ABSTRACT
Cotton is the main cash crop in Pakistan and it contributes 0.8% shares in GDP (Gross domestic product). The area of cotton in Pakistan is increased in recent years but its production is decreasing due to unfavorable climatic conditions. COVID-19 outbreak has also an effect on cotton consumption. From August 2019 to July 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic reduced global cotton consumption by 15%. Agricultural extension and advisory activities play an important role in agricultural development and can help to improve the living conditions of farmers. Keeping in view the importance of working in agriculture field staff for cotton, the present study was designed to analyze the quality of knowledge transferred by agriculture field staff. The present study was based on primary data and conducted in the district Muzfargarh becsasue it is one of major cotton producing district of Pujnab, Pakistan. A total of 180 respondents were taken from Tehsil Alipur of Muzfargarh from different union councils through a simple random sampling technique and interviewed through a pretested structured interview schedule. The data collected was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). About 58% of the respondents identified that extension meetings are good source of information and 37.7% of the respondent said that agricultural field staff visit them on monthly basis. Impact of improved cotton management practices on health rated satisfactory by 52.77% of respondents. Based on findings it is recommended that the government should work with all stakeholders to implement regular training programs for cotton farmers in all areas. Monitoring of agricultural field staff should also be done on regular basis. Modern ways of communications should be implemented in rural areas for the quality of knowledge transfer among cotton growers.
ABSTRACT
Objective: Motivation is one of the most integral components of learning. It is influenced by the student's personality, capabilities, talent, capacities, aptitudes, interests, behaviour, knacks, teachers' behaviors, and environment. In our current we checked the potential of students by using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) from online learning during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Method: A modified pre-structured, valid, and reliable questionnaire MSLQ was used to access the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, Task value, self-efficacy for learning and performance, test anxiety, rehearsal, elaboration, cognition, metacognition, different types of resources management, academic year, and gender. The Cronbach alpha of multiple strategies of MSLQ is, ranging from .52 to .93. Results: This Descriptive Cross-sectional study was conducted at CMH Lahore Medical College from June 2021 to July 2021. Out of 121 students, 38.8% were male and 61.2% were female. First-year students were responded 55% and seniors' students 45%. MSLQ motivation items evidenced mean scores between 4.79 +/- 1.39 and 5.47 +/- 1.39, while MSLQ learning strategy items, mean scores ranged between 4.51 +/- 1.66 and 5.45 +/- 1.55. Conclusion: These results are also dependent on intrinsic factors such as one's effort, as opposed to external factors such as the teacher.
ABSTRACT
Purpose Citizen journalism practices through social networking sites are increasingly becoming an imperative source of public opinion formation. Given the increase in the volume of information sharing on social media during COVID-19, this study aims to grasp the largely unknown interaction of the individual's trust in citizen journalism practices and public perception formulation. Drawing on this idea, the study has twofold objectives: first, to examine the influence of user-generated information about economic policies of government during COVID-19 as the antecedent of public perception about government performance and second, to identify the moderating role of trust in citizen journalism practices during COVID-19 through social networking sites. Design/methodology/approach The study used a survey method and a sample of 464 adults were collected through an online administrated questionnaire. Findings The findings specify that user-generated content that is pro-government economic policies during COVID-19 positively influenced the perception of government performance. On the other hand, user-generated information that criticized government economic policies had a negative influence on public perception. Originality/value This study seeks to intensify the understudied phenomenon of how nature and source of the information could interact to influence one's information processing during a crisis such as pandemic COVID-19. Furthermore, only a little research has been conducted in this area focusing on two mechanisms, namely;citizen journalism and trust in social media user-generated information about prevailing economic insecurities during crisis provided through citizen journalism.