ABSTRACT

The study examined the availability and utilization ofschool farm facilities in the teaching of Animal Husbandry in senior secondary schools in Ikwuano LGA ofAbia State. The specific objectives were to identify the instruction delivery methods in Animal Husbandry, identify the schoolfarm facilities available and used in the teaching ofAnimal Husbandry, as well as the constraints to their availability and their use. These objectivesformed thefive research questions that guided the study. The study adopted a survey research design. The population ofthe study was 363 yvhich included 13 Animal Husbandry teachers and 350 SSII students in the 9 public secondary schools in Ikwuano LGA. A sample size of 190 which comprised 13 Animal Husbandry Teachers and 177 SS2 students was structured questionnaire containing 52 items titled availability and utilization ofschoolfarm facilities in the teaching of Animal Husbandry." The questionnaire was validated by three experts, all from the Department of Agricultural and Home Science Education. The questionnaire was trial tested and the internal consistency of the questionnaire items was determined using Cronbach Alpha reliability method, andAlpha reliability of0.88 was obtained -which indicated that the questionnaire was reliable. Data collected was analyzed using Mean and standard deviationfor the research question, while t-Test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level ofsignificance. From the findings ofthe study, it way observed that all the 8 items were methods ofinstruction delivery in Animal Husbandry; 17 schoolfarm facility items were unavailable in the schools; available ones were used to a low extent in the 7 production area items; all the 9 items where the constraint to the availability ofschoolfarmfacilities and; all the 8 items were the constraints to the use of school farm facilities. The study therefore recommended that professional Animal Husbandry teachers be made available for the teaching of Animal Husbandry in senior secondary schools; school administrators, the ministry of education and the government should see to it that every school that offers Animal Husbandry in Ikwuano LGA has a yvell-equipped schoolfarm and also that the activities ofthe students and teachers in the classroom and schoolfarm are regularly inspected and supervised; curriculum planners should specify production areas as components that should be handled individually in the teaching ofAnimal Husbandry.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page i

Certification ii

Approval Page iii

Declaration iv

Dedication v

Acknowledgement vi

Table ofContents vii

List ofTables x

Abstract xii

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background ofthe Study 1

1.2 Statement ofProblem 4

1.3 Purpose ofthe Study 6

1.4 Significance ofthe Study 7

1.5 Research Question 8

1.6 Hypotheses ofthe Study 8

1.7 Scope ofthe Study 9

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Conceptual Frame Work 11

2.1.1 Concepts ofAnimal Husbandry in Secondary Schools 11

2.1.2 Concept of School Farm 12

2.1.3 Methods ofInstructional Delivery ofAnimal Husbandry 13

2.1.4 School Farm5s Facilities and Equipment for Animal Husbandry 15

2.1.5 Extent ofthe Use School Farm in Instructional Delivery ofAnimal Husbandry 16

2.1.6 Constraints to the Availability and Utilization ofthe School Farm Facilities 17

2.2 Theoretical Framework 18

2.2.1 Experiential Learning Theory 18

2.2.2 Training Theories in Vocational Education 19

2.3 Related Empirical Studies 21

2.4 Summary ofthe Reviewed Related Literatures 25

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design 27

3.2 Area ofthe Study 27

3.3 Population ofthe Study 28

3.4 Sample and Sampling Techniques 28

3.5 Instrument for Data Collection 29

3.6 Validation ofthe Instrument 29

3.7 Reliability ofthe Instrument 30

3.8 Method ofData Collection 30

3.9 Method ofData Analysis 30

CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

4.1 Result 32

4.2 Discussion ofthe Findings 42

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Re-statement ofthe Problem 47

5.2 Purpose ofthe Study 48

5.3 Description ofthe Procedure Used 48

5.4 Majority Findings ofthe Study 49

5.5 Conclusion 50

5.6 Implications ofthe Study 51

5.7 Limitations ofthe Study 51

5.8 Recommendations 52

5.9 Suggestions for Further Study 52

REFERENCES

APPENDIX

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Mean Rating ofthe Responses ofTeachers and Students on the Methods

ofInstruction Delivery ofAnimal Husbandry 32

Table 2: The T-Test Analysis ofthe Mean Ratings ofthe Responses ofthe Teachers

and Students on the Method ofInstruction Delivery ofAnimal Husbandry. 33

Table 3: Mean Ratings for the Responses ofTeachers and Students on the School

Farm Facilities Available for Teaching ofAnimal Husbandry. 34

Table 4: The t-Test Analysis OfThe Mean Rating OfThe Response OfTeachers

And Students On The School Farm Facilities Available For Use In Teaching

OfAnimal Husbandry. 36

Table 5: Mean Ratings ofthe Responses ofTeachers and Students on the Extent

ofUse of School Farm Facilities in the Teaching OfAnimal Husbandry. 37

Table 6: The T-Test Analysis ofthe Mean Ratings ofthe Responses ofTeachers and

Students on the Extent ofUse of School Farm Facilities in the Teaching of

Animal Husbandry 38

Table 7: Mean Ratings ofthe Responses ofTeachers and Students on the Constraints

to the Availability of School Farm Facilities in the Teaching ofAnimal Husbandry 39

Table 8: The T-Test Analysis ofthe Mean Ratings ofthe Responses ofthe Teachers

and Students on the Constraints to the Availability of School Farm Facilities in the

Teaching ofAnimal Husbandry. 40

x

Table 9: Mean Ratings ofthe Responses ofTeachers and Students on the Constraints

to the Use of School Farm Facilities in Teaching of Animal Husbandry. 41

Table 10: The t-Test Analysis ofthe Mean Ratings ofthe Responses ofTeachers

and Students on the Constraints to the Use of School Farm Facilities

in the Teaching ofAnimal Husbandry. 42