AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AGENTS' VIEWS IN SELECTING APPROPRIATE EXTENSION METHODS FOR EXTENSION MESSAGE.

The main objective of the research was to identify views of agricultural extension agents regarding selection of proper extension methods for the message objective, message type, and comparing their views with the published theoretical frames related to the topic. The research was conducted during the period March-April ,2003 in four governorates (Dakahlia and Sharkia / the Delta; Menia and Assiout / Upper Egypt.) The study sample encompassed 290 agricultural extension agents. Apretested written questionnaire was used in collecting the study data . Frequencies, percentages, and Mann — Whitney test were used in analyzing the obtained study data. The main findings of the research were as the following : the study respondents viewed that the most preferred extension methods, concerning knowledge change, were mass communication methods (46%), followed by field visits in the Delta, while group extension methods came first in Upper Egypt, followed by field visits (60.71%); the study respondents of the Delta and Upper Egypt pointed out that the most preferred extension methods related to skill change were group extension methods, in addition to field visits; -the most preferred extension methods for the Delta and Upper Egypt, concerning attitudinal change, were group methods , followed by field visits; -the most preferred agricultural extension methods viewed by the research respondents related to simple message in the Delta and Upper Egypt were a mixture of individual and group methods; -the most preferred agricultural extension methods for the study respondents of the Delta and Upper Egypt, in relation with compound message, were field visits; and It was found that the differences between the two compared groups were not significant in relation with their knowledge, skill, and attitude changes for each the simple and compound message .