Digging Into Digital: Investigating the Self-perceived Social Media Competency of Oklahoma Extension Master Gardeners

Digging Into Digital: Investigating the Self-perceived Social Media Competency of Oklahoma Extension Master Gardeners

Social media platforms exhibit the capacity to serve as a beneficial tool for Cooperative Extension Service (CES) outreach endeavors. However, Extension educators face barriers adopting these platforms, including time constraints and lack of training. This study investigated whether Oklahoma’s Exten...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Brooklyn Evans, Audrey E.H. King, Lauren Lewis Cline, Justin Quetone Moss, Kenna Sandberg
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) 2025-01-01
Series:HortTechnology
Subjects:
extension master gardeners
self-efficacy
social cognitive theory
social media
Online Access:https://journals.ashs.org/horttech/view/journals/horttech/35/2/article-p117.xml
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Summary:Social media platforms exhibit the capacity to serve as a beneficial tool for Cooperative Extension Service (CES) outreach endeavors. However, Extension educators face barriers adopting these platforms, including time constraints and lack of training. This study investigated whether Oklahoma’s Extension Master Gardeners (OK-EMGs) volunteers could support local CES social media efforts to combat horticultural misinformation by assessing their self-perceived social media competency. Overall, 219 OK-EMGs completed an online survey with 28 Likert-type scale questions representing the following four competency constructs: technical usability, content interpretation, content generation, and anticipatory reflection. Scores were relatively high across constructs. Statistical differences existed between digital natives and digital immigrants for technical usability only, indicating that generational technology exposure affects platform navigation abilities. No correlation occurred between competency and OK-EMG tenure, thus inferring skills come from external social media experience rather than training. Tailored programming by age and incorporating social media into curriculum could elevate competencies. The OK-EMGs demonstrate potential for assisting with local Extension online efforts of combatting horticultural misinformation and guiding community members to credible CES resources.
ISSN:1943-7714

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