Availability and Utilization of Local Resources in the Teaching of Agricultural Science in Secondary Schools

Availability and Utilization of Local Resources in the Teaching of Agricultural Science in Secondary Schools

 Abstract

This research study investigated the effects of availability and utilization of local resources in the teaching of Agricultural science in Secondary Schools in Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Two research questions and two research hypotheses guided the study. The study employed survey research design. The sample for the study comprised one hundred senior secondary two (SS2) students offering Agricultural science as a subject in schools in the study area.

The instrument for data collection in this study was research’s developed questionnaire called Local Resources Availability and utilization and the teaching of Agricultural science Achievement Test (ASAT). Data were analyzed using Pearson’s product Moment correlation coefficient(r). The results revealed that students taught using local resources performed better than students taught using conventional material; rural students performed better in Agricultural science than their counterpart Urban when taught with local resource; the result do not suggest ordinal interaction effect between mode of method on students’ achievement in Agricultural Science. The study showed that local resources influence the teaching of Agricultural Science in Secondary School in Ukanafun Local Government Area.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Education consist of two components input and output, inputs consist of human and material resources while outputs are goods and outcome of the educational process. Both the inputs and outputs form a dynamic organic whole and if one wants to investigate and assess the educational system in order to improve its performance effects of one component on the other it should be examined.

The non-availability of equipped laboratories instructional materials among others in the teaching of agricultural science in schools and colleges is an established issue of fact which in line with Odigie (2011), who asserted that educational instructional resources and equipped laboratories are lacking in schools and colleges. The author is of the view that the use of available local resources to facilitate the teaching of Agricultural science should be a welcome development. This is in conformity with Okebukola (2012) who stated that science teachers should use workable material beyond the stereotyped teaching-learning process and utilize the available human and natural resources in the environment to enhance effective teaching. Therefore in an effective Agricultural science teaching, the use of available local instructional resources to enrich instructional delivery is very important, these resources according to Ogunniyi (2010) are available in our immediate local environment.

Cunningham and Saigo (2007) defined local instructional resources as goods and services supplied by the environment. It is further referred to as non-human materials that can be used either as vehicle for imparting knowledge, skills and attitudes to the learners or used to supplement instruction and act as communicator or facilitator. Local teaching materials are also called teaching aids, instructional material or educational resources. This is why Farrant (2014) stated that instructional aides are anything a teacher does or uses to make the teaching effective. The implication is that proper utilization of available local resource example sunlight, flowers, air, and water as instructional supplement will enhance the teaching of Agricultural science in our schools.

Our environment is blessed with a wide variety of natural resource for the teaching learning of science subjects such as Agricultural Science. The natural resource when harnessed and utilized by Agricultural Science teachers will enable students to observe, manipulate, and acquire scientific skills. The use local (natural) resources in our locality help to supplement the teaching-learning process in the subject area Ogunniyi (2010) stated that first hand experiment in observing life around us is very important. The implication is that the utilization of local instructional resources as instructional materials for teaching Agricultural Science will enhance Agricultural Science teaching-learning in schools. According to Chu (2011), instructional materials facilitate easy and better understanding of the concepts and promote greater acquisition and lengthen retention of factual knowledge. The author believes that the utilization of available local instructional resources for improvisation of Agricultural Science equipment, use of naturally available local resource during practical as well as field trips to local resources areas will facilitate Agricultural Science teaching and learning.

Availability and Utilization of Local Resources in the Teaching of Agricultural Science in Secondary Schools

The scarcity of commercial materials makes learners passive in class instructions because teachers no longer use instructional materials for teaching. It is when such commercial materials are no longer sufficient and readily available that one thinks of exploring the environment where local resources are richly deposited.

According to Kogi (2010), local resources are natural materials that are found in a particular place or area and are useful for teaching and learning the dearth of commercial Agricultural Science equipments and tools have necessitate the use of local resources. In view of this, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) developed a handbook for teaching and learning of Agricultural Science. Its include clay, seed, weed, wood, shell. If these local instructional resources are employed to teacher and students, it can improve the scarce situations that bedevil the teaching and learning of Agricultural Science. It is on this background to the study the research was prompted to carry out the study in the interest to determine the influence of local instructional resources and students’ academic performance in Agricultural Science in secondary schools in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Nigeria is undergoing technological change which necessitude that indigenous technology should be vigorously pursued yet, many classrooms where indigenous technology should be emphasized have lacked local resources that can aroused the interest of students. The neglect of local resources was due to western education that brought foreign influence in schools, including imported educational resources which are now lacking in schools.

Consequently, the researcher observed that the Agricultural Science is taught without enough instructional resources. Thereby hampering participation and performance of students in Agricultural Science, this may be as a result of lack of foreign and commercial Agricultural Science equipments and tools which were extensively used in the past but are no longer accessible to both students and teachers which is the concept of the study the scarcity was also due to the inflation and global economic meltdown which affect Nigerian foreign exchange and importation of some goods into the country, of which Agricultural Science instructional resources are part. As a result many commercial for Agricultural were contraband and no longer found in the open market.

The teachers and students who were using foreign materials find it difficult to change to local resources which can easily be sourced from the environment. This situation makes teachers resort to verbalization of contents which otherwise would require concrete instructional resources. The students are not heft out in the neglect of local resources. They avoid working on option. The scarcity also makes teachers present instructional resources haphazardly and denied learners the opportunity of laying their hand on the relevant instructional resources. The efficacy of local resources in Agricultural Science instruction is not known.

The problem of this study is therefore absence of information on effect of local resources on academic performance of students in Agricultural Science.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is the find out the effect of local instructional resources and students’ academic performance in Agricultural Science in secondary schools in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.

1. Examine the relationship that exists in the use of local instructional resources on students’ academic performance in Agricultural Science.
2. Assess the availability of local instructional resources on students’ academic performance in Agricultural Science.

1.4 Significance of the Study

This study will be practically significant to teachers, students, curriculum planners, textbooks writers and farmers in the society. This study will also have theoretical significance which deals with theories and their influence on teaching and learning of Agricultural Science using local resources. The outcome of this study will help to clarify how adequate the use of local resources is in the process of teaching and learning of Agricultural Science and their effect on learners’ interest, achievement, gender and location.

The finding of this study will also be significant to teachers because through the dissemination of information, there will be awareness in the use of local resources as substitute to commercial resources for the teaching and learning of Agricultural Science. To students the findings of this study will help to use local resources that are readily available from their environment at affordable price. Local instructional resources are efficacious to achieve proficiency in Agricultural Science. The findings will provide curriculum planners with information about local resources which will incorporate in the curriculum of Agricultural Science for the secondary school education.

Furthermore, textbooks writes will have an opportunity to produce new textural material on local resources. This will also provide them with the correct information about local instructional resources which will be substitute to commercial materials.

Finally, this study will contribute to knowledge regarding local instructional resources and their effect in the teaching and learning of Agricultural Science.

1.5 Research Question

The following questions were formulated to guide the study:

1. What is the relationship that exists between student taught Agricultural Science using local instructional resources and those taught Agricultural Science without the use of local resources.
2. How does the availability of local instructional resources affect the teaching of Agricultural Science?

1.6 Research Hypotheses

The following hypotheses were postulated to guide the study:

1. There is no significant relationship between students taught Agricultural Science with the use of local instructional resources and those taught Agricultural Science without the use of local instructional resources.
2. There is no significant relationship between the availability of local instructional resources and non-availability of local instructional resources on students’ academic performance in Agricultural Science.

1.7 Limitation of the Study

Firstly, the researcher was unable to reach all the public secondary schools in Oruk Anam Local Government Area as time allocation for the study was short to cover all the areas. Financial constraint was also a formidable challenge to the conduct of the study.

1.8 Delimitation of the Study

The study was restricted to local instructional resources and academic performance of students’ in Agricultural Science in Oruk Anam Local Government Area and only public secondary schools were selected for the study. The study was also confined to only select Senior Secondary Two (SS 2) students who offered Agricultural Science as a subject.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter presents the review of different works relating to local instructional resource and students’ academic performance in Agricultural Science. Generally, the chapter will be arranged under the following sub-headings:-

1. The Concept of Local Instructional Resources
2. Availability of Local Instructional Resources on Student’s Academic Performance in Agricultural Science.
3. Local Instructional Resources Utilization on Students’ Academic Performance in Agricultural Science.
4. Effect of Location on Local Instructional Resources on Students’ Academic Performance in Agricultural Science.