Evaluation of the effectiveness of graduate study programs for foreign students in agriculture-related fields: The case of INTA - Argentina
Abstract
The study is an evaluation of a program designed to train 212 technical personnel working for the Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA) of Argentina. The program was totally financed by funds provided by the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) which provided scholarships in order to get M.S., Ph.D. and other equivalent graduate degrees from European universities. Winrock International provided INTA with assistance to manage and administrate the program. The objective of the study was to determine the effectiveness of the procedures used in the management of the program. Four stages were analyzed: (1) Selection of candidates; (2) Predeparture arrangements and orientation; (3) Development of the academic program; and (4) Re-entry process. Two hundred and four students who received scholarships from September 1985 to January 1990 were sent a 47 item questionnaire covering aspects of the four steps of the project. A 15 item questionnaire was also delivered to gather the opinions of INTA's National Program Leaders and Regional Directors. They were surveyed about the same issues asked to the fellows. Response rates of 67% and 59% were obtained for each questionnaire respectively. The results of the study indicated that procedures used in selecting candidates were highly approved, while criteria used were considered either non-existent or based on less important factors. Arrangements made for language preparation and academic orientation were regarded as positive; however suggestions were made that fellows should anticipate their departure in order to adapt to the host culture before the study program began. Relevance of academic programs was reported high by fellows and superiors. Personal involvement in the academic planning was high for fellows and low for superiors. Adjustment was not reported as being a major problem. No differences were found among fellows in the USA or Europe. Re-entry was considered difficult by all fellows. No significant differences were found when it was analyzed by country or length of sojourn. As it was expected, fellows who studied at Latin American universities reported fewer difficulties in re-entry than those who studied elsewhere. Economic issues (rewards and funds for research) were reported as the most important problems. Recommendations for improving the management of this type of program include considerations with regard to the four stages under study as well as with regard to the role of international agencies and funding institutions.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Peters, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Agricultural education
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