The study discussed here examines Extension professionals\u27 perceived skills to practice Public Issues Education. Extension professionals who responded rated their skills moderately, regardless of years of experience. This is true for all experience levels, with each level of experience having certain skill strengths that might benefit others. Those designing Public Issues Education trainings and curriculum for Extension professionals should not presume that tenure or experience in Extension guarantees high skill levels to effectively practice Public issues Education. Further assessments are needed to determine more precisely what skills and what skill levels are to be included in future trainings

Corcoran, Patrick

Hill, George

Singletary, Loretta

Smith, Marilyn

English

Clemson University: TigerPrints

The Journal of Extension Volume 42 Number 6 Article 13 12-1-2004 Survey of Extension Professionals' Skill Levels Needed to Practice Public Issues Education Loretta Singletary University of Nevada, Reno, singletaryl@unr.edu Marilyn Smith University of Nevada, Reno, smithm@unce.unr.edu George Hill University of Nevada, Reno, gchill@unr.edu Patrick Corcoran Oregon State University Extension, patrick.corcoran@orst.edu This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. Recommended Citation Singletary, L., Smith, M., Hill, G., & Corcoran, P. (2004). Survey of Extension Professionals' Skill Levels Needed to Practice Public Issues Education. The Journal of Extension, 42(6), Article 13. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/joe/vol42/iss6/13 This Research in Brief is brought to you for free and open access by the Conferences at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Journal of Extension by an authorized editor of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact kokeefe@clemson.edu. 	 JOEHOME JOURNAL GUIDELINES ABOUT	JOE CONTACT NATIONAL	JOB	BANKCurrent	Issues Back	IssuesDecember	2004	//	Volume	42	//	Number	6	//	Research	in	Brief	//	6RIB20Survey	of	Extension	Professionals'	Skill	Levels	Needed	toPractice	Public	Issues	EducationAbstractThe	study	discussed	here	examines	Extension	professionals'	perceived	skills	to	practice	PublicIssues	Education.	Extension	professionals	who	responded	rated	their	skills	moderately,regardless	of	years	of	experience.	This	is	true	for	all	experience	levels,	with	each	level	ofexperience	having	certain	skill	strengths	that	might	benefit	others.	Those	designing	PublicIssues	Education	trainings	and	curriculum	for	Extension	professionals	should	not	presume	thattenure	or	experience	in	Extension	guarantees	high	skill	levels	to	effectively	practice	Publicissues	Education.	Further	assessments	are	needed	to	determine	more	precisely	what	skills	andwhat	skill	levels	are	to	be	included	in	future	trainings.	IntroductionPublic	Issues	Education	provides	Extension	professionals	with	a	structured	approach	to	educateand	assist	citizens	in	addressing	complex	and	controversial	issues.	Past	issues	of	the	Journal	ofExtension	have	addressed	Extension's	challenges,	opportunities,	and	emerging	roles	in	the	PublicIssues	Education	arena	(Corp	&	Darnell,	2002;	Patton	&	Blaine,	2001;	Longo	&	Dresbach,	2001;Frederick,	1998;	Schumacher	&	Lloyd,	1997;	Cooley,	1994;	Bolen,	1993;	Boyle	&	Mulcahy,	1993;Carpenter,	1993;	Goodwin,	1993).	A	gap	in	the	literature,	however,	concerns	specific	skillsExtension	professionals	need	to	practice	Public	Issues	Education	effectively.This	article	reports	the	results	of	a	survey	of	120	Extension	professionals	ranging	in	experiencefrom	1	to	30	plus	years.	The	survey	examines	Extension	professionals'	perceived	skills	to	practicePublic	Issues	Education	and	suggests	future	training	and	curriculum	needs.Loretta	SingletaryExtension	EducatorUniversity	of	Nevada	Cooperative	ExtensionUniversity	of	Nevada,	RenoYerington,	Nevadasingletaryl@unce.unr.eduMarilyn	SmithArea	SpecialistUniversity	of	Nevada	Cooperative	ExtensionUniversity	of	Nevada,	RenoElko,	Nevadasmithm@unce.unr.eduGeorge	HillAssociate	ProfessorUniversity	of	Nevada,	RenoReno,	Nevadagchill@unr.eduPatrick	CorcoranCommunity	Development	SpecialistClatsop	County	Extension	ServiceAstoria,	OregonPatrick.Corcoran@orst.eduThe	Extension	professional	can	play	a	variety	of	roles	in	a	Public	Issues	Education	program,including	facilitator,	teacher,	and	researcher.	In	Public	Issues	Education	programs,	the	Extensionprofessional	does	not	advocate	any	particular	solution	but	instead	provides	a	neutral,	supportiveatmosphere	for	collaborative	problem	solving	(Public	Issues	Education	Task	Force,	2002).	Thus,	thetraditional	"expert-based"	Extension	program	model	of	scientific	information	delivery	must	beadapted	to	fit	an	issues-based	approach	to	programming,	such	as	the	Public	Issues	Educationapproach	allows	(CSREES,	2002;	Bolen,	1993).This	suggests	that	in	addition	to	subject	matter	knowledge,	Extension	professionals	must	possesscertain	skills	to	conduct	effective	Public	Issues	Education	programs.	Such	skills	include	those	usefulin	traditional	Extension	program	settings,	such	as	organizing	educational	events,	providingmaterials,	and	involving	technical	experts	from	the	university	(Peters,	2002;	Boyle	&	Mulcahy,1993).	A	comprehensive	set	of	skills,	however,	extends	beyond	those	needed	to	conducttraditional	programs	to	include	group	facilitation,	interpersonal	communication,	and	similar	typesof	"collaborative	process"	skills.Methods	and	ProceduresFor	the	purpose	of	the	study,	a	questionnaire	was	designed	to	measure	Extension	professionals'perceived	skills	to	conduct	Public	Issues	Education	programs.	Questions	about	skills	are	adaptedfrom	a	set	of	"core	competencies"	developed	by	the	National	Public	Policy	Education	Sub-committee	on	Public	Issues	Education	(Task	Force).	The	Task	Force	is	comprised	of	Extensionprofessionals	from	across	the	nation	actively	practicing	Public	Issues	Education	and	conductingapplied	research	around	these	programs.	Since	1999,	they	have	worked	together	to	identify	skillsthat	enable	Extension	professionals	to	conduct	effective	Public	Issues	Education	programs.Core	competencies	include	the	following	broad	categories:Collect	and	interpret	information	about	issues,	audiences,	and	educational	settings;Design	Public	Issues	Education	programs;Communicate	effectively;Facilitate	group	discussions	and	decision-making;Manage	and	transform	conflict;Work	with	scientific	and	technical	information;	andCreate	an	environment	of	professionalism	(Public	Issues	Education	Task	Force,	2002).A	complete	description	and	explanation	of	these	core	competencies	are	available	through	thePublic	Issues	Education	Web	site	<http://www.publicissueseducation.net>.Members	of	the	Task	Force	adapted	from	these	core	competencies	a	list	of	specific	skills	for	thisstudy.	Members	of	the	Task	Force	in	Nevada,	Oregon,	and	Washington	reviewed	earlier	drafts	ofthe	questionnaire	and	approved	the	final	draft.	Finally,	a	panel	of	three	university-based	facultymembers	in	Nevada	familiar	with	Public	Issues	Education	reviewed	the	final	questionnaire.	Thepurpose	of	the	reviews	was	to	identify	missing	skills	and	to	check	for	reading	comprehension	ofsurvey	questions.	The	authors	revised	the	questionnaire	based	upon	reviewers'	recommendations.The	resulting	questionnaire	featured	18	items	about	skills	needed	to	conduct	effective	PublicIssues	Education	programs.	Using	a	Likert	scale	of	1	(not	very	skilled)	to	5	(very	skilled),	Extensionprofessionals	rated	their	skills.	In	addition,	participants	indicated	years	of	professional	experience.The	survey	sample	consisted	of	approximately	120	members	of	the	National	Association	ofAgricultural	County	Agents	who	voluntarily	participated	in	a	Public	Issues	Education	workshop.Workshop	participants	were	selected	as	the	survey	sample	because,	through	their	attendance,they	indicated	an	interest	in	further	training	in	Public	Issues	Education.	These	workshopparticipants	are	in	ideal	positions	to	educate	and	directly	assist	communities	with	public	issues.They	also	have	the	opportunity	to	consider	what	skills	are	necessary	based	on	their	fieldexperiences.	That	is,	presumably	either	formally	or	informally,	they	have	tried	various	educationalapproaches	and	learned	from	both	their	successes	and	failures.Selected	facilitators	distributed	the	questionnaire	prior	to	the	workshop	and	asked	participants	toreturn	the	completed	questionnaire	to	them	before	leaving.	The	printed	questionnaire	includedinstructions	and	an	exemption	statement.	A	statement	of	exemption	printed	on	the	questionnaireexplained	that	voluntary	completion	of	the	questionnaire	indicated	their	consent	to	participate	inthe	study.ResultsCompleted	questionnaires	served	as	the	data	source	for	the	study.	Cronbach's	coefficient	alphawas	used	to	estimate	internal	consistency	of	the	18	Likert-type	scale	items.	The	Cronbach	scorewas	high	(r	=	.93)	and	indicates	that	there	was	high	internal	consistency	between	the	variables(Carmines	&	Zeller,	1979).About	the	ParticipantsOf	the	120	survey	participants,	110	answered	the	question	regarding	years	of	experience	and	areincluded	in	this	analysis.	Of	these	110	participants,	20%	(n	=	22	)	had	between	1	to	10	years,while	19%	(n	=	21)	had	11	to	19	years,	22%	(n	=	24)	had	20	to	29	years,	and	the	largest	group,39%	(n	=	43),	had	30	plus	years	of	experience.Relationship	Between	Skill	Levels	and	Professional	ExperienceA	statistical	test	(Spearman's	rho)	was	conducted	to	test	for	relationships	between	perceived	skilllevels	and	professional	experience.	The	results	are	significant	and	indicate	that	the	Extensionprofessionals	who	participated	in	this	survey	rated	their	skills	similarly,	regardless	of	their	years	ofprofessional	experience	(Table	1).Table	1.Relationship	Between	Perceived	Skill	Levels	and	Years	in	Extension	 	1-10Years11-19Years20-29Years30+Years1-10yearsCorrelation	CoefficientSig.	(2-tailed)N----22.627**.00721.735**.00124.681**.0034311-19yearsCorrelation	CoefficientSig.	(2-tailed)--------	.597*.011.592*.01220-29yearsCorrelation	CoefficientSig.	(2-tailed)------------.670**.003**	Correlation	is	significant	at	the	0.01	level	(2-tailed).*		Correlation	is	significant	at	the	0.05	level	(2-tailed).Additional	analysis	was	conducted	to	determine	if	any	particular	skills	differ	with	regards	toexperience.	For	the	purpose	of	this	analysis,	mean	scores	were	simplified	by	collapsing	the	fiveskill	ratings	into	low,	moderate,	and	high	skill	levels	(Table	2).	That	is,	(1)	low	skill	levels	representsthose	who	selected	1	and	2;	(2)	moderate	skill	levels	represents	those	who	selected	3;	and	(3)	highskill	levels	represents	those	who	selected	4	and	5	on	the	Likert	scale.	Overall,	Extensionprofessionals	rated	their	skills	as	moderate	(2).The	results	indicate	that	one	item	at	which	Extension	professionals	agree	they	are	skilled,regardless	of	experience,	is	"organize	educational	events	and	materials."	Other	comparativelystrong	skills,	regardless	of	experience,	are	"provides	critical	information	in	a	timely	manner,""involve	technical	expertise	from	within	the	university,"	and	"recognize	the	importance	andlimitations	of	scientific	data."Table	2.Rank	Order	Comparison	of	Skill	Levels	by	Years	of	Professional	Experience	1-10Years11-19Years20-29Years30+YearsOrganize	educational	events	andmaterials.2.82(1) 2.84(1) 2.87(1) 2.93(1)Listen	actively,	respectfully	to	opposingviews.2.77(2) [2.27(14)] 2.58(5) 2.7(4)Provide	critical	information	in	a	timelymanner.2.55(3) 2.82(2) 2.83(2) 2.74	(3)Demonstrate	sensitivity	to	stakeholderdiversity	including	gender,	ethnic	and2.52(4) 2.53(7) 2.67(3) [2.45(9)]cultural	differences.Involve	technical	expertise	from	within	theuniversity.2.45(5) 2.75(3) 2.67(3) 2.85(2)Recognize	importance	and	limitations	ofscientific	data.2.45(6) 2.58(4) 2.5(7) 2.59(5)Involve	technical	expertise	from	outsidethe	university.2.33(7) 2.55(6) [2.33(12)] 2.54(6)Separate	your	personal	values	from	yourprofessional	role	in	conflict.2.33(8) 2.57(5) 2.52(6) [2.29(17)]Work	with	stakeholders	to	create	andfollow	a	set	of	ground	rules	for	workingtogether.[2.22(9)] 2.26(16) 2.30(14) 2.35(14)Help	stakeholders	clarify	the	issues. 2.15(10) 2.42(11) 2.37(11) 2.38(12)Work	with	stakeholders	to	identify	dataneeds.2.15(11) 2.52(8) 2.38(8) 2.52(7)Knowledge	of	collaborative	decision-making	process.2.14(12) 2.44(9) 2.33(12) 2.48(8)Monitor	your	own	communicationbehavior.2.09(13) 2.44(9) [2.13(18)] 2.38(12)Help	stakeholders	work	through	asequence	of	steps	to	reach	a	desiredoutcome.[2.00(14)] 2.16(18) 2.17(17) 2.25(18)Facilitation	skills	including:	keepingparticipants	engaged	and	on	task	andprotecting	people	and	their	ideas	fromattack.1.95(15) 2.35(13) [2.38(8)] 2.39(11)Acknowledge	political	relationships	amongstakeholders.1.85(16) 2.21(17) [2.38(8)] 2.43(10)Help	participants	move	from	advocatingtheir	solution	to	learning	about	a	numberof	possible	solutions.1.79(17) 2.36(12) 2.25(16) 2.31(15)Bring	in	speakers	with	nontraditionalviews	about	conflict.1.78(18) 2.26(15) 2.30(14) 2.30(16)Code:	1	=	low	skill	levels;	2	=	moderate	skill	levels;	3	=	high	skill	levelsExtension	professionals	rated	only	a	few	skills	differently	based	upon	professional	experience,however.	The	least	experienced	group,	1	to	10	years,	rated	their	facilitation	skills	comparativelyhigher	than	more	experienced	groups.	These	include,	for	example,	"working	with	stakeholders	tocreate	and	follow	a	set	of	ground	rules"	and	"helping	stakeholders	work	through	a	sequence	ofsteps	to	reach	a	desired	outcome."In	contrast,	a	more	experienced	group,	11	to	19	years,	rated	themselves	comparatively	lower	at"listening	actively,	respectfully	to	opposing	views."	Similarly,	professionals	with	20	to	29	yearsexperience	rated	themselves	comparatively	lower	at	"involving	expertise	from	outside	theuniversity"	and	"monitoring	your	own	communication	behavior."	Finally,	the	most	experiencedprofessionals,	30	plus	years,	rated	their	skills	comparatively	lower	at	"demonstrating	sensitivity	tostakeholder	diversity,	including	gender,	ethnic,	and	cultural	differences"	and	"separating	yourpersonal	values	from	your	professional	role	in	the	conflict."ConclusionsHelping	communities	manage	public	conflict	is	increasingly	becoming	a	focus	area	for	Extensionprofessionals	nationwide.	The	recent	survey	of	Extension	professionals	indicates	that	they	believethey	are	moderately	skilled	to	conduct	Public	Issues	Education	programs.	For	the	most	part,	theprofessionals	surveyed	rated	their	skills	similarly	regardless	of	experience.Generally,	the	results	suggest	that	in	designing	Public	Issues	Education	trainings	and	curricula	forExtension	professionals,	all	Extension	professionals	should	be	approached	and	treated	the	same,regardless	of	experience.The	study	discovered	a	few	exceptions,	however.	The	results	indicate	that	individuals	with	lessexperience	rate	some	facilitation	skills	stronger	than	more	experienced	professionals	do.	Incontrast,	experienced	professionals	appear	to	be	more	politically	perceptive	and	can	comfortablywork	with	stakeholders	who	network	through	local	politics.	Experienced	professionals,	however,may	benefit	from	focused	training	in	facilitation	skills.	And	they	can	mentor	less	experiencedprofessionals	to	help	them	refine	their	skills	in	working	with	local	politics.	Instructors	can	call	uponthese	various	strengths	for	individual	leadership,	learning	and	mentoring	opportunities.Those	designing	Public	Issues	Education	trainings	and	curricula	for	Extension	professionals	shouldnot	presume	that	tenure	or	experience	in	Extension	guarantees	high	skill	levels	to	effectivelypractice	Public	issues	Education.	Further	assessments	are	needed	to	determine	more	preciselywhat	skills	and	what	skill	levels	are	to	be	included	in	future	trainings.ReferencesBolen,	K.	R.	(1993).	Accepting	the	challenge.	Journal	of	Extension	[On-line]	31(4).	Available	at:http://www.joe.org/joe/1993winter/tp2.htmlBoyle,	P.	G.,	&	Mulcahy,	S.	H.	(1993).	Public	policy	education:	A	path	to	political	support.	Journal	ofExtension	[On-line]	31(4).	Available	at:	http://www.joe.org/joe/1993winter/tp1.htmlCarmines,	E.	G.,	&	Zeller,	R.	A.	(1979).	Reliability	and	validity	assessment.	Beverly	Hills,	CA:	SagePublications.Carpenter,	Z.	L.	(1993).	Expanding	the	Extension	horizon.	Journal	of	Extension	[On-line]	31(4).Available	at:	http://www.joe.org/joe/1993winter/tp3.htmlCooley,	F.	E.	(1994).	Facilitating	conflict-laden	issues:	An	important	Extension	faculty	role.	Journalof	Extension	[On-line]	32(1).	Available	at:	http://www.joe.org/joe/1994june/a10.htmlCorp,	M.	K.,	&	Darnell,	T.	(2002).	Conflict-laden	issues:	A	learning	opportunity.	Journal	of	Extension[On-line]	40(1).	Available	at:	http://www.joe.org/joe/2002february/rb1.htmlCSREES.	(2002).	Exploring	new	opportunities	for	Extension.	Washington,	DC:	Extension	Service,USDA	[On-line].	Available	at:	http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/white_papers/exploring.docFrederick,	A.	L.	(1998).	Extension	education	opportunities	with	policymakers.	Journal	of	Extension[On-line]	36(2).	Available	at:	http://www.joe.org/joe/1998april/comm1.htmlGoodwin,	J.	(1993).	Contrasting	viewpoints	about	controversial	issues.	Journal	of	Extension	[On-line]	31(3).	Available	at:	http://www.joe.org/joe/1993fall/a7.htmlLongo,	M.	F.,	&	Dresbach,	S.	H.	(2001).	Ideas	to	assist	Extension	field	professionals	in	buildinglinkages	and	alliances.	Journal	of	Extension	[On-line]	39(2)	Available	at:http://www.joe.org/joe/2001april/iw1.htmlPatton,	D.	B.,	&	Blaine,	T.	W.	(2001).	Public	issues	education:	Exploring	Extension's	role.	Journal	ofExtension	[On-line]	39(4)	Available	at:	http://www.joe.org/joe/2001august/a2.htmlPeters,	S.	J.	(2002).	Rousing	the	people	on	the	land:	The	roots	of	the	educational	organizingtradition	in	Extension	work.	Journal	of	Extension	[On-line]	40(3)	Available	at:http://www.joe.org/joe/2002june/a1.htmlPublic	Issues	Education	Task	Force.	(2002).	Public	issues	education:	Increasing	competencies,enabling	communities.	Reno,	NV:	USDA	Innovations	Fund,	Farm	Foundation	&	Regional	RuralDevelopment	Centers.	[Online].	Available	at:	http://www.publicissueseducation.netSchumacher,	S.	D.,	&	Lloyd,	M.	(1997).	Educating	with	controversial	issues.	Journal	of	Extension[On-line]	35(1)	Available	at:	http://www.joe.org/joe/1997february/tt2.htmlCopyright	©	by	Extension	Journal,	Inc.	ISSN	1077-5315.	Articles	appearing	in	the	Journal	become	the	property	of	theJournal.	 Single	 copies	 of	 articles	 may	 be	 reproduced	 in	 electronic	 or	 print	 form	 for	 use	 in	 educational	 or	 trainingactivities.	Inclusion	of	articles	in	other	publications,	electronic	sources,	or	systematic	large-scale	distribution	may	bedone	only	with	prior	electronic	or	written	permission	of	the	Journal	Editorial	Office,	joe-ed@joe.org.If	you	have	difficulties	viewing	or	printing	this	page,	please	contact	JOE	Technical	Support©	Copyright	by	Extension	Journal,	Inc.	ISSN	1077-5315.	Copyright	Policy

Survey of Extension Professionals\u27 Skill Levels Needed to Practice Public Issues Education

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Survey of Extension Professionals\u27 Skill Levels Needed to Practice Public Issues Education

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