STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE LEARNING OF AGRICULTURE SCIENCE IN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE AKUAPEM NORTH DISTRICT IN THE EASTERN REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

The study sought to evaluate Senior High School students’ perceptions on the studying of Agriculture Science subject in the Akuapem North District in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design using questionnaires as the main data collection instrument. Data were provided by 203 students who were purposively sampled from 4,045 Senior High School students in the district. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics aided by the Statistical Package for Service Solution (SPSS version 2015) software programme. The study revealed that although enrolment trends in Agriculture Science in Senior High Schools were declining in the Akuapem North District, the enrolled students had positive attitude towards the study of Agriculture Science. The study also revealed that learning resources such as school farm, agricultural tools and equipment and text books were either inadequate or unavailable in some of the schools studied. In addition, punishment given to students such as weeding the school compound and digging influenced their perceptions towards the learning of Agriculture Science. The study recommended that teachers must desist from using weeding as disciplinary action for students, as this practice discourages students from pursuing Agriculture Science in the Senior High Schools.