Evaluating the Socio-economic Impacts of Training, Extension, and Research Tours of Progressive Farmers in Alborz Province; Application of Kirkpatrick Model

Agricultural training, extension, and research tours are one of the innovative education methods for transferring new knowledge and technologies to agricultural producers. This educational approach is "farm-oriented" and is used for practical training of new technologies to the beneficiaries. Also, this approach is of entertaining and motivational significance. From 1392 -1398, Imam Khomeini Higher Education Center (IHEC) of Agricultural Jihad Ministry organizes educational, extensional, and research tours to train progressive farmers. Assessing the socio-economic impact of these training programs can be an appropriate tool to determine the level of achievement of goals and strengths and weaknesses of this program. For this purpose, a mixed method-based research was conducted. The statistical community in the qualitative section included managers and experts participating in the tours. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population included the progressive farmers participating in the tours held during 1392 -1398 (N= 302). Using Cochran's formula, the sample size was estimated (n=100). The measurement tool in the quantitative stage was a researcher-made questionnaire whose validity and reliability were tested and confirmed. Based on the axial coding in the qualitative part of the research, deficiencies related to the executive management, scheduling, evaluation, infrastructure, and advertising were the most important weaknesses of the tours. Also, scientific development, development of participation and improvement of communication, development of learning experiences, and development of entrepreneurship were the most important positive impacts of tours. The results of the quantitative part of the research demonstrated that the educational tours in all four levels of the Kirkpatrick evaluation model (reaction, learning, behavior, and results) have obtained scores higher than the mean. The scores related to the evaluation and result stages (which require the use of technologies and clarification of the economic and technical results and achievements of this application) were slightly lower than the scores of the reaction and learning stages. These results is related to the time-consuming nature of these changes. Furthermore, in all four stages of the Kirkpatrick model, the mean rank of those who had agricultural-related education was higher than those who had studied in other fields. However, these difference were statistically significant only in the reaction and behavior stages.