Author : Patpong Kanchanarochna

Summary : The study aimed to describe the present in-service program for the Tumbol agents (TA); to determine the Tumbol agents' training needs as perceived by the Tumbol agents, Amphur agents (AA), and subject matter specialists (SMS); to find out the congruency of their perceptions; to identify the factors that might affect the perception of training needs; and to develop an-inservice training plan for the TAs. The study was conducted in the central plain of Thailand. The respondents were composed of 161 TAs, 45 AAs, 15 SMS, 6 chiefs of provincial extension centers, and 1 director ofa training office. Data were gathered by means of questionnaires, interview schedules, and participant observations. The scoring system, the Kendall Rank Correlation Coefficient, and Kendall coefficient of concordance were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that the present in-service training program for TAs had been regularly conducted bi-weekly (called fornightly training program) by the SMS in coordination with the AA. Training sessions were evaluated, covering an average of 4 districts and 29 TAs for every one-day training. The average time spent for this activity was 5.68 hours. The training methods applied consisted of lectures, problem analysis, impact point reports, demonstrations, and field trips.