effectiveness of modular training at farmers - IPMS Information ...

4.2.2. PracticePractice was operationalzed as the application of knowledge acquired from the training. It isthe transfer of learning. Practices of farmers were evaluated based on their responses on theapplication of recommended technologies of bee keeping, dairy and fattening. In order toknow practices used by trained farmers, an assessment was administered with questionshaving seven scores on trained and untrained farmers for apiculture, dairy and fattening. Themeans of practices of trained and untrained farmers were analyzed using independent samplet-test and results are presented below in Table 9.Table 9: Practice difference of sample householdsRespondents N Mean SD t- value p-valueTrained 60 4.45 1.53 1.981** 0.05Untrained 60 3.82 1.94Source: Own survey data (2010)** Significant at 5% probability levelThe practice comparison of trained and untrained farmers showed that the mean scores ofpractices of trained respondents were significantly higher than that of untrained respondents.This may be due to the fact that trained farmers might have attended farming practices ofbeekeeping, dairy and fattening with ‘learning by doing’ programs and the training offered byFTCs has improved the level of application of the scientific recommendations in thosepractices thereby comparing the traditional and improved management technologies resultingin better practices of those commodities as compared to untrained farmers.Trained farmers had low, medium and high categories in 13.3%, 60.0%, and 26.7% level ofpractice respectively regarding improved beekeeping, dairy and fattening practices withreference to its management systems. However, almost 38.3%, 36.7% and 25.0% of untrainedfarmers were found in low, medium and high level of practice categories of the same51