Extension officers’ perceptions of extension and innovation in South Africa

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dc.creatorDavis, Kristin E.
dc.creatorLandini, F.
dc.creatorvan Niekerk, J.
dc.creatorGreen, K.
dc.creatorTerblanche, S. E.
dc.date2019-12-31
dc.date2024-06-21T09:09:37Z
dc.date2024-06-21T09:09:37Z
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-27T15:22:13Z
dc.descriptionExtension is evolving, and extension workers’ roles and attitudes are changing with global realities. The purpose of this study was to examine South African extension officers’ perceptions of their job, views on the objectives of extension, and conception of agriculture. A questionnaire was developed consisting of general demographic and Likert-scale questions regarding perceptions of extension. The survey was emailed to all South African based members of the South African Society for Agricultural Extension (SASAE). The study found that most extensionists considered extension as a professional or technical practice to improve farmer practices followed by those who consider it as “helping farmers” to improve their well-being. The most preferred methods and the area of actual practice were first group and second individual approaches. According to the respondents, productive modernisation aimed at productivity and profitability was the highest extension objective, followed by increasing farmers’ knowledge through training. In addition, results provide evidence that extension institutions tend to support conventional agriculture, while extension workers are more concerned with potential negative impacts. Finally, the Likert-scale responses show that while much South African extension work is based on dialogue and horizontal coordination using a participatory approach, transfer of technology still exists, and farmers are blamed for their problems.
dc.identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/146922
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/102365
dc.languageen
dc.publisherAcademy of Science of South Africa
dc.relationhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/1393
dc.relationhttps://doi.org/10.1080/1389224X.2021.1936091
dc.rightsOpen Access
dc.sourceDavis, Kristin; Landini, F.; van Niekerk, J.; Green, K.; and Terblanche, S. E. 2019. Extension officers’ perceptions of extension and innovation in South Africa. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension 47(4): 152-161. https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3221/2019/v47n4a533
dc.subjectinnovation
dc.subjectdiffusion
dc.subjectadvisory services
dc.subjectsenses
dc.subjectagroecology
dc.subjectagricultural extension
dc.subjectagricultural innovation systems
dc.subjectextension agents
dc.titleExtension officers’ perceptions of extension and innovation in South Africa
dc.typeJournal Article

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Instituto Internacional de Investigación sobre Políticas Alimentarias (IFPRI)