Factors Affecting the Global Mindedness of Extension Agents: Implications for Building Global Awareness of Extension Agents

Abstract

Because of the profound effect that globalization has on our society the Cooperative Extension Service of the United States has been challenged to develop programs that help people deal with these changes. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of global mindedness among Extension agents in North Carolina and to identify the factors affecting their global mindedness. This study found that the typical Extension agent from North Carolina has a moderate to high level of global mindedness on this scale. This study found that the level of Extension agents’ global mindedness varies with their age, levels of education, gender and programming area of job responsibility. This study revealed that Extension agents with international experience have a higher level of global mindedness and the agents who have participated in programs such as the Peace Corps and study abroad were more globally minded. This study found a weak positive relationship between the length of time Extension agents have spent abroad and their global mindedness. This study is significant because it describes how to determine the global mindedness of Extension agents and identify the factors affecting their global mindedness.