Perceived Influence of Agricultural Science in Career Choice by J.S.S Students in Benue State
Chapter One
Generalย Objective
Theย mainย objectiveย of this study was to determineย theย influenceย ofย selected factorsย inย theย choiceย ofย agricultureย asย aย subjectย ofย studyย amongย junior secondary school students.
Specificย Objectives
Theย studyย wasย guidedย byย theย followingย specificย objectives:
- To determine the influence of teaching methods on the choice of agriculture among students in secondary
- To establish the influence of gender on the choice of agriculture among students in secondary schools.
- To investigate the influence of studentsโ attitude on the choice of agriculture in secondary
- To examine the influence of school financing on the choice of agriculture among students in secondary
CHAPTERย TWO
LITERATUREย REVIEW
ย Introduction
This chapter discusses different related literature that has been written on the factors thatย influence the choice of agriculture among junior secondary school students in Benueย State and elsewhere.Theย conceptual framework ofย theย study was basedย on theย variablesย on factors influencing the choiceย ofย agricultureย among junior secondary school students.ย The choiceย is influenced by: Teachers teaching methods, gender, ability of the student, attitude of theย student,ย homeย backgroundย ofย theย student,ย levelย ofย educationย ofย parents,ย choiceย ofย theย subjectย inย Nigeriaย certificateย ofย secondaryย education,teachingย learningย resources,ย groupingย ofย subjectsย byย theย Nigeriaย Instituteย ofย Curriculumย Development,ย career guidance,ย career opportunities,ย culturalย beliefs,ย social/economicย activities,ย religion,ย andย peerย groupย influence.
Teachingย Methodsย onย Choiceย ofย Agriculture
Nyangiย (2012) studiedย the influenceย ofย teachersโ teaching methods on theย choice of biologyย inย Nigerianย secondaryย schools.ย Theย studyย usedย cross-sectionalย researchย designย whichย employed simple random sampling techniques. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze theย data.ย Fromย theย results,ย itย wasย foundย thatย thereย wereย differentย factorsย hinderingย studentsโย choice of subjects starting from home science which lacked interest of the students, wideย syllabus,ย inadequateย facilitiesย forย practicalย lessons,ย lackย ofย interestย amongย homeย scienceย teachers,ย and lack of qualifications among some teachers. This study, however, focused onย teachersโย teachingย methodsย onย theย choiceย ofย agricultureย inย secondaryย schools.
Salibury and Roddel (2000) studied the influence of teaching methods on certain subjects inย secondary schools. The study found that teachersโ attitudes and behaviour towards certainย subjectsย affectย studentsย inย someย waysย whenย itย comesย toย subjectย choice.ย Theย studyย further found out that students choose a subject because they like the way the teacher delivers theย content, his/her positive attitude towards the subject,and that students do not choose a subjectย becauseย theย teacherย doesย notย handleย itย adequately.ย Theย methodsย ofย teachingย usedย byย theย teacher have aย significantย influence on studentsโ choice of subjects.ย Thisย study instead soughtย toย determineย whetherย lessonย preparationย influenceย theย choiceย ofย agriculture.
Eshiwaniย (2001)ย indicatesย thatย poorย teachingย methodsย isย attributedย toย lowย enrolmentย ofย students taking agriculture in most schools in the country . This is due to lack of role modelsย among teachersย sinceย there areย fewer females asย compared to malesย whichย has created aย negativeย attitudeย inย theย choiceย ofย agricultureย byย students.ย Onย theย otherย hand,ย positiveย orย negativeย attitudesย towardsย theย subjectย isย influencedย byย parentsย whoย feelย thatย agriculture-ย relatedย careersย areย lowย payingย andย thereforeย discourageย theirย childrenย fromย choosingย theย subjectย andย insteadย encourageย themย toย ventureย intoย otherย fields.ย Theย parentsย wouldย preferย their children to undertake courses that have quick returns to change their lifestyle in future.ย Eshiwaniโs finding that gender is a factor in subject choice among junior secondary school studentsย was of interest in this study; we sought to determine to what extent it affects student choice ofย agriculture.
Theย studyย wasย doneย inย homeย science,ย whichย isย oneย ofย theย groupย fourย technicalย subjectsย chosenย byย studentsย inย secondaryย schoolsย inย Nigeria.ย Agricultureย isย oneย ofย themย andย aย concernย for this study to determine whether lesson attendance by the teachers has an influence on theย choiceย ofย agricultureย amongย students.Theย influenceย ofย teachersย onย studentsโย choiceย ofย subjects in any institution is paramount since students rely on teachersโ advice on subjectย choices.ย Thisย means that teachersย should be goodย roleย models at all timesย sinceย studentsย imitateย themย inย allย thatย theyย do.ย Educationย isย oneย ofย theย mostย effectiveย developmentย investmentsย aย countryย canย makeย sinceย itย isย recognizedย globally. Itย isย oneย ofย theย critical pathwaysย toย promoteย socialย andย economicย developmentย (Worldย Bank,ย 2005).ย Itย enablesย development of better life and world by raising the economy, reducing fertility rate, reducingย infantย andย maternalย mortality,ย improvesย livelihoodsย ofย families,ย andย enhancesย betterย educationย forย childrenย (Gachukia,ย 1999).
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A study by Coonery (1990) revealed that an effective teacher will make students to understand agricultural science.This concurred withIzumi and Evess (2002) in their study on factors that influence students choice of subject for study. They state that quality of teachers is very important among other factors like infrastructure and quality of the curriculum.Amuah (2009) observes that teaching of agricultural science in countries like Nigeria was faced with problems like, poor attitude of teachers, and low qualifications, poor funding, inadequate facilities, low professional efficiency levels of teachers,and attitude of school administration and parents towards agricultural science, and political lapses.
According to the chief examinerโs report on performance of agriculture at NECO in 2010, it was observed that students have ignored fundamentals of agriculture and knowledge of practical section of the subject (West Africa ExaminationCouncil, 2010). It further indicated that most students were unable to perform simple experiments.The same observation was reported in 2011 where it appeared as if most students had insufficient exposure to laboratory work in agriculture.This could be attributed to the fact that teachers lacked the required qualification to enable them use professional documents during the teaching process. It was against this background that this research sought to investigate whether the pace of content delivery by teachers influences choice of agriculture among junior secondary school students.
CHAPTERย THREE
MATERIALSย ANDย METHODS
ย ย Introduction
Thisย chapterย describesย theย methodologyย thatย wasย usedย inย thisย study.ย Theย chapterย coversย theย areaย ofย study,ย researchย designย andย populationย ofย study,ย samplingย procedures,ย researchย instruments,ย andย dataย collectionย andย analysis.
Researchย Design
Thisย studyย employedย aย cross-sectionalย surveyย designย whichย involvedย dataย collectionย fromย studentsย andย teachers.ย Dataย wasย collectedย usingย questionnairesย toย determineย theย influenceย ofย teachersโย teachingย methods,ย gender,ย studentsโย attitude,ย andย schoolย financeย onย choiceย ofย subject amongย students.
Targetย Population
Theย targetย populationย ofย theย studyย wasย 1,100ย JSS3ย agricultureย studentsย andย 74ย agriculture teachers. The study used JSS3 students because they had already selected theย subjectย asย oneย ofย theย examinableย subjectsย inย theย Nigeriaย Certificateย ofย Secondaryย Educationย and thus understand its importance in their future career. Teachers formed the population forย threeย reasons,ย namely;ย theyย teachย inย class,ย they,ย inย someย way,ย influenceย subjectย choices,ย andย testย andย examineย studentsย whichย putsย themย atย anย importantย positionย especiallyย inย thisย study.
CHAPTERย FOUR
RESULTSย ANDย DISCUSSION
ย Introduction
Thisย chapterย presentsย andย discussesย theย resultsย ofย theย studyย basedย onย theย objectivesย andย hypotheses formulated.ย Theย study sought to assessย theย influenceย of selected factors on theย choiceย of agriculture among junior secondary school studentsย in Benueย State.ย The chapter is organized into sections which includeย responseย rate,ย demographicย informationย ofย respondentsย andย theย factorsย whichย influenceย theย choiceย ofย agriculture amongย students,ย thatย is, influence of teaching methods,ย gender influence, studentsโ attitude andย schoolย finance,ย whileย theย remainingย sectionsย presentย theย findingsย asย perย theย objectivesย ofย theย study.
References
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