Scoping review of Video-Mediated Agricultural Extension in Africa (Version 1)

Small-scale farmers constitute a significant portion of the agricultural workforce in Africa. Extension services facilitate the transfer of knowledge, technologies, and innovations, which enables farmers to adopt improved practices and technologies. However, traditional extension methods often face challenges in reaching a wide audience and effectively conveying complex technical information. The adoption of video-mediated extension has shown promising results. Studies conducted in various African countries have demonstrated that video-based approaches can lead to increased knowledge retention, improved adoption of agricultural practices, and enhanced social learning among farmers. The purpose of this scoping review was to synthesize and analyze the existing literature on video-mediated agricultural extension and its learning outcomes among small-scale farmers in Africa. Five electronic databases were utilized to identify peer-reviewed studies published across various journals for this review. Forty-three studies met the selection criteria and were used for this review. The findings showed that 65.1% of the reviewed studies demonstrated a high impact on farmers’ knowledge gains, while 51.2% reported behavior changes aligned with recommended practices. The results suggest that video-mediated extension, especially when delivered in local languages and facilitated by extension agents, can enhance farmers’ learning, knowledge retention, and adoption of improved agricultural techniques. Group viewing sessions and participatory video creation were found to foster social learning and community engagement. These findings also identify challenges, including limited technological access, financial barriers, and cultural and gender norms, in the context of video-mediated extension. This review offers a valuable resource for stakeholders seeking to design more effective educational interventions that utilize video as a tool for agricultural training.

 

Search strategy and data from 43 studies on video-mediated agricultural extension among small-scale farmers and extension officers in Africa. Includes methods, learning outcomes and challenges.