ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to examine the availability and utilization ofschoolfarms for effective teaching and learning of agricultural science in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State. The study was guided by four research questions andfour null hypotheses. The literature related to the study was reviewed under the conceptual framework, theoretical framework, empirical studies. The study adopted descriptive survey research design, the population of the study were 12,686 respondents comprising of 5452 male students and 7202 female students and 9 male and 23 female agricultural science teachersfrom the 7 government owned secondary schools in Ikot Ekpene L.G.A. The sample for the study was 242, this sample was made up of 210 students and 32 agricultural science teachers. The instrument use for collecting datafor the study was a 32 well-structured questionnaire items which was face validated by 3 experts in the Department ofAgricultural/Home Science Education. The internal consistency of the instrument was determine using a test re-test reliability method to measure the degree of consistency and Cronbach Alpha method was used to determine the reliability coefficient and reliability coefficient of 0.87 was obtained. 242 copies ofthe instrument was administered and the whole 242 was retrieved, completelyfilled and usedfor data analysis representing 100% rate. The data was analysed using mean and standard deviation, while the hypotheses were tested using t-test statistic at 0.05% level of significance. It was revealedfrom the findings that school farms were available and utilizedfor teaching and learning ofcrop production and there was no available animal farmfor teaching and learning ofanimal production, it was also observed that school farm developed students interest in Agriculture. The study therefore recommended among others that: The importance ofschoolfarm (both crop and animalfarm) should be well emphasized in the school curriculum by curriculum planners. The tools/equipment for effective running of the farms shoidd be provided by the government.