Promoting Lifelong Learning and Satisfying Farmers' Social and Psychological Needs Through Farmer Field Schools: Views From Rural Greece

ABSTRACT

Farmer field schools (FFS) represent an alternative lifelong learning approach aimed at enhancing farmers' competences and skills through nonformal education. In this study we examined if farmers' participation in FFS is motivated by their social-psychological needs and whether these needs can be fulfilled through participation in FFS. Findings revealed that the possibility to participate in FFS is higher for farmers who experience lower levels of closeness and connectedness with their community peers and for those who score low on belongingness satisfaction. Furthermore, our analysis confirmed that FFS attendance increases felt community acceptance and facilitates the satisfaction of the belongingness need.

KEYTERMS:

• farmer field schools
• lifelong learning
• nonformal education
• community acceptance
• need to belong

Additional information

Funding

This research project is funded under the “Research & Technology Development Innovation Projects” (AgroETAK, MIS 453350), in the framework of the Operational Program “Human Resources Development.” It is cofunded by the European Social Fund through the National Strategic Reference Framework (Research Funding Program 2007–2013) coordinated by the Hellenic Agricultural Organization-DEMETER.