Study In The Selection And Use Of Agricultural Guides To Some Ways Of Guidelines:

Extension agents occupy the most important job levels in extensionservice. They are considered as the backbone of extension service at theimplementation level, and a source of its strength and effectiveness increating desired educational, economical, and social changes throughout their use of numerous extension methods that bring about high efficiency and effectiveness. Efficiency and effectiveness of extension agents, as communicationsources, necessarily require availability of appropriate knowledge, capabilities, and communication skills reflected in both capabilities ofspeaking and hearing. In Egypt, agricultural extension specialist, as a job nomination, was innovated to play a role in the new era of liberal economy and agricultural privatization. Therefore, it was necessary to study the extent of skills acquired by village extension agents and agricultural extension specialists inselecting and implementing appropriate agricultural extension methods inaccordance with some qualifications, standards, and requirements. It is alsonecessary to investigate the way agricultural extension agents take part in implementing the agricultural methods in order to determine their weakness aspects which may ensure successful and effective communicationachievements. The main objectives of this study can be summarized as the following: (1) to determine the respondents’ knowledge level, in the two governorates where the study was conducted (kalioubia and Munofia), regarding each of: a) standards of planning agricultural extension program, and b) standards of selecting the appropriate agricultural extensionmethods (2) to determine implementation level, in the two governorates, for each of: a) standards of preparing use of the studied agricultural extensionmethods. b) speaking capability items during the respondents’ use of thestudied agricultural extension methods, and c) listening capability items of the respondents during their use of thestudied agricultural extension methods. (3) To determine knowledge differences between village extension agents, working in the two governorates, for each of: a) standards of agricultural program planning, and b) standards of selecting appropriate agricultural. extension methods. (4)To determine knowledge score differences between agricultural extension specialists working in the two studied govemnorates related to each of: a) standards of agricultural extension program planning, and. b) standards of selecting appropriates agricultural extension methods. (5) To determine knowledge differences between village agricultural extension agents, and agricultural extension specialists in the two studied governorats in relation with: a) standards of agricultural extension program. planning, and b) standardsof selecting the appropriate agricultural extension methods. (6) To determine implementation differences between village extension agents, working in the two studied governorates in relation with: a) standards of preparation for using agricultural extension methods, b) speaking capabilities during using the studied agricultural extension methods, and c) listening capabilities during using the studied agricultural extension methods. (7) To determine implementation differences between agricultural extension specialists working in the two studied governorates related to each of: a) standards of preparing for using the studied agricultural extensionmethods, b) speaking capabilities during their using of the studied agricultural extension methods, and c) listening capabilities during using the studied agricultural extension methods; (8) To determine implementation differences between village extensionagents and agricultural extension specialists working in the two studiedgovernorates regarding: a) preparation standards for using the studied agricultural extension methods, b) speaking capabilities during using the studied agricultural extension methods, and c) listening capabilities during using the studied agricultural extensionmethods. This study was conducted in Quisna and Bagor districts, Munofiagovernorates, and Benha and Tukh districts! Kaliobia governorate. A random sample of 32 village extension agents was drawn from those working in Quisna and Bagor districts (91 village extension agents) representing 35% of the total number there, and 31 village extension agents from those working in Benha and Tukh districts (89 village extension agents) representing 35% of then. In addition, a random sample of178agricultural extension specialists working in the study area (36 agricultural extension specialists from Kuisna and Bagor districts representing 25% of the total number of agricultural extension specialists working in both the two districts, and 32 agricultural extension specialists from both Benha and Tukh districts representing 25% from the total number of agricultural extension specialists working there.A pretested written questionnaire with interpersonal interviews, andan observation list were used in collecting the study data. The study data were collected during the period August Ist- September 25, 1999. A team of researchers working in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development Research Institute (AERDRl) was used in collecting the study data. Arithmetic mean, standard deviation, and Z- test were used in analyzing the study data. SPSS software package was used in analyzing the collected study data.The main fmdings of this study were as the fonowing: (1) High score knowledge acquired by all the respondents in dealing with selection standards of agricultural extension program with exception of village extension agents ofMunofia Governorate who scored low regarding timing of formulating educational objectives. It was also found that the study respondents scored low in relation with timing offanners’ problem determinatio~ and timing of defining and writing educational objectives; (2) All the study respondents scored high in relation with standards of selecting appropriate agricultural extension methods, with exception of village extension agents of Munofia Governorate that were low in relation with selecting appropriate agricultural extension methods for adoption stage of farmer, agricultural extension methods preferred to be used at the beginning of agricultural extension program and the appropriate agricultural extension methods for behavioral changes required to be occurred in relation with attitudes only. The findings also revealed low knowledge of Kalioubia village extension agents in relation with five standards: a) selecting appropriate agricultural extension methods for farmer’S adoption stage, b)agricultural extension methods petered to be used at the beginning of4- agricultural extension program, c) agricultural extension methods suitable for bringing about the desired changes in behavior related to attitudes only, d) appropriate agricultural extension methods for extension message nature, and e) appropriate agricultural extension methods for communicating withindividuals.