ABSTRACT

Purpose: This study sought to investigate agricultural extension practitioners’ response to an in-service training program offered by the University of the West Indies intended to foster effective use of ICTs (information and communication technologies) through a technology stewardship approach.

Design/Methodology/Approach: This study reports on participants responses to an in-service training course on technology stewardship. Data were collected using a pre-course survey, formal course evaluation, classroom observation, and semi-structured interviews with participants. Kirkpatrick's four-level evaluation model was used to structure analysis of the results.

Findings: Findings from this study show high levels of receptivity to the technology stewardship training course, that learning objectives of the course are achievable when offered as an in-service training program, and that most participants indicated an intent to apply their learning in a post-course activity. Results from the study raise a number of considerations for future course design and institutional policy in order to better support technology stewardship in practice.

Practical implications: Technology stewardship training shows promise as a leadership-oriented approach for expanding the effective use of ICTs among communities of practice for agricultural extension in the Caribbean and elsewhere.

Theoretical implications: This study applies key principles of social learning theory from a communities of practice approach with theoretical implications for the design of in-service training related to ICT adoption and use for agricultural extension education and policy.

Originality/value: This study reports on the first known application of the technology stewardship model from the communities of practice literature to agricultural extension in the Caribbean.

摘要

目的：本研究旨在调查农业推广从业人员对西印度大学提供的在职培训计划的反应，该计划旨在通过技术管理方法促进有效利用ICT（信息和通信技术）。

设计/方法/方法：本研究报告参与者对技术管理在职培训课程的反应。使用课前调查，正式课程评估，课堂观察以及与参与者的半结构化访谈收集数据。柯克帕特里克（Kirkpatrick）的四级评估模型用于对结果进行结构分析。

调查结果：这项研究的结果表明，对技术管理培训课程的接受程度很高，作为在职培训计划提供时，该课程的学习目标是可以实现的，并且大多数参与者都表示有意将自己的学习应用于岗位课程活动。研究结果为将来的课程设计和机构政策提出了许多考虑，以便在实践中更好地支持技术管理。

实际影响：技术管理培训显示出希望，将其作为一种面向领导的方法，可在加勒比和其他地区的农业推广实践社区之间扩大对ICT的有效利用。

理论意义：本研究将实践方法社区中的社会学习理论的关键原理应用于对与ICT的采用和农业推广教育和政策的使用相关的在职培训设计的理论意义。

原创性/价值：这项研究报告了技术管理模型在加勒比地区从实践文献社区到农业推广的首次已知应用。