ABSTRACT
This paper is based on a research study at Banaras Hindu University in India. The title of the research was Career Dynamics in Extension Education. Method of survey research was applied to conduct the study. It was conducted by taking the responses from hundred respondents of Agricultural scientists, academicians and research scholars from different agricultural institutions selected through random sampling method. The objective of the study was to know the factors that influence the career choice of students in Extension Education . Additionally an attempt was made to find out the areas and sectors of Extension students’ job placements. The data was analysed through SPSS version 16.0. The statistical tools like mean, frequency, percentage, rank order, and Chi square test were used for data analysis. From the responses of the sample, it was found that the role of teachers and counsellors (65%) along with student’s personality (52%), self-motivation (60%), aspiration (65%), job opportunities (55%), family support (55%), own interest and attitude (60%) towards the subject play very important role in choosing a career in Extension Education.
Key words: Career, extension education, factors, motivation, environment, personality.
Extension Education is an applied behavioural science. The knowledge of this discipline is applicable for Agriculture and rural development. It is an education driven organization seeking to significantly enhance human capital and promote lifelong learning in the state. Extension is a pragmatic disseminator of the latest in research and technologies to enhance productivity and expand the economic base. This forms a state-wide network- with a presence in every county-serving to link communities and the general population to intensive research and development resources. Extension addresses both urban and rural social and economic issues (Seevers and Graham, 2012). The characteristics developed by Sanders (1966) and Prawl (1984) cited in Education through cooperative extension, provide a profile of extension organization and its work. It reveals that extension is an agency of government created by law. It provides services to all people without discrimination to cooperative with federal, state and local governments all having parts in its administration. Being an educational institution with a mission it differs greatly from the common mission of an educational institution. The differences are that it has no fixed curriculum or course of study, confers no degrees and gives no diplomas, operates informally off campus and uses farms, homes and places of business as classrooms, uses instructors with a wide range of subject matter expertise, has a large and heterogeneous audience.
The persons who are engaged in this developmental process belong to the discipline of Extension Education. In this context the discussions on career in Extension Education is an important aspect for the growth and the promotion of the discipline. With this view a study career dynamics of Extension Education was conceived with the objectives to know about the factors that determine the career choice of students in Extension Education. It was also tried to find out the career availability in Extension Education as perceived by the respondents who were the sample of the study.
The study was carried out through survey method of research. The survey method is a device for collecting data or factual information of certain decided characteristics or items of a universe or population. Fowler (1988) defines that “survey as data collection and measurement processes’’. For this survey, the sample was drawn from Banaras Hindu University, NDRI, IARI, IVRI, ICAR, ANAND Agricultural University and VBSP University of India. The respondents were comprised of extension professionals, non-extension professionals and research scholars of extension and non-extension disciplines.
Suitable interview schedule and questionnaire as per objective of the study were prepared for the necessary data collection. Prior to the final administration of the schedule for obtaining information required for the study, a sample of 20 respondents was taken from different agricultural institutes for testing the instrument. The schedule prepared, was finally tested to know how far it would be helpful in collection of accurate, unbiased and adequate relevant information. About 180 questionnaires distributed among the respondents. Out of which 100 responses were received for the research. The measurements of the selected variables were carried out through developed schedule. The statistical measures which have been used in this study are frequency, percentage, mean score, rank order and Chi-square test.
From Table 1 it can be inferred that there are about 13 factors that contribute deciding Extension Education asa career. Out of 13 factors, it was decided to find out 7 important factors. These 7 factors in order of importance are own interest, support of teachers and Counsellors, personality and aspiration, educational environment, attitude towards extension education self-motivation, job opportunities, support of parents/ relatives/ siblings towards motivation, job satisfaction, package of salary and good communication skill which were ranked as I,II,III,IV,V,VI and VIII respectively.
One’s own interest is highly important for deciding a career in life. It was revealed that about 70% respondents are agree with this factor that is why rank I was assigned to it by the respondents. This finding is in conformity with the study of Sukovieff (1989). Personality and aspiration were two important factors that were agreed upon by 65 of respondents which was ranked II for its contribution in deciding a career in Extension Education. The rank III was assigned jointly to Educational environment, attitude towards extension education and self-motivation for taking decision to choose extension education as a career. It is also revealed that sixty percent respondents accepted these three factors as important factor for choosing the extension education as a career. This finding is in confirmative with the study of Borchert (2002) where he found that the factors like environment, opportunity and personality plays a vital role in career choice (Splaver, 1977).
Support of parents’ and job opportunities have been placed in rank IV by the respondents. About 55% of the respondents agreed that support of parents, relatives and siblings and family decides to choose extension as career. It has been also found that parents are the single greatest influence on a student's career selection. It is important for parents to give support and encouragement to explore options available to find the best career fit for their wards as opposed to trying to live out their own unfulfilled career dreams through their children (Qualifax, 2014). From the table we can see that motivation having placed in rank V is another factor that influences to choose extension education as in one’s life. About 65 and 60% respondents of the sample opined that attitude and self-motivation respectively are determining factors for choosing extension education as career (Blustein, 1988).
The nature, structure, salary package and job satisfaction in an organisation attracts the people towards a particular sector. As far as extension education is concerned about 45% of the respondents agreed to this with a rank of VI. We know that extension education is an applied behavioural science that is used to improve the farm and home life. It needs a good communication skill to bring change in knowledge and skill of the farmers. From the table it is evident that forty percent of the respondents are in opinion that communication skill is an important factor to determine extension education as career. About 52% of the sample expressed that the impact of eminent personalities encourages the students towards a particular career. The same kind of opinion was also found here in this study for extension education.
High level of competition and lack of sufficient jobs have created pressure among individuals for choosing career in life for survival. Review of literature finds that there are many factors that play as determinants for deciding a career. The paper has highlighted the factors and their rank as perceived by the respondents. Factors like attitude, interests and ambition, cultural and family influences and economic considerations can influence the choice of a career path. Individual’s interests, skill, education and job opportunities in a specific area enables a person to take decision on which career can be achieved. The budget of education, pressure of parents, parents’ education and organizational climate received low importance by the respondents for determining a career in extension education. Majority of the respondents agreed that chance or luck did not matter for determining or choosing extension education as a career.
The authors have not declared any conflict of interest.
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