Perception and Challenges of Students Towards the Learning of Agricultural Science at Public Senior High Schools in Berekum East Municipal

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the perception and challenges of public Senior High School students towards the learning of Agriculture in Berekum East Municipal of the Bono Region of Ghana. The study employed a quantitative approach and descriptive survey was the design. A sample size of one-hundred and thirty-seven (137) students were used. The respondents were selected through a simple random technique. A questionnaire was used to obtain information from the participants. The analyses of data were done using descriptive statistics. It was revealed that, most students perceive Agriculture as a difficult course of study and therefore do not want to study it at the senior high school level. Students also perceive that most Agricultural departments are not well resourced making the study of the course unrealistic. The students further perceive that there are limited career opportunities in studying Agriculture. The study also reached that there are numerous challenges faced by Agricultural departments such as lack of resource/research centres, lack of practice fields, inadequate teachers, and unavailability of teaching and learning materials. The conclusions drawn from the study were that, the perceptions of students towards the study of Agriculture was due to misinformation, lack of guidance and counselling and several perceived challenges of studying Agriculture. The study therefore recommended that, guidance and counselling units should be enforced in Senior high schools to offer career counselling and also, Agricultural departments in senior high schools should be well resourced and schools offering Agricultural science should have school farms or gardens for practical work.