183 research outputs found
Reaching Extension\u27s Clientele: Exploring Patterns of Preferred Information Channels Among Small Farm Operators
Effective delivery methods are important to the impact of Extension programs. The effectiveness of delivering Extension programs can be increased by matching the information channels used by Extension to those preferred by segments of the clientele. This study explores the preference patterns of clientele for obtaining information. The influence of selected individual and structural characteristics on those patterns also is examined. Data from a mail survey (using the Total Design Method, or TDM) of small farm operators from six counties in Florida indicate that preference patterns vary. The analysis, using confirmatory factor analysis, verified the presence of a lower cost preference pattern and two higher cost patterns, one focused on individual consultation and the other on group educational activities. Regression analysis also was used to determine the influence of selected individual level and structural level characteristics on the emergence of different preference patterns. These results can be used as a guide to maximize contact in delivering information to various segments of Extension audiences
Enhancing the Rural South\u27s Quality of Life: Leveraging Development through Educational Institutions
2004 SRSA Presidential address presented February 16, 2004, at the annual meeting of the Southern Rural Sociological Association, Tulsa, Oklahom
Using Web-Hosted Surveys to Obtain Responses from Extension Clients: A Cautionary Tale
Surveys are important tools for Extension professionals. Given the development of Web-hosted surveys, two important questions are When can they be used? and How does the data differ from those collected by other methods? The study reported here compares three modes of delivery: mail only, mail/Web choice, and Web preference with a mail option. Data showed the response rate for the mail-only mode was highest (64.5%), followed by the mail/Web choice mode (59.2%) and the Web preference mode (52.6%). The evidence indicates a need to consider how the results might be affected by methodological decisions to use the Internet
Advances in Survey and Data Analysis Methods for Rural Social Scientists: An Introduction
Rural sociologists and other rural social scientists have been and continue to be in the forefront of advances in methods for collecting and analyzing high quality social science data. While much of this work is embedded within substantive studies, the focus of this issue is on highlighting lessons learned so that other researchers can incorporate these ideas into the design and conduct of their studies
Improving Rural Educational Attainment
More often than not, policymakers focus on school-based strategies to spur improvements in the educational progress of students. The 2002 No Child Left Behind Act, which demands greater school accountability for student performance, is a case in point. Yet, what happens in the classroom is only part of the story.In fact, as Lionel J. Beaulieu, Glenn D. Israel and Ronald C. Wimberley show in their chapter in "Challenges for Rural America in the Twenty-First Century", family characteristics have from 5 to 10 times as much impact as school characteristics on reading and math scores of rural U.S. eighth graders.In addition, community characteristics have as much impact as school characteristics on test scores, although both community and chool characteristics tend to be more important in geographically isolated rural areas than those adjacent to metropolitan areas. Clearly, helping rural youth succeed academically is the collective responsibility of families, schools, and communities.This issue brief is a joint product of the Rural Sociological Society and the National Coalition for Rural Entrepreneurship, a collaboration of four Regional Rural Development Centers: The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, the Southern Rural Development Center, the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, and the Western Rural Development Center. Funding was also made available from the Ford Foundation.This brief is part of a policy brief series by the Rural Sociological Society and the Regional Rural Development Centers that stresses the importance of community collective action and developing the capacity of people and organizations to meet the community's needsThe Rural Sociological Society and the Regional Rural Development Centers creates new Public Policy Issue Brief series based on its recent book, "Challenges for Rural America in the Twenty-First Century".The briefs synthesize the context and substance of important issues raised in the book and address alternative policy options, with the goal of bringing important research to the policy community
Assessing the Influence of Importance Prompt and Box Size on Response to Open-ended Questions in Mixed Mode Surveys: Evidence on Response Rate and Response Quality
To understand the thinking behind respondents’ answers, researchers occasionally use open-ended questions. Getting a quality response to open-ended questions can be challenging but attending to the visual design of the question and using a motivational statement in the question can increase item response and data quality. To understand the use of open-ended questions in surveys further, we designed an experiment testing the effect of an importance statement (present/absent) and box size (large/small) on item response rate and response quality in a mixed-mode (web and mail modes) survey. Data for the study came from a survey of Florida Cooperative Extension Service (FCES) clients. The results showed that item response was improved with the importance prompt, irrespective of box size. The combination of importance statement and larger answer box also resulted in more words. Web responses produced more words than those on paper and words counts were significantly improved with an importance prompt for web responses. Overall, the combination of importance prompt, larger box size and web mode was most important in producing the best item response rate and response quality in our mixed-mode survey
Regaining Our Youth, Empowering Our Communities: Service Learning and Community Development
This paper describes a development process which builds upon the strengths of community service learning and community development by providing teenagers a chance to get involved in the community while providing a valuable service leading to local action. The strategy focuses on building partnerships among students, teachers, and local leaders to learn about community leadership, conduct a community needs assessment survey, and address a local need through a community development process. Experience from projects in Florida and Kentucky suggests that this strategy can help youth get involved in the community while providing a sounder basis for the community to act on its needs
Sources and Channels of Information Used by Educational Program Clients
Organizations that want to create change through educational programs need to engage clients in a process that makes use of existing communication networks. Most clients use a repertoire of sources and channels for becoming aware of, learning about, and making decisions about practice or technology adoption. This paper focuses on one group of clients served by Cooperative Extension - horse owners - to identify patterns in the sources and channels of information they use. Further, the association between sets of channels and sources is assessed, controlling for relevant client attributes. The results show that horse owners have four correlated sets of information sources and four sets of information channels. The net influence of channels on clients\u27 use of sources varies, with traditional Extension channels, one-on-one consultations, and Internet channels being strongly associated with the use of sources characterized by linkages outside the community. Overall, the results suggest that horse owners can be sorted into distinct market segments that use specific sources and channels. These findings can guide the design of communication strategies for Extension professionals serving adult horse owners in Florida, as well as provide general rules for others involved in developing educational programs for other clients
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