Digital Intelligence Quotient for Operation of Agricultural Extension Officers in The Central Region, Thailand

The objectives of this study were to study 1) digital intelligence quotient of operations of agricultural extensionists, and 2) comparison of 8 aspects of digital intelligence, classified according to basic personal characteristics and some characteristics of digital technology usage. The sample group used were agricultural extensionists in the central region of 9 provinces, namely Bangkok, Chainat, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Lopburi, Saraburi, Singburi, and Ang Thong, using Simple Random Sampling, totaling 231 people. Data were collected by questionnaire with a confidence value of 0.851 during August - September 2023. Statistics used in the analysis include frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Hypothesis was tested by t-test, F-test, and pairwise difference analysis by LSD method. The results showed that the digital intelligence quotient of agricultural extensionists was in high level. (= 2.41). From the hypothesis, it was found that agricultural extensionists with different gender and educational levels differed in digital intelligence quotient at the statistically significant level of 0.05. As for age and media literacy, the difference was at the statistically significant level of 0.01. The problem of digital intelligence quotient for agricultural extensionists was rapid changes in digital technology which gave older agricultural extensionists a hard time to follow. However, agricultural extensionists should be aware of the dangers of the digital world by pursuing more knowledge in the topics of Privacy Management, Screen Time Management, and Digital footprints.