Knowledge-Behavior Gap in Soil Conservation: An Interventional Study with Small-Scale Farmers in Chile

Neaman, Alexander; Poblete, Francisca; Navarro-Villarroel, Claudia; Berroeta, Héctor; Burnham, Elliot; Castro, Mónica; Ermakov, Dmitry S.; Bijani, Masoud

doi:10.48311/jast.2026.24108

Knowledge-Behavior Gap in Soil Conservation: An Interventional Study with Small-Scale Farmers in Chile

Authors

Alexander Neaman ¹

Francisca Poblete ¹

Claudia Navarro-Villarroel ²

Héctor Berroeta ³

Elliot Burnham ⁴

Mónica Castro ⁴

Dmitry S. Ermakov ⁵

Masoud Bijani ⁶

¹ Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile

² Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile

³ Escuela de Psicología, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile

⁴ Escuela de Agronomía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Quillota, Chile

⁵ Department of Psychology and Pedagogy, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University), 6 Miklukho-Maklaya St., Moscow 117198, Russia

⁶ Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

10.48311/jast.2026.24108

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to analyze the impact of a soil management course on the farmers’ soil science knowledge and their soil conservation behaviors. The research involved 33 small-scale farmers in the Arica and Parinacota Region, Chile. This study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods, with data collected through surveys (pre- and post- course, and a subsequent retention test) and interviews following the retention test. The training course significantly enhanced farmers’ understanding of soil science, as demonstrated by their performance on the post-course survey and retention test. However, no statistically significant improvement was observed in farmers’ soil conservation behavior. Interview results confirmed these quantitative findings, and provided insights into the underlying mechanisms, which are consistent with the theories of the stage model of self-regulated behavioral change. Our study offers current evidence of the knowledge-behavior gap in agricultural decision-making. This study challenges the typical focus of agricultural extension activities on knowledge alone, highlighting how this approach overlooks potential behavioral changes resulting from the intervention.

Keywords

Agricultural extension

Behavioral change

Land degradation

Pro-environmental behavior

Soil protection

Subjects

Agricultural Extension and Education/Agricultural Development

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