Participation and Attitudes of Community Extension Officers Towards Community Development

The study sought to present the profile of the respondents; determine the level of participation and attitudes of respondents towards community development in terms of community extension projects as to educational, livelihood, ecological projects; to determine the attitudes of respondents towards community involvement; determine the significant relationship between the attitudes and level of participation of the respondents towards community involvement. Researchers used quantitative method in the analysis of data with the questionnaire as a tool for gathering information. The participants for this study were 50 college community extension officers and staff from different colleges and universities in Batangas Province. The statistical tools used in determining the data gathered are frequency distribution, weighted mean, ranking scale and Pearson-r. Based on the result of the study, majority of the respondents are in the age bracket of 21-25 and 46 above, female, college graduate and from private schools. The level of participation of the respondents in community extension with regards to education, health, livelihood and ecological projects was highly evident and level of participation in planning the activities was high. Community extension officers strongly agreed that they should be consulted by the school officials on what community service is to be rendered. There is no significant relationship between the level of participation of the respondents in education related community extension while it is evident that there is a significant relationship in the level of participation and attitudes in health and nutrition; livelihood; ecological projects; and the planning the activities. It is recommended that; community extension officers should strictly monitor the progress of the programs to make sure which programs are to be enhanced or to be maintained and in order to improve their level of participation and attitudes towards community development.

Keywords – Community Extension, Education Related, Health and Nutrition, Livelihood, Ecological Project