Florida Cooperative Extension Service

This study investigated the philosophies of adult education and teaching styles as self-assessed by the Florida Cooperative Extension county-based agents. The Philosophy of Adult Education Inventory(c) (PAEI) was used to identify philosophic orientations and the Principles of Adult Learning Scale (PALS) was used to measure teaching style preference as either teacher-centered or learner-centered. Responses to the census survey were received from 217 agents in the six program areas: agriculture (101), family and consumer sciences (56), 4-H and youth development (50), natural resources (6), sea grant (2), and energy (2). The response rate was 69.11 percent. Program area, with its six discrete categories, was the independent variable while the scores from the PAEI(c) and the PALS instruments were the dependent variables. One-way analyses of variance were preformed to determine differences among the program area groups in their adherence to philosophies on the PAEI (c) and scores obtained on the PALS. Analyses revealed that the progressive philosophy was preferred by all groups and that there were significant (p < .05) differences between the program areas and their adherence to the five philosophies. The family and consumer sciences program area had a significantly higher mean score for both the behavioral and progressive philosophies than did 4-H and youth development area. The program area of 4-H had a significantly higher mean than did agriculture for the humanistic philosophy. The total mean scores on the PALS by program area were: agriculture (135.4604); family and consumer sciences (139.3304); 4-H and youth development (136.7100); and the combined areas of natural resources, sea grant, and energy (144.2000). One significant difference was found between the higher mean score of the family and consumer sciences group and that of the agriculture group on factor 3 (relating to experience). Correlations were calculated for the PAEI(c) and PALS cumulative scores plus the factor scores across the three program areas of agriculture, family and consumer sciences, and 4-H and youth development. Though there were individual, significant correlations found between philosophies and scores on the PALS factors, they could not meet the criteria necessary for significance when the per cell alpha level was estimated in order not to exceed the total alpha level of .05 when dealing with multiple hypotheses.

Problem. This study was designed to elicit opinions of the respective role perceptions of county extension agents employed by the Florida Cooperative Extension Service system. The study examined the responses of 236 county extension agents on a survey instrument designed to analyze and determine what county extension agents perceive to be their present role as community educators and what they perceive to be their desired role as community educators. Procedure. The procedure used in this study included a review of the literature. Data were obtained from a questionnaire mailed to 287 county extension agents in the State of Florida. Two hundred and thirty-six respondents represented an 84 percent return. The statistical tests used in this study for analysis of results were the t-test and Analysis of Variance. Conclusions. The data led to the following conclusions: (1) Out of twenty-five items in the questionnaire, twenty-four were significantly different. Twenty-two of the items were significant at .01 and twenty-four at the .05 level of confidence. (2) The item with the highest level of difference pertained to county extension agents' present and desired role perceptions "as the leading educators in communities." The results would indicate that 90 percent of the county extension agents aspire to be leading educators in their communities. On the other hand, 65 percent of the respondents presently do not enjoy a role as leading educators in communities. (3) The data indicates that county extension agents would prefer that university specialists expand their role of support to county education programs. (4) The data shows that 90 percent of county extension agents perceive themselves to be community educators in their present role. Similarly, 98 percent of the respondents "strongly agreed" that extension agents should be community educators. Therefore, it can be concluded that county extension agents perceive their role to be a community educator. (5) The discrepancies between what county extension agents perceive to be their present role as community educators and what they perceive to be their desired role as community educators do not relate to such population variables as size of county or age.