperators

in the extension project to demonstrate the
goodness of a new practice or technology.

 Also, the extension worker can seek the

assistance of the local leaders to reach a great
number o9f people in the barangay.
6. Principle of participation

 Participation means to have or to take a share

with others in an activity. (Guralnik, 1978).

 In extension, the rural people learn by doing.

They should be involved in the activities for
more effective learning particularly in the
planning, implementation and evaluation of
projects for the improvement of their lives..
7.Principle of the use of extension teaching methods

 Extension worker works with individuals, groups

of people and organizations.

 This requires different extension teaching

methods to be effective. Each method when used
has specific purposes, procedures, strength and
weaknesses.

 The extension worker should have knowledge

and skills in using the appropriate combination of
methods for specific situations.
8. Principle of leadership

 In order to reach a great number of people in

the barangay within a short of time, local
leaders must be trained and encouraged to
help in extension work.

 The people maybe more open in telling their

problems and needs to the local leaders.
9. Principle of voluntary education

 Extension is a type of non-formal education

which provides educational opportunities
without coercion and compulsion.

 This is a voluntary and free-willing participation

on the part of the clientele.
10. Principle of satisfaction

 People do not feel happy and satisfied only

with monetary or material rewards when they
accomplish something towards development.

 Words of praises, recognition and

appreciation encourage voluntary participation
and even voluntary leadership in the extension
program.
11. Principle of trained specialists

 Specialists in agriculture share their research

findings to the farmers through the extension
worker.

 Extension worker may have to obtain expert

advice on some particular problems from
trained specialist, but generally he must rely on
his own knowledge in dealing with the rural
people.
12. Principle of whole family approach

 Extension should consider all the members of

the family in introducing development projects.

 Every member of the family is important in

making decisions in terms of technology
adoption.
 Objective of Extension
These extension objectives serve as guides
or direction in doing extension work.

1. These aim of all extension work is to teach

people living in the rural areas how to raise their
standard of living by their own effort, using their
own resources of manpower and materials with
minimum assistance from the government
( Saville, 1965)
2. The role of extension is to help people help
themselves through educational means to improve
their living (Maunder, 1972).

3. According to Di Franco (1963) the objectives of

extension are:
a.To raise agricultural production
b. To raise the level of living
 Scope of Extension

1. Agricultural Production
Majority of the Filipino population live in
the rural areas and are engaged in agriculture.
Agricultural production contributes to economic
productivity only if farming can be made efficient.
2. Marketing and Processing of Farm Products

Marketing of farm products are usually done

by small farmers themselves whose produce are
only a little over their home consumption needs.
Farmers with more harvests market their products
to middlemen and other buyers. Often times, the
middlemen are earning more than the farmer
producers.
3. Environmental Protection and Natural
Resources Development

The wealth of the nation depends upon the

available natural resources, the determination and
resourcefulness of its people and the efficiency
with which people conserve the resources for the
common good. The attitude of the government
toward resources is a critical factor.
 The extension service can have a unique
opportunity in the following aspects:

1.Creating awareness
2. Developing appreciation of the economic
and recreational values of natural resources
3. Supplying and developing leadership
4. Sharing experiences and specialized
knowledge, and
5. Helping in identifying solutions to individual
problems
4. Farm and Home Management

Managerial skill has been defined as the

ability to make decisions that achieve goals in the
most efficient manner (Maunder, 1972). The rapid
change in technology, the variety of goods and
services available and the available resources of
the people are factors contributory to excellent
managerial skill on the part of the farmer.
5. Family Living

Any extension activity affects the head of the

family, the wife and the children. Extension service
has to consider every member of the family
because each of them has specific role to perform
in their everyday activities.
6. Youth Development

Young people want to help plan their own

program and take some leadership. During this
time, youth should be given attention. Their
enthusiasm to participate in the development
projects should be well supported.
7. Leadership Development

Leadership is the process of influencing

other people. Leaders are the catalysts for group
action, the voice for group expression and the tool
through which the group considers and carries out
its decisions (Maunder, 1972).
8. Community Improvement and Resource
Development

There are three kinds of resources existing in the

communities which the extension worker has to reckon
with. These are the natural, human and institutional or
organizational resources.
 The land,, water, climate, minerals, etc. are a natural
resources which when managed and developed
properly provides maximum benefits to mankind.

 The most important resource is human resources.

They are the people with their attitudes, skills
knowledge, insights and experiences.

 The institutional resources particularly the schools,

the churches, market, government organizations,
non-government organizations and local
government units have their influence also on the
response of the people in the community projects.
9. Public affairs

Public affairs education is education for

citizenship. Its scope is measured by the
educational needs of intelligent citizen concerned
with public issues at every level of government
(Maunder, 1972). There are many issues and
concerns that affect the people in the communities
economically, educationally, politically and
culturally. Extension service should provide
opportunities to people to participate in activities
that aim to clarify issues and problems on public
affairs.
THANK
YOU!!!

GOD Bless!