Abstract:
Cooperative education plays a crucial role in the development of Agricultural Marketing
Cooperative Societies (AMCOS). Despite its significance, recent years have witnessed
challenges in the cooperative sector being associated with the provision of education. However,
the existing research has predominantly focused on the absence of cooperative education and
poor participation among members, neglecting such members’ perceptions towards
education provided. As such, this study examines perceptions of AMCOS members regarding
cooperative education. More specifically, the study determines members ' perceptions of the
cooperative education setup, implementation, and alignment of such cooperative education to
cooperative principles. Employing purposive sampling technique, the study gathered data from
64 participants through focus group discussions and interviews. Qualitative methods were
utilized for data analysis. Results indicated that AMCOS members harbor negative perceptions
regarding the adequacy, approach, teaching methodology, target audience, and evaluation of
cooperative education. Members reported dissatisfaction due to the lack of practical
applicability, insufficient training duration, and perceived irrelevance of the content. The study
concludes that the existing cooperative education programs are unfavorably perceived by
members. Based on the findings, it is suggested that reforms in cooperative education delivery
be implemented, advocating for inclusivity across all community groups. Additionally,
facilitators ought to optimize the allocated time to ensure members derive maximum benefit
from training aligned with educational objectives. Furthermore, agricultural and cooperative
officers should frequently visit AMCOS to educate members on cooperative education matters.
These reforms aim to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of AMCOS by fostering a
positive perception and engagement among their members.
