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Research Journal of Agricultural Sciences Perception of Students towards

Rural Agriculture Work Experience in College of Agriculture, Bharatpur

Research · October 2020

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 Res. Jr. of Agril. Sci. 11(5): 1175-1177, Sept-Oct 2020

ISSN: 0976-1675 www.rjas.org Research

Paper
Research Journal of Agricultural Sciences
© Centre for Advanced Research in Agricultural Sciences DI: 6204-0706-227

Perception of Students towards Rural Agriculture Work Experience in College

of Agriculture, Bharatpur
Devendra Kumar Meena*1, Vishnu Shanker Meena2 and L R Dubey3
Department of Extension Education,
College of Agriculture (Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University), Kumher - 321 201, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India

Received: 07 June 2020; Revised accepted: 31 July 2020

ABSTRACT
The present study was undertaken in Rajasthan. The investigation concerned with RAWE students of CoA,
Bharatpur. Agricultural education is basically aimed to develop skilled manpower to take up farming,
undertaking research, teaching and extension work for agricultural development in the Indian context.
Agricultural education should be given a rural setting, so that it includes direct participation and experience
with agricultural life and practice. The vast network of agricultural universities and colleges can play a leading
role in cultivating self-confidence and capabilities in the students required for taking up agriculture as a
profession. Hence, an investigation entitled perception of students towards Rural Agriculture Work Experience
in College of Agriculture, Bharatpur was conducted purposively as it is the sub campus of Sri Karan Narendra
Agriculture University, Jobner. Students who have completed the RAWE programme in 2019-20 academic year
were selected as respondents for the study.

Key words: Experiential, Perception, RAWE, Practice and learning

A gricultural education is basically aimed to develop

skilled manpower to take up farming, undertaking
research, teaching and extension work for agricultural
rural work experience is basic for developing a graduate's
competence in functioning as an effective teacher,
researcher and extension professional in the transfer of
development in the Indian context. It is an important tool in technology to rural families and therefore, this type of
ensuring increased agricultural productivity, sustainability, practical training and experience of working with people in
environmental and ecological security, profitability, job villages becomes inevitable. RAWE is one of the best means
security and equity. Different committees of ICAR to produce well trained agricultural graduates with broad
recommended for strong linkage of agricultural education based knowledge and techniques to meet the emerging
with actual farming situation through the programme. challenges (Gogoi 2001).
Considering the importance of agricultural knowledge on The rural work experience is basic for developing a
socio-economic behaviour of the farmers, Agricultural graduate's competence in functioning as an effective teacher,
Graduates during internship have to work and study in rural researcher and extension professional in the transfer of
areas as per university norms it is a course offered by SAUs technology to rural families and therefore, this type of
normally in the final year (VII or VIII semester) of practical training and experience of working with people in
undergraduate degree programme (Soni et al. 2017). villages becomes inevitable. RAWE is one of the best means
Agriculture is backbone of Indian economy to more to produce well trained agricultural graduates with broad
than 60 per cent of Indian population. These farmers mostly based knowledge and techniques to meet the emerging
reside in rural areas and hence, development of our country challenges. In this context, a new course, Rural Agricultural
cannot be possible without strengthening the socio- Work experience (RAWE) Programme was introduced
economic conditions under which a rural farmer works. The during VIII semester under graduate curriculum in
*Corresponding author: Dr. Devendra Kumar Meena, Assistant Professor, Department of Extension Education, College of Agriculture (Sri
Karan Narendra Agriculture University), Kumher - 321 201, Bharatpur, Rajasthan
e-mail: devendrababli@gmail.com  Contact: +91- 9161962060 / 9467996704

1175
 Meena et al. 2020
Agricultural Universities in India viewed as the best
opportunity, which can orient and equip the required
potential among the students and facilitate them to
completely understand the rural scenario. The Andhra
Pradesh Agricultural University, Hyderabad, was the first to
introduce RAWE programme in its curriculum as early as in
1980-81. This was close on the heels with the Randhawa
Committee recommendations (Khare and Pyasi 2013).
Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University, Jobner on
the recommendation of Fourth Deans’ Committee (ICAR)
introduced Rural Agricultural Work Experience programme
as an essential requirement for B.Sc. (Hons.) Ag. degree. In
the programme, students are placed in the villages for
intensive training and field experience with farm families.
During stay in the villages, they get an opportunity to study
the different farm situations, farm practices adopted by the
farmers, interact with the farmers to identify the problems
and suggest the appropriate measures to solve them for
improvement in the existing practices. Students also develop
confidence in applying the knowledge gained during the
course of the studies and fine-tune their skill with the
experience and knowledge of host farmers.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The present study was purposively conducted in college
of Agriculture, Bharatpur, as it is the sub campus of Sri
Karan Narendra Agriculture University, Jobner, Jaipur.
Students who have completed the RAWE programme in
2019-20 academic year were selected as respondents for the
study. There were 57 students including 11 girls and 46
boys’ students. The dependent variable studied is perception
among participants of RAWE programme at SKNAU,
Jobner. An ex-post-facto research design is employed as
RAWE was already implemented and data was collected
Res. Jr. of Agril. Sci. 11(5)
from students based on their experience. Pre-structured
interview schedule was used to collect the data covering the
objectives of the study. Collected data were analyzed by
using frequency, percentage, mean score and rank.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The findings in (Table 1) illustrations the distribution of
RAWE students. The data revealed that 3.50 per cent had
low perception. The 38.60 per cent students had medium
perception and majority of the (57.90%) students had high
perception towards the Rural Agriculture Work Experience
programme. However, it was concluded that majority of the
high category students had positive perception towards
Rural Agriculture Work Experience programme. Results
show that the emphasis given on all the components of the
farmers which was included in RAWE curriculum is
facilitating the learning of the students. Findings concluded
that more than 57 per cent of the RAWE participants had
high, 38.60 per cent had medium and more than 3 per cent
had low perception towards the RAWE programme. It is
show that the focused given on all the modules as well as
orientation programme of the Rural Agriculture Work
Experience curriculum is facilitating the learning of the
students. The findings have corroborated the past
researcher’s observations by Sanjeev and Gowda (2013).
Table 1 Distribution of students based on perception
towards RAWE (N=57)
Categories No. of students Percentage
Low 02 3.50
Medium 22 38.60
High 33 57.90
Total 57 100.00

Table 2 Perception of participants towards RAWE (N=57)

Statements Mean Score Rank
Village Attachment has helped student to get familiar with rural people 3.92 II
RAWE helped to understand local situations 3.36 VI
To understand the working of rural institutions 3.40 V
To understand socio-economic conditions of the farmers and their status 3.98 I
To realize adoption patterns and adoption gaps of the farmers 2.97
RAWE helped me to understand farming systems and home management. 3.48 IV
RAWE helped me to improve Diagnostic skills & abilities 3.0 XII
Provision of practical training in crop production and protection 3.02 XI
RAWE has helped to improve my communication skills and speaking ability 3.82 III
Improve my Leadership qualities 3.09 IX
RAWE has given me competence to prepare farm plans for individual farm families 3.22 VII
Did RAWE increased exposure & confidence 3.12 VIII
To acquaint with on- going Transfer of Technology programmes in agriculture 2.36
RAWE has helped me to aware about poverty alleviation programmes 2.45 XIV
RAWE helped to improvement professional competence to solve field problems. 3.04 X
RAWE helped, me to implement in lab to land skills 2.44 XV
To realize major bottleneck faced by farmers at grass root level 2.47 XIII

Data depicted in (Table 2) indicates that, the rank I was high as 3.98 indicating that most of the participants’ to know
allotted to ‘To understand socio-economic conditions of the socio economic condition and status of the farmers through
farmers and their status’ and mean score was recorded as RAWE. ‘Village Attachment has helped student to get

1176
 Perception of Students towards Rural Agriculture Work Experience
familiar with rural people’ got the second rank with the
mean score 3.92, village attachment to make ready for future
to understand society. The third rank was allotted to ‘RAWE
has helped to improve my communication skills and
speaking ability’ with mean score 3.82 during RAWE meet
to different people and by this improve communication and
speaking ability it was more social programme. Comparable
results are in line with Sujatha (2001), Shareef and Rambabu
(1999). ‘RAWE helped me to understand farming systems
and home management’ has got fourth rank with mean score
of 3.48 after discussion with farmer to understand faming
system and home management to get benefit in future. Rank
V was allotted to understand the working of rural
institutions mean score of 3.40, Sixth rank was got ‘RAWE
helped to understand local situations because of farmers are
tell about the own field local situation. The rank VII was
allotted to ‘RAWE has given me competence to prepare
farm plan for individual farm families’ with the mean score
of 3.22, during the RAWE programme i.e. 58 weeks, was
discussed with farmers/ scientist/ officers of agriculture
department to develop himself a skills to prepare farm plan
and manage farm families in continuously rank eight was
got regarding ‘ Did RAWE increased exposure and
confidence’ at the time of RAWE expose field practices
done practically through this confidence level was
developed by doing by learning principle in similar of
‘Improve my leadership qualities’ helped by the above all
statements like skills, exposure and confidence etc. Rank X
was allotted to ‘RAWE helped to improvement professional
competence to solve field problems’ with mean score 3.04.
The rank XI and XII were allotted ‘Provision of particle
training in crop production and protection’ ‘RAWE helped
me to improve Diagnostic skills & abilities with the mean
score of 3.02 and 3.09. The ‘To realize major bottleneck
faced by farmers at grass root level’ ‘RAWE has helped me
to aware about poverty alleviation programme’ and ‘RAWE
helped me to implement in lab to land skills were ranked
XIII, XIV, XV with mean score 2.47, 2.45 and 2.44
respectively. These results are in accordance to the findings
of Sanjeev (2003).
Majority (57.90%) of the students had high perception
about Rural Agriculture Work Experience it is support to
develop ability of communication skills, managing farm,
self-confidence and leadership qualities in the students.
Therefore, Rural Agriculture Work Experience is a most
effective programme / curriculum for final year students to
understand correct way of rural life and cultural aspects. It
also helps in diffusion of technologies among rural people.

LITERATURE CITED
Bandyopadhyay A K and Kar S. 2002. ‘Teachers’ and students’ perception about RAWE programme. Research Journal of
Extension Education 2: 38-43.
Gogoi D. 2001. Problems faced by the students of College of Agriculture, AAU, Jorhat, during (RAWE) programme. M. Sc.
Thesis, College of Home Science, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam.
Khare N K and Pyasi V K. 2013. Manual for Rural Agricultural Work Experience. DFA/JNKVV/Manual
RAWE/UG/2013/24. Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur. pp 55.
Sanjeev M V and Gowda K N. 2013. Perceptions on experiential learning: A study of agricultural students. Indian Research
Journal of Extension Education 13(1): 48-55.
Sanjeev M V. 2003. An analysis of functioning of RAWEP at UAS, Bangalore and Kerala Agricultural University. M. Sc.
(Agriculture) Thesis, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka.
Shareef S M and Rambabu P. 1999. Reactions of students towards RAWE programme. Maharashtra Journal of Extension
Education 18: 279-282.
Soni R L, Kothari G L and Dave R. 2011. Opinion of B. Sc. (Agriculture) graduates of MPUAT regarding RAWE
programme. Indian Journal of Agricultural Research and Extension 4: 39-40.
Sujatha. 2001. Students perception about academic environment in Home Science Faculty of Acharya N. G. Ranga
Agricultural University, Andhra Pradesh. M. Sc. Thesis, Unpublished, ANGRAU, Hyderabad.

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