Classification of Extension Teaching Methods
Extension education is mainly concerned with the dissemination of useful and practical information relating to rural life and helping the rural people in the practical application of such knowledge to rural situations. The extension worker can achieve this objective. It has been shown by research that extension workers.
(i) Using only one extension teaching method were able to influence a little over
1/3rd of the village families to improve practice in various fields.
(ii) But where the workers used three methods, including demonstration, visual aids and the written words, almost 2/3rd of the families were influenced to use better practices.
(iii) Where five methods of teaching were used almost “9 out of 10” families changed and
(iv) Where nine methods were used 98% of the families were led to change their practices.
Before planning the strategy of extension teaching methods the extension worker should know the details of the methods available for use in the rural situation. From this point of view the extension teaching methods are classified and are presented in the following table:
Table 1: Classification of Extension Teaching Methods:
1. |
| According to use | Indirect Influence | |
| a. |
| Individual contacts | |
|
| i) | Farm and home visits; | |
|
| ii) | Office calls | |
|
| iii) | Telephone calls; | |
|
| iv) | Personal letters | |
|
| v) | Result demonstration | |
| b. |
| Group contacts | |
|
| i) | Methods demonstration meetings | |
|
| ii) | Leader training meetings | |
|
| iii) | Lecture meetings | |
|
| iv) | Conferences and discussion meetings | |
|
| v) | Meetings at result demonstrations | |
|
| vi) | Tours | |
|
| vii) | Schools | |
|
| viii) | Miscellaneous meetings |
| c. |
| Mass contacts |
|
|
| i) | Bulletins | |
|
| ii) | Leaflets | |
|
| iii) | News letters | |
|
| iv) | Circular letters | |
|
| v) | Radio | |
|
| vi) | Television | |
|
| vii) | Exhibits | |
|
| viii) | Posters | |
2. |
|
| According to form | INDIRECT INFLUENCE |
| a. |
| Written | |
|
| i) | Bulletins | |
|
| ii) | Leaflets | |
|
| iii) | News articles | |
|
| iv) | Personal letters | |
|
| v) | Circular letters | |
| b. |
| Spoken | |
|
| i) | General and special meetings of all kinds | |
|
| ii) | Farm and home visits | |
|
| iii) | Office calls | |
|
| iv) | Telephone calls | |
|
| v) | Radio | |
| c. |
| Visual or Objective | |
|
| i) | Result demonstrations | |
|
| ii) | Exhibits | |
|
| iii) | Posters | |
|
| iv) | Motion pictures, charts, slides, and other | |
| d. |
| Spoken and visual | |
|
| i) | Method demonstration motion | |
|
| ii) | Meetings at result demonstrations | |
|
| iii) | Meetings involving motion pictures, charts | |
|
| iv) | Television |
While using the foregoing methods the extension worker uses these methods independently or takes the help of certain audio-visual aids. The word audio-visual comprises three words namely:
Audio – refers to sense of hearing,
Visual – refers to sense of seeing and Aid – instructional device.
The audio visual aids are classified as under:
Audio | Visual | Audio-visual |
Tape recorder | Flash cards | Cinema projector |
Radio | Black board | Television |
Recording | Pictures | Drama |
Another method of classification is to divide the audio visual aids in to projected and non-projected aids.
Projected aids | Non projected aids |
Cinema Projector | Flash cards |
Slide Projector | Flannel graph |
Overhead Projector | Charts |
Opaque Projector | Pictures |
| Black board |
| Bulletin board |
| Models |
| Posters |
| Graphs |
| Specimens |
| Exhibits |
| Photographs |