Research

Dr. Mugabo studies how motivation, community resources, and digital technologies shape agricultural learning and innovation in underserved communities. Integrating Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT) and the Community Capitals Framework (CCF), his work examines how self-efficacy, identity, and community context influence engagement with learning and innovation — and how digital extension and ICT systems can strengthen agricultural knowledge dissemination and rural development outcomes.

His doctoral research at Purdue University studied how Rwandan smallholder farmers use mobile phones to access agricultural information, and how motivational beliefs and community capitals influence digital engagement. The study identified human capital utilization, attainment value, self-efficacy, and perceived cost as key factors associated with farmers’ mobile phone use, explaining nearly half of the variation in adoption.

Dr. Mugabo led implementation of the collaboration between Scientific Animations Without Borders (SAWBO) and the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), integrating digital animations into Rwanda’s national agricultural extension system and coordinating partnerships across government agencies, NGOs, and academic institutions.

Smallholder farmers produce much of the world’s food yet often lack timely access to agricultural knowledge. Understanding what motivates farmers to engage with digital tools — and how community resources support that engagement — helps build inclusive, evidence-based extension systems that improve access to agricultural knowledge for underserved populations.