Perceptions of North Carolina Agricultural Extension Agents with Regards to Social Media Use in Extension.
Teaching & Educational Technologies
Howard Wallace
County Extension Director - Columbus
North Carolina State University
Whiteville
Abstract
The Internet is a wide-open frontier with numerous possibilities for education. As such, there has been a considerable amount of research done with regards to social media usage within Extension. However, understanding the perceptions of agricultural Extension professionals regarding the use of social media in their work is not to the level it should be. The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to determine the perceptions of North Carolina Agricultural Extension Agents regarding the usage of social media in Extension Education. Additionally, this study also set out to determine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Agricultural Extenison Agents' usage of social media platforms in Extension work. A web-based survey instrument was developed containing seven major questions related to agricultural Extension agents’ perceptions on items related to social media usage and proficiency, including questions related to social media usage both before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, 11 questions were used to collect demographic data. All 275 Extension Agents and County Extension Directors in North Carolina with agricultural programmatic responsibilities were invited to participate in the study. A total of 140 agents and County Extension Directors participated, yielding a 51% response rate.
Research findings showed agents do find social media useful in their work. They do believe that its use improves their performance and that it does make it easier to distribute information to their stakeholders. The findings also showed that the majority of agents used social media as a regular part of their programming during the COVID-19 pandemic and that there was a statistically significant increase in the usage of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok social media platforms during that time compared to their use before the pandemic.
The findings also showed that agents using social media are applying it for the promotion of programming and sharing programmatic information with clientele. At the same time, the research findings show that agricultural Extension agents are not using social media to recruit volunteers, conduct needs assessments, evaluate their programs for change or impact, share success stories or program impacts, or deliver virtual Extension programs. Respondents reported that the greatest challenges to using social media in their work were: 1) lack of time to prepare and update content for social media, 2) lack of time to learn about updated tools on social media, 3) lack of client interests in using social media, 4) lack of their own personal interest in using social media, 5) lack of clients trust in using social media, and 6) lack of an organizational plan to use social media. The three social media competencies identified with the highest need for training are creating a backup of social media content, editing photos and videos to use with social media, and creating and editing photos and videos for social media. Additionally, agents would prefer to learn how to use social media through face-to-face training rather than online or in a hybrid setting.
A bivariate correlation analysis was conducted to determine whether there was a correlation between agents’ current usage of social media and the demographic variables of years of experience in Extension, levels of education, and age. The correlation analysis revealed that there is not any significant relationship between “current usage of social media in Extension work” and any of the reported demographic variables. Additional demographic data were collected (race, ethnicity, gender, job title, primary programming area, extension district, and client groups worked with) and tested through analysis of variance, which showed that there was no statistically significant variation between any of these demographic variables and Extension agents’ social media usage.
All agricultural Extension agents will benefit from educational opportunities and resource materials that increase their skillset of using social media in Extension. Recommendations based on the findings of this study included the creation of a social media coordinator position at the state level to provide agents with a point of contact for social media use, as well as develop social media programming materials. The development of an Extension organizational social media policy would provide guidelines and structure for agents on social media usage, as well as ensure trust for clients accessing Extension social media content.
Authors: Howard Wallace
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Howard Wallace County Extension Director - Columbus, North Carolina State University, North Carolina, 28472