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Top Journal of Educational Technology
Vol. 9 No. 6 (2024): November-December
Original Articles

THE ROLE OF TEACHING METHODS IN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT FOR OKRA PRODUCTION IN NIGERIAN COLLEGES OF AGRICULTURE. .

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  • Samuel Okorochi Umeh ,
  • Evelyn Mary Essien
Samuel Okorochi Umeh
Department of Curriculum and Teaching Akwa Ibom State College of Education, Afaha Nsit, Nigeria
Evelyn Mary Essien
Agricultural Education Akwa Ibom State College of Education, Afaha Nsit, Nigeria .
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14440517

Published 2024-12-13

Keywords

  • Agricultural Extension, Teaching Methods, Skill Acquisition, Okra Production, Colleges of Agriculture, Nigeria.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This study assessed the effectiveness of agricultural extension teaching methods in facilitating students' skill acquisition for okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) production in Colleges of Agriculture (COA) in North-East geopolitical zones, Nigeria. Six research questions, six hypotheses and descriptive survey design were used for the study. The population comprised 389 final-year students from Adamawa State College of Agriculture (ASCOA) and Yobe State College of Agriculture (YSCA), with 186 and 203 students, respectively. A sample of 349 students (166 from ASCOA and 183 from YSCA) was randomly selected. A 60-item questionnaire consisting of seven sections and 5-point rating scale used for data collection was faced validated by three experts. Cronbach’s alpha yielded an overall reliability index of .80, with section-specific indices of .79, .72, .84, .77, .86 and .81 for section B, C, D, E, F and G respectively indicating that the instrument was reliable. Research questions were analyzed using Mean and Standard Deviation, and independent t-tests were applied to test hypotheses at a .05 significance level. The results indicated that demonstration, lecture, discussion, inquiry-based, project-based, and cooperative teaching methods were effective in enhancing students' skills for okra production. No significant difference was found in students’ responses regarding the effectiveness of these methods. Based on these findings, it is recommended that COAs implement a robust monitoring and evaluation system to regularly assess teaching methods and curriculum content. Periodic curriculum revision, based on feedback from students, industry stakeholders, and educational assessments, is also advised to meet evolving agricultural education needs. 

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