Participation In Project Activities Research Articles

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROJECT METHOD IN TEACHING HUMANITARIAN DISCIPLINES

Cutting-edge methodologies within higher education necessitate the cultivation of a proficient and competitive specialist capable of innovative thinking and can perform professionally amidst contemporary volatile circumstances. The purpose of this study was to identify the effectiveness of the project method as an innovative tool for the teaching of humanitarian subjects. The research used such methods as follows: questionnaire, observation, experiment, as well as statistical methods for data processing. In the course of the research, it was determined that the students who were engaged in the project activity, during the project, autonomously researched scientific, reference, educational, and methodological literature. A group of experts found that students’ participation in project activities influenced the development of creative activity and creative systemic thinking, contributed to their self-organization. During the survey, it was determined that students' independent work on creating projects ensures the development of personal and functional components of self-organization.The research's scientific novelty lies in its exclusive focus on students studying humanitarian disciplines. The restricted scope of the experiment facilitated the identifying the project approach as such that can be integrated into the academic system to enhance students' personal and practical proficiencies, thereby promoting their overall growth. Further research can be aimed at determining the effectiveness of using game methods in the course of teaching of humanitarian disciplines.

Electronic Resources as a Technological Infrastructure for Reading in Libraries

The purpose of the article is to improve and modernize the electronic resources introduced into the work of children’s library institutions in Ukraine in order to accelerate the process of document delivery to users and provide quality service. The research methods are based on applying the analytical and synthetic approach as a general scientific principle of implementing technological library processes through electronic resources to attract schoolchildren to libraries. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the further study and disclosure of creative forms of activities using information technology in libraries for children that activate reading. New library concepts such as “service fair”, “e-governance”, and “corporate project” are revealed. The children’s library becomes an active participant in the market start-up, which begins to build its work based on innovations and creative technologies. The effectiveness of the work is assessed by real cases that are carried out using the design methodology. The results of research on children’s libraries in Ukraine show that today’s young information consumer is a qualitatively new type of user, the “web generation”, the “Internet generation”. For the library to attract these students, it is necessary to change the forms of activity, improve professional skills, and actively introduce new services based on the study and implementation of modern information technologies. Library staff often reformat some of their socio-cultural events to the virtual space. As for the Volyn children’s libraries, they remain centres of communication, learning, reading, and the development of creative and intellectual abilities. Combining traditional and creative forms and methods of work, librarians work to encourage students to read, to make them interested in books (through mass events), and to stimulate the use of information resources available in the library. Libraries aim to enhance the social role, provide free access to information, enrich the spiritual culture of users and deepen their knowledge of the historical past of the Ukrainian people; promote national and patriotic education of users, form a reading culture, create a safe, comfortable environment and provide positive conditions for the creative abilities’ development. Conclusions. The research has examined and analyzed the range of new library services in children’s libraries of Ukraine, particularly Volyn, based on the use of Internet resources of modern information technologies. In library activities today, the most important thing is to inform schoolchildren about the role of the modern library in society, the new opportunities provided by modernized creative service departments; encouraging participation in project activities, and promoting them among students and parents. In the current operating environment, libraries are obliged to adapt more actively to providing services to children with special needs: disabled, socially vulnerable, temporarily displaced and internally displaced children; to provide users with free, barrier-free and unhindered opportunities to receive virtual information from any department in accessible forms.

Community perceptions on challenges and solutions to implement an Aedes aegypti control project in Ponce, Puerto Rico (USA).

This study characterizes community perceptions on a large-scale project seeking to reduce the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and prevent arboviral disease transmission in Ponce, Puerto Rico; and to leverage on these perceptions to make modifications to ensure effective project implementation. In 2017-2018 the team conducted informal interviews, focus groups, and in-depth interviews with leaders and residents of the communities, focusing on challenges and potential solutions to the project implementation. Possible challenges to the project implementation included the lack of geographic consistency between clusters defined by researchers and the participants' description of the communities' geographic boundaries. Few children living in the communities could affect the ability of the project to adequately measure arboviral disease incidence. Also, population attrition due to out-migration, and lack of community leaders and communication channels after Hurricane Maria could affect participation in project activities. Lack of trust on strangers was an important challenge due to criminal activity involving violence and drug use in some community areas. Solutions to the identified challenges included identifying emerging leaders and implementing community meetings to promote project activities. The information that community members provided helped us to understand the natural disasters' impact on population attrition in these communities with a disproportionate impact in younger groups, resulting in an aging population. We identified lack of community organization and leadership and increasing number of abandoned houses that could turn into Aedes aegypti breeding sites. The formative work helped to better define the geographic areas that the study would cover, evaluate the acceptability of innovative vector control methods, and identify communication methods used by residents. With this information, challenges and potential solutions in recruiting participants were anticipated, and the community engagement and communications plans were developed. We recommend selecting clusters before research, because opinions towards mosquito control technologies could vary in added clusters.

Project Activity as a Consensus Management Tool in the Modern Library

Project activity is a tool for diversifying the management of modern library in the conditions of high complexity and uncertainty; it is a way to complete and strengthen the power vertical by horizontal ties of self-organizing peer groups. Participation in project activities allows building a space of trust between the administration and the library staff, forming shared goals and values, and contributes to strengthening consensus.Project activities contribute to the effective solution of complex tasks facing the modern library: embedding libraries in the knowledge economy, working in the format of social hub, implementing the agenda of creative industries. By helping to build partnerships with representatives of different communities, the project activities contribute to the development of material and technical resources of library, as well as the creation of new services, products and services. In addition, project activity is an important tool for developing the creative and organizational potential of library specialists.The article discusses the experience of the Irkutsk Regional Universal Scientific Library named after I.I. Molchanov-Sibirskiy on the systematic implementation of project activities in the central regional library and the network of libraries of the Angara region. The author analyses the main tools of project activity: the Regulations on project activity of the Irkutsk Regional Universal Scientific Library, the Project Council, strategic sessions and innovative project “descents”. The paper describes the concept of the regional network socially oriented project “Library for government, society, individual”. The author gives statistics of the implemented projects, as well as determines the areas of effective application of process and project management in the library.

Joining Forces with Veterans: Veterans’ and Researchers’ Perspectives on Veteran-Centered Engagement Practices

Community-engaged research must reflect the uniqueness of the specific community involved. To help researchers produce quality community-engaged research with the veteran community, the authors of this paper (a coalition of both veterans and academic researchers) have highlighted essential considerations when engaging the veteran community in the research enterprise. Research with veterans requires unique sensitivity based on the impacts of their military service, history, and experiences. Understanding the impacts of veteran culture and community on recruitment is an essential prerequisite for anyone engaging with this population. At a minimum, community-engaged researchers should have an understanding of veteran history in relation to research, how veterans have experienced “volunteering” while under the chain of command, the impacts of a veteran’s military experience, and veterans’ views of the research process. The element most crucial to a successful research project conducted with the veteran community is incorporating veterans as full research team members. Building a veteran-centered research team requires academic researchers to establish trust with veteran team members and the veteran community, to conduct the research project with respect, and to actively encourage veterans’ participation in project activities. All of these are facilitated by having veterans as full members of a research team. It is our hope that sharing the lessons we have learned through working with veteran communities, as well as our lived experiences as veteran research team members, will help pave a smoother path forward for others wishing to conduct impactful veteran-centered research.

ТВОРЧЕ ОСВІТНЄ СЕРЕДОВИЩЕ ЯК УМОВА РОЗВИТКУ СОЦІАЛЬНО-ПРОФЕСІЙНОЇ МОБІЛЬНОСТІ МАЙБУТНЬОГО ВИКЛАДАЧА

Modern graduates of universities need to be prepared for the ever-changing labor market trends in order to be successful and in demand. The article offers interpretations of the concepts of "social and professional mobility of students", "development of social and professional mobility". Abilities (to navigate in a changing information environment, to monitor and correctly evaluate the state of the environment, to be active, adapt to changing conditions, and to influence the environmental reality, the ability to constantly improve, initiative, personality, personality, personality) social and professional activity, ability to risk, self-organization, independence, volitional self-control, decision maker beard, uverennost in themselves for the new otkrыtost) kotoryya sostavljajut mobylnost social and assemble a professional student. Today's challenges require the search for new effective educational technologies. Therefore, much attention is paid today to rethinking the organization and content of higher education's educational process based on innovative technologies. It is substantiated that students' participation in project activities, and especially participation in social projects, contributes to the development of their socio-professional mobility. The main task of the project activity is not only the acquisition of knowledge, but the ability to navigate social, economic, information events and phenomena, as well as to gain experience of social life. Social projects, in our opinion, occupy a special place in the development of social and professional mobility of students. Social project is a project that benefits other people and society. This community-oriented activity is important for every society, as it not only improves its general condition, but also teaches people to focus their efforts not only on their own needs, but on the common good. The project activity promotes itself in various spheres, for example, organizational, public, scientific, charitable, explanatory, information.

Проектные технологии в подготовке студентов- международников к профессиональной коммуникации

The relevance of the research is determined by the expediency of realization of professional communication skills training of specialists in international relations through various types of project technologies. The use of the project method in the professional education of international relations students allows to develop professional skills and gain new knowledge that would be useful in future job. 
 The hypothesis of the research includes the assumption that participation in project activities contributes to the formation of professional communication skills training of international relations students.
 The purpose of the study is to analyze the features of the organization and implementation of project technologies and to consider their impact on the formation of professional communication skills training of international relations students.
 Materials and methods. The research applies theoretical methods such as analysis, systematization and generalization of the provisions of scientific literature on the research problem. It gives the overview of the works of Russian and foreign scientists on project activities and professional education of university students. Empirical methods included pedagogical supervision of the preparation and participation of international relations students in “The Model UN” project. The questionnaire survey involved 56 students of the educational program 41.03.05 International Relations of Ryazan State University named for S. A. Yesenin.
 The research includes the description of the project technology "The Model UN", which is implemented in the framework of extracurricular activities of university students. The analysis of students' opinions about the Model UN project shows that students participated in this project with great interest and consider it useful for the formation of professional skills and abilities of a future specialist in international relations.
 Conclusion and directions for future research. Project activities contribute to the improvement of the professional communication skills training of future specialists in international relations. In the future, the following areas of research may be of interest: the development and implementation of projects in the educational and scientific activities of international relations students and the implementation of final qualifying work in the form of a startup.

Особенности методологии проектной деятельности в юридической науке и образовании

We consider the popular and proven method of projects in the context of its application in the activities of state and municipal authorities in the development of draft regulations, the activities of public organizations involved in the legal field, practicing lawyers, the activities of universities and students. We substantiate the possibility of using the project method in practical legal activities, as well as in the process of training young professionals as one of the most effective methods for implementing this activity. We apply the comparative method when considering foreign experience, as well as analysis when considering the possibilities of applying the project method in relation to each of these areas. Synthesis is used to generalize various areas of student participation in project activities. In the course of the study, the author’s classification of types of project activities in jurisprudence is formulated, taking into account the key person carrying out project activities, as well as the scale of the project. The results of this study are applicable both within the specified areas of project activities formulated in the study, and in the training of specialists in the field of jurisprudence as part of the formation of new competencies in them – the skill of working with projects. The results of the study can be used in general terms in other areas of knowledge, since the method under consideration is not associated only with legal activity. We conclude that the implementation of projects takes place in different directions, having different goals, and their most effective achievement is possible with the participation of various actors: authorities, public organizations, businesses, educational institutions (schools, colleges, technical schools, universities), students who are trained in legal and non-legal specialties, etc.

Development and implementation of project management skills in vocational institutions

The purpose of the article is to analyze the experience of developing and implementing project management skills in the process of preparing students. From the methodological field, the dynamics of students' participation in project activities and the main ways of developing the project management skill are revealed. The participants of the study were teachers and students of higher educational institutions in the age category from 19 to 24 years. The results determined that the development and implementation of the skill of managing educational projects is one of the most significant areas of the development of educational activities since this soft skill allows students to adapt to professional activities most quickly and maintain competitiveness.

Professional burnout and experience in implementing lean manufacturing in medicine

Using the methodology of psychological diagnostics of V.A. Vinokur «Attitude to work and professional burnout» and the original questionnaire «Lean competencies of a medical worker», the manifestations of professional burnout in medical workers of medical organizations in which lean manufacturing technologies were introduced were studied. The study for the first time established an inverse correlation between the severity of professional burnout and involvement in lean manufacturing in medical workers. Based on the results obtained, it is suggested that participation in project activities to improve processes in a medical organization can help reduce the severity of emotional exhaustion and work tension, as well as contribute to professional development and increase the self-esteem of medical workers.

Project Activities In The Context Of Donald Super's Concept Of Career Development

Abstract The article highlights the need to include project activities as an important component of the learning process. The purpose of project activities is to provide the necessary foundation for individuals to work on their own development and to provide the necessary aids to support the desire to grow and improve. It is suggested that Donald Super’s ideas should be taken into account when planning the stages of project activities, adding a stage for individual reflection throughout the project. The development of the child is a key task for the school, the issues of giving importance to the project activities in the curriculum are defined. The idea of using project activities as an environment for mastering competencies is put forward. A point of view on the value of mastering competencies and skills during schooling that will help be effective in the future is provided, for the purposes of our age period according to Donald Super. A viewpoint on the need for student participation in project activities in order to activate the personal qualities of participants in the learning process is outlined. Learning activities in institutions of general secondary education should be aimed at the development of the personality of education applicants. Opportunities to try themselves in "different roles as a performer" are provided exactly by the project method of learning, which corresponds to the age stage of professional development according to Donald Super. The level of conscious acquisition of knowledge and skills when working on a project or case study increases significantly and is added to the process of shaping one's career trajectory. The introduction of this type of activity in the practice of the educational institution solves a wide range of problems faced by institutions of general secondary education in the process of its functioning.
 Key words: self-determination, project activity, learning, Donald Super's theory.

Additional professional education in a region as an indicator of its quality

The problem of transformation in the field of education and educational services is actualized by a wide range of concerned parties (specialists, parents, managers, government representatives). The innovative development vector has emerged also in the field of education through numerous upgrades and reforms (implemented and announced) focused on consideration of the specific socio-cultural features, such as sanitary and epidemiological situation, technologization, and digitalization of education, upgrading of the ethnic and cultural identity of regions in the context of growing migration flows and growth of the ethnic factor in the personality’s upbringing. The methodological background of the present research is based on the competence approach. The article presents an analysis of scientific research on the issue of pedagogical professional competence as the main resource that provides innovative processes and prospects for the development of additional education; highlights the essential characteristics of the concept of professional competence of a teacher, which are focused on the system of additional education through participation in project activities. The article substantiates the necessity of forming the professional competence of a teacher of additional education in innovative practices of contemporary technological society, modeling a new educational infrastructure capable of creating modern training resources in regional systems of additional education. The innovative experience of implementing the Federal project “Success of every child” of the national project “Education” aimed at creating new vacancies in the system of additional education for children of the Orel Region is considered for the first time. The authors contemplate the practices of additional education that are in demand among parents and students and are provided by the Quantorium Technopark in the city of Orel.

ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ КОМПЕТЕНЦИЙ ПРОЕКТНОГО МЕНЕДЖМЕНТА ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫХ И МУНИЦИПАЛЬНЫХ СЛУЖАЩИХ

The purpose of the article is to substantiate the possibility of forming professional competencies of project management among state and municipal employees in the system of additional education through their participation in project activities. The introduction of the proposed project management technologies allows officials at all levels to develop new professional competencies that would allow them to create a unique product in conditions of limited resources. The methodological basis of the study was a systematic approach, within which we used structural and functional analysis, general scientific methods: comparison, description, explanation, abstraction. In addition, we used included observation when the authors of the article performed the functions of moderators of project groups. As a result, the expediency of project training of state and municipal employees within the framework of the system of additional education was substantiated, where the reporting form of mastering the course material is the presentation of one's own real project, demonstrating the possession of project team members with professional competencies in the field of project planning. management.

ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ ИЗДАТЕЛЬСКИХ ПРОЕКТОВ КАК ПРАКТИКО-ОРИЕНТИРОВАННЫЙ ПОДХОД К ПОДГОТОВКЕ БАКАЛАВРОВ ИЗДАТЕЛЬСКОГО ДЕЛА

The article deals with issues related to project activities in the framework of training students for a bachelor’s degree in publishing and journalism at Moscow Polytechnic University. The emphasis is placed on the concept of implementing project activities in the educational process in the context of the implementation of the Federal State Educational Standard and on the consideration of various practices and approaches to the implementation of this concept. The introduction of innovative methods in higher education and practice-oriented approaches in training related to professional fields have been developed in the training of students for a bachelor’s degree in publishing. The complexity of production processes and the formation of a complex of creative, organizational, legal, technological, and communication components directly affect the nature of the activity and form requirements for the competencies of a modern specialist in the media industry. This leads to a revision of approaches and the introduction of new teaching methods. At the forefront is the formation of resource links with professional industries and the implementation of the idea of training specialists who can quickly adapt to changing economic conditions and solve production problems. The project method is an important tool for the professional motivation of students for it allows them to participate in the development and creation of a project, to see the final product that has been accepted into production, has passed full publishing preparation, and has been materialized. The method of integrating projects into the educational process allows structuring and organizing students’ independent work and experimental research. Within the framework of the practice-oriented approach to teaching at Moscow Polytechnic University, various subjects of both the educational and professional environment are involved in the organization of projects so that students form the scientific and practical competencies of a BA in publishing. An innovative approach to teaching students majoring in publishing and journalism is present in various areas of training and in various formats. Moscow Polytechnic University implements diverse practices involving the use of innovative methods for solving professional problems. Among them are the use of interactive forms of conducting classes, participation in project activities, development of bachelor’s thesis topics based on the development of publication projects, participation in practice-oriented events related to publishing. The bachelor’s curriculum includes disciplines related to the modeling of publications, the formation of projects of publications and publishing houses. The bachelor’s thesis is made on the basis of a project of a publication or a publishing house; it involves research in the field of publishing management, organization of the editorial and publishing process in a publishing house, development of a marketing plan for a modern publishing house. Interactive and informationalcommunicative educational technologies are used. Various events with workshops on the creation of publishing projects are held. The considered practice-oriented approaches in training implement the main ideas and tasks of project activity – they create a multilevel system for the formation of students’ competencies.

USE OF DISTANCE LEARNING TOOLS IN THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF FUTURE EDUCATORS OF PRESCHOOL EDUCATION

The article "Use of distance learning tools in the professional training of future educators of preschool education" describes the possibilities of using distance learning in the system of professional training of future educators of preschool education. The basis is a triad of components of professional training: fundamental, invariant and variable. The task of basic education is to provide optimal conditions for the formation of scientific thinking, development of scientific information base and modern methodology, education of the inner need for self-development and self-education throughout life. The invariant component is understood to be characterized by significant stability and stereotypes. It is dominated by: the focus on preserving traditional pedagogical approaches; integrative processes, their integrity and generalization. In this case, the invariant part is able to form professionally significant qualities in accordance with modern requirements for the development of psychological and pedagogical science and practice by transforming them in accordance with the new social conditions. The variable component is characterized by: flexibility, innovation, openness to the new in science and technology; dominance of differentiated knowledge. The article also presents the ascertaining stage of the study of the state of formation of the ability to partner by personal-communicative and activity criteria. The toolkit of information and communication technologies for the purpose of increase of a level of special preparation is offered. In particular, the creation of a joint media product, participation in project activities, communication through social networks, blogs, chat correspondence, the use of electronic and mobile applications in the process of goal setting and planning, the use of ICT in the process of recovery, emotional stability, future activity, participation in the work of the Discussion Club, presentation of the results of pedagogical research in the format of a webinar.

Educational design as a resource for improving the quality of prospective engineers’ training

The paper discusses the features of using project-technologies in the university educational process. Educational design is the intellectual foundation and creative source of innovation in creative appeal to professional development of prospective engineers. The author shows that its necessary to train engineers in conditions of educational design development of prospective engineers on the basis of fundamental (theoretical) knowledge transformation into the field of practical skills and skills of design activity in interdisciplinary fields of engineering knowledge. The paper also considers evolution of the project technologies. The work presents the main conceptual provisions for the effective practical implementation of the development of design for prospective engineers training, formulated on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of the experience of research projects in Russian universities. The feasibility of basing the methodology of project training on information technologies, interdisciplinary approach and integrated design is justified. The use of a personalized educational information environment for training is recommended. The author shows that it is important for different-year-students who are supposed to be like-minded people to communicate and to participate in the project. Motivation of students participation in project activities is also very important as well as involvement of employers in discussion/implementation of the obtained results. These solutions are of a research nature and can be used in other similar Russian and foreign projects, as well as be implemented in the creation of personalized e-learning systems and online courses in the dynamics of educational design development.

ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ ГРАЖДАНСКОЙ ИДЕНТИЧНОСТИ УЧАЩИХСЯ В РАМКАХ РОССИЙСКОГО ДВИЖЕНИЯ ШКОЛЬНИКОВ

The article examines the most important problem of the formation of civic identity of students within the framework of children's social movements, especially the Russian movement of schoolchildren. In the theoretical part of the article, as a result of the analysis of a number of works of foreign and domestic researchers, the definition of the concept of civic identity is derived, including as part of a person's social identity; its significant differences from ethnic and national identity, its connection with the concept of citizenship, as well as the structural components of the concept of “civil identity” are considered. The article provides a description of the research methodology devoted to the study of the degree of formation of the components of civic identity among students of the 7th-9th grades of general educational organizations in Moscow (depending on their affiliation with the Russian movement of schoolchildren, any other children's social organization or lack of such affiliation). A hypothesis is also put forward about the significant role in the formation of the civic identity of students of the very possibility of their participation in project activities. According to the results of the study, it is concluded that belonging to any children's social organization has a positive effect on students' understanding of their civil rights, freedoms and responsibilities, on the separation of values existing in the state, as well as on the level of responsibility for their moral choice and the level of tolerance in relation to moral choosing another person. It is suggested that the activity component of civic identity among students who are members of the Russian schoolchildren movement is best developed due to the organization's use of project activities as the main way to facilitate the transfer of values to students, necessary for the formation of civic identity

English

The study was undertaken to determine the level and factors influencing adoption of improved cowpea varieties introduced by the Sudan Savanna Taskforce project in Musawa Local Government Area of Katsina State. Data were collected from a random sample of 300 households from ten communities in the study area. The analytical tools used for data analysis include descriptive statistics to examine the level of adoption of improved cowpea varieties and Probit and Tobit regression models to identify factors that influence the adoption and intensity of use of the varieties respectively. Results from the analyzed data indicate that more farmers were aware of improved cowpea varieties by a magnitude of 40% and adoption improved by a magnitude of 35.7% adoption. In addition, households with formal education, extension contact, those who participated in the project activities, members of associations and cowpea growing experience are more likely to adopt improved cowpea varieties. Similarly, factors influencing the intensity of adoption were gender of farmers, extension contact, membership of association, participation in project activities and rearing of livestock. Finally, the study recommends that farm expansion and intensification of extension services would be an incentive to adoption decisions by small-scale farmers in the study area and extended to the less educated farmers. Furthermore, there is a need for special training, seminars, field demonstrations and technical support for the cowpea farmers. Key words: Adoption, factors, improved cowpea varieties, Sudan Savanna Taskforce.

Perceptions and acceptability of piloted Taenia solium control and elimination interventions in two endemic communities in eastern Zambia.

Infections with Taenia solium cause significant public health and economic losses worldwide. Despite effective control tools, long‐term sustained control/elimination of the parasite has not been demonstrated to date. Success of intervention programs is dependent on their acceptability to local communities. Focus group discussions (FGDs) and questionnaires (QS) were conducted in two study communities in eastern Zambia to assess local perceptions and acceptance of two piloted intervention strategies: one targeting pigs only (‘control’ study arm), and one integrated human‐ and pig‐based (‘elimination’) strategy. QS (n = 227) captured data regarding participation in project activities, knowledge and perceptions of T. solium and of the interventional drugs used in the study. FGDs (n = 18) discussed perceived advantages and disadvantages of the interventions and of the project's delivery and value. QS data revealed 67% of respondents participated in at least one educational activity, and 80% correctly identified at least one disease targeted by the education. All elimination study arm respondents (n = 113) had taken the human treatment, and 98% intended to do so next time. Most (70%) indicated willingness to pay for future treatments (median 0.20 USD per dose). Of pig‐owning respondents, 11/12 (92%) had allowed their pigs to be treated/vaccinated and all intended to do so again next time. Four pig owners indicated willingness to pay 0.10–0.50 USD per dose of treatment or vaccine. FGD feedback revealed positive perceptions of interventions; people reported improved health in themselves and their pigs, and fewer cysticerci in pork. Latrine use, hand washing, meat inspection and proper cooking of pork had reportedly increased since the program's inception. Preliminary assessment indicates that the piloted intervention methods are generally acceptable to the communities. The reported willingness of many respondents to pay for the medications would contribute to the feasibility of long‐term, government‐led T. solium intervention programs in future.

ANALYSIS OF FARMERS’ PERCEPTION OF RECOMMENDED EXTENSION PACKAGES ON SELECTED CROPS IN YOBE STATE, NIGERIA

The study analyses farmers’ perception of recommended extension packages on selected crops in Yobe State, Nigeria. Multistage random sampling technique was used to select 230 respondents for the study. Structured questionnaire were used to elicit information from the respondents. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. The respondents were within the mean age of 36 years, with the mean house hold size of 5 persons. The respondents had the mean farm size of 2 ha and the mean farming experience of 16 years. Majority (87.0%) of the respondents were male. Majority (48.5%) of the respondents in the study area were contacted and taught by extension agents based on group teaching method. Majority (56.1%) of the farmers expressed opinions that administrations of agricultural extension activities in the study area were either very effective or effective. Most (71%) on average of the respondents used the nine (9) improved farm practices introduced to them frequently. Most (82.6%), (90.9%) and (80.9%) of the respondents had increase in yield of sorghum, millet and cowpea, respectively. Majority (40.0%) of the respondents in the study area had participated in project meeting and field days and majority (56.1%) of the respondents were visited once a month by the extension agent. The result of multiple regression analysis showed that variables such as farmers’ age, farm size, level of education, visit by extension personnel, participation in project activities, farming experience and household size were positive and significantly influence the level adoption to extension recommendations at ( p<0.05, p<0.05, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001 and p<0.01), respectively. Majority (61.8%) of the respondents discovered that lack of necessary inputs were the most serious problems responsible for some farmers in the study area not adopting the improved farm practice introduced to them. The study, therefore, concludes that agricultural extension activities were found effective in the study area and the adoption of improved farm practices introduced to the farmers by the agricultural extension agents led to increase in sorghum, millet, and cowpea productivity in the study area. Based on this study, it was recommended that, Government should provide the farm inputs to farmers at subsidized prices and at the right time.