Availability Of Laboratory Facilities For Effective Teaching And Learning Of Animal Husbandry In Senior Secondary School With A Particular Reference To Orsu Local Government Area Of Imo State

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the availability of laboratory facilities for effective teaching and learning of animal husbandry in senior secondary school with a particular reference to Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State. To achieve this objectives three research questions were formulated to guide this study, the study adopted a descriptive survey design. The population of the study comprises of senior secondary students from both private and public school. A simple random techniques were employed to select one hundred and twenty (120) respondents in the five private and public senior secondary schools in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire made up of twenty items and validated by two expert one in Agricultural education department and one from Measure and Evaluation both from federal college of education. One hundred and twenty questionnaire were administered and collection was made on a spot. Data Collected was analyzed using mean statistics and standard deviation. Result of the finding revealed that laboratory facilities plays an important roles in teaching and learning of animal husbandry with a grand mean of 3.43, that there is no available laboratory facilities for teaching and learning of animal husbandry with a grand mean of 2.2, also teachers faces challenges in using laboratory facilities for teaching animal husbandry with a grand mean of 3.2.

Based on the finding it was recommended among others  that; the school administrators/principals in secondary schools in collaboration with school management as well as animal husbandry teachers  should assist students for  concept acquisition and development in animal husbandry in order for the students to be aware of the importance of laboratory facilities, there should be effective and efficient utilization of the available laboratory facilities for the educational objectives to be achieved.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Animal husbandry is a branch of Agricultural science which deals with the practice of breeding, farming and care of farm animals such as cattle, sheep, goat, poultry e.t.c. by human for use. Animal husbandry refers to livestock raising and selective breeding. Aleyideino and Okafor (2014). A large number of farmers depends on animal husbandry for their livelihood, in addition to supplying milk, meat, eggs, wool and hides, animals mainly bullock are major source of power for farmer. Animal husbandry is the management and care of farm animals by human for profit in which genetic qualities and behavior, considered to be advantage to humans are further developed.

The branch of science, which deals with the study of various breeds of domesticated animals and their management for obtaining better products and services from them, is known as Animal Husbandry. The term husbandry derives from the word “husband” which means ‘one who takes care’. When it incorporates the study of proper utilization of economically important domestic animals, it is called Livestock Management (Kritita 2018). Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fiber, milk, eggs, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starting with the Neolithic revolution when animals were first domesticated, from around 13,000 BC onwards, antedating farming of the first crops. By the time of early civilizations such as ancient Egypt, cattle, sheep , goats and pigs were being raised on farms (Rebanks, James 2015).

When we use the word “Animal” in animal husbandry, we mean only those domesticated animals which are reared mostly for economic or for recreation purposes, such as cattle, sheep, goat, camel, pig, poultry e.t.c. Since long time, animals like bees and silkworm, have been used by humans. Livestock has been used by humans for products like milk, eggs, meat, wool, silk, honey, etc ( Kritita 2018).

Animal husbandry laboratories facilities include: Thermometer, hoof trimming tools, strip cup, castrator among others are currently understood as a means for providing students practice in application of theories taught in the classroom (Catherine 2012). Laboratory is defined as a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments and measurement may be performed (Fritzsehe, 2017).

Nworgu in Okafor (2014) said that teaching of animal husbandry involves the three domains of learning, or educational objectives namely; cognitive, affective and psychomotor. He said that teachers of animal husbandry mostly emphasize on cognitive domain at the expense of the other two domains. The development of psychomotor domain involves practical activities which require laboratory facilities and equipments. Mustapha (2012) stated that practical work in animal husbandry school provides learners with opportunities to use animal husbandry equipments to develop problem solving attitudes needed for future Work in animal husbandry.

Etukudo (2014) opine that laboratory method of teaching is presumed to be capable of fully involving the individual learner in the learning and teaching activities as Well as helped to remove individual differences and absent mindedness. He added that laboratory offers singular privilege of manipulating apparatus or teaching aids students to obtain a desirable result. Also, he said the use of instructional materials which laboratory techniques offers, enhance better understanding of curriculum content. He further stressed that experimentation learning and laboratory teaching are good pedagogy for discovery learning and mastering of abstract skills as Well as building up of low learners abilities.

It was against this background that the researcher deemed it necessary to examine the availability of laboratory facilities in teaching and learning of animal husbandry in senior secondary schools in the study area.

Statement of the Problem

The persistent poor performance of secondary school students in Animal Husbandry in senior secondary schools examination is causing serious concern in education circles. This is because of the vital rule animal husbandry plays in the life of an economic system. Animal rearing not only provides food and raw materials but also employment opportunity to a very large proportion of the population as well as enhances the scientific and technological advancement of this country. The West African senior school certificate examination result shows a persistent un-achievement of students in animal husbandry. (Adegoke 2017).

Students’ unachievement in animal husbandry can be attributed to lack of familiarity With common laboratory equipments or apparatus and poor knowledge in the fundamental principles and procedures for practical (Adegoke 2017). This implies that senior secondary school students are not sufficiently exposed to animal husbandry laboratory facilities through agricultural or laboratory exercises prior to Senior School Certificate Examination; hence students are unfamiliar with  laboratory facilities and are unable to use them during practical Work.

Consequently they performed poorly in animal husbandry. This study therefore investigated the availability of laboratory facilities for teaching and learning of animal husbandry in senior secondary schools.

Research questions

1. What are the roles of laboratory facilities for effective teaching and learning of animal husbandry?
2. What are the available laboratory facilities for effective teaching and learning of animal husbandry?
3. What are the challenges teacher faces in using laboratory facilities for effective teaching and learning of animal husbandry?

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the availability of laboratory facilities in teaching and learning of animal husbandry in senior secondary schools in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State

The specific purpose of this study is to:

1. To examine the roles of laboratory facilities for effective teaching and learning of animal husbandry.
2. To investigate the availability of laboratory facilities in teaching and learning of animal husbandry in senior secondary schools in Orsu L.G.A of Imo State
3. To examine the challenges teachers face in using laboratory facilities for effective teaching and learning of animal husbandry

Significance of the Study

The finding of this research work would be beneficial to the state and to the nation at large in the following ways.

It provides administrators, school principals and animal husbandry teachers with necessary information on the importance of laboratory facilities in the teaching and learning of animal husbandry. This will also enhance maximum utilization of laboratory by teachers and their students.

Furthermore, the finding will improve the performance of students in animal husbandry through the utilization of laboratory facilities if they are made available and also upgrade them for further studies in science.

In addition the outcome of the research will both scientific process and attitude of student it will also help the curriculum planners to lay more emphasis on the needs for availability laboratory facilities and equipments as major tools in learning animal husbandry in order to enhance teaching and learning process in this country it will also stimulate the curriculum planners and administrators of schools to organized seminars and workshop for the teachers in order to exposed or widen their knowledge on how to utilized and manipulate the available laboratory facilities and equipment instead of allowing cobwebs and insects to be in charge. It will also encourage students to practice science through science exhibition, projects and completion among different levels.

Finally, the outcome of the research would encourage inspectorate division of ministry of education to be up and doing in checking how the laboratory facilities are utilized by the teachers and their students so as to advice government on the need to build more school laboratories and provide more laboratory equipments and materials to carter for the large class syndrome in the secondary schools.

This will discourage teaching and learning by recognition of facts and encourage experimentation and exploration which are activity based and in line with one of the objectives of the nation’s policy on education.

Scope of the Study

The study covered the availability of laboratory facilities in teaching and learning of animal husbandry in senior secondary schools in Orsu  Local Government of Imo State.

Furthermore, the study will concentrate on the roles of laboratory facilities, available laboratory facilities as well as the challenges teacher faces in using laboratory facilities in teaching and learning of animal husbandry in senior secondary schools in Orsu  Local Government of Imo State.

Pages:  70

Category: Project

Format:  Word & PDF               

Chapters: 1-5                                          

Source: Imsuinfo

Material contains Table of Content, Abstract and References.