The Open University in the UK and TEAGASC, the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority are co-funding 2 postgraduate studentships, commencing in October 2011. The projects will involve participatory action research to improve knowledge exchange in agricultural extension.
The studentships will support one year’s research training on an M.Res programme in the first instance. Satisfactory progress will lead to three year’s further support for a PhD.  The studentships are worth €21,000 per annum including registration fees, and are subject to to the Teagsac Walsh Fellowship Scheme terms and conditions.
Project Outline
Agricultural extension processes are essentially about knowledge and knowledge exchange. This project will employ novel methods to analyse knowledge exchange processes in agricultural extension activities and to assist in improving them. Sociological research has demonstrated that different forms of knowledge are at play in agricultural extension processes: farmers’ knowledge, advisors’ knowledge, scientists’ knowledge and so on. The literature shows how interactions between these different forms of knowledge, and the nature of the social relationships that underpin them, are of critical importance in agricultural extension processes. Understanding the knowledge forms, knowledge interactions and social relationships at play in agricultural extension is central to shaping successful extension processes that give rise to practical and acceptable outcomes for farmers, the end-users. This project is designed to use Participatory Action Research (PAR) to understand and mobilise different forms of knowledge, interactions and relationships, in order to give rise to innovative solutions to farmer’s technical and economic challenges through the extension process.
The project will consist of three linked components: (i) an empirical, systemic study of knowledge transfer in extension practice in Ireland, in order to develop an analytical framework to understand farmers’ decision making in relation to technology adoption. This will inform (ii) a programme of participatory action researchsited in Teagasc Discussion Groups, Teagasc Farm Walks and Teagasc Monitor farms, employing novel methodologies to improve knowledge exchange in agricultural extension. The findings of the action research will be shared through (iii) a participatory communication strategy, developed in concert with the action research stakeholders (i.e. biological scientists, advisors and farmers) to have a broad impact across Teagasc’s extension system. This will be complemented by high quality academic publications.
One project will address social and institutional capital in the extension systems, while the other will focus on the applications of technology to mediate participation and social learning.
More Information Here
