Elicitation of Prior Knowledge: A Vital First Step for Engaging Pupils in Training
Mahesh Chander
Division of Extension Education, ICAR-IVRI, India.
Sushant Handage *
Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension Education, Veterinary College, Gadag, Karnataka, India.
Pragya Joshi
One Health Support Unit, Confederation of Indian Industry-Food and Agriculture, Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The paper emphasizes the importance of understanding the prior knowledge of trainees as a pre-requisite for designing an effective training programme. Data on prior knowledge of trainees and their attitude towards extension services were elicited from 153 extension service providers (ESPs) of varied disciplines using a semi-structured interview schedule. The interview focussed on the extension advisory services and the agriculture extension policy in India. The results show that ESPs carried misconceptions and stereotyped opinions towards various aspects of the extension system. An effort was done by the researcher to address the popular misconceptions, debunk myths with truth and persuading the trainees towards delivering effective extension services well within the recommended resource availability.
Keywords: Prior knowledge, extension service provider, agriculture extension policy, extension services