ABSTRACT

This study investigates factors militating against the use of school garden in teaching and learning of agricultural science in owerri west local government area of imo state. The study established some objectives upon which three (3) research questions were asked. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The population of this study contains of two thousand five hundred respondents (2,500) students offering agricultural science from 10 selected public secondary schools in owerri west L.G.A of imo state were involved in the study. A total sample of 250 was used as respondents for this study, 20 principals and 230 agricultural science teachers. Data were collected by using a rating scale on the factors militating against the use of school garden. The findings revealed that there is low use of school garden in teaching and learning of agricultural science. The researcher recommended that educational bodies should provide adequate school garden machinery’s and good management in the use of school garden. Government should ensure adequate provision of funds for the use of school garden and good power supply in senior secondary school.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

In this chapter the researcher presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, scope of the study, purpose of the study, significance of the study and research questions.

Background to the Study

In Nigerian secondary schools, agriculture has been recognized as a core curriculum subject. In view of this, Olaitan (2013) outlined certain philosophy regarding agriculture in schools to include (a) honest labour, for example planting seeds and rearing livestock is a worthy activity, (b) the wholesome food produced by agriculture is essential for good health (c) all available land would be utilized (d) standard of living can be raised by improving agricultural input and (e) the rural environment will be improved by raising the standard of living of the community.

The above philosophy of agriculture finds expression on the general and specific objectives of secondary school agriculture curriculum. In Junior Secondary School (JSS), the main objective is to equip students with introductory vocational skills in agriculture. At the Senior Secondary School (SSS) level, the objectives include to (a) stimulate and sustain students interest in agriculture, (b) enable students acquire basic knowledge and skills in agriculture (c) prepare students for further studies is agriculture, and (d) prepare students for occupation in agriculture (West African Examination Council, 2006). The above objectives are achievable within the provision of stipulated Agricultural Science Curriculum currently being implemented in secondary schools nationwide. A holistic implementation of agricultural science curriculum in secondary schools is expected to embrace classroom instruction and practical experiences which the students in agriculture are exposed to (Adegeye and Dittoh, 2015). Beside, adequate and qualified agricultural science teachers, adequate classrooms, agricultural science laboratory and school gardens are prerequisites to teaching and learning of agricultural science in schools. Though the above requirements are complementary, school gardens draws more attention in view of the fact that West African Examination Council (2006) recommended that schools must keep school gardens where crops are grown with at least one species of livestock, from each of the following two group: pigs, rabbit and poultry; goat, sheep and cattle and where feasible fish pond. School gardens are expected to have adequate equipment, gardens implements/tools, gardens structure and regular supply of inputs in addition to gardens space to accommodate crops and livestock managed by students under the supervision of their teachers (Ani, 2005). These are the fundamentals of an operational school gardens on which students could transfer classroom instruction to practical experiences in the field. In line with this, the school gardens offers students the opportunity to acquire knowledge, skills and competencies, and demonstrate gardens principles and practices, carry out field experiment which cannot be accommodated in the laboratory (Ani, 2009). In the overall, it caters for the interest of the rural dwellers whose major occupation is agriculture. They aim at giving a utilitarian and comprehensive education to the youths, gardens families and others who might be interested in agriculture as a vocation (Adesina, 1982; Grubb and Lazerson, 2005). In other to establish a well-equipped school gardens that effectively fit into the above roles, places significant demand on the students, teachers, school management, parents and the immediate community in terms of resources (Pimpa and Suwannapirom, 2008). In response to its increasing stakeholders, school gardens in various secondary schools in Nigeria, with the special emphasis on Owerri west LGA in Imo, are expanding their activities, roles and proceeds to reach its vested interest.

Consequently, school gardens are not just for practical experiences but embracing several other benefits. In view of this background, the study is aimed at determining the factors militating against the use of school garden in teaching and learning of agricultural science in secondary schools in Owerri west LGA in Imo.

Statement of the Problem

School garden is one of the prerequisites for effective implementation of agricultural science curriculum in secondary schools. But despite the fact that many secondary schools in Nigeria have the benefit of been sited on government or community land with relatively good space to accommodate a teaching gardens, there appears to be a paucity of well-equipped school gardens for effective teaching and learning in secondary schools (Ladele, 2006). In Owerri west LGA secondary schools, it has been observed that many of the existing school gardens lacked requisite structures, implements and other gardens facilities, while in others these facilities are in a state of complete dilapidation consequent to total neglect of practical lessons in the school gardens (Ladele, 1998). In some schools, most of the pupils come from rural gardens families with a detailed knowledge of traditional agriculture gained from their parents. In some cases, these pupils’ expectations from their learning experiences in school agriculture are high. But unfortunately practical experience appears elusive to them due to lack of school gardens (Ladele, 2006). In some schools especially in urban areas, pupils have no knowledge of agriculture and so their involvement in practical experiences in the school gardens is perceived as a drudge and untidy business. In order to reconcile these extremes of negative attitude calls for a study to determine the factors militating against the use of school garden in teaching and learning of agricultural science in secondary schools in Owerri west LGA in Imo.

Scope of the Study

The study is focused on determining the factors militating against the use of school gardens in teaching and learning of agricultural science in secondary schools in Owerri west LGA in Imo. Geographically, the scope of this study will be limited to government owned schools. The research also seeks to address issues such as Nature of School Gardens, Quality of school gardens, Frequency of adequate use of school gardens in teaching and learning of agricultural science, and perception of students towards use school gardens in teaching and learning of agricultural science.

Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of this study is to determine the factors militating against the use of school garden in teaching and learning of agricultural science in secondary schools in Owerri west LGA in Imo State, Nigeria. Specifically the study seeks to:

1. ascertain the nature of school gardens in secondary schools in Owerri west LGA in Imo, Nigeria.
2. determine the factors militating against the use of school gardens in teaching and learning of agricultural science in secondary schools in Owerri west LGA in Imo State, Nigeria.
3. make policy recommendations towards the improvemt of school gardens

 Significance of the study

The findings of the study will be of great benefit to the teachers, school students, school administration, research community and the society in the following ways;

To the teachers, the finding will expose them to gain valuable insights into the specific factors that impede the use of school gardens in their teaching methods. The students will also benefit from the study by identifying the factors that hinder the effective use of the school garden, students prespective can be taken into account, allowing for improvements in their learning experiences and engagements with the subject matter.

The school administrators can use the findings of this study to make informed decisions about resource, allocation, curriculum development and professional development opportunities for tecachers in the agricultural science domain.

The research community, including academics and scholars interested in educational practice and agricultural science can gain insight from this study to further their understanding of the challenges in implementing practical learning methods like school gathering in secondary education.

The society in Owerri west L.G.A can benefit indirectly from the study’s outcomes. Improving the quality of agricultural science education can have positive implications for local agriculture, sustainability, practices and overall awareness of agricultural issues.

Research Questions

The following research questions guided the study:

1. what are the school based factors that are militating the use of school gardens in teaching and learning of agricultural science in secondary schools in Owerri west LGA, Imo?
2. what are the teacher based factors that are militating the use of school gardens in teaching and learning of agricultural science in secondary schools in Owerri west LGA, Imo?
3. what are the student based factors that are militating the use of school gardens in teaching and learning of agricultural science in secondary schools in Owerri west LGA, Imo?
   

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   Pages:  75

   Category: Project

   Format:  Word & PDF               

   Chapters: 1-5                                          

   Source: Imsuinfo

   Material contains Table of Content, Abstract and References.