Farmers’ Perspectives on Agricultural Extension as Community Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58230/socratika.v3i2.772Keywords:
community education; agricultural extension; farmer perspectives; local knowledge; mixed methodsAbstract
This study examined farmers’ perspectives on agricultural extension as community education by identifying patterns across six dimensions, determining the most prominent dimension, and assessing associations among them
An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed in Malang Regency, East Java, Indonesia. Quantitative data were collected from 40 purposively selected farmers using a 30-item questionnaire covering learning and education, communication with extension workers, trust, group learning, innovation adoption, and local knowledge. Item validity was assessed using the Pearson product-moment item-total correlation, and internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha. Descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank correlation were used for quantitative analysis. Ten respondents subsequently participated in semi-structured interviews analyzed thematically.
Local knowledge had the highest mean score (19.7), followed by communication with extension workers and innovation adoption (18.4 each), trust and group learning (18.2 each), and learning and education (17.7). All 30 items met the validity criterion, with item-total correlations ranging from 0.319 to 0.659. None of the 15 pairwise correlations was statistically significant at α = .05, although several positive numerical tendencies were observed. Interviews indicated that farmers interpreted extension information through previous experience, local conditions, peer interaction, perceived risks, and practical considerations.
Agricultural extension is best understood as a dialogic, participatory, and socially embedded form of community education. Extension programs should integrate local knowledge, peer learning, practical demonstrations, and sustained dialogue to strengthen meaningful learning.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Arissaryadin, Wardatul Chamro, Aptika Hana Prastiwi Nareswari
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