Farmers’ Perspectives on Agricultural Extension as Community Education: A Q-Methodology Study in Malang Regency
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55927/marcopolo.v4i4.34Keywords:
Agricultural Extension, Community Education, Farmers’ Perspectives, Q-MethodologyAbstract
Agricultural extension can function not only as a mechanism for information and technology transfer but also as community education that strengthens farmers’ knowledge, skills, problem solving capacity, and decision-making autonomy. This study examined farmers’ subjective perspectives on agricultural extension as community education in Malang Regency, Indonesia. A Q-methodology approach involved 40 purposively selected farmers with prior extension experience from January to March 2026. Participants sorted 48 statements along a quasi-normal distribution from −4 to +4, analyzed using PQMethod with centroid factor extraction and Varimax rotation. Four distinct but interconnected perspectives explained 72.1% of the Q-sort correlation matrix variance: education and capacity building, assistance and problem solving, innovation and technology transfer, and empowerment and farmer independence. Consensus emphasized relevance to farmers’ needs, recognition of experience, two-way discussion, practical problems, and decision-making autonomy.
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