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Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) - Call for papers!

Factors Influencing Participation in the Project on Promotion of Non-formal Education for Women in Udonthani Province, Thailand

(Thailand), Doctor of Philosophy in Community Development (University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Dissertation Abstract:

 

This study examined the demographic , socioeconomic, motivational, perceptual, and attitudinal factors influencing participation in the project on Promotion of Non-Formal Education for Women in Thailand. Specifically, it examined the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the women participants and non-participants and the relationship between demographic and socioeconomic factors, motivational factors, and perceptions and attitudes to participation in the project.

A total of 210 women served as respondents of the study; 105 were participants and 105 were non-participants. Data were gathered using a structured interview schedule. The chi-square and t-tests were used to determine the relationships among the variables.

The major factors which differentiated those who participated in the project from those who did not were motivational factors and perceptions and attitudes. Participants had higher expectations of higher income, service extended, and human relationships from the project than the non-participants. Likewise, participants had more favorable attitudes toward basic education, training of vocational skills, and news and information than non-participants. However, both groups did not differ in their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.

Nearly all of the non-participants knew about the project but only very few of them received any encouragement from village intluentials to participate in it.

Among the participants, participation was low in the planning phase. During the implementation phase, participation was highest in the vocational skills training activities.

The problems encountered and suggestions for improvement centered around abolishing the age limit of participants (set between 12 and 25 years), the timing of the project which should not coincide with the crop growing season, and the need for more income-generating activities.

Among the sociodemographic variables, only age and annual family income were found to be related with the level of participation in the project. Respondent-participants' perceptions and attitudes toward basic education, and news and information were also significantly related with their level of participation.

Almost all of the respondents' motivational factors were not related with their level of participation, except the motivational factor of expectation of knowledge and skills which was related with level of participation in the development and training phase.

Most of the respondents' demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were not related with motivational factors except for civil status, organization affiliation, and annual family income. Most of their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were related with their perceptions and attitudes. Only educational level and length of residence were significantly related with the perceptions and attitudes toward basic education and training of vocational skills.