Estudio del servicio de extensión de Ecuador

Abstract

The Ecuadorian Extension Service was established as an educational program aimed to help the farmer and his family in finding adequate solutions for their socio-economic and cultural problems, in order to raise their standard of living through better use of human and economic resources. The present investigation is an analytic study of the 9 year old Extension Service, focused on determining some aspects of the knowledge, abilities and skills of the extension personnel in changing the environment of the Ecuadorian farmer and his family. A questionnaire was prepared for the collection of data. It was submitted to 59 persons who formed the population of supervisors (4), agents (16), sub-agents (30) and home economists (9). A total of 67 questions were prepared and divided into six closely related areas: formal and informal services training education; knowledge and attitudes and other close related with the education process of extension. Some of the most important conclusions were: no staff members had received post-graduate training in Extension Education or other related social sciences. It was found that 51% of the interviewed had been working in the same office for one year or less while 73% had been working for 2 years or less at the same place. The number of personnel working in the Service was insufficient. There are some indications that the supervisors lacked training and orientation. The Extension Service has nor taken advantage of the cooperation that other programs offered for the development of the work.