"What can Adult Education academia
contribute to women farmer risk
management education efforts?"
John Berry
Ag Marketing Educator
Introduction
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What are the learning needs of women
farmers?
What are effective practices for
teaching women farmers?
How can Cooperative Extension
promote more inclusive educational
programs?
my world as –
white
male
protestant/agnostic
middle-class
heterosexual
middle-aged
in a long-term relationship
- informs my philosophy and practice as
an educator
Andragogical theory
Malcolm Knowles identifies five characteristics
of adult learners:
– an independent nature
– increasing levels of experience
– readiness to learn that is associated with their
place in society
– the need for application of learning
– internal motivation
FIVE PERSPECTIVES ON TEACHING IN ADULT AND
HIGHER EDUCATION
Daniel Pratt & Associates
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Transmission - effective delivery of content
Apprenticeship - modeling ways of being
Developmental - cultivating ways of thinking
Nurturing - facilitating self-efficacy
Social Reform - seeking a better society
Adult learning is a personal process
largely informed by the current
social context in which the learner
is immersed.
(Merriam, & Caffarella, 1999)
Regardless of teaching style used,
there will always be examples of
both effective and ineffective use.
(Pratt, 1998)
Literature
• Cooperative Extension
– land grant university / research
• Rural Sociology
• Women in male-dominated profession
• Women’s Learning
Findings
• Societal context for women learners
• Cooperative Extension and women’s
knowing/learning – not farm related
• Perceived male bias
• Types/Levels of female knowing
Societal context for women learners
Learning takes place in the home and family context as well as the broader
community. What might be considered traditional women’s work is not
necessarily valued. While there is no single home, family or community
experience, this is the place where gender identity and role expectations
and limitations are set.
The fundamental structure of society makes assumptions and uses
relationships to affect females. Because of this construct women occupy a
disadvantaged location in many educational settings. The family and
community conditions where socialization occurs may not value the
experiences and contributions they offer.
The cultural context of women learners is important if only because of its
influence on how women view themselves as learners.
Cooperative Extension and women’s knowing/learning
– not farm related
Cooperative Extension has experienced success teaching
women as the primary recipient of information. Food
preservation, food preparation and safety, nutrition, child care,
household finances and budgeting educational programs are
almost exclusively developed and taught by female educators
and attract a largely female audience.
Obviously the cultural contexts and expectations may be
different here than with an agricultural setting and the
instructors gender may differ, but this knowledge on women’s
learning may be transferable to other subject areas.
Perceived male bias
In gender relations it is often perceived to be easier to
understand and learn when the learner and instructor are the
same gender.
The predominance of instructional materials that reflect a
perspective not necessarily female and the scarcity of female
educational role models do not enhance the learning
environment for women
Education texts and language is predominately male biased.
Types/Levels of female knowing
Women have historically received a less than equal
share of Cooperative Extension efforts. This is
particularly true for farm women and their agricultural
business education needs.
“women farmer”
Women in agriculture groups
WIFE (Women Involved in Farm Economics)
Agri-Women
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Women’s Committee
The Society of Farm Women of Pennsylvania
Future Farmers of America
PA-WAgN
“Kind of support needed (in descending order)”:
women’s organization
discussion groups
affordable workshops
on-farm meeting
web site
business support
Individuals may approach learning
in ways that are characteristic of
their preferences, yet as
individuals in varying context we
are likely to use any number of
styles to learn.
(Ryan & David, 2003)
There is a dearth of research on
women and learning outside the
higher education or corporate
settings. Additionally, there is not a
singular category of women learners.
(Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger & Tarule 1986; Bierema, 1999; Gadzella,
Baloglu and Masten, 2001; Hayes & Flannery, 2002).
Our societal expectations for our
learning, our previous learning
experiences, the outcome of our
learning and the changes around us
because of our learning can all be
significant components of women’s
learning.
(Hayes & Flannery, 2002)
There are tendencies of women
learners, but the variation within
the category of women for their
preferred learning is wide.
(Severiens & Tem Dam, 1994)
Perceived women’s learning
characteristics may not be sex
specific.
(Brookfield & Preskill, 1999; Hayes & Flannery, 1997; Hayes & Flannery,
2002)
The difference among a sex
can exceed the difference
between sexes.
(Fennema, 2000)
Different people learn differently.
As women’s learning is explored and the
literature critiqued there are some
instances of preferences for learning that
do not represent a majority of women but
that may be none the less an important
insight for adult educators as they seek to
provide learning opportunities and
experiences.
"What can Adult Education academia
contribute to women farmer risk
management education efforts?"
John Berry
Ag Marketing Educator