INFLUENCE OF AN EDUCATIONAL DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM ON DAIRYMEN'S ADOPTION OF FARM PRACTICES. PAPER PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL SEMINAR ON ADULT EDUCATION RESEARCH (CHICAGO, FEBRUARY 11-13, 1968).

PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY CONDUCTED A FIVE YEAR (1961-66) AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION PROJECT IN TWO PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES. THIS PAPER REPORTED THE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS. USING THE CRITERION OF ADOPTION OF SELECTED AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES BY SURROUNDING FARMERS, THEY ATTEMPTED TO MEASURE THE INFLUENCE OF 17 DEMONSTRATION DAIRY FARMS. DATA ON GENERAL AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY, FARM MANAGEMENT SKILLS, FARM PRACTICE ADOPTION, PATTERNS OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL ACTIVITIES, INTERPERSONAL VISITING AND COMMUNICATION, AND ATTITUDES, GOALS, AND VALUES WERE GATHERED BY FIELD SURVEYS BEFORE AND AFTER THE ACTION PROGRAM. SOME OF THE FINDINGS INDICATED THAT THOSE MAKING THE MAJOR CHANGE IN RECOMMENDED PRACTICES WERE DAIRYMEN OTHER THAN THE INNOVATORS OR EARLY ADOPTERS, THAT THE GREATEST CHANGE TOOK PLACE AMONG THAT GROUP OF FARMERS WHO HAD THE GREATEST POTENTIAL. HOWEVER, WHILE THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM DID INFLUENCE CHANGES IN ADOPTION OF PRACTICES, MOST OF THE EXPLAINED VARIANCE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO SUCH EXTRANEOUS FACTORS AS INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS, RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PERSONS AND ORGANIZATIONS, LEVEL OF FARM TECHNOLOGY, AND VARYING CULTURAL CONDITIONS IN THE TWO COUNTIES. (THE DOCUMENT INCLUDES FOOTNOTES AND EIGHT TABLES.) THIS DOCUMENT WAS A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL SEMINAR ON ADULT EDUCATION, (CHICAGO, FEBRUARY 11-13, 1968). (LY)