Extension Environment Characteristics Influencing the Use of Video Mediated Technology in Teaching Agricultural Knowledge and Skills to Farmers in Homa-Bay County, Kenya.

Abstract

The study assessed extension environmental factors influencing the use of video mediated technology (VMT) by public extension agents in Homa-Bay County, Kenya. All the 85 extension agents in Homa Bay County were assessed using a structured questionnaire. The collected data was then cleaned, coded and analysed using descriptive and bivariate linear regression. The internal reliability of the created indices was determined using Cronbach’s alpha (α) and an alpha of above .70 was considered adequate for this study. The study found out that there was low rate of use of VMT, and that the extension environmental characteristics had a positive and significant influence (β= .215, p=.048) on the use of VMT by the extension agents in Homa-Bay County. The influence of extension environment on the use of video mediated technology was rated as average (mean of 5.2) on a scale of 1 to 10. The extension environmental characteristics affecting the level of use of VMT among the extension agents in Homa-Bay were found to be low level of response by the farmers to VMT trainings, lack of electricity away from training centres in the local agricultural areas and inaccessibility of training centres by farmers due to long distances and poor road networks. The study recommended that the public education of the farmers on video mediated learning, establishment of Video Viewing Shops (VVS) strategically, adequate electricity connectivity and improved road network systems within the local areas would improve farmers’ attitude towards the usefulness of VMT and increase their ability to access agricultural information in the attempt to improve farm productivity through better agricultural practices.