STRATEGIES AND TEACHING/LEARNING OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
STRATEGIES AND TEACHING/LEARNING OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
CHAPTER
ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Teaching as a profession,
requires proper interplay of the teaching and learning process through the
selection and application of relevant improved methods and strategies. It
involves a vast array of interventional process. At the centre of which is the teacher
whose role remains pivoted to the success of any educational programme.
There is no doubt that;
there has been a growing concern about the quality and intellectual aims of
education in Nigerian society. The school is being looked upon to bring to fruition
the attainment of a society backed strongly by future citizens, who are
conscious and innovatively oriented. It is because of this, that; the teaching
activity of the teacher falls under the search light of the larger society
(Michael, 2008). The National Policy on Education (2013) clearly recognizes the
role of the teacher when it declares that “no educational system can rise above
the quality of its teacher”. The policy went further to say that; teacher
education shall continue to be given major emphasis in all educational planning
and development.
The school system is always
in a state of crises over the issue of instructional strategies employed by
teachers in instructing the students. This is so because; the instructional
process is what brings the teacher more often than not into contact with the
learners. The teacher manipulative skills coupled with his/her professional
ability determines to a very large extent the success of the teaching-learning
process (Eddie, 2006). Although, there are an unending list of problems which
bedevil our educational system in Nigeria, one should not be turned off by
these shortcomings at the expense of the state of the art of teaching. That is,
as it concerns what teachers teach and how they teach it within the limit of
existing facilities.
However, what is important
about methods and strategies is that; it should be carefully utilized to cater
for different categories of learners. The teacher’s role as an instructional agent
is therefore, a complex one as he/she must master various instructional
strategies and their applicability as it affects his/her area of
specialization. A thorough grasp of the subject matter by the teacher is a
sine-qua-non for an efficient management of instructional strategies in the
teaching/learning situation.
Essentially, the
professional goal of all teachers is to enhance their effectiveness in the
classroom. Effectiveness in teaching will be an illusion if the principles
involved in the teaching process are not properly addressed. Teacher-training
programme is often geared at developing the skills of the teacher through
appropriate exposure to methods, strategies, techniques and approaches in
teaching. Besides, there is always an insatiable desire by educators to direct
all efforts at improving teaching effectiveness. The contention that teaching
is an activity presupposes that certain skills are required for that activity
to be effectively carried out (Ekanem, 2006).
Accordingly, the
improvement of students’ academic performance is associated with the choice of
appropriate instructional strategies by the teacher. There is no doubt
therefore; that the attainment of instructional objectives as well as the
desired improvement in students’ academic performance will be a mirage if the
teaching strategies adopted by the teacher are inappropriate to the
teaching/learning process.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
It is an indisputable fact
that, the teaching/learning process in school is influenced by a number of
factors which has culminated into the downward trend in the level of students’
academic achievement. The continuous decline in students’ academic performance
has added weights and has continued to militate against the realization of set
goals and objectives.
Over the years, there has
been public out-cry on the abysmal performance of students in internal and
external examinations at the secondary school levels. Nevertheless, concerted
efforts have been made to investigate the root of the problems. Many research
efforts have been centered on the learners, with little or no effort on the
teacher factor. There is no doubt therefore, that, the teaching strategies of
the teacher, who is at the centre of the teaching-learning process, could
influence the process vis-à-vis academic achievement of students.
It is against this
background therefore, that, this study “Instructional strategies and
teaching/learning of Agricultural Science in secondary schools in Etinan Local
Government Area” becomes importance.
1.3 Purpose
of the Study
The main purpose of
this study was to examine the instructional strategies and teaching/learning of
Agricultural Science in secondary schools.........................
Click Here to Download the full project.....or contact 09074563328
No comments