An Assessment of Field-Level Extension Agent Inservice Training Needs
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Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1992 An assessment of field-level extension agent inservice training needs related to the educational process as perceived by extension personnel in the Sabah State Department of Agriculture, Malaysia Abdul Rahim Awang Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Adult and Continuing Education Administration Commons, Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching Commons, and the Agricultural Education Commons Recommended Citation Awang, Abdul Rahim, "An assessment of field-level extension agent inservice training needs related to the educational process as perceived by extension personnel in the Sabah State Department of Agriculture, Malaysia " (1992). 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Contact UMI directly to order. University MicroiHms intemaiionai A Beii & Hovjeii Ir.tornnaiion Con^^pany 300 North Zeeb Roaa. Ann Arbor M! 48105-"346 USA 313 76l-:700 800 521-0600 ! Order Number 9S11474 An assessment of fieid-ievel extension agent inservice training needs related to the educational process as perceived by extension personnel in the Sabah State Department of Agriculture, Malaysia Awang, Abdul Rahim, Ph.D. Iowa State University, 1992 UMI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 An assessment of field-level extension agent inservice training needs related to the educational process as perceived by extension personnel in Sabah State Department of Agriculture, Malaysia by Abdul Rahim Awang A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirments for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department: Agricultural Education and Studies Major: Agricultural Education (Agricultural Extension Education) Approved: Signature was redacted for privacy. In ChWge of Major Work Signature was redacted for privacy. For the Major Department Signature was redacted for privacy. For thé.Graduate College Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 1992 [ ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I. INTRODUCnON 1 Sabah State Department of Agriculture 1 Historical Overview and the Nature of the Agricultural 10 Extension Service in the State of Sabah Nature of Inservice Training for Agricultural Technicians 13 (ATs) in the Sabah State Department of Agriculture Roles of the Agricultural Technicians (ATs) in the Sabah 16 State Department of Agriculture Statement of the Problem 18 Purpose and Objectives of the Study 18 Research Questions 20 Need for the Study 21 Implications and Educational Significance of the Study 22 Operational Definition of Terms 22 Assumptions of the Study 26 CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 27 Concepts of Training, Training Needs and Training 27 Needs Assessment Needs Assessment Methodology for Training 35 Delivery System for Training 39 Related Studies on Extension Training 44 Studies in Malaysia 44 Studies in Other Developing Countries 47 Studies in the United States 52 Statistical Procedures Used in Previous Studies 55 Summary 59 iii Page CHAPTER m. METHODS AND PROCEDURES 61 Purpose and Objectives 61 Research Design 62 Population and Sample 62 Development of the Questioimaire 63 Collection of Data 66 Data Analysis Methods 67 CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 71 Reliability of the Questionnaire 71 Demographic Characteristics of Respondents 73 Division and District 73 Age 75 Length of Service in Extension 76 Findings by Research Objective 77 Training Needs 77 Comparisons of Perceived Training Needs 95 Comparisons of Perceived Importance 95 Relationships of Selected Factors 97 Preferred Delivery Methods 103 Comparisons Related to Delivery Methods 106 Summary 106 CHAPTER V. DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 110 Discussion Relevant to Demographic Information Ill Discussion Relevant to Training Needs 112 Discussion Relevant to Importance to Extension 113 Discussion Relevant to Relationships between 114 Demographic Characteristics and Training Needs 1 iv Page Discussion Relevant to Preferred Delivery Methods 117 in Inservice Training for ATs Discussion Relevant to Implications of the Study 118 Model of Training for ATs 120 Delivery System. 120 Program Content 124 Summary 126 CHAPTER VI. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND 129 RECOMMENDATIONS Summary of the Study 129 Conclusions of the Study 134 Recommendations 135 Recommendations for Further Study 135 REFERENCES 137 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 144 APPENDIX A: PROCEDURES IN ESTIMATLNG IKE SAMPLE SIZE 146 FROM A SMALL POPULATION APPENDIX B: COVER LETTER OF THE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE 149 (ENGLISH) APPENDIX C: COVER LETTER OF THE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE 152 (MALAY) APPENDIX D: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE (ENGLISH) 155 APPENDIX E: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE (M.AX,\Y) 168 APPENDIX F: HUMAN SUBJECTS RESEARCH APPROVAL FORM 183 V UST OF HGURES Page Figure 1 Map of Malaysia 2 Figure 2 Map of Southeast Asia 3 Figure 3 Organizational structure of the Sabah State 5 Department of Agriculture Figure 4 Organizational structure of the extension branch 6 of the Sabah State Department of Agriculture Figure 5 Organizational structure of a district agricultural 9 office in the Sabah State Department of Agriculture Figure 6 Delivery system for inservice training of ATs in the 121 Sabah State Department of Agriculture Figure V Program content for an annua' inservice training for ATs 125 in the Sabah State Department of Agriculture vi LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1 Administrative divisions and districts in the 7 State of Sabah, Malaysia Table 2 Cronbach's alpha coefficients for reliability 72 of the questionnaire Table 3 Frequency and percentage distribution of respondents 74 by division and district Table 4 Frequency and percentage distribution of respondents 75 by age group Table 5 Frequency and percentage distribution of respondents 76 by length of service in extension Table 6 Means, standard deviations, and rankings of. 78 perceptions held by extension personnel regarding the mservice training needs of ATs for the major professional competency areas of agricultural extension Table 7 Means, standard deviations, and rankings of perceptions 80 held by extension personnel regarding the inservice training needs of ATs for competencies within the major professional competency areas of agricultural extension Table 8 Comparison of perceptions held by extension personnel 96 regarding the training needs of ATs in the major professional competency areas of agricultural extension Table 9 Comparison of perceptions held by extension personnel 98 regarding the importance to extension of the major professional competency areas of agricultural extension Table 10 Correlations between age and perceptions of ATs on training 99 needs in the major professional competency areas of agricultural extension Table 11 Correlations between length of service in extension and 100 perceptions of ATs on training needs in the major professional competency areas of agricultural extension Table 12 Comparison of perceptions held by agricultural technicians 101 (ATs) regarding their training needs in the major professional competency areas of agricultural extension between the five ddministrative divisions Table 13 Means, standard deviations, and rankings of perceptions 104 held by extension personnel regarding the preference in the delivery methods for inservice training of ATs Table 14 Comparison of perceptions held by extension personnel 107 regarding the preference in the delivery methods for inservice training of ATs 1 CHAPTER!. INTRODUCTION The Federation of Malaysia ;.s located in Southeast Asia, and by comparison is larger than the State of New Mexico in the United States. The countr/ consists of two geographical regions separated by the South China Sea. These regions are Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia. East Malaysia occupies the northern and northwestern coastal regions of the island of Borneo.