Dr' Jacquelyn P' RobinsonHorne

1
Factors Deterring Participation in Professional
Activities

• Dr. Jacquelyn P. Robinson-Horne
• Dr. Katie W. Jackson

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System Auburn
University
2
Purpose of Study

• To develop a profile of the selected population
• To determine the deterrents for county agents not
  participating in professional improvement
  activities

3
Methodology

• Subjects
• Expert panel-12 professionals with the
  cooperative extension system
• County extension agents within the 13 states in
  the southern region
• 520 agents systematically selected
• 321 usable instruments returned for a 61 return
  rate

4
Methodology

• Instrument
• Deterrent to participation scale-general
• Eight factors (34 likert-type items)
• Lack of course relevance ?cost
• Lack of confidence ?time constraints
• Lack of encouragement ? lack of convenience
• Lack of interest ? family problems
• Demographic questionnaire (11 items)

5
Methodology

• Data collection
• Survey mailed
• Follow-up in two weeks
• ?Data analysis
• ?Descriptive statistics

6
Respondent Profile

• ?Distribution by age and ethnicity
• ?Distribution by ethnicity and gender
• ?Distribution by years of employment

7
Respondent Distribution by Age and Ethnicity
8
Respondent Distribution by Ethnicity and Gender
9
Respondent Distribution by Years of Employment
100
80
Number Responding
60
Number
Percent
40
Corresponding Percentage
20
0
1-5
6-10
11-15
16-20
21-25
gt25
Years Employed
10
Responses to Deterrents

• ?Highest ranked item means
• ? Lowest ranked item means
• ? Factor ranking by
• ?Ethnicity
• ? Gender
• ? Marital status

11
Highest Ranked Item Means
12
Lowest Ranked Item Means
13
Factor Ranking Ethnicity
14
Factor Ranking by Gender
15
Factor Ranking by Marital Status
16
Conclusions

• ?Homogenous survey population
• ?Convenience location and time critical to
  decisions to participate
• ?When professional development activities not
  seen as relevant, convenience became more
  important

17
Recommendations

• ?Administrators should
• ?Consider the effects of location and time on
  participation
• ?Consider competing priorities in agents lives
• ?Use distance learning
• ? Use alternative schedules whenever possible