Evaluating Improvements In Understanding And Skills For Chili Nursery Practices Through Practice-Based Training

Abstract

Chili (Capsicum annuum L.), locally known as lombok, is an important horticultural commodity for household consumption, but successful cultivation is strongly determined by nursery quality. This evaluative study aimed to analyze changes in participants' understanding and skills after participating in a practice-based chili nursery training program conducted by the Agrotechnology Student Association of Universitas Borneo Tarakan. The study was carried out on 9 May 2026 at STP Universitas Borneo Tarakan and involved students and members of the general public as respondents. An unpaired descriptive pre-post design was applied because unique respondent identifiers were not available. Data were collected using a 1-5 scale questionnaire, open-ended responses, and training documentation. There were 25 pre-training responses and 17 post-training responses. The results showed an increase in mean nursery understanding from 3.04 to 3.53, independent nursery ability from 2.92 to 4.00, and perceived usefulness from 4.40 to 4.53. Participants also rated material clarity at 4.29 and the usefulness of hands-on practice for understanding at 4.12. The main constraints included selecting quality seeds, pests and diseases, limited land, growing-media availability, and maintenance time. The findings indicate a positive tendency toward improving participants' readiness, but follow-up assistance across the complete cultivation cycle and objective skill assessment are needed.