Analysis of Rural Women's Motivations for Participation in Extension and Education Programs

The main purpose of this descriptive survey research was to investigate the motives of rural women for participation in extension education courses. The statistical population consisted of rural women participating in extension courses organized by Bisotoone Center of Extension Education، Kermanshah Province (N=260). Data were collected from 175 women selected through systematic random sampling procedure. The main research instrument was a questionnaire that reviewed for construct and face validity by a panel of agricultural extension and education experts. Reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach’s alpha (α= 0. 85). Results of the analyses showed that rural women have diverse and positive motivations for participating in extension education courses. Factor analysis revealed that the main motives of rural women are need achievement، communication، economic empowerment، and help to others.