Effect of Out-door Laboratory on Students’ Achievement and Retention in Agricultural Science
Effect of Out-door Laboratory on Students’ Achievement and Retention in Agricultural Science.
ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this study is to determine the effect of out-door laboratory method on students’ achievement and retention in Agricultural science. To guide this study, four research questions were posed and four hypotheses was formulated. The control and Experimental groups answered a set of fourty questions from Agricultural science Achievement test (ASAT). Intact classes made up of males and females were used.
Literature review was organized under the following subheadings: conceptual framework, theoretical framework, review of empirical studies and summary of literature review. Multistage sampling technique was used for sampling. Mean and standard deviation was used to answer research question and hypotheses formulated was analyzed using ANCOVA at 0.05 level of significance. The major findings of the study are as follows: Out-door laboratory method significantly affect student’s achievement in Agricultural Science contents of senior secondary school.
Male students achieved better result than their female counterparts when exposed to out-door laboratory method. There is no significant interaction effect of out-door laboratory method and gender on students’ achievement and retention in Agricultural science achievement test. Based on the recommendations: Much emphasis should be placed on the use of appropriate method of teaching. Workshop and seminars are to be organized for teachers of Agricultural science on the need to use appropriate instructional resource materials and appropriate method of teaching of both males and females.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page – – – – – – – – – – i
Approval page – – – – – – – – – ii
Dedication – – – – – – – – – – iii
Acknowledgement – – – – – – – – iv
Abstract – – – – – – – – – – v
Table of contents – – – – – – – – – vi
List of table – – – – – – – – – vii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION – – – – – 1
Background of the Study – – – – – – 1
Statement of the problem – – – – – – 12
Purpose of the study – – – – – – – 13
Significance of the Study – – – – – – 13
Scope of the study – – – – – – – 16
Research Questions – – – – – – – 17
Research Hypotheses – – – – – – – 17
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE – – – 19
Conceptual framework – – – – – – – 20
– Out-door laboratory – – – – – – – – 20
– Agriculture – – – – – – – – – 25
– Methods of teaching agricultural science in secondary school – 27
– Retention — – – – – – – – – 31
– Academic achievement of students – – – — – – 34
– Gender – – – – – – – – – – 37
Theoretical framework – – – – – – – 39
– Piaget’s theory of learning – – – – – – – 39
– Brunner’s cognitive view of discovery learning – – – – 44
Review of Related Empirical Studies – – – – – 46
– Studies on gender as a factor in academic achievement and retention in
science – – – – – – – – – – 46
– Studies on teaching methods – – – – – – – 48
Summary of literature review – – – – – – 53
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD – – – – 56
Design of the Study – – – – – – – 56
Area of the Study — – – – – – – 57
Population of the study – – – – – – – 58
Sample and sampling Technique – – – – – 58
Instrument for Data Collection – – – – – 59
Validation of Instrument – – – – – – 59
Reliability of Instrument – – – – – – 60
Training of the Agricultural science teachers as research assistants for
the study – – – – – – – – – 61
Experimental Procedures – – – – – – 61
Control of extraneous variables – – – – – 62
Methods of Data Analysis – – – – – – 63
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS – – – – – – 64
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF RESULTS, EDUCATIONAL
IMPLICATION SUMMARY – – – – – – 73
Discussion – – – – – – – – – 73
Educational implications – – – – – – 77
Limitations of the study — – – – – – 78
Suggestion for further studies – – – – – – 79
Recommendation — – – – – – – 80
Summary – – – – – – – – – 80
REFERENCES – – – – – – – – – 82
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study Science and technology are important tools for development and productivity in any nation. Science is a necessity for every nation that wants to maintain its independence, sovereignty, self-reliance, ensure growth and have its head held high among civilized nations. This is because science and technology provide the basic tools for industrialization and economic development in the areas of communication, transport, energy, information, pollution and waste control, among others.
In Nigeria, the study of science is of great importance that a lot of emphasis has been laid on the teaching and learning of science as contained in the National Policy on Education, being to equip the students to live effectively in this modern age (Federal Ministry of Education, 2004). This can be achieved by the inculcation of the necessary scientific skills and attitudes in learners. The inculcation of scientific skills and attitudes in students can only be achieved through the proper teaching of the various science subjects such as Biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, health science, agricultural science among others.
Agriculture as one of the science subjects has been endorsed as a core subject by the National policy on Education (NPE, 2004). Agriculture embraces the basic knowledge of farming or husbandry that is the cultivation of land, rearing of animals which is normally taught at junior secondary level. The 2 study of Agriculture is Agricultural science which is the application of scientific principles to the growing of crops and rearing of animals. This is taught as a school subject in senior secondary school.
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CSN Team.
