การประสานสัมพันธ์การใช้รายการวิทยุเพื่อยุวเกษตรกร และการแพร่กระจายสารสนเทศระหว่างบุคคล เพื่อถ่ายทอดวิทยาการทางการเกษตร : ศึกษาเปรียบเทียบกลุ่มยุวเกษตรกรโกรกตะใกล้ อำเภอคง และกลุ่มยุวเกษตรกรโคกเพชร อำเภอชุมพวง จังหวัดนครราชสีมา / ประทุม ฤกษ์กลาง = The combination of using radio youth programs and diffusion of information for agricultural innovation among interpersonal communicators : a comparative study of agricultural youth groups at Kroke-Ta-Klai, amphoe Khong and Kokpetch, amphoe Chum Phuang, Nakhon Ratchasima / Pratoom Lerklang
The objectives of this research were (a) to study the effects of the combination of using radio youth programs and diffusion of information for agricultural innovation among interpersonal communicators, (b) to understand the communication structures of agricultural youth groups at Kroke-Ta-Klai and Kokpetch, (c) to know the indices of communication structures and the deterinants of network links, and (d) to know the patterns of diffusion of innovation from members of agricultural youth groups to other people in the society. A total of 52 members of agricultural youth groups (33 from Kroke-Ta-Klai and 19 from Kokpetch) comprised the sample for this research. The independent variables of this study were : the radio youth forums, the indices of communication structures, and the network links. The dependent variables were : the adoption and diffusion of innovation, including homophily, strong ties and housing distance of dyads. The data collected were based on the interviews with each individual member by using questionnaires prepared by the researcher. Seven hypotheses were formulated and tested in the study: 1. There is no significant difference between the Kroke-Ta-Klai and Kokpetch groups in terms of the effect of a combination of using radio youth programs and diffusion of information among interpersonal communicators upon the adoption of agricultural innovation. 2. Interpersonal communication is more effective for the adoption and diffusion of agricultural innovation than those of radio programs for both the Kroke-Ta-Klai and Kokpetch groups. 3. There is a significant difference in terms of the index of average system connectedness between those of the Kroke-Ta-Klai and Kokpetch groups. 4. There is a significant difference in terms of the index of diffusion of agricultural innovation between those of the Kroke-Ta-Klai and Kokpetch groups. 5. There is no significant difference between the Kroke-Ta-Klai and Kokpetch groups in terms of housing distance including homophily in age, income, and education levels, in order to determine the network links. 6. There is no significant difference between the Kroke-Ta-Klai and Kokpetch groups in terms of the number of links related to the adoption of agricultural innovation. 7. There is no significant difference between the Kroke-Ta-Klai and Kokpetch groups in terms of the members who transmited agricultural information for innovation to other people who have strong ties with them in the society. This study was conducted by using communication network analysis with the following major statistical tests : t-test, Pearson r correlation, and Second-order partial correlation. According to the hypothesis testings, hypotheses 2, 3, 4, and 7 were accepted. However, hypothesis 1, indicated that the Kroke-Ta-Klai group tended to adopt the agricultural innovation more than those of Kokpetch. For hypothesis 5, it was found that the members of the Kroke-Ta-Klai and Kokpetch groups who had links were close in housing distance and homophily in age, but they were different in income and education levels. Hypothesis 6, it was discovered that the adoption rates of agricultural innovation of members were related to the frequencies of listening and discussing radio youth forums for both members of the Kroke-Ta-Klai and Kokpetch groups. The important findings were: 1. By using communication network analysis, there were two cliques occurred in the communication structure of the Kroke-Ta-Klai group, but no clique was shown in the communication structure of the Kokpetch group. Moreover, there were more average system connectedness and system openness in the indices of communication structure for the Kokpetch group than those of the Kroke-Ta-Klai group. 2. Radio youth forums were effective for the adoption and diffusion of agricultural innovation in both the Kroke-Ta-Klai and Kokpetch groups. 3. Radio youth forums contricuted three functions in diffusion of innovation : (a) to be a channel for diffusion of innovation from the members to other people in the society, (b) to reduce heterophily in terms of diffusion gap between sources and receivers, and (c) to transmit information from mass media to other people in the society. Based on the results of this study, the researcher suggested the Agricultural Extension to continue promoting the radio youth forum programs.
