Rural Adult Education: Recommendations for Priority Watershed Projects

Abstract

The study, undertaken to develop recommendations to effectively educate rural landowners on water quality matters, examined characteristics of the rural social and cultural environment, the rural adult learner, and inventoried existing information and education materials on priority watershed projects. During March to June of 1986, 439 rural landowner surveys were mailed out in the Milwaukee River basin to examine landowners' perceptions of water quality problems, responses to various water quality improvement programs, local land and farm characteristics, and landowners' socio-economic characteristics. The dependent variable was the landowners' willingness to participate in water quality programs. The independent variables of landowner age, income, education, influence of family, self perception, perception of water quality problems, influence of friends and community, size and type of farming operation, and land tenure status were compared to participation in water quality programs. Statistical analysis using the chi-square test indicated that awareness of water quality problems, landowner age, and education were significantly related to the dependent variable.