A Descriptive Comparison of Farmer Field School (SLPTT) Implementation Quality and Farmers’ Knowledge Gains

Agricultural extension is a key tool for supporting farmer capacity building, and the quality of its implementation directly determines the actual effectiveness of extension work. This study focuses on the Integrated Crop Management Farmer Field School (SLPTT) program in Sumenep Regency, Indonesia, to assess the quality of program implementation relative to farmer knowledge improvement. The study employed a descriptive quantitative method, selecting 120 rice farmers from four sub-districts in the regency as survey respondents. A multidimensional index encompassing program socialization, farmer meetings, training consistency, and the role of extension workers was used to evaluate implementation quality, while the magnitude of knowledge improvement was measured by pre- and post-test scores. Results indicated that the quality of program implementation was very high across all study sites, with implementation index scores ranging from 4.38 to 4.69. Farmers in all sub-districts achieved knowledge improvements, with growth rates ranging from 30.58% in Manding District to 112.30% in Kota District, Sumenep. However, high implementation quality does not always result in proportional and synchronous improvements in farmer knowledge. Based on these findings, this study proposes strengthening participatory learning methods, clearly defining the role of agricultural extension officers, and optimizing project effectiveness to adapt to diverse local contexts.