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SEMINAR TOPIC

IMPACT OF PRACTICAL ON STUDENTS’ CHOICE OF

AGRICULTURE SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ABI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

OF CROSS RIVE STATE

PRESENTED

BY

NAME: Ekwere Ubongabsi E.

MATRIC NO: 03/74017TR UNIT: AGRIC EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF VOCATIONAL AND SPECIAL EDUCATION

FACULTY OFEDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR

SUBMITTED TO

DR. (MRS) M. ONABE

DEPARTMENT OF VOCATIONAL AND SPECIAL EDUCATION

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE COURSE REQUIREMENT

JULY, 2014

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1

1.2 Statement of the study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2

1.3 Purpose of the study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -2

1.4 Research question - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Impacts of practical agriculture - - - - - - - - - - -4

2.2 Measures for stimulating interest in practical - - 5

2.3 Ways of improving the concept of practical

Agriculture - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10

3.0 METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research design - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - 13

3.2 Area of study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13

3.3 Population of the study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13

3.4 Sampling techniques - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14

4.0 DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

4.1 Procedure for data collection - - - - - - - - - - - - 15

4.2 Method of data analysis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 15

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4.3 Data analysis and results - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 19

4.5 Discussion of finding - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 summary of the study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -22

5.2 Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 22

5.3 Recommendations - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 23

References - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 24

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Practical Agriculture is seen as the fundamental principle of

returning man to the farm. Practical Agriculture which remains a

vital component and constituent of the study of agriculture, if has

always been well argued that, the direct impact the practical aspect

of agricultural science has on the subject is un-measurable, little

wonder even the WAEC syllabus strictly indicates that, the practical

aspect must constitute the basics of teaching the subject.

The introduction and teaching of practical agriculture,

facilitates the process of acquisition, of the conceptual knowledge

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and practical skills that prepares students for a career in agricultural

sector.

Practical agriculture helps to eradicate” pseudo- teaching”. It

helps to re-address the pre-formed basis mind set that must have

been in the heart of young learners. Must schools use the concept of

agricultural simple practices, such as clearing of grasses, weeding

and the likes as punishment, therefore constituting or caring into

the student a wrong mindset, towards the subject?

1.2 Statement of the Problem

This study seeks to inquire into the secondary school students,

how practical agriculture impact in their study of agricultural

science. And how it has also formed a ground for their interest in

the subject as well.

The study also looks into student perception of practical

agriculture and how it affects their academic performance either

positively or negatively, in addition to this, the study is also focuses

at sampling their opinions about practical agriculture and its

relevance to agricultural science as a subject.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

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Generally, this study is aimed a attaining the following specific

purposes.

1.) To find out the impact of practical agriculture on students’ choice

has on agricultural science student.

2.) And to also find out find out the measures needed to stimulate

the students interest in the practical aspect of the subject.

1.4 Research Question

1.) What is the impact of practical agriculture on students’ choice of

agricultural science students?

2.) What are the hindrances to practical agriculture? And the

possible ways of improving practical agriculture in secondary

schools?

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2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

This has to do with the sampling of opinions from pre-existing

literatures of related literature and to check their stands and

recommendation as well.

2.1 Impacts of Practical Agriculture.

The term practical agriculture is an umbrella word, that holds

“ practical” and “ Agriculture”, this words has been defined as one

by the Tokyo University of Agriculture Journal (2001) as the

fundamental principle of returning man to the farm. It has also been

seen as the act and practices of the various agricultural activities.

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Practical agriculture has enormous impacts in secondary

schools. It is generally agreed that practical work facilitates the

process of acquisition of basic knowledge and practical skills that

prepares students for occupation in agriculture practical agriculture

in secondary schools has been a strong base where young mind

students are been introduced to the interesting and practical aspect

of the subject as said by Samuel .I. (2004) in his book “practical

agriculture.

Practical agriculture also add to the students practical

knowledge, practical agriculture makes the subject expand from just

theory into a conglomeration of theory and practical, where these

students have the opportunity to practice all what they have learnt

in the class.

Practical agriculture also add to the students academic

performance, agricultural science examination are mostly in two

forms practical and theory, and the students seizes the practical

aspect as an opportunity to help boost and upgrade their

deficiencies in the theory aspects even the West Africa Examination

Council (WAEC) syllabus gives sufficient room for practical

agriculture amidst other practical science subjects.

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2.2 Measures for Stimulating Interest in Practical Agriculture

Since the ideal impact of practical agriculture generally can

never be over emphasized, it becomes pertinent and essential to

formulates or look into measures that can help stimulate the

students interest to practical agriculture, and not forgetting that the

teachers also have to be stimulated or better still motivated as well.

Some of these measures includes:

Provision of sufficient land for school farm, the WAEC

requirement for a school to be a center to its exam, especially

practical subject, is the availability of the need demonstration field.

The WAEC guideline (2007) demands that every school who intends

to do or offer agriculture in or as part of the exam subject must

have a school farm or demonstration field or farm. This forms an

important base for the subject.

Appropriating marks for practical work stands on this ground

that practical agriculture should be seen and the act cultivated as a

course or subject requirement with an appropriated score or mark

for it. Practical agriculture would be effect in secondary schools,

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when scores are issued for the act other than it just been as a mere

practical which is a formality.

Involvement of student in the practical work is an important

aspect to consider in the measures to be employed to stimulate the

students. Interest, Uche (2005) emphasized that for student to

develop keen interest towards practical agriculture, they (students)

must be carried along but he also noted that excessive stranious

exercise must be avoided as much as possible, since they are not

really set for a career in agriculture yet, student involvement in

practical agriculture is of great importance in carrying them along.

Hindrances of attaining a sustainable practical agriculture in

secondary schools.

Agriculture in generally is faced with many hindrances,

challenges and bottle neck, but its great and enormous importance

to man still makes it act and practices prevail over the hindrances

some of these hindrances includes:

Lack of specialized man power: one of the major hindrance

pointed out by the United Nations University Publication (2005)

states it that in developing countries around the world, the major

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hindrance they face in practical agriculture is the lack of specialized

man power. This statement goes along way in concurring with

Ayodeji (2001) statement that for the practice subjects the major

constraint remains the lack of specialized man power to handle the

subject.

In most schools, there agricultural science teachers, especially

in secondary schools, are not agric educators by that I mean they

are not real graduate of agric education, and so would not know

really the boundaries and the integrity of their job, constituting to a

hindrance to a sustainable practical agriculture.

In availability land and equipment. Samuel Itodo (2004) in his

book practical agriculture, maintains the stand that most schools

lack school farm, and even the few that does especially in the urban

areas, lack the necessary equipment for the practice. This shows

that the absence of school farm, has greatly constituted to the gross

impediment to a sustainable practical agriculture.

Low salary structure, this fact in modern day Nigeria has

formulated or caused a drift from the teaching profession, due to

low salary structures of the teachers, this goes a long way in

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demoralizing the teachers, and impeding the practical aspect of

agriculture, with the belief that they are not valued compared to

their counterparts who also went to the same school as they did.

Tunde (2009) in his online article titled teaching and heavenly gift,

argues that one of the persisting reason why there is brain drain in

the sector is because of low insensitive to the teachers, which

restrains them from given their best, and instead they channel their

energy into other entrepreneurial activities, in the bid to make more

money.

Perception towards the subject and occupation at large: the

perception of most young mind toward the concept or subject is so

disdaining, Samuel Itodo (2004) pointed out that agriculture is not

exactly attractive, drudgery occasioned by crude methods, low

profitability of agricultural produce compared to oil and telecom,

difficulty in accessing agro-based markets among others are factors

conspiring to discourage young people from agriculture. He also

added that young people have a wide spreading mentality of

“making it big” at a spot, which agriculture rarely guarantees. He

identified all that as a problem to the attainment of a sustainable

practical agriculture, students perception of farmers as one old,

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rough looking poor man in the rural area has greatly affected the

practical aspect of agriculture at large.

In addition, the persisting and continuous use of practical

agriculture as a punishment tools, has re-sharpened the original

concept of practical agriculture, which has brought a backwardness

to it, especially in Africa, where clearing of grasses has been seen as

a direct substitute for flogging student who go against the school

rules. This has so re-sharpened their mind that even when the

teachers says its time for practical agriculture they tend to see it as

punishment time, but when its time for other science practical time,

they see it as business time.

2.3 Ways of improving the concept of practical agriculture

Despite the challenges facing practical agriculture in

secondary schools, it is important to mention that there is still a way

out for practical agriculture. Practical agriculture, which its

importance can not be over emphasized and has been described by

the Tokyo university of agriculture, as a fundamental principle of

returning man to the farm and has also been seen as the only way

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to sustain agriculture at large can be improved on in different way

which includes.

Re-vitalizing the agricultural sector in Nigeria since the

discovery of oil, there has been a sharp drift from the agriculture

sector and has rendered the sector handicapped. The major way of

improving and enhancing the impact of practical agriculture is by

addressing the problem in the sector, which ranges from funding

where teachers are under paid and expected to delivery like other

counterpart in other sector.

Provision of school farm in schools, ones there are provision of

school farm in the schools, it becomes easy even for the supervisors

to inspect the school farm and evaluate the work done and the

students involvement in it. Ones there are school farm in the

different schools, it would also avail the student the much needed

opportunity to own and control some small farming portion, to

practicalize what they have learnt in the class, and this would

enhance the impact on the student and would increase their

technical skills and even the chances of them willingly picking up a

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career in agriculture to ensure a sustainable agricultural production

in the future.

Training and re-training of agric-science teachers, the teachers

should also be sent for training, seminars, workshops, symposiums

and the likes, this is to ensure that the teachers brings up to date

information to the students, which would help spur up their interest

in the subject and would also train the teacher, and avail him the

opportunity to meet and mix with experts in the fixed and other

colleagues in the field as well, Tunde (2009).

This chapter discusses the research design, area of study,

population of the study, sampling technique, sample,

instrumentation, validity of the instrument, reliability of the

instrument and data collection procedure.

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3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research design

The design of this research work was survey design.

3.2 Area of study

The area of study was Abi Local Government Area of Cross

River State. This area has been chosen because of the researchers

familiarity and keen interest to study about the area. Abi Local

Government is located in the central part of cross River, it is

bounded by Ugep (Yakurr) and Biase on the east and west

respectively, it is also bounded by Ebonyi State on the north. Abi is

divided into three (3) clans, which are the Agbo, Bahumunu and the

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Igbo respectively, making up the acronym (A.B.I). Abi constitute of

ten (10) Council Words, they are mainly farmers and petty traders.

3.3 Population of the study

A total number of seventy students (70) and twenty (20)

teachers from ten selected secondary school in the Local

Government.

3.4 Sampling techniques

Seven students were selected from the ten different secondary

schools, with two agricultural science teachers as well the seven

students comprised of male and females; the students were not

selected but were randomly chosen. Questionnaire was given to the

selected teachers and student, the research did this with the help of

a research assistant and thereafter the questionnaires were

retrieved from them.

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4.0 DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

OF FINDINGS

4.1 Procedure for Data Collection

The questionnaire was administered to the respondents by the

researcher and a trained research assistant. Each of the sampled

schools was visited at a time. The instrument was personally

administered and retrieved there after; however before

administration the research explained the purpose of the research to

the respondents. She also emphasized the need for objectivity in

responding to the items.

4.2 Method of Data Analysis

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The data was analyzed by the mean and standard derivation.

Independent t- test was used to analyze the data, aimed at testing

the hypothesis of the study.

ANALYSIS

Hypothesis 1

There is no significant difference between the perceived impact of

students and teachers on practical agriculture

Table 1. Significant different between the perceived impacts

of student and teachers

variables N x SD Fig 1

t-cal

student 70 10.21 3.19

teachers 20 9.11 3.01 1.44

Total 90

P <0.05, df.88, cal t=1.69

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The result of table one, shows the calculated t- value of 1.04

was found to be less than the table value of 1.69 at 0.05 level of

significance with 88 degree of freedom. This result shows that there

is no significant difference between the perceived impacts of

students and teachers on the impact of practical agriculture.

The null hypothesis earlier stated that there is no significant

difference, therefore the hypothesis is uphold.

Hypothesis 2

There is no significant difference in the hindrance of practical

agriculture among teachers and students

Table 2. Hindrance of practical agriculture among teachers

and students

variables N x SD Fig 1

t-cal

student 70 8. 46 2.90

teachers 20 7.73 2.78 1.04

Total 90

P<0.05, df 88, cal t= 1.69

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The result in fig 3, show that the calculated t- value of 1.04

was found to be less than the table value of 1. 69 at 0.05 level of

significance with 88 degree of freedom. This result shows that there

is no significant difference in the hindrance of practical agriculture

among teachers and students.

The null hypothesis earlier stated that there is no significant

difference. So therefore the null hypothesis is upheld.

Hypothesis 3

There is no significant difference between the measures

employed by students and teachers in developing their interest in

practical agriculture.

Table 3. Measures employed by students and teachers in

developing their interest in practical agriculture.

variables N X SD Fig 1

t-cal

students 70 22.41 4.73

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teachers 20 20.98 4.58 1.23

Total 90

P<0.05, df 88, cal t= 1.69

The result in fig4, show that the calculated t- value of 1.23 was

found to be less than the table value of 1.69 at 0.05 level of

significance with 88 degree of freedom. This result shows that there

is no significant difference in the possible way of improving practical

agriculture in the opinion of students and teachers.

4.3 Data Analysis and Results

Hypothesis one

There is no significant difference between the perceived impact of

students and teachers on practical agriculture.

Independent variable – Practical agriculture

Dependant variable -Students/teachers perceived impacts.

Statistical tool - Independent t-test

Hypothesis two

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There is no significant difference hindrance of practical agriculture

among teachers and students.

Independent variable – Practical agriculture

Dependant variable – Hindrance of student and teachers

Statistical tool - Independent t-test

Hypothesis three

There is no significant difference in the possible way of improving

practical agriculture in the opinion of students and teachers.

Independent variable – Practical agriculture

Dependant variable – Student/ teachers opinion on ways

of improving practical agriculture

Statistical tool - Independent t-test

4.5 Discussion of Finding

From the above findings, it was found that the impact of

practical agriculture among secondary school student, with the case

study of Abi Local Government is enormous. This point is also

supported by Samuel (2004)

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The findings is also in line with Adebayo (2007) his work which

supports that practical agricultural is an important constituent of

agricultural science.

It was also gathered from the WAEC syllabus (2007), that

practical agriculture is an important requirement for the subject and

that, before any school would be certified fit to host or put in for

agricultural science must be provision for the practical aspect of the

subject.

Also from the finding, the opinion of teachers and students on

the strategies for the development of keen interest, which includes

increases in salary and availability of practical tools and equipment,

was also supported by Samson (2009) in his opinion that, increase

in the salary of teachers and provision of the necessary tools are the

primary requirement, if the right skills and act should be impacted

on agricultural science student.

The finding also identified some hindrance to an effective

practical agriculture and un-qualified teacher are one, just as

Osiofor (2009) stated that schools has one been seen in recent days

as a place for just any body who can not fit in other fact of the

economy, he noted that un-qualified teachers are one of the major

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hindrances to the visibility of the impact of practical agriculture in

our secondary school.

In addition the finding also looked into ways and measures to

ensure an improved practical agriculture, and it was found out that

the government, teachers, parents and students at large all have a

stake in ensuring that practical agriculture is thought at its best in

secondary schools, this was also in accordance to Jackson (2005),

when he stated that parent teachers and even the government must

regulate the curriculum and scheme of practical agriculture been

thought in schools.

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Summary of the Study

This study was designed to investigate the impact of practical

agriculture in secondary schools. In Abi Local Government. three

variables were investigated, they are the impacts of practical

agriculture, measures employed to develop interest the hindrance

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facing practical agriculture and the possible ways of improving

practical agriculture in Abi Local Government of Cross River State.

5.2 Conclusion

Based on the findings of the seminar work the following

conclusion were drawn

1. Practical agriculture increase student content knowledge of the

subject.

2. Practical agriculture also goes a long in increasing academic

performance of students, since the subject is in two face, the

practical and theory and different marks are been issued out

for the two sections.

3. Government and other related bodies should support

agriculture in secondary schools, by providing all the needed

tools and equipment.

4. School farm land, should be seen as a top agents, while sitting

the school and not a thing of luxury as, it is the status quo.

5.3 Recommendation

Based on the finding, the following are some recommendation.

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1. The school should desist from using farming activities as a tool

for punishment and start activities as a tool for advancement.

2. There should be proper funding of agriculture cultural science,

prompt provision of simple farm tools, insensitive should be

made available for the teachers as well.

3. Clubs like young farmers club should be encouraged to grow,

especially when it is confronted with clubs like jet which is seen

as number one science club, young farmers club should be

made educative and interesting as well.

4. Practical agriculture should be proctored in our secondary

schools.

REFERENCE

Adeyemi, S. O (2008). Impact of practical in science. Ibadan sunny

Publishers .

Ayodeji, O. B. (2001). Practical agriculture. Lagos. Lantern

publishers.

Jackson, S.O (2005) Effect of Agriculture. Rise press.

Ojiofor. P. T. (2009). Agriculture and its essence. Enugu Bright

Publishers.

[27]

Samson, T .N.(2009).Agriculture and economic development Lagos.

stars publications.

Tokyo University of Agriculture (2001). School garden conce.

practical agriculture in a growing economy. Vol 3, 169-126

Tunde, A. V. ( 2009). Sustainable agriculture. Osum. Ades

Publications.

Uche, J. O (2005). Agricultural science. Lagos. Vicbrine publications.