Impact of digital farmer field schools on practical agricultural literacy and extension uptake among final-year agricultural education students.

Project Abstract

Digital Farmer Field Schools (DFFS) represent an innovative, interactive learning platform that integrates field-based experimentation, digital tools, and farmer-led peer learning to enhance practical agricultural literacy and extension uptake among final-year agricultural education students. This study evaluates the effectiveness of DFFS in shaping competencies, knowledge retention, and attitudes toward technology-driven extension services within a teacher-education context. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining quasi-experimental pretest-posttest measurements with longitudinal follow-ups and qualitative insights from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with students, instructors, and extension agents. The quantitative component assessed changes in practical agricultural literacy (PAL) across core domains crop management, soil health, pest and disease identification, agronomic decision-making, and resilience to climate variability, using a validated PAL instrument administered at three time points baseline, immediately post-intervention, and three months post-intervention. The qualitative strand explored perceptions of usability, collaboration with extension services, perceived relevance to future teaching practice, and barriers to adoption of digital tools in field-based learning. Findings indicate a statistically significant improvement in PAL scores among students who engaged with DFFS compared to a control group receiving conventional field training, with larger gains observed in hands-on diagnostic skills, data interpretation, and problem-solving under simulated farm scenarios. The digital components—mobile applications for record-keeping, remote mentoring via video demonstrations, drone-assisted crop scouting simulations, and interactive decision-support dashboards—were consistently rated as highly usable and engaging, fostering experiential learning and iterative hypothesis testing. Students reported increased confidence in translating field observations into actionable extension recommendations, a sense of preparedness to train farmers, and greater awareness of evidence-based practices. The study also documents enhanced collaboration with local extension agents, who leveraged student-generated data for community outreach, thereby bridging classroom learning with real-world agricultural advisory services. However, challenges related to internet connectivity, device accessibility, and varying digital literacy levels among students were identified as moderating factors influencing outcomes. The research recommends scalable integration of DFFS into agricultural education curricula, including modular training for instructors, investment in low-bandwidth digital platforms, and the establishment of public–private partnerships to support hardware provisioning and technical support. Policy implications highlight the potential for DFFS to strengthen extension uptake by producing graduates who are proficient in digital literacy, data-driven decision-making, and farmer-centered communication. The study contributes to the literature on ICT-enabled agricultural education and provides a framework for assessing PAL improvements in relation to extension service engagement, offering practical guidelines for replicability in similar educational settings. Limitations include potential selection bias, the short follow-up period, and context-specific factors that may affect generalizability to other regions or crop systems.

Project Overview

What This Project Is About

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A plain-language overview of the topic and what the project investigates.

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The Problem It Addresses

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What problem or gap this project tackles and why it matters to the field or society.

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Objectives of the Project

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1. Describe how digital farmer field schools (DFFS) work in teaching practical agriculture.
2. Assess changes in agricultural literacy among final-year students using DFFS.
3. Evaluate how DFFS affects students’ willingness to engage with extension services.
4. Identify challenges and potential improvements for integrating DFFS in teacher education.

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What You Will Do Step by Step

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1. Review literature on digital farming education and extension uptake.
2. Design or adapt a DFFS module suitable for final-year students.
3. Recruit a sample of students and obtain consent for participation.
4. Implement the DFFS activities and collect feedback through surveys and focus groups.
5. Measure practical literacy using simple skill-based assessments.
6. Analyze data to compare pre- and post-DFFS results.
7. Discuss findings and propose recommendations for curriculum integration.
8. Prepare a concise project report and present it to peers.

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Expected Outcome

Students show improved practical agricultural knowledge, higher engagement with extension services, and clearer guidance on how to apply digital tools in farming practice.