Agricultural Extension Practitioners' Use of Information Communication Tools in the Capricorn District, Limpopo, South Africa: A Perception Study
Résumé
Perception is a critical concept in innovation adoption. Reports from the Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development indicate that agricultural extension practitioners (AEPs) do not use the full complement of Information, Communication and Technologies (ICTs) made available for their extension work. This can compromise the effectiveness of extension service delivery to farmers. This study applied the Düvel adoption behaviour analysis framework to help understand the AEPs' perceptions and use of ICTs made available to them for their work. Using a self-administered questionnaire and adopting a census approach, data was collected from the AEPs in two local municipalities of the Capricorn district. Data was analysed by descriptive statistics. The findings indicate that most AEPs have a favourable perception of the ICTs made available to them for their work. Furthermore, the study found factors that are incompatible with the present situation of AEPs that constrain the use of all the ICTs. These findings have important implications for delivering effective extension services to farmers. The study results also show that the Düvel behaviour analysis framework consistently yields results congruent with theoretical expectations. This enriches the extension theory. To solve incompatibility challenges, recommendations are made based on the findings.
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