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Students Perception Of Practical Agricultural Science In Senior Secondary Schools In Ilorin West L.g.a. Kwara State
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Provision of sufficient Land for school farm is one of the measures to be employed to stimulate students interest in practical agriculture. The school farm is a laboratory, specifically designed and operated, for the purpose of carrying out practical’s in agricultural science or education in order to impart knowledge and managerial skills to students through practice. It is an area specifically earmarked for agricultural activities, usually sited in the school or at a walking distance to the school compound. Olaitan (2001), in a study noted that students acquire agricultural knowledge in classrooms in such areas like crop production, forestry, fish farming, agricultural business, farm management, livestock production and so on. He stated that the school farm is an agricultural laboratory that interprets the acquired theoretical knowledge into practice through practical activities to gain experience. Students are guided on standard school farms through hands on experience to put the knowledge gained in the classrooms into practice on the school farm under the watch of the teacher. The school farm helps to inculcate into the students the need to value what they could not do or practice by themselves and for themselves. The school farm encourages the use of the head to think, eyes to see and to lay hands on actual operation or techniques to make learning easier and more permanent. According to Mama (2001), students are made to use their heads, hands and hearts (3Hs) during practical activities on the school farm to produce crops, livestock, keep records and participate in managerial activities. The respect for dignity of human labour is also built into the learners through this process.
The WAEC guideline (2007) demands that every school who intend to offer agriculture as part of the examination subject at secondary level must have a school farm or demonstration field this form an important base for the subject.
The importance of instructional materials in the teaching/learning experience has also been identified by Gibson (1981). Seawell (1990) and Bilgin (2006) confirm that without adequate pieces of apparatus, Agricultural Science and Science lesson would become rigid, boring, dull and unrealistic. The uniqueness of the subject therefore results from the variety of materials and experiment necessary for its effective teaching and learning .Effective use of teaching aids makes teaching more practical and learning more enhanced, leading to high self confidence and development of positive attitude to learning by student as noted by Umoinyang and Okpala (2001) and Falaye and Ayoola (2006). also have it that the mere use of these materials however does not guarantee effective teaching and communication. It is their careful selection and skilful handling by the teacher that renders them useful in facilitating learning (Bremner, 1990). It is therefore necessary for teachers to have working knowledge of the criteria to use in selecting and evaluating them and principle underlying their effective use. Although Okon and Ibanga (1982) had earlier recognized this fact and noted that successful instructional exercise depends primarily on the teachers dynamism and personality as well as professional competence.
Psychologists have carried out intensive and extensive empirical studies on effect of reinforcement on the course of learning. Research evidence bounds that the greater the amount of reinforcement the rapid the rate of interest and learning. If this statement is true then it’s correct to assume that behavior could be controlled by reward. Olaguntoye (2000) asserted that a stimulating and relevant course to the student will attract an over whelming enthusiastic responses different from the students sluggish and dull response. Olaitan (2000) says that student will create more interest in practical agriculture if they are exposed to the use of modern implements or machine such as tractor, sprayer, planter, harvester e.t.c, the use of different types of machine and chemicals rather than the traditional implements which involve the excessive use of energy.
Appraisal of Reviewed Literature
Some literatures reviewed in this study revealed that, the main purpose of teaching Agricultural science in secondary school is to train students to be self reliance and self-sufficient,( FRN , 2013 ) and to enable students acquire useful knowledge and practical skills in agriculture, FME (as cited by Obi, 2005)
From the literature reviewed it proved that the nature of agricultural science as a school subject demands for practical and involvement of students which was posited by Olaitan and Uwadie (2003) who emphasized “Learning by doingâ€.
Many factors were found to be responsible for the hindering effective practical’s and active participation of students, and the negative attitude put on toward practical agricultural science, Nwosu (1998) observed that girls fail to participate in science subjects due to their negative attitude on anything called science, Falaye and Ayoola (2006) corroborated this by submitting that practical component entails physical labour and strenuous gardening activities girls being weaker than boys usually prefer practical activities that are less tasking on physical energy and tend to dislike agricultural science.
Samuel (2004) reported lack of necessary equipment for practical while Olaniyan and Ojo (2008) corroborated that increase in student enrolment in Nigeria secondary schools have created large classes that make it difficult for one teacher to manage the practical classes, why Wootoyitide ,(2010), Ssekamuwa , (2009), UNESCO (1999) posit lack of fund and Erongu (1995) reported lack of school farm
Fertile (1992) also reported lack of motivation for student make them to lose interest in practical agricultural science; Olaitan (2004) asserted that student develop negative attitude towards practical agriculture because it does not deviate significantly from the traditional practice at home; Falaye and Ayoola (2006) corroborated this by pointing out that student attitude toward practical agricultural science is largely determined by their erroneous perception and misconception of the profession as the major livelihood option for the resource-poor farmers who have no other meaningful sustenance to earn a living, this myopic view as affected the students moral and perception negatively, Orodho (2014) in is own separate studies reported wrong perception of student towards agricultural science as one of the hindrances to practical’s in senior secondary schools
Osinem (2008), Samuel (2012), and Uche (2005) in their separate studies emphasized actual involvement of studenst in practical and motivation, will change the negative attitude of students toward practical agricultural science ,and Tatto corroborated this by reporting thar success of teaching and learning depend greatly on ability to motivate both learners and teachers. Based on the literature reviewed it seems clear that not much, and indeed very little, have been done regards to comparing perception of students on practical agricultural science in secondary schools. This present study aim at bridging the gap.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]ABSTRACTThe study investigate students perception of practical agricultural science in senior secondary in Ilorin west LGA, Kwara StateThe population for this study is made up of all Agricultural science students. The instrument used for this study was research design questionnaire and responses were elicited for the research, random sampling method was used to sample students offering agricultural science from each of the four schools involved in the study. Four research question and hypotheses ... Continue reading---
QUESTIONNAIRE - [ Total Page(s): 2 ]UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION QUESTIONNAIRE Students perception of practical agricultural science in senior secondary school in Ilorin west L.G.A kwara state.Dear respondent, This questionnaire is designed to help the researcher to have insight into secondary school students perception of practical agricultural science.The researcher will be highly delighted if you can tick (√) the correct information applicable to you, so as to enable him a ... Continue reading---
TABLE OF CONTENTS - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]TABLE OF CONTENTSTitle Page Certification DedicationAcknowledgements Abstract Table of Contents CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTIONBackground to the problem Statements of Problem Purpose of the Study Research Questions Research Hypotheses Scope of the Study Clarification of Major Terms and Variables Significance of the Study CHAPTER TWOLITERATURE REVIEWConcept of Agricultural Education Objectives and Contents of Agricultural Science Curriculum Empirical studies on stu ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER ONE - [ Total Page(s): 3 ]Statements of ProblemThe role of Agriculture to a nation cannot be underestimate ranging from availability of crops and animals in market to food security among other. Agricultural science is a practical oriented subject, the approach to teaching of agricultural science in most secondary school is taught theoretically and has failed to make an impression on the society (Sekamu,2009). FRN (2009) pointed out that Nigeria schools should teach practical skills, knowledge and value which will help sc ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER THREE - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGYThis chapter explained the procedure employed in carrying out the study. The methodology was discussed under the following subheadings:. Research Design Population of the Study, Sampling and Sampling Techniques Research Instrument, Validation of Instrument, Procedure for Data Collection and Data Analysis Techniques Research Design The research design used for this work is survey research. It is used in investigating the perception of secondary students towards ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER FOUR - [ Total Page(s): 7 ]Research Question 3Does gender perception of practical agricultural science influence their choice of agricultural science as a career.From Table 3 ,35( 85%) of male and33( 82.5%) of female student agreed that their perception of practical agricultural science make them to aspire to read agricultural science and related courses in higher institution while 5(15%) and 7(17%) of male and female respectively disagreed with the statement, which is a indication that the way the student view agricult ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER FIVE - [ Total Page(s): 2 ]Conclusion Based on the findings of the study, the following are the major conclusion 1 Students in the study area have a positive perception towards practical agricultural science and that there was no significant difference between the perception of students toward practical agricultural science. ,2 Student positive perception towards practical agricultural science influence there aspiration to study agricultural science or it related field as a career after their secondary school education. ... Continue reading---
REFRENCES - [ Total Page(s): 2 ]Taylor, C. (2009). A good school for every child: How to improve our schools. Oxon: Routledge.Itodo, S. A. 2004. Practical Agriculture. Ibadan, Abbey CityPrinting Press.Ikoji,. C. N and Agwubike, C. C. (2006) problem facing new agricultural science teachers in Delta State. European Journal of Science Research. 18 (2): 229-237. Ikoji, C. N and Agwubike, C. C. (2007). Perception of head agricultural science teacher regarding problem and challenges of vocational agriculture delivery in secondary ... Continue reading---
