The development of biological fertilizer technology module to increase farmer’s knowledge of non-formal education in Malang district

Abstract

Adult learning is an essential aspect of non-formal education that should be paid more attention. Farmer Field School (FFS) is an example of adult learning practices that draw on andragogy concepts. Lack of instructional materials that can impact farmers’ understanding of cultivation processes is one of the FFS’s challenges. The purpose of this study was to generate a valid, practical, and effective module to improve farmers’ knowledge of bio-fertilizer technology in Malang, Indonesia. The current study adopted the ADDIE development model to develop the model. The development stages consisted of Analyze, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The results of the analyses showed that: (a) the module fulfilled the criteria of a valid based on validation by experts in contents and instructional materials with a score of 89.2%; (b) the practicality of the module achieved a score of 92% based on the facilitator’s evaluation and 83.05% based on the farmers’ positive responses (practical); (c) the module was effective in improving farmers’ knowledge of bio-fertilizer technology with an N-Gain value of 55.62% (medium category). Therefore, the module can be used on a broader scale to improve farmers’ knowledge of bio-fertilizer technology.