Students perception of practical agricultural science in senior secondary schools

INTRODUCTION
Background to the problem
Globally, education today is widely known as the most effective investment a country can make ,according to World Bank (2007) Education is one of the critical pathway to promote social and economic development. It can bring about a better life, better world and raises economic development, it can improve the wellbeing of family and ensure better prospect of education for children (Galchukia 1999).
Secondary schools are the intermediary institutions between primary schools and tertiary institutions. In the present 9-3-4 system of education in Nigeria, the last three years of nine year basic education is for upper basic (Junior Secondary) while the three years is for Senior secondary (FRN,2013). Its curriculum contains subjects that are capable of preparing its students to live a useful life within the society and also prepare them for higher education, one of the subjects that can help in attaining these objectives is Agricultural science.
The need for agricultural science education in the Nigeria secondary schools system cannot be over emphasized due to the enormous impact of the agricultural sector on the nation’s economy. Agriculture plays a critical role in job creation & poverty alleviation by successive government in Nigeria through different programmes. The Nigerian agriculture had suffered neglect for decades due to the discovery of oil. However, the sector still contributes significantly to the nation’s gross domestic product. As highlighted by Adegboye (2004), agriculture contributes more than 30 percent of the country’s annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employs about 70 percent of the labour force, accounts for over 90 percent of the nation’s non-oil exports and provides over 80 percent of the country’s food resources. Most African economies are dominated by agriculture, which contributes about 17% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 40% of exports, employment creation and has the potential to reduce poverty. The agricultural sector has been described as the engine for economic growth and improved livelihoods in Africa (World Bank 2006; Diao et al., 2007).
Practical aspect of Agricultural science is so vital to national growth and productivity. According to the National Policy on Education(2004), Agriculture is one of the subjects offered in Junior and Senior Secondary Schools, as a pre-vocational elective and vocational elective respectively (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2013).
The teaching and learning of agricultural science in Nigeria secondary schools is far from satisfactory due to student perception and approach used in teaching the subject as pointed out by Sekamu (2009) , that agriculture is taught theoretically an as failed to make an impression on the society
Perception is derived from the Latin words perceptio or percipio meaning the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the environment (Wikipedia, 2014). . Perception refers to individuals view of level of understanding of subject matter or things, an individual perception of things will determine the type of attitude that will be put on..According to Mukherjee (1998), the term attitude refers to one’s feelings, thought and predisposition to behave in some popular manner towards some aspect of one’s environment. Attitude is the liking or disliking of an object based on what is known about it (Rameela, 2004). Attitude have a strong influences on people perception of the things around them and help to determine their likes and dislikes. Falaye and Ayoola (2006) pointed out that student attitude toward practical agricultural science is largely determined by their erroneous perception and misconception of the profession as the major livelihood option for the resource poor farmers who have no other meaningful sustenance to earn a living. This myopic view has rather dampened the student moral and attitude without realizing that scientific and technological innovation that can transform farming into a lucrative system business.
Gender refers to the social meanings associated with being a male or a female, including the construction of identities, expectations, behaviors and power relationships that derive from social interactions (Ambe-Uva, Iwuchukwu & Jibrin 2008) ). Orji (2002) asserted that in Africa, especially in a traditional Nigerian setting female and male sex roles are seen as mutually exclusive. For instance, some professions like carpentry, engineering, woodwork, metalwork and automobile engineering technologies are still regarded in some quarters as no-go-area for women while nursing and catering profession are seen as exclusive areas for women.
Gender difference in students also dictates their perception and attitude toward learning of science subject including agriculture science and other vocational subject. Female students tend to show a dislike for science subject like agricultural science that usually involve strenuous practical that require physical exertion which is usually associated with fatigue and sometime physical injuries (Adesoji,1999 and Ezewu,1981), Attitude of past Administration in Nigeria towards Agriculture is very bad Although the present administration of president Muhammadu Buhari administration is putting up a positive effort towards agriculture in order to curb the problems of unemployment, food shortage and to use the sector to diversify the economy of the country and also make many Nigerians to be self-reliant (Federal Government of Nigeria ,FGN 2016) which is one of the aim of vocational agriculture.

Statements of Problem
The role of Agriculture to a nation cannot be underestimate ranging from availability of crops and animals in market to food security among other. Agricultural science is a practical oriented subject, the approach to teaching of agricultural science in most secondary school is taught theoretically and has failed to make an impression on the society (Sekamu,2009). FRN (2009) pointed out that Nigeria schools should teach practical skills, knowledge and value which will help school leavers to solve real life problems. Learners learn better when they hear, see and touch which is the principle of learning by doing, this principle is best achieved by engaging oneself in practical activities (Osinem,2008).. However with modernization in Agriculture ,there is a need to look into the perception and interest of secondary school students in practical agricultural science in order correct their wrong perception to the aspect of agricultural science if they have negative perception of the aspect ,since student perception of things will determine their involvement in what the do and how well they perform in such things .This study however, tries to investigate the perception of senior secondary school student towards practical agricultural science.

Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of secondary school student towards practical agriculture in senior secondary school in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State
The specific purpose of the study were to;
(i) Identify how students perceive practical agricultural science.
(ii) Find out whether gender differences have any significant effect on the attitude of secondary school students toward practical agricultural
(iii) To determine whether students, perception of practical agricultural science influenced their choice of agricultural science as a career.
(iv) To verify student interest in practical agricultural science.

Research Questions
Based on the purpose on the study. The following research questions were formulated
This study was intended to find answer to the following questions.
1. What are the students perception of practical agricultural science
2. Does gender difference has any significant effect on student attitude toward practical agricultural science
3. Dose gender perception of practical agricultural science influence their choice of agricultural science as a career
4. What are the students interest in practical agricultural science

1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses (H0) were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance
H01 There is no significant difference between the perception of male and female students toward practical agriculture.
H02 There is no significant differences between student gender on their attitude toward practical agricultural science
H03 There is no significant differences between student perception of practical agricultural science and their choice of agricultural science as a career.
H04 There is no significant differences between the interest of male and female students towards practical agricultural science

Scope of the Study
This study is limited to all secondary schools offering Agricultural science in Ilorin west LGA .All senior secondary schools student offering agricultural science comprise the entire scope of the study
Clarification of Terms and Major Variables
The following terms and variables are clarified operationally as used in this study
Perception: Is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information .or conscious understanding of something.
Attitude: is the disposition or state of mind about something.
Co-education: this refers to school for both male and female.
Interest: a great attention and concern given to something
Gender: is a social cultural phenomenon of division of people into male and female
School Curriculum: this is an education programs prepared for formal education programs in the school .It comprises all the subject and extra-curriculum activities of the school.
Vocational Education: Is the education that prepare people to work in a trade, a craft ,as a technicians or in professional vocation

Significance of the Study
The outcome of the study would be of utmost important to curriculum planners, school administrators, agricultural science teachers, government, parents and students.
To curriculum planner and developers, it would enable them to possess necessary knowledge and disposition to develop scientific curricular that would encourage practical. Agricultural science.
To the school administrators it would provide information which would make them realize the importance of practical agriculture and would enable them to handle the aspect with care and provide necessary things in term of human and material resource that would make it teaching and learning effective,
To the teachers it would make them to be aware of perception of students towards practical agricultural science which will enable them to use different strategies to motivate student interest in agricultural science.
To the students it will make them to be aware that their perception and interest on of things will greatly determine how well they will perform and engage in such activities
To the parents, it will help in educating those with wrong perception and misconception that subject like agricultural science is meant for male alone, thereby allowing their female children to engage in practical agricultural science
To the government, it will help them to know the level of interest of students in practical agricultural science which will make them to pump more resources in term of human and materials resources into the aspect in order to use the sector to diversify the economy of the nation, thereby reducing over dependence of the country on oil sector .