Attitude of trainees and non-trainees towards training activities conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra in East Champaran district of Bihar

This study examines the effectiveness of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) training programs by assessing farmers' attitudes, knowledge levels, and the relationship between socio-economic profiles and training outcomes. Data from trainees and non-trainees reveal mixed perceptions, with significant about the practical benefits and inclusivity of KVK training. While many respondents were undecided or disagreed about KVK's support effectiveness, there was positive feedback regarding the performance of KVK scientists and demonstration programs. Trainees generally had more positive attitudes, with 18.33% showing low attitudes compared to 43.33% of non-trainees, and 30.00% of trainees exhibiting high attitudes versus 25.00% of non-trainees. Correlation analysis indicated that socio-economic factors such as education and social participation significantly influenced attitudes, highlighting the need for KVK to enhance practical support and inclusivity to better serve all farmers. This study investigates farmer attitudes toward training programs, highlighting their critical impact on engagement and adoption of agricultural practices. It finds that positive attitudes toward training are associated with increased participation and successful implementation of new techniques, while negative attitudes can hinder these outcomes. The research emphasizes the importance of addressing farmers' perceptions and concerns to enhance the effectiveness of training initiatives and improve overall agricultural productivity.

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Comparison of Attitude LevelsClose ×

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Percentage and Percentage: Low vs Medium vs HighClose ×

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Introduction

In India, over 58% of the rural households depend on agriculture as their principal means of livelihood. As per Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the share of agriculture and allied sectors was 16.4% of the Gross Value Added during 2017-18 at current prices. Average monthly income of farmer's households is Rs. 6426, of which 47.9% of income comes from cultivation. Till recent past, the focus in agriculture has been on increasing farm productivity. Now a days the main concern has shifted from higher farm production to higher returns on their investments. However, agriculture in India is faced with multiple challenges for accelerating agricultural growth. KVK program is designed to equip farmer with the knowledge and skills needed to increase agricultural productivity, promote sustainable farming practices, and improve the livelihoods of farmers. KVK also examine the latest technological innovations in agriculture, such as precision farming, drone technology, and biotechnology. By the end of this program, you will have a deep understanding of the challenges facing modern agriculture and the tools and strategies needed to overcome them. Trainings provide an opportunity to the farmers to make aware of agricultural technologies as well as the shift in agricultural development approach through farming enterprises. Training of farmers encompass all the roles of a farmer instead of looking at him only as a producer. Hence, KVK conducts several training programmes both on campus and off campus every year to farmers, farm women and rural youth. The training programmes are planned so as to meet the immediate requirements of the farming community. Training programme are scheduled at appropriate time so as to impart knowledge of suitable technology before the start of the season. Because of the diversity in crop, climate and different methods of cultivation, farmers are grouped as "farmer interest groups" so as to provide appropriate training packages to the groups. In KVK, trainings are conducted at various levels for which the programmes are designed based on the clientele problems and their needs and interests. Farmer attitudes toward training programs are crucial for enhancing agricultural practices and improving productivity. Positive attitudes can significantly increase participation rates and the effective adoption of new techniques. Farmers who view training as a valuable opportunity for skill enhancement and problem-solving are more likely to engage with these programs actively. Conversely, skepticism or lack of awareness about the benefits of training can hinder participation and limit the overall impact of such initiatives. Understanding these attitudes helps tailor training programs to better address farmers' needs and concerns, ultimately fostering greater agricultural development.

Objective

To measure the attitude of trainees and non-trainees towards training activities conducted by KVK.

Research Methodology

Ex-Post facto research design was followed for the present study. The term ex-post facto is used to refer to an experiment in which a researcher, examines the effect of a naturally occurring treatment after it has occurred. Here a result has already occurred, and the researcher is trying to find out the causes behind its occurrence by going backwards in history. Mul$ stages sampling was followed for the present study for the selec$on of samples required. East Champaran district is selected purposively for the study because maximum area covered by KVK training. With the help of KVK Officer list of trainees will be prepared. 120 trainees & non-trainees was selected for the present study. The table 3 provides a comparative overview of levels among trainees and non-trainees regarding different activities of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Krishi Vigyan Kendra), highlighting distribution and central tendencies within each group.

Variable	Category	Trainee	—	Non-Trainee	—
		Frequency	Percentage	Frequency	Percentage
Level of Attitude	Low	11	18.33	26	43.33
	Medium	31	51.67	19	31.67
	High	18	30.00	15	25.00
	Total	60	100	60	100
		Mean = 20 SD = 8.29		Mean = 20 SD = 4.55

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Overall Distribution of respondents according to their attitude level

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Results and Discussion

Results and Discussion

Attitude Levels

Low Attitude: Among trainees, 18.33% are categorized with a low attitude, compared to 43.33% of non-trainees. This indicates that a significantly smaller proportion of trainees exhibit a low attitude compared to non-trainees, suggesting that trainees generally have a more positive attitude.

Medium Attitude: A substantial majority in both groups fall into the medium attitude category, with 35.00% of trainees and 31.67% of non-trainees. This similarity highlights that most individuals in both groups display a moderate attitude. High Attitude 30.00% of trainees show a high attitude level, while 25.00% of non-trainees do so. This indicates that a greater percentage of trainees exhibit a high level of attitude compared to non-trainees, pointing to a more favorable disposition among trainees.

Descriptive Statistics Trainees

The mean attitude score for trainees is 20 with a standard deviation of 8.29. This mean score reflects a generally balanced attitude among trainees, with a moderate level of variation in individual scores.

Non-Trainees:

For non-trainees, the mean attitude score is also 20 but with a lower standard deviation of 4.55. This lower standard deviation suggests less variability in attitude among non-trainees compared to trainees, indicating a more uniform attitude level in this group. www.extensionjournal.com

Correlation coefficients between selected independent variables and attitude for trainees and non-trainees

The correlation coefficient table provides insights into the relationship between various variables and two groups: Trainees and Non-Trainees. For each variable, the table lists the correlation coefficients separately for Trainees and Non-Trainees, indicating the strength and direction of the linear relationship between the variables and the groups. High correlation coefficients (close to 1 or -1) suggest a strong relationship, while coefficients close to 0 imply a weak or no relationship. For instance, "Education" has a very high correlation with both Trainees (0.914) and Non-Trainees (0.955), indicating that education strongly correlates with being in either group. Conversely, "Economic Motivation" shows a very low correlation with Trainees (0.055) but a high correlation with Non-Trainees (0.963), suggesting that economic motivation is highly relevant for Non-Trainees but not for Trainees. This table helps in understanding how different variables impact or relate to each group differently.

Conclusion

It was concluded that majority of the respondents were living in medium level of socio economic status. The study clearly brought out that the majority of Trainees 35 percent have medium attitude level followed by 30 percent of those having high and 18.33 percent of those having low attitude level and majority of Non-Trainees 43.33 percent have low attitude level followed by 31.67 percent of those having medium and 25 percent of those having low attitude level about training activities. It was also found that attitude levels were positively and significantly correlated with age, education, occupation, type of house, annual income, family size, social participation, extension activities, mass media exposure, and cosmopolitan outlook.

Figures and tables from the paper

Category	Trainee	Non - Trainee
Age in years
Young (18-35)	17	17
Middle (36-55)	31	34
Old (Above 56)	12	9
Education
Illiterate	12	31
Primary School	15	9
High School	5	5
Secondary School	18	8
Graduation	10	7
Occupation
Agriculture	31	39
Agriculture + Business	5	7
Agriculture + Labour	14	9
Agriculture + Service	09	5
Family Type
Nuclear	24	18
Joint	36	42
Type of house
Hut	9	6
Semi- cemented	23	30
Cemented	18	24
Mass media exposure
Low (6-8)	13	27
Medium (9-11)	33	12
High (12-14)	14	21
Extension contact
Low (6-7)	7	26
Medium (8-9)	41	22
High (10-11)	12	12
Social Participation
Low (9-10)	12	31
Medium (11-12)	33	12
High (13-14)	15	17
Economic Motivation
Low (14-15)	13	44
Medium (16-17)	17	10
High (18-19)	30	6
Cosmopolitan Outlook
Low (12-13)	16	19
Medium (14-15)	27	39
High (16-17)	17	2

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Socio-economic characteristics distribution of respondents

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S. No.	Statement	Agree	Undecided	Disagree
1	Krishi Vigyan Kendra İs providing technical agricultural support to the farmer	1	64	55
2	Krishi Vigyan Kendra training is must to learn recent agricultural knowledge and Skill	1	55	64
3	Krishi Vigyan Kendra is meeting the needs of farmers for self-employment	2	72	46
4	Krishi Vigyan Kendra helps only strong and influential farmers	13	66	41
5	Krishi Vigyan Kendra is not providing practical training and skill to the farmer	8	73	39
6	The Scientists of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra are doing their job well	11	75	34
7	Extension aids and methods used by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra are not effective	2	101	17
8	Krishi Vigyan Kendra is doing a good work in catering to farmer's need	7	71	42
9	Krishi Vigyan Kendra is helping farmer to raise their standard of living	3	69	48
10	The knowledge, training and skill of Krishi Vigyan Kendra are only useful for resources available farmers	18	72	30
11	There is no adequate follow up for the training	7	83	30
12	The knowledge, training and the skill of Krishi Vigyan Kendra is wastage of time and money	1	62	57
13	The knowledge, training and skill of Krishi Vigyan Kendra are unrealistic and hence not useful	0	74	46
14	Sufficient number and type of extension programme are being organised by Krishi Vigyan Kendra	9	86	25
15	Concept of self- employment is being followed up by Krishi Vigyan Kendra for organising training program	3	70	47
16	Krishi Vigyan Kendra is conducting demonstration at farmer's field	7	97	16

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Distribution of respondents according to level of Attitude

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Level of attitude

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S. No.	Variables	Correlation Coefficient	—
		Trainee	Non-Trainee
1	Age	0.820	0.161
2	Caste	0.828	0.529
3	Education	0.914	0.955
4	Annual Income	0.836	0.572
5	Family Size	0.920	0.463
6	Type of House	0.944	0.862
7	Mass Media	0.953	0.535
8	Extension Activities	0.976	0.921
9	Social Participation	0.975	0.811
10	Economic Motivation	0.055	0.963
11	Cosmopolitan look	0.963	0.315

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Relationship between socio economic profiles of the respondents with their attitudes level

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