Mid-Career Extension Graduates' Perceptions of the Impact of a Demand-Driven, Extension Curriculum in Ghana

Autor/inn/en	Kwarteng, Joseph A.; Boateng, Samuel Akuamoah
Titel	Mid-Career Extension Graduates' Perceptions of the Impact of a Demand-Driven, Extension Curriculum in Ghana
Quelle	In: Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 52 (2012) 2, S.257-276 (20 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1443-1394
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Human Capital; Capacity Building; Labor Force Development; Agricultural Occupations; Extension Agents; Adults; Work Experience; Training; Barriers; Educational Attainment; Postsecondary Education; Educational Needs; Human Resources; Needs Assessment; Relevance (Education); Curriculum Development; Attitudes; Graduates; Rural Extension; Program Effectiveness; Outcomes of Education; Africa; Ghana + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Humankapital; Arbeitskräftebestand; Agriculture; Occupation; Landwirtschaft; Beruf; Landwirtschaftlicher Beruf; Employment experience; Job experience; Occupational experience; Berufserfahrung; Ausbildung; Bildungsabschluss; Bildungsgut; Post-secondary education; Tertiäre Bildung; Educational need; Bildungsbedarf; Bedarfsermittlung; Relevance; Relevanz; Curriculum; Development; Curriculumentwicklung; Lehrplan; Entwicklung; Attitude; Einstellung; Verhalten; Graduate; Absolvent; Absolventin; Hochschulabsolvent; Hochschulabsolventin; Lernleistung; Schulerfolg; Afrika
Abstract	One of the major challenges facing Africa today is ensuring that extension practitioners are well trained to enable them function effectively as facilitators of change at the farmers' level. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a mid-career B. Sc. Agricultural Extension Curriculum in meeting the educational needs of mid-career extension agents. The study was descriptive and used a validated questionnaire to collect data from 30 purposively selected graduates of the program. The study revealed that 66.7% were aged between 40-49 years, and 93.3% had at least 10 years of working experience before entering the program. The graduates considered their competencies at the start of the program to be below average in all but 6 of the 25 courses offered under the program. After going through the program, all the graduates had attained competencies that were rated from high to very high. Improvement in academic status, knowledge and skills in the human relations as well as technical areas in agriculture, and attitude to work, were perceived as the major benefits of the program. The effectiveness of the program in meeting the needs of the graduates was attributed to the availability of appropriate facilities and the conducive environment for the teaching-learning process, availability of adequate and competent lecturers, committed and supportive administrative staff, balanced curriculum and a well-planned and supervised field component of the program known as the supervised enterprise projects (SEPs). (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Adult Learning Australia. Level 1, 32 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra, ACT 2603, Australia. Tel: +61-02-6274-9515; Fax: +61-02-6274-9513; Web site: http://www.ala.asn.au
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10