تحليل عاملي نيازهاي آموزشي پنبه كاران(از ديدگاه كارشناسان ترويج كشاورزي استان سمنان)

Factor Analysis of Cotton Farmersʹ Educational Needs (Perception of Extension Experts in the Semnan Province)

The purpose of this study was to determine the cotton farmersʹ educational needs based on the perception of extensionists in Semnan province. The research design was of a correlation-descriptive and factor analysis method. Extensionists in Semnan province were the target population for this study. A random Sample of extensionists was collected (n= 45). The main result of the study revealed that a correlation existed between the desire of conducting extension programs, level of education conducting extension programs, and conducting assessment needs with perception of extensionist were significantly positive. Bartlettʹs test and KMO test were used to determine appropriteness of research variables in factor analysis (Bartlett test=288/502 Sig=0/000, KM0=0/557). To reduce subjectivity, items with factor loading equal to or greater than 0.5 were considered most important when factors were catagorized. The six designated factors were (1) Disease, weed and Irrigation, (2) Land preparation, (3) Chemical inputs, (4) Chemical hormones, (5) Preservation of crop, and (6) no chemical methods. The results obtained from the factors analyzed indicated that the six factors were implicated in 75% of the variation in the cotton farmersʹ educational needs.