School-on-the-Air Program: Voices of Student- Farmers

Abstract

- This study explored into the farmer’s experiences in participating in the School-On-the-Air (SOA) program, their utilization of acquired information to improve farming methods, significant insights for the farming community, and suggestions for enhancing the program. Through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, the qualitative research design involved 15 farmers from Bansalan, Davao del Sur, Philippines. The emerging themes revealed for experiences include satisfaction with relevant agricultural information learned, radio as a handy source of agricultural information, SOA motivating farmers to be responsible learners, hindrances like power interruptions affecting program listening, important agricultural information primarily obtained from SOA, and limitations of radio. On the use of information, two themes were revealed, which include information obtained that was practical and effective when applied and the use of new and helpful farming methods. Farmer students also shared their insights with the farming community which revealed that farming knowledge from SOA is worth sharing, and farming knowledge can also be shared with non-farmers. Suggestions for program improvement include time slot and duration modifications, incorporating marketing opportunities and strengthening agricultural extension support. Implications of the study findings are that the government continues to seek ways to enhance the program’s implementation. This could include improving radio signals throughout the country by funding the establishment of government-funded local radio stations, investing in increasing the number of agricultural extension workers in the field to assist in monitoring the application of learned technologies and providing necessary extension support to all SOA graduates, among others.