Scale to Measure Attitude of Tribal Rice Farmers towards the Sustainability of Rice Farming
T. Shahlas Binth *
Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala, India.
A. Anil Kumar
Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala, India.
K. P. Smitha
Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The present article summarizes the development of a scale to measure the attitude of tribal rice farmers towards the sustainability of rice farming in Wayanad district of Kerala. The scale was developed using Likert’s summated ratings method. The study describes the development of scale in a stepwise manner including collection of statements, item analysis, editing, validity, reliability and final selection. The calculated value of reliability coefficient for whole test was 0.806, which was quite reliable. The thumb rule of rejecting item with‘t-value’ less than 1.89 at 0.05 level of significance was followed. As per the thumb rule total of 25 statements were selected giving the due consideration to include both positive and negative statements in more or less equal proportion. The respondents were grouped into three categories like, less favourable attitude, favourable attitude and highly favourable attitude on the basis of their attitude towards the sustainability of rice farming by using mean and standard deviation. It is contended that the scale would prove useful in measuring the attitude of tribal rice farmers towards the sustainability of rice farming.
Keywords: Attitude scale, tribal rice farmers, sustainability of rice farming, reliability