THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AGRO-INFORMATION KIT IN CHANGING SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IN RIVERS STATE

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AGRO-INFORMATION KIT IN CHANGING SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IN RIVERS STATE

The broad objective of this study is to develop and assess the effectiveness of the Agro-Information kit in changing secondary school students’ attitudes towards agricultural science in Rivers State.

The specific objectives are to:

1. describe the socio-demographic characteristics of Senior Secondary School One (SSS1) students in Rivers State
2. assess SSS1 students’ attitudes to agricultural science before their exposure to the Agro-Information kit.
3. develop valid and reliable Agro-Information kit that will be effective in changing senior secondary school one students’ attitude to agricultural science.
4. determine SSS1 students’ willingness to choose Agricultural Science as a subject for Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) before and after treatment
5. determine the difference between the frequency of male and female SSS1 students who are willing to choose Agricultural Science as a subject for SSCE before and after treatment
6. assess the effectiveness of the Agro-Information kit in positively changing SSS1 students’ attitude to agricultural science after their exposure to the Agro-Information kit
7. explain Agricultural Extension implications of improving students attitude to agricultural science

OTHERE RELATED PROJECT TOPICS HERE

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Attitudes are acquired tendencies to react to subject or object. Attitudes function to offer a path to successive engagements. Since attitudes of in-school youths are developed, they are liable or subject to change (Zimbardo & Leippe, 1991). Progressively, instructional approaches have been employed to provide attitude change information among secondary school students. Chaiken and Egly (1976) testified of the outcomes of what is currently known to be a definitive study of attitude modification using an instructional resource.

Although, attitude is observed as personal tendencies; Studies (Fabiyi, Obaniyi, Olukosi & Oyawoye, 2015; Adedapo, Sawant, Kobbat & Bhise, 2014) have shown that a variety of variables is responsible for influencing the attitude of students towards a given subject. Notably significant among these variables as observed by Ferry (2006) includes social, community, economic, family, source of information, school, and peer groups. Among these variables, instructional communications (information toolkit) are known to exert great influence on students’ attitudes to agriculture. This is in line with Koutsouris (2010) who stated that information plays a key role in ensuring long-lasting development through attitudinal orientation. Attitudes and behaviors that young adult shows regarding a given subject and or objects are greatly a function of the amount of information they get from their immediate environment especially from the educational sector.

Young adults’ engagement in agricultural activities is a cardinal part of a comprehensive strategy for long-lasting development especially in developing economies such as Nigeria. Hence the issue of agricultural development and youth attitude must be addressed for momentous progress to be made in the Nigerian economy. Agricultural development is concerned with the use of resources and the creation of wealth that is environmentally friendly and sustainable. This demands the development of the most valuable resource: the attitude of in-school individuals who are considered the future of the country and their participation in agricultural expansion strategies afford them the position to develop, groom, and convert into reasonable agents of national transformation (Adedoyin, 2011). Olatunji, (2015) noted that one way the rapidly growing number of young adults can be equipped for active engagement in agricultural activities is to transform the attitude of in-school youths towards the industry. Youth’s involvement in agriculture is an important element of national development. Anyawu and Agu, (2015) noted that young adults have desirable qualities that can improve agriculture. Therefore, secondary school students appear to be the target individuals to take up agriculture when they leave school as an income-generating venture for an improved standard of living, relief from poverty, and reduction of a high level of unemployment and social vices which have bedeviled the country since after independence. For the increased and steadily campaigned sustainable development and national food security to come by, in-school youths have a great role to play. The expected role comes through informed decisions towards agricultural production. It is therefore essential to develop a reliable and valid instrument that will be relevant in advocating for agriculture, which will be effective in informing the youths in secondary schools about the great prospects and/or opportunities in agriculture. Information is key to bring about change in attitude and perception. According to Ali (1995), the pattern of creating public awareness about an industry varies from one industry to the other. The information they say is power and an improved and essential working tool for a better societal advancement (Apata & Ogunrewo, 2010). An information kit is an important instructional material in the sustained development of any human society. This is because getting the right information on time and in a well-packaged manner contributes to reducing a significant proportion of uncertainty which characterizes agriculture and improves the quality of the decision made in solving problems of a poor attitude towards the industry (Nyienakuna, 2004). The process of achieving this through a program of awareness starts with a conscious work targeted at encouraging the image of agricultural science in the mind of young adults who are to take up the sector in the nearest future. Information toolkit as an instructional material plays a significant role in ensuring in-school youths’ behavioral change for the enhancement of the social system. According to Isife and Ofuoku (2008), the information tool kit concept of approach within the behavioral change tradition is another important point of convergence. The authors further noted that development practitioners have realized that the multiplicity of strategy is essentially needed to develop the attitude of youths towards agricultural science. Agriculture is not only a platform for advancing the unindustrialized economics but rather it is also a key factor in easing insufficiency and encouraging family worth (Emerole et., al 2015). As a medium for human and economic development, the sector does not occur in a vacuum. It requires an environment where the majority of the people are young because young people possess important attributes that can significantly contribute to the enhancement of agricultural production in the country (Onuekwusi, 2013). It is obvious that considerable study has been carried out in this aspect of youth’s attitudes at different geographical levels but a very negligible fraction has focused their attention on the place of Agro-Information kit in secondary school students’ attitude modification towards agricultural science.

Statement of the Problem

It is grossly disheartening that most in-school youths especially those at secondary schools seem not to have adequate information on the outstanding opportunities that the future holds in Agriculture. An ample number of them lack understanding of the variety of potentials lying in stock for them in an agricultural science subject (Bernadette & Lindsay, 2010).

There is a holistic misconception that young people hold concerning agriculture in which they view the sector as an industry with low esteem (Anyawu & Agwu, 2015). In-school youths generally show a negative disposition towards agricultural science. This can be seen in their attitude in which the majority of them do not usually want to participate in agricultural activities as a way of assisting their parents in the farm (Fabiyi, e.t, al, 2015). As a result, several methods have been established and carry out towards instilling a positive attitude of young adults towards agriculture especially at their primary and secondary stages of education. This is because, it may not be possible to utter the value and behavior of young people at the period that most patterns of behavior and ways of reasoning have already been modified and established(Fabiyi, e.t, al, 2015).

The National Examination Council (NECO) and the West African Examination Council (WAEC), the main examination organizations in Nigeria have over time documented pitiable grades from applicants who enrolled for examination on agricultural science. Moreover, registrations of the subject for examinations are steadily witnessing a downward trend.

Agriculture has received cooperate propaganda over many decades ago, especially among young adults which have negatively impacted the sector. This in effect has consequently resulted in poor involvement in agriculture by the youths who constituted a greater proportion of the country’s populace where agriculture is practiced in crude form. Anyawu and Agwu, (2015) observed that even in the face of the worry level of joblessness which has characterized Nigerian youths, an ample number of them show little or complete lack of interest in agriculture because of the attractive attributes of the sector have long been swept under the carpet.

There is wide neglect of the industry by the general public particularly the in-school youths who hold different perceptions concerning the industry. The poor attitude of these young adults towards agriculture will not fail to remain the source of worry as they relate to the issues of agricultural and rural development. According to Olatunji (2005), the issues of agricultural and rural improvement in Nigeria seem to have become endemic. The author stressed that most Nigerian youths which make up a higher percentage of the population appear to be negatively disposed to agriculture. In a similar vein, Kuponije and Ayanwuyi (2005) explained that one major and intractable problem facing agricultural activities in recent times is the lack of interest in the sector by the youths. In his prediction, Akpabio (2005) noted that the average age of today farmers in Nigeria is between 55-60 years and by 2030 it is expected to rise to between 75-80 years. This implies that in Nigeria, agriculture would soon be left in hands of the aged population with a resulted decrease in production which will lead to negative consequences particularly on poverty and food security. This prediction is greatly worrisome and frightening. This is why Anyawu and Agwu (2015) pointed out that the long-term future of the agricultural sectors is in doubt.

The objective of the Study

The broad objective of this study is to develop and assess the effectiveness of the Agro-Information kit in changing secondary school students’ attitudes towards agricultural science in Rivers State.

The specific objectives are to:

1. describe the socio-demographic characteristics of Senior Secondary School One (SSS1) students in Rivers State
2. assess SSS1 students’ attitudes to agricultural science before their exposure to the Agro-Information kit.
3. develop valid and reliable Agro-Information kit that will be effective in changing senior secondary school one students’ attitude to agricultural science.
4. determine SSS1 students’ willingness to choose Agricultural Science as a subject for Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) before and after treatment
5. determine the difference between the frequency of male and female SSS1 students who are willing to choose Agricultural Science as a subject for SSCE before and after treatment
6. assess the effectiveness of the Agro-Information kit in positively changing SSS1 students’ attitude to agricultural science after their exposure to the Agro-Information kit
7. explain Agricultural Extension implications of improving students attitude to agricultural science

Hypothesis

The hypothesis which is a statement that has not been proven using any known statistical means was formulated and tested for this study. The aim is to systematically test claims or ideas that relate to the problem under investigation concerning the group or population of the study. The null hypothesis which guided the study was stated thus:

1. There is no significant difference between the attitude of SSS1 Students of public and private schools to Agricultural Science.
2. There is no significant difference between the SSS1Students who exhibit a positive attitude to Agricultural Science before and after treatment.
3. There is no significant difference between the frequencies of SSS1 Students who are willing to choose agricultural science as a subject for SSCE before and after treatment.

Significant of the Study

The information toolkit is a mind-changing measure. It is said to be an instrumental initiative to enhance the promotion and likeness of agriculture among the young Nigerian populace. They play an important role in bringing a more positive mindset of individuals thereby ensuring a more positive perception and right attitude with a resultant elimination of misconception about the sector. The pace of rising unemployment in Nigeria and Rivers State, in particular, is alarming (Federal Government of Nigeria, 2013; Umeh & Nwachukwu, 2015). Unemployment is generally known as the primary source of other problems bedeviling the state. This problem can be significantly addressed if agriculture is encouraged. If in-school youths are motivated and made to join the agriculture sector they will greatly if not refrain from all sorts of social vices such as cultism, armed robbery, drug abuse, and other socially unacceptable behaviors which have characterized the state and they will be involved in constructive activities instead of the opposite. The study will make a great contribution towards bettering the lives of the students in the study state and the general public in that the investigation tries to provide a solution to the tasks of idleness and poverty which the young adults in the state are faced with. Both the local, state and national levels of government as well as development agents and agencies including Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that deal with youth development would find the study useful. It is hoped that the study would veritably be a guiding tool in getting the youths involved in productive agricultural ventures. The study would enable parents through the interactive section between the parents and teachers using the common Parents-Teachers Associations, be discouraged from convincing their children to choosing subjects that are not in line with their peculiar features and skills. This investigation will also be beneficial to institute managers because it will open them up to one of the vital variables (students’ attitudes) in the subject of agricultural science among students which will help them in making administrative plans and decisions. School counselors and Guidance will also find the research useful since they will be led on programs to conduct during career day so that the students can be assisted in choosing appropriate subjects.

Scope of the problem

The study will be restricted to a certain boundary. This research is strictly channeled to be based on the development and assessment of the effectiveness of the Agro-Information tool kit in changing the attitude of Secondary School Students towards agricultural science in Rivers State. The students will be exposed to the tool kit and its effect on the students’ attitude would also be investigated. The result of the study would be limited to the defined population and the variables of this study. There would be no effort to generalize the result to a known group.