Module 6.

Extension Teaching Methods

Introduction

In this unit you are going to learn about the various agricultural extension methods. Teaching
involves imparting of information and extension instructional guides to the learning process so that the
farmers can learn better and more effectively. The objectives below specify what you are expected to
have learnt after studying this unit.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the unit, the students are expected to:

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various extension methods

2. Apply the different methods of extension

Time Frame:

One week

Content:

Extension Teaching Methods

Extension teaching methods may be defined as the devices used to create a situation in which
meaningful communication can take place between the instructor and the learners.

Meaning and Definition

A method is a way of doing something, an orderly arrangement of a set of procedures. Thus, it

involves a sequence of progressive steps in an orderly and logical regularity to accomplish some task or
purpose.

Extension teaching is the art of stimulating, directing, and guiding the learning process. It is a
process of guided interaction designed to help people develop and become capable of guiding
successfully their destinies. It is also a process of providing effective learning situations that create new
learning experiences for people.

Learning is any change in behavior due to experience and training; change may be in skills,
knowledge, or attitudes; a process by which an individual adopts some new skills or idea because it
satisfies a personal need.
 Learning experience is a series of activities and appraisals from which one gains meaning in
facing new problems and planning new experiences.

The Function of Extension Teaching Methods

1. To provide communication so that the learner may see, hear and do the things to be learned.
2. To provide stimulation that causes the desired mental or physical action on the part of the learner.
3. To take the learner through one or more steps of teaching, learning process e.g. Attention, interest,
desire, conviction, action, and satisfaction.
4. To provide an atmosphere for a teacher to establish rapport with learners so that the communication
process becomes easier.

Laws/ Theories of Learning

The general laws governing individual learning behavior include the following:

1. Law of Readiness states that when the individual is ready to act, to do is satisfying and not to do is
annoying.

2. Law of Exercise states that the more a given connection is exercised, the stronger the connection
becomes, when the connection is not practiced, the strength of the connection decreases.

3. Law of Effect connections that are pleasant tends to be repeated and strengthened, and those that are
unpleasant tend to be avoided or weakened.

4. Law of Primacy -First impressions last. Both good and bad.

5. Law of Intensity- Learners learns more from doing real things than substitutes.

6. Law of Recency- We remember the most recent thing we learn.

Extension methods are classified differently according to forms and uses:

A. According to forms

1. Written (bulletins, personal letters, leaflets, circular letters, news articles)

2. Spoken (General & special meetings of all kinds, farm and home visits, telephone calls, office calls,
radio)

3. Objective or visual (result demonstration, motion pictures, exhibits, charts, slides, video, posters, tapes
& etc.)
4. Spoken and objective or visual (method demonstration, meetings, meeting at result demonstration,
meetings involving motion pictures, charts, etc.)

B. According to use

1. Individual contacts (farm & home visit, personal letters, office calls, informal contact, telephone calls,
electronic media (fax, etc.) Personal contacts provide the most meaningful and effective means of
influencing people to accept and adopt new practices.

2. Group methods (lecture, filed day, demonstration, meetings, tours and field trips, group discussion).
Using group methods can be advantageous in getting common agreements for action.

3. Mass methods (Mass media: TV, radio, print, projected visuals, exhibits, puppetry, educational
campaign; popular theater). Mass methods help reach a large number of people simultaneously, but with
little opportunity for interaction and to provide feedback.

Teaching Process in Extension

Teaching in Extension

The development and progress that we aim for is based on what we know, what we think, what
we did, and what we can do with our physical, technological, and human resources. To progress, we
must not stop at the present conditions of living and must take the necessary actions to improve them on
a sustainable basis. In this process, we must identify and perpetuate only the useful and successful
developmental initiatives from the past, exercise concern only for the promising developmental ideas in
the present, and focus on all of these practices on achieving a better and sustainable development for
the future. Thereby, we gain the ability to substitute the 'good and new' developmental ideas with the 'old
and outdated' through learning. Thus, learning is most effective when done under organized teaching.

Teaching is defined as an interactive process primarily involving classroom talk, which takes
place between teacher and pupil, and occurs during certain definable activities.

Steps of Teaching

Teaching, in the context of extension and development, can be thought of as providing purposeful
direction through a learning process. Teaching per se is not giving knowledge or skills to people or
communities, instead teaching is the process of providing opportunities to people or communities to
produce relatively permanent change through their engagement in learning experiences that are provided
by teachers.
 Fig. 1 Steps in extension teaching

1. Attention

Attention is the starting point to arouse the interest of the learners. Research suggests that the attention
of people is attracted by various senses in the following proportions.
Table 9.1 Attention of people through various sense organs

Sense Percent

Seeing 87.00

Hearing 7.00

Smell 3.50

Touch 1.50

Taste 1.00

The famous extension saying is, seeing believes. Thus, seeing and hearing are the major senses
involved to attract attention and enhanced learning.

2. Interest

Once attention is captured, instructors and/or extension professionals can bring the audience's attention
to developmental needs and arouse their interest in further consideration of ideas. Extension
professionals should make them understand how development contributes to the overall well-being of
the community.

3. Desire
It concerns the continuation of the audience's interest in the developmental ideas or better practices until
that interest becomes a desire, or, a motivating force.

4. Conviction

In this step, people know what action is necessary and just how to take that action. Extension
professionals also ensure that people visualize the action in terms of their situations and acquire
confidence in their ability to participate in the people-centered developmental initiatives.

5. Action

Unless this conviction is converted into action, the efforts of extension for development will go
unrewarded. It is the job of extension professionals to make it easy for people to act. For example, if the
adoption of a new high-yielding cattle breed is the action needed by farmers, that breed should be made
available within the reach of farming communities, along with other recommended packages of practices.
If the action does not quickly follow desire and conviction, the new idea may fade away. Therefore, this
phase should never be ignored.

6. Satisfaction

Satisfaction is the end product of the extension teaching process. Follow-up action(s) by extension
professionals helps people to learn and evaluate the development progress. The saying, a satisfied
customer is the best advertisement, also applies to extension and development work. Satisfaction helps
people to continue developmental work with increased attention, interest, desire, conviction, and action.

Advantages and Limitations of Extension Teaching

Advantages of Extension Teaching

- It stimulates and guides learning activities towards goals.
- Specify desired changes in the behavior of people
- Assist the clientele to gain an understanding of ideas the agent is trying to impact or sell them.

Limitations
- Requires a lot of time for preparations - Problem of individual differences, and - Not all clientele
(farmers) may be attentive to teaching.

METHODS IN EXTENSION TEACHING

Extension Method- educational techniques employed by an extension system
A. INDIVIDUAL METHODS OF EXTENSION
▪ Individual extension teaching methods include those which use interpersonal or face-to-face
communication
▪ provide the most interaction between the source and the receiver
 1. Farm &Home visit
▪ Provides the extension worker first-hand info
▪ If made on request, the farmer is likely to learn
▪ For public relations
▪ Giving info & obtaining information

Disadvantages
▪ Time of visit is not always opportune from the standpoint of farmer or homemaker
▪ The danger of concentrating visits on the most progressive families

2. Office/technical service calls

-The farmer is usually seeking info
-The initiative is from the caller not from the extension worker or change agent
-The EW will supply info or render the service demanded

3. Telephone calls
▪ Telephone calls not common in developing countries
▪ Used to get in touch with regional & national office quickly

4. Personal letters- are of value for giving info, instruction, or recognition

5. Result demonstration- Establishes proof that an improved practice advocated by the extension
worker is applicable locally. The person who agrees to try the new practice is called a “cooperator”.
Advantages
▪ Furnishes local proof of the desirability of recommended practice
▪ An effective way of convincing those who question the practice
▪ A good way to introduce a new project
▪ Furnishes cost info
▪ Aids in developing local leaders

Limitations
• Hard to find a responsible cooperator
• Affected by uncontrollable factors e.g. weather

• May lessen the effectiveness of extension worker if the demonstration is not successful
• Is not adaptable to many kinds of subject matter

6. Mutual discussion-sometimes referred to as dialogue or one-on-one discussion. It is the most

important method of individual extension.
3 models of mutual discussion
a. Diagnosis-prescription model – Physician-patient relationship
b. Counseling model
 c. Participation model

Advantages
▪ It is a very good way of supplying the information required for solving a unique problem such as
a major investment decision.
▪ It is possible to integrate information from the farmer with those from the extension agent.
▪ c. The extension agent can help the farmer to clarify feelings and to choose between conflicting
goals.
▪ The extension agent can increase the farmer’s trust by showing interest in the farmer as a
person, his/her situation, and ideas.

Disadvantages:
▪ Costs are high in terms of staff time and travel.
▪ It can only reach a small proportion of the target group.
▪ It is based on a high level of trust between farmers and extension agents.
▪ Mutual discussion is usually initiated by the farmer when the problem is well advance and has
caused some difficulties.
▪ Extension agents can give incorrect information if they are not prepared to admit that they do
not have the necessary information.
▪ This method seldom is a solution for the promotion of collective interest among farmers.

B. GROUP METHODS

1. Lecture-The resource speaker or facilitator delivers a prepared talk

-May distribute handouts
-Used to describe and explain a subject matter, present new info & explain the procedure

Advantages
▪ Many topics can be covered in a short period
▪ the facilitator is in complete control
▪ Accommodates an unlimited size of the audience
▪ It is economical

Disadvantage
▪ Communication is primarily one-way
▪ The retention rate is low
▪ Lack of involvement of participants
▪ It can be boring

2. Method demonstration
▪ To teach skills
▪ To show a better way to carry out a practice
▪ Concerned with how to do something
 Advantages

▪ Effective in teaching skills

▪ Motivates action
▪ Build confidence in local people
▪ Ext. workers become acquainted with local people
▪ People accept ideas easily

3.Leader training meeting

-an extension workers who use local leaders are able to multiply the number of leaders he trains
-Not a formal process, no diploma
-It is more of continual process

4. General meeting-includes all kinds of meeting other than method demo, leader training, tours & field
days.

Seating arrangements during meetings

- horse shoe arrangement allows good contact between the leader and
individual participants, as well as among participants. Suited for small
group discussions
.

- circle arrangement is excellent for whole group discussions, but does

not allow participants to see any display material easily. Suited for small
group discussions without display materials.

- row arrangement makes it easy for all present to see the leader but
make it difficult for them to interact. It is suited for large audience.

-u-shape arrangement is suitable for group discussion which involves

some information sharing and the use of visuals. It allows free interaction
between group members. Leader has close contact with each person.
Late comer can join the group with minimal distraction.

5. Tours &field trips

-called a mobile meeting
-effective way of getting adoption of improved practice
-farmers exchange ideas
6. Schools or Short courses
-Usually shorter than the regular school system, informal
-Requires more time to develop a skill or technique
-Conducted usually on a regional area basis
-Specialists are brought in to do the teaching

Farmers’ Field School-is typically participated by a group of 20-25 farmers within a community that
meets regularly for a half-day session (am or pm) once weekly (or every 2 or 3 weeks) during the entire
cropping season. In a corn-based system, the FFS covers 18 weeks; 120 days duration
7. FIELD DAYS
-Good time to hold method or result demo on a larger scale
-greater impact if held in farmer’s land
-purpose is to introduce a new idea and new crop to as many farmers

8.PANEL DISCUSSION
-used when presenting divergent ideas, opinions & experiences
-the experts present their ideas, experiences, beliefs, or understanding on a subject matter and
after which open forum follows

Advantages:
▪ exposure to differing or varied ideas on the subject matter at hand
▪ encourages sharing and participation of the audience
▪ speakers become extra careful since other “experts” are listening
▪ if properly handled by the moderator it can result in a lively and fruitful interchange of ideas.

Disadvantages:
▪ limited time for the speaker to expound
▪ limited time for audience participation
▪ conflicting ideas may leave the audience confused
▪ sometimes difficult to gather at one time the appropriate panelists

9. BRAINSTORMING
-technique for producing creative ideas
-encourages quantity of ideas and discourages any judgment
-used for small groups

Advantages
▪ a quick & enjoyable process,
▪ stimulates the participants to be involved and
▪ cross-fertilization of ideas that can occur is a valuable aspect of this technique.

Disadvantages
 ▪ ideas are contributed from the few people who think quickly.
▪ overall brainstorming may be less effective than the nominal group technique in generating
ideas.

10. SYMPOSIUM
-more formal than a panel discussion
-speaker/s deliver uninterrupted speeches followed by a forum period

Advantages:
▪ exposure to differing or varied ideas on the subject matter at hand
▪ speakers thoroughly discuss the topic at hand

Disadvantages:
▪ communication is one way
▪ too many speeches are scheduled within the limited time available
▪ the forum period is brief and unproductive

11. Phillip 66- 6 persons with 6-minutes discussion

C. MASS METHODS

1. Printed media
a. Newspaper prints anything timely that interests a number of persons. It is a chief means of
getting information about extension activities to rural & urban people who are not contacted individually

Printed Instructional Materials (IMs)

a. Primer- consists of more than 4 pages containing essential information on technology.

b. Leaflet- is a small, folded publication used to provide reference on short and single subject
matter. It prints specific info that is not necessarily a step-by-step procedure to follow but
needed by farmers and is written in the dialect

c. Brochure-thin, unbound book containing a specific topic; more detailed than a leaflet.

d. Booklet –consists of up to 20 pages joined at the spine, longer than a brochure.

e. Handouts –supplement to lectures, contains some topics/important information discussed in a

lecture.

f. Newsletter –a regulatory issued publication, keeps people abreast of what is happening in

their field of interest.

g. Factsheet –contains useful information/instructions about the specific subject matter; one
page, continuous publication
 h. Photonovel –generic for printed material in comics format; includes illustration and text; a
subtle way putting a message wherein a developmental message is incorporated in the story.
i. Newspapers –this print material provides a valuable channel for transmission of educational
information when they exist and where rural people receive and read them.

j. Wall newspaper –this material is similar in size and appearance to posters and it has more
illustrations.

k. Flyer –is a single sheet printed material summarizing information on technology package or
component technology.

l. Posters–is a single-sheet visual containing photographs and captions to highlight a

recommendation or promote awareness.

m. Bulletin –is a semi-technical publication on a package of technology intended for extension

workers.

2. Broadcast Media
a. Television –is an electronic transmission of moving images accompanied by sounds which is
mainly used for entertainment.
b. Radio –is the most available home appliance in rural areas.

3. Puppetry – is acting a play on stage using puppets.

4. Popular Theater – makes use of performances in the form of drama, singing, dancing and puppetry

5. Exhibits –are displays that create interest or are used for information sharing that use posters,
pictures, photographs, models and specimen.

6. Campaigns –is a coordinated use of different methods focusing on a particular widespread problem
and its solution.

Selecting Appropriate Extension Teaching Methods:

a. Methods useful in getting attention (pictures, slogans posters, demonstration, radio talks, news
stories, cartoons, displays, and exhibits)

b. Methods useful in developing an interest (meetings, pamphlets, film strips, tours, slides,
Testimonials, radio talks)

c. Methods of developing confidence (visits, demo, testimonials, slogans)

d. Methods useful in creating desire (samples, circulars, exhibits, before and after photos, actual demo)
Factors to Consider in Selecting an Extension Teaching Methods

The selection of extension teaching methods has to be in accordance to the various important
factors, these have been stated as follows:
1. Clientele Audiences – The group of learners, their status, background, their needs,
requirements, and other kinds of information need to be possessed by the instructors, trainers, or the
individuals who are providing the knowledge to them. One of the important things that need to be taken
under consideration is that information and knowledge should prove to be beneficial to the learners.
2. Classification of Subject Matter – The matter of the subjects, concepts, and instructional
methods should be formulated in such a manner that it may prove to be understandable to the learners.
They should take pleasure in learning and it should not become monotonous for them. The
classification of subject matter should be in accordance with the needs and requirements of the
learners.
3. Desired Change – The methods and the strategies should be accustomed to bringing about
changes and transformations. Appropriate methods should be formulated to enhance the skills,
knowledge as well as behavioral and personality traits of the individuals. The main objective of
education is to transform an individual into a good human being.
4. Learning Theories – The learning theories are mainly focused upon trial and error,
conditioning, insight, and reasoning. The learning that takes place within the classroom about the
concepts, should be in-depth and should center upon trial and error, preparation, awareness, vision,
and rationality.
5. Primary Functions of Methods – The primary function of all the methods is to make provision
of adequate information to the learners. The instructors can communicate the information, learners can
receive and understand the information, and factors such as time, finances, rate of absenteeism, and
availability must also be considered.
6. Need and Time Factors – It is important to take the need and the time factors into
consideration when organizing the extension teaching methods. The concepts should be communicated
to the learners at the right time, as the main purpose is to acknowledge them to fulfill the needs and the
requirements of the learners.
7. Availability of Method – The various kinds of extension teaching methods should be available
at the right time, for instance, when an individual has to acquire information about the goals and
objectives of the organization, then the appropriate methods would be powerpoint slides so that they
can observe and adequately understand.

Funnel Approach in Communication

The funnel approach in communication includes a combination of extension teaching methods.

For effective dissemination and adoption of extension programs. Specially, it employs a mixture of
mass methods, group methods, and individual methods to get action from the target participants of an
extension program.
 References:

1. Intong, J.D. (2015). Principles of Extension a Resource book. Central Mindanao University
2. Laogu, E. A. (2005). Extension Teaching/Learning Process and Methods. In: S. F. Adedoyin (ed).
Agricultural Extension in Nigeria. Publication of Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria, pp – 202 -203
3. Dipak De, Basavaprabhu Jirli. (2010). A Handbook of Extension Education. Agrobios (INDIA), Jodhpur
4. Ibitoye, J.S., & Mundi, N.E. (2004) Essentials of Agricultural Extension. Rowis Publishers Ankpa, pp.
39 – 40.
2. Team Agri Info (2017). Objectives of Extension Teaching Methods. Retrieved from
https://agriinfo.in/objectives-of-extension-teaching-methods-523/
3. Kapur, R. (2018). Extension Teaching Methods. Retrieved from http://unaab.edu.ng/
funaabocw/opencourseware/Extension%20Teaching,%20Learning%20Process%20and%20Methods.p
df
4. Sharma, K. (2008). Veterinary Extension Education. Hyderabad: BSPBS Extension Methods and
Media Publications.

Prepared by:

MADELON A. BOISER
Course Facilitator