Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1993

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Agricultural and Extension Education

Major Professor

Randol G. Waters

Committee Members

Curtis Melton, Roy R. Lessly

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among demographic variables, research productivity. Extension publications, and job performance evaluations for Extension specialists in the 1862 southern land-grant universities. The final sample was composed of 241 agricultural Extension specialists in the southeast.

The study revealed that the average specialist was between the ages of 30 and 59, was located on the university campus, had an academic rank of full, had a terminal educational doctoral degree, and their major audiences were adults. Faculty average department size was almost 17 staff members. Faculty had memberships in 4.5 professional organizations, but they held an average of less than one office in these organizations on any level. However, they averaged serving on more than 1.5 committees on the state level. The average number of journal subscriptions was more than 3.5 and they read less than .5 journals from cover to cover per month, but when just reading articles of interest, they average more than 3 journals per month. The respondents averaged planning 82 percent of their time in Extension, however only actually spent 76 percent conducting Extension work. Agricultural Extension specialists participated in more county teaching events than at any other level with an average of 36, however, when organizing teaching events, they averaged conducting more on the state level with almost 9.

The results of this study indicated that research productivity and Extension publications were affected differently by the demographic characteristics. Research productivity for agricultural Extension specialists was significantly affected by many of the same demographic characteristics that significantly affected collegiate faculty as shown in the literature. However, Extension publications were only significantly affected by job responsibility (both planned and actual) and teaching event scores. The results of this study showed that agricultural Extension specialists who were actively teaching were also publishing more articles and publications.

Agricultural Extension specialists' attitudes were not significantly affected by many of the demographic characteristics. However, rank was significantly related to three of the four types of attitudes measured. Those at the assistant rank perceived they had more time for conducting and writing research than those at the associate and full ranks. Those at the associate rank perceived that the organization placed higher emphasis on refereed journal articles than did those at the ranks of assistant and full. Those who held the rank of full perceived that promotion and evaluation were conducted more fairly by the organization. However, rank was one of the few demographic variables which did not have a significant relationship with Extension publication scores and research productivity.

Agricultural Extension specialists over the age of 59 were more positive about the fairness of promotion and evaluation, and felt that they had adequate time to conduct and write research. However the variable of age had no significant relationships with research productivity or Extension publication scores.

Self-reported job performances was only slightly affected by research productivity and Extension publication scores. Extension publication scores had more influence on job performance in both department ratings and how they rated their own performance. However, research productivity correlation with departmental performance rating was very close with that of the Extension publication score (a differences of .011) and this correlated more than Extension productivity with self-evaluations ratings. However, both analyses indicated that Extension publication were more important to agricultural Extension specialists job evaluation than research productivity.

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