ERIC Number: EJ1167133
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1042-0541
EISSN: N/A
Identifying the Needs of Opinion Leaders to Encourage Widespread Adoption of Water Conservation and Protection
Taylor, Melissa R.; Lamm, Alexa J.
Journal of Agricultural Education, v58 n4 p269-281 2017
Opinion leaders are persuasive in convincing others within their social networks to adopt certain opinions and behaviors. By identifying and using opinion leaders, agricultural educators may be able to leverage individuals who have influence on others' opinions, thereby speeding up the adoption of new practices. In this article, we review a statewide survey to define opinion leaders and understand their current water conservation practices. Additionally, by using the theoretical framework of the diffusion of innovations, we explored what subject matter areas opinion leaders are most interested in, and where they go for more information. These findings will identify how agricultural educators can reach opinion leaders to help disseminate important water conservation information. The findings indicated opinion leaders have a good grasp on how to conserve water, but are still misusing water in terms of protecting its quality. Based on these findings it is suggested that agricultural educators develop educational programming focused on improving opinion leaders' knowledge of water pollution; a connection needs to be made between water quality and the environment.
Descriptors: Public Opinion, Leadership Responsibility, Social Networks, Agricultural Education, Extension Education, Teacher Role, Influences, State Surveys, Water, Conservation (Environment), Information Dissemination, Behavior, Attitude Measures, Individual Characteristics, Likert Scales
American Association for Agricultural Education. P.O. Box 7607, Department of Agricultural and Extension Education, Raleigh, NC 27695. Web site: http://www.aaaeonline.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Florida
Grant or Contract Numbers: FLAAECOO5224