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Projects with Promise

Vol. 25 No. 4

Regular Farm Family Visits as an Approach to Community Engagement and Learning in Agricultural Higher Education: A Sri Lankan Experience

Submitted
April 14, 2020
Published
2021-12-15

Abstract

This study employed a mixed approach to evaluate the “regular farm-family visits” by undergraduate students of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka as a community engagement and learning approach. Data collection was done using a questionnaire survey with the students and structured interviews with the host farm families. The journals submitted by students on their learning experience were also examined as a qualitative measure. According to the results of the study, “farm-families” have served as a “social laboratory” for the students and both students and the community had been benefitted. Elements of community based learning, experiential learning, service learning and problem based learning were identified as the embedded characteristics of this learning approach. Identified strengths and limitations would be important to improve this pedagogical method of community engagement and learning in agriculture higher education.