scholarly journals Measuring impacts of an holistic farm business management training program

2004 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 531 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Cameron ◽  
S. A. Chamala

A case study approach within an action research framework incorporating qualitative and quantitative domains was adopted to explore the impact on Queensland farmers of a farm business management extension programme. Three new indices were developed to quantify changes perceived by participants. The first measure, the Bennett Change Index, provided statistically significant evidence that attitudinal and behavioural changes were more frequent in participants with less formal education, but also more frequent in participants who had high urbanisation and self-directed learning index scores. The other 2 new indices, Management Constructs Change and Management Objectives Change, provided evidence of statistically significant changes in participant beliefs about, and attitudes towards, farm business management. Although highly correlated with each other, these changes were unrelated statistically to any of 6 other commonly used biographical or psychometric indices employed; including level of formal education. It is concluded that these new measures, with context-relevant modifications, have potential as aids to programme impact evaluation in a range of agricultural and wider applications. They may provide insights into personal psychological issues that complement direct behavioural measures of change.

2000 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 557 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. B. Murray-Prior ◽  
D. Hart ◽  
J. Dymond

In the last decade some agricultural policy makers and other industry leaders have suggested that farmers will need to upgrade their business management skills to cope with the rapid changes in the agribusiness environment. Anecdotal and research evidence has suggested that many farmers do not perceive this need and are reluctant to participate in formal business management training to upgrade their skills. A study involving focus groups, a survey of training providers and a telephone survey of 197 farm managers investigated if and why farmers in the south-west agricultural region of Western Australia might be reluctant to participate. Two thirds of farmers in the survey had not participated in formal farm business management training. Older, more experienced farmers with lower levels of formal education were the least likely to attend and were less likely to be aware of available training activities. Women who were members of farm management teams (32%) were more likely to attend training than men. Attitudes towards formal training appear to be improving and farmers are aware of the increasing importance of farm business management training. Lack of attendance seems to be related in some instances to a lack of suitable local training activities, a preference for informal over formal learning and a lack of confidence in the relevance of the training. It is suggested that strategies should be developed to provide and deliver suitable training to those sectors of farming community that are not participating in current programs.


2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haruka Kon ◽  
Michael George Botelho ◽  
Susan Bridges ◽  
Katherine Chiu Man Leung

BMC Nursing ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter C. Millanzi ◽  
Patricia Z. Herman ◽  
Mahamudu R. Hussein

Abstract Background Self-directed learning is important in nursing as it is associated with improved clinical and moral competencies in providing quality and cost-effective care among people. However, unethical professional conduct demonstrated by some graduate nurses is linked with the way they are developed in schools alongside the content and pedagogies prescribed in nursing curricula. Pedagogical transformations appear to be inevitable to develop enthusiastic nursing students who can work independently in delivering quality and cost-effective nursing services to people. This study intended to examine the impact of facilitation in a problem-based pedagogy on self-directed learning readiness among undergraduate nursing students in Tanzania. Methods A controlled quasi-experimental design was conducted in Tanzanian higher training institutions from January to April 2019. A 40-item Self-directed learning Readiness scale for nursing education adopted from previous studies measured self-directed learning and the Student A descriptive analysis via a Statistical Package for Social Sciences software program (version 23) was performed to establish nursing students’ socio-demographic characteristics profiles. Independent samples t-test determined mean scores difference of self-directed learning readiness among nursing students between groups while regression analysis was performed to discriminate the effect of an intervention controlled with other co-related factors. Results The post-test results of self-directed learning readiness showed that nursing students scored significantly higher [(M = 33.01 ± 13.17; t (399) = 2.335; 95%CI: 0.486,5.668)] in the intervention group than their counterparts in the control. Findings of SDL readiness subscales were significantly higher among students in the intervention including self-management [(M = 10.11 ± 4.09; t (399) = 1.354; 95%CI: 0.173,4.026)], interest learning [(M = 9.21 ± 2.39; t (399) = 1.189; 95%CI: 0.166,4.323)] and self-control [(M = 13.63 ± 5.05; t (399) = 2.335; 95%CI: 0.486,5.668)]. The probability of nursing students to demonstrate self-directed learning readiness was 1.291 more times higher when exposed to the intervention (AOR = 1.291, p < 0.05, 95%CI: 0.767, 2.173) than in the control. Conclusion Facilitation in a problem-based pedagogy promises to change the spectrum of nursing learning habits potentially to their academic and professional achievements. Nurse tutors need to be empowered with it to prepare nursing students to meet their academic and professional potentials.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Ni Luh Made Purnia Adi ◽  
Luh Putu Artini ◽  
Luh Gede Eka Wahyuni

Due to the global outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), new regulations require students to study from home so that students must be able to study independently. This study aimed to analyze teachers' perceptions of self-directed learning (SDL) and SDL components that can be identified from online learning activities assigned by teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research was designed in the form of embedded mixed-method research. An English teacher at a high school was selected as a participant. Furthermore, data were collected through questionnaires, observations, and classification tables. The results showed that: 1) with a score of 4.00, teachers perceive themselves as "knowledgeable" about SDL knowledge, with a score of 3.57, teachers perceive themselves as "expected" or often carry out learning activities that support SDL, with a score of 3.88, teachers assessing the impact of SDL as “influential” on students, 2) components of SDL reflected through online learning activities assigned by the teacher are “developing a sense of belonging to students in learning” and “developing student self-monitoring” and self-management.” Thus, teachers perceive SDL positively, and there are two components of SDL promoted by teachers' online learning activities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-42
Author(s):  
Maliha Ata ◽  
Rozina Hoque ◽  
Asma Mostafa ◽  
Happy Rani Barua

Background: The medical college library plays an important role in enhancing theacademic achievements of medical students. In order to improve the quality oflibrary services this study provided an assessment of the impact of the libraryservices on undergraduate medical student learning behavior. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive type of study. Thestudy used a self-designed questionnaire. The study sample was 200 undergraduatemedical students. The questionnaire was administered to them at the end of theirlecture class. Results: The primary reason for going to the library was self study (68%) refer text(37%) and group study (36%). Only 38.55% of the respondents visited the library ona daily basis, 50.5% students visit library when necessary and 10.5% student uselibrary 2-3 times a week. All students (100%) are aware about availability of textbooks in the library. 60.5% students know that journals are available in their library,52% know about dictionaries, 56.55% know of having internet, 62.5% students knowthat computers are available in library. 46.5% students said that their internet ofinstitutional library is somewhat helpful. Noise (67.5%), insufficient space (66%),lack of interent access (46%) and lack of computers(44.5%) might have negativeinfluence on the students in library visit. Conclusion :The study suggested that fulfillment of more needs to be done topromote self directed learning. The usage of library, its resources and services needto be increased. Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.19 (1); January 2020; Page 38-42


2018 ◽  
Vol 99 (12) ◽  
pp. 2519-2527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daphne S. LaDue ◽  
Ariel E. Cohen

AbstractProfessional meteorologists gain a great deal of knowledge through formal education, but two factors require ongoing learning throughout a career: professionals must apply their learning to the specific subdiscipline they practice, and the knowledge and technology they rely on becomes outdated over time. It is thus inherent in professional practice that much of the learning is more or less self-directed. While these principles apply to any aspect of meteorology, this paper applies concepts to weather and climate forecasting, for which a range of resources, from many to few, for learning exist. No matter what the subdiscipline, the responsibility for identifying and pursuing opportunities for professional, lifelong learning falls to the members of the subdiscipline. Thus, it is critical that meteorologists periodically assess their ongoing learning needs and develop the ability to reflectively practice. The construct of self-directed learning and how it has been implemented in similar professions provide visions for how individual meteorologists can pursue—and how the profession can facilitate—the ongoing, self-directed learning efforts of meteorologists.


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