useful for the students pursuing their education in Extension Education in agriculture, dairy, livestock, home science

1. Principles of Extension Education
Principles are the fundamental laws and
rules discovered by educational researches
and proven by years of experiences that now
serve as guide lines for educational
endeavours which are necessary for an
extension worker.
B P Singh
Principal Scientist
Division of Extension Education
ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute Izatnagar- 243 122

2. A Principle is a statement of policy to guide decision and
action in a consistent manner”. –Mathew
When something is put forth as a point of view and its
proof is not known , is known as Hypothesis
When a hypothesis is put to a test and the point of view
, or the assumption, turn out to be acceptable, it is called
a theory.
Principles of Extension Education
Ex. Punctuality, honesty, reach before time, not to cause harm/problem
to anybody, should come forward to extent your help to needy, involve
others in programme, give the value to culture,

3. Principles of Extension Education ..cont……
When a theory put to several test, under different
setting, by different individual and the findings are found
to be in substantial agreement, then it given the name of
principles
A Principle is a universal truth that has been observed
and found to be to be true under varying conditions and
circumstances.
A principle is fundamental truth and a settled rule of
action.

4. • Get the data from the field
• Extension work is self-educative
process.
• To make extension work more
effective, the peoples’ needs and
interest has to be incorporated.
• Extension worker should take notice
of local peoples’ needs. It is
essential to generate interest of the
people in programme and this will
lead to their cooperation in
extension work
1.Principle of interest and needs.

5.  Work should start from the
interest and need of people
 Fulfillment of needs create
interests
 First concentrate on felt needs
and then develop other needs
1.Principle of interest and needs.
 A need is something that is
necessary for organisms to live a
healthy life.
 The most widely known academic
model of needs was proposed by
psychologist Abraham Maslow
 need" may vary radically between
different cultures or different parts of
the same society
According to Maslow, humans need to feel a sense of
belonging and acceptance among their social groups,
regardless if these groups are large or small.
For example, some large social groups may include
clubs, co-workers, religious groups, professional
organizations, sports teams, and gangs.
Some examples of small social connections include family members, intimate partners, mentors, colleagues, and
confidants. Humans need to love and be loved . Many people become susceptible to loneliness, social anxiety,
and clinical depression in the absence of this love or belonging element. This need for belonging may overcome the
physiological and security needs, depending on the strength of the peer pressure.

6. Things must spread from
below and spread like
grass. For effective
extension work, there
should be synthesis of
democracy obtained at
the level of family and
more particularly at
village level.
Grassroots Principle of Organization

7. Principle of Cultural Difference:

8. • Approached and procedure should
be suited to the culture of the people
who are taught.
• Culture changes over a period of
time.
• Different culture require different
approach .
• Rural people have high faith in
traditional customs and values.
Principle of Cultural Difference:

9. • Cultural changes should be gradual and in
accordance with the cultural status of
people.
• It is very difficult to achieve success in
extension work by neglecting their views
and cultural behaviour.
• In’ a country, like India different extension
methods need to be used for different
states, as people in these states differ in
their thinking living and culture. The
blueprint of the extension programme
developed for one area may not be
applicable as such in another area but it
can serve as a guide in similar cultural
areas
Principle of Cultural Difference:

10.  Each culture is unique and
each particular situation within
which a change occurring, is
unique, it is not possible to lay
down prescription for what to
identify and to describe the
process which occurs so that
each particular individual or
team charged with
responsibility for planning ,
execution or adjusting to some
type of change, may be able to
act in terms of the process.
. Principle of Cultural Change:

11.  The situation prevailing
twenty years ago when the
extension service started and
today is quite different, and
therefore, with growth and
development the extension
work has to be changed to
meet the need of cultural
change.
. Principle of Cultural Change:

12.  Change agent must know
what the villagers know
and what they think
 With this, the change
agent by nature of mutual
respect, must seek to
discover and understand
the limitation, the taboos
and the cultural values
related to each phase of
the programme.
. Principle of Cultural Change:

13. Principles of Extension Education ..cont……
5. Principle of cooperation and participation
 very important in extension education.
 without the cooperation of people the work cannot be
successful and desired result cannot be achieved.
 People should realise that the task of extension education
is their own task.
 Participation in extension work generates confidence
among people for the work.
 It is not essential that all the members of the society
should participate but extension worker should try for
maximum participation of people.

14.  Extension Education is based upon
democratic principles.
 It is based on discussions and
suggestions.
 Discussions are held with the
people on actual condition so that
they participate in work.
 Extension worker provide practical
look to the scientific inventions so
that farmers can easily adopt them
in their farm.
Principle of applied science and democratic approach
Actual condition of
farmers

15.  Applied agricultural science is not a
one-way process. The problem of the
people is taken to the scientists who
do the research to find the solution.
 The extension worker transmits the
findings of the laboratories to the
farmers, but the farmer has the
freedom to decide
the ADOPTION or rejection of the
innovation. In democracy, freedom
of thought and the unbiased and
objective approach of the scientist,
establish facts used in the solution of
problem. But farm families can
voluntarily adopt these facts to satisfy
their own needs.
Principle of applied science and democratic approach

16.  According to this principle farmers
are encouraged to learn by doing the
work themselves and by
participating themselves. When a
person does a work he gains
practical knowledge and experiences
the difficulties.
 Extension worker is able to
understand the problems and
provide proper guidance to the
farmers and thus, they are able to
receive proper information.
Principle of learning by doing

17. Dr. Newman (1889) – Farmers like other
people, hesitat4e to believe and set on
theories, or even facts, until they see
with their own eyes the proof of them
in material form. We must , in some
way, bring this work to their personal
attention. We must carry it home to
them.”
The motive for improvement must come
from the people, and they must
practice the new ideas by actually
doing them.
Principle of learning by doing

18.  It is very difficult that
extension personnel should be
knowledgeable about all
problems.
 Therefore, it is necessary that
specialists should impart training
to the farmers from time to time.
Principle of trained specialists

19.  Extension worker should have
knowledge of extension methods so
that they can select proper method
according to the condition.
 Teaching methods should be flexible
so that they can be properly applied
on people according to their age
groups, educational background,
economic standard and gender.
 In extension education two or more
methods should be applied according
to principle of adaptability.
Adaptability Principle in use of extension teaching methods

20.  The participation or inclusion of local
leaders in extension programmes is the
only criteria for assessing the success or
failure of any extension work.
 Local leader is the best medium for
dissemination of new ideas in rural
area.
 Ensminger: “No Extension worker can
be successful till he receives the
cooperation of local leader of the
village.”
 Selection of proper leader.
 By selecting a proper leader, extension
worker’s half work is considered to be
done as such, proper precautions should
be undertaken to choose the leader.
Principle of leadership

21.  Family is the unit of any society and all
the member of the family must be
involved since programme affect all the
member of family.
 In Extension Education, principle of
whole family is of utmost importance.
 There should be development of each
member of the family and extension
education should be for each and every
member of the family, i.e., boys, girls,
male and female, then only success can
be achieved .
Whole family principle

22.  It is very essential, to make
the people satisfied ,
otherwise it is not able to run
the programme.
 If people are not interested in
extension work then there is
no possibility that extension
work can be carried on for a
long time.
 In a democratic structure/set-
up people cannot be run in a
mechanized way.
Principle of satisfaction

23.  It is very essential, to make the people
satisfied , otherwise it is not able to run
the programme.
 If people are not interested in extension
work then there is no possibility that
extension work can be carried on for a
long time.
 In a democratic structure/set-up people
cannot be run in a mechanized way.
 They should derive full satisfaction from
extension work. Extension worker should
give priority to those work in which there
is scope for immediate benefits.
 Primary satisfaction is very helpful for the
future of extension work.
Principle of satisfaction

24. It is necessary to evaluate
the extension work
after a certain period
so that merits and
demerits of extension
work can come to light
and necessary changes
be brought about.
Evaluation generates
confidence in people
Principle of evaluation
Kelsey and Hearne (1949), an "extension
programme" is a statement of situation,
objectives, problems and solutions'.

25. Principle of evaluation

26.  Extension worker should never
take interest in local politics.
 If he will not behave in this
manner then lots of difficulties in
extension work will arise.
 Therefore, remaining neutral is
more beneficial.
 Extension worker should never
express his special affection or
hatred towards any person
Principle of neutrality

27. Principle of encouragement

28.  In extension work,
principles of encouragement
have great importance.
 Under pressure no work can
be done in extension
programme, for this, active
workers in this field should
be encouraged so that they
participate and
enthusiastically remain
active.
Principle of encouragement

29. It should not be like this