Leading a
Discussion


sion-whether from the talk they have just heard, the demonstra-
tion they have seen, or from their own farming experience. The
discussion leader's task is to select the subject for discussion, direct
the farmers' attention to it-and then guide the group through a
discussion of it.
The processes of discussion will vary according to who has control
and the degree of formality:


Four kinds of discussion group are indicated here. In the top left
segment (A) we could place those occasions where the leader/
chairman remains in authority with respect to both the subject
matter and the manner of discussing it. It fits those kinds of
"discussion" where the extension worker asks all the questions,
takes up all the responses and gives most of the answers. Such a
discussion becomes more like what we were used to when children
at school and the teacher put us on test.

Illustration
A discussion that would fit this kind of controlled, formal approach
might go something like this:


EW:


Farmer One:


EW:


Farmer Two:


"You have now seen the new type of crib and the
improved basket. Why should maize be dried in a
store rather than in the field?"
"The birds do a lot of damage to the maize when it
is left in the field."
"Yes, that is one of the things I mentioned in my
talk. What else?"
"But I am concerned about the cost of these new
structures. Could you tell us how much it would
take to raise a basket like that?"


Chapter 9