EVALUATING THE TEACHING OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IN SELECTED URBAN AND RURAL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE NORTHERN REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

Presenting information by teachers in abstract form without practical demonstration is found to be one of the most popular methods for transmitting knowledge to students by teachers in most second cycle schools in Ghana. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the teaching of Agricultural Science in some selected urban and rural Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the Northern Region of Ghana. Using stratified and purposive sampling approaches, one hundred and seventy-six (176) respondents were sampled for the study. Simple random sampling was first used to select respondents (students and teachers) from the individual groups of the target population in the eight schools forming the strata. On the other hand, purposive sampling approach was used to sample the headmasters/mistresses to be part of the study’s sample size. Questionnaire was the main instrument used to obtain the needed data for the study, since all the respondents were literates. Using frequencies and percentages presented in tables, as well as Chi-square analysis, the study adopted descriptive approach in analysing the study’s data results. The study’s findings revealed that there is significance difference in teaching methods used in urban and rural SHSs. Inadequate Agricultural Science teachers and lack of Science laboratories were also found to be some of the key challenges facing SHSs in the Northern Region. It was therefore recommended that the government of Ghana should, as a matter of urgency, train and employ more Agricultural Science teachers, and also provide more Science laboratories to improve academic performance of students in both rural and urban Senior High Schools in the Northern Region of Ghana.