Smallholder Farmers' Motivation and Utilization of Community Capital in Phone Use for Agriculture

Описание: Dr. Aimable Mugabo shares his dissertation defense. The presentation titled 'Smallholder Farmers' Motivation and Utilization of Community Capital in Mobile Phone Use for Agriculture' was presented on March 3, 2026 at Purdue University. Understanding the factors associated with smallholder farmers’ use of mobile phone-based agricultural information services is critical for strengthening agricultural extension systems in developing contexts. The purpose of this study was to describe and predict motivation and community capital as related to the adoption of mobile phone-based ICTs for agricultural information among smallholder farmers in Rwanda. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was used to collect data from 442 smallholder farmers in Rwanda using a structured questionnaire. Psychometrically, the questionnaire measured motivational constructs based on Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT), community capital utilization based on the Community Capitals Framework (CCF), and mobile phone use for agricultural information. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and hierarchical multiple regression. Results indicated that the regression model was statistically significant and explained 45% of the variance in mobile phone use. Human capital utilization, attainment value, self-efficacy, and perceived cost emerged as significant predictors. Measuring the use of community capitals explained motivational to help predict smallholder farmers’ use of mobile phones to make agricultural decisions.. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening human capital and designing motivationally responsive digital extension interventions for smallholder farmers.