Research Reports
Strategies of Improving Education and Training Programs to Enhance Farmers' Farming Professional Skills
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AuthorMa, Sangjin
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Publication Date2005.12.01
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Original
The purpose of this study was to develop strategies to improve education and training programs designed to enhance Korean farmers' farming professional skills. For the purpose, literature reviews, surveys, interviews, and experts reviews were carried out. The literature reviews on farmer education and training policies and the domestic and foreign researches have found the problems of farmer education and training programs and suggested some strategic ideas to resolve these. Based on the survey of thiry seven HRD(human resource development) practioners of farmer education and training institutes and the additional interviews of some of them, some specific evidences on the problems of current farmers education and training programs were found. The CIPP(context, input, process, and product) model was applied to this end. Based on the survey of 773 farmers and the additional interviews of some of them, farmers' specific needs were analyzed in terms of program contents, program methods, and program supports. Through agricultural education and training related experts reviews, the validities of survey instruments and study results were proved.
This study suggested strategies to improve farmer education and training program, such as basic direction, short-term strategies, and mid to long-term strategies.
The basic direction of farmer education and training programs should be customized for every farmer, which means every farmer could have an access to the best program contents, anywhere, at anytime, by the best way facilitated by the best experts.
As short-term strategies, strategies which can be executed by both the institutes and the government without large-scale reform of current system were suggested. Each farmer education and training institute should supplement HRD practitioners; plan programs with thorough target population need assessment; develop program contents based on the specific farming; deliver livestock and crop-specific programs; perform various workplace learning programs; adjust program opening time; connect program evaluation to follow-up programs. The Government should establish a network of farmer education and training institutes; develop HRD practitioners' competences and subsidize HRD consulting service of the institutes; support competence-based program development and program public relation(PR) of the institutes; build up the database of field oriented instruction experts and training facilities; adjust education and training budget system; improve program evaluation criteria.
As mid to long-term strategies, strategies were proposed based on "Blended Learning" providing farmers with various forms of learning including on-line, off-line and workplace learning. While the mid and long-term strategies should also be executed by both the government and the institutes, the government should play a pivotal role such as developing on-line learning programs based on national farming ability standards; setting up the internet learning portal site for farmers; supplying the farmer consulting service; conducting the farming human resource development researches; managing the farmer education and training career passport; supporting on-line learning infrastructure of each institute. Farmer education and training institutes should furnish the customized programs utilizing the programs, services, and infrastructures supported by the governmeat.
Lastly, this study made some recommendations for future studies.
Researchers: Sang-jin Ma, Young-Saing Kim
E-mail address: msj@krei.re.kr
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