Learning impact of farmer field schools of integrated crop–livestock systems in Sinai Peninsula, Egypt

Abstract

Four FFSs concerning integrated crop–livestock systems were implemented by a R&D project namely “Adaptation to Climate Change in West Asia and North Africa (WANA) Marginal Environments through Sustainable Crop and Livestock Diversification (ACC project)” during the summer season 2013 in three villages namely Village 4, Village 7 and Village 1750 in Sinai Peninsula. This study aimed to do the following: (1) assess the learning impacts of farmer field schools of integrated crop–livestock package and (2) explore the factors that affect the respondents’ learning index. Data were collected from the enrolled farmers (96 farmers) using an ex-post facilitator-made knowledge and implementation test during the period from April to October 2013. Mean, mode, standard deviation, range, frequencies, percentages, Learning Index (LI), and Chi-Square were used for data analysis and presentation. The study revealed that the mean scores of each item of the studied package were raised as a reason of respondents’ attendance of learning modules of FSSs. With regard to learning index, results showed that the mean scores reached about 38.25 for knowledge (KLI) and decreased to 32.98 for implementation (ILI). The majority of respondents (61.5%) have moderate level of KLI. Similarly around one half of respondents (51%) have also moderate level of ILI. With respect to factors affecting respondents’ learning index, the study findings indicated that number of family members, large animal ownership, leadership degree, and tendency to change were significantly related to respondents’ KLI, while large animal ownership, belonging degree, leadership degree, and tendency to change were significantly related to respondents’ ILI.