Availability and adequacy of instructional materials and land for the teaching of agriculture in selected primary schools (Iganga District)

Abstract

The dissertation is an outcome of an investigation on availability, adequacy and utilization of instructional materials and land for the teaching of agriculture in selected primary schools in Iganga District. The study was conducted in Kigulu County, Iganga District located in the eastern part of Uganda. The problem out there was lack of adequate information on availability and adequacy of instructional materials and land for the teaching of agriculture in primary schools of Iganga. This follows the implementation of agriculture as an independent subject on the curriculum in primary schools in 2001, by the Ministry of Education and Sports. The objectives of the research included, identifying the available instructional materials used in teaching agriculture, establishing their adequacy and examining the extent to which instructional materials and land are utilized in the teaching of agriculture. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed. Interview guides, questionnaires and observation guides were used to collect data and a sample of 187 people was chosen. These included the District Education Officer (DEO), 4 head teachers, 22 teachers and 160 pupils. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to analyze and obtain the expected results. The findings revealed that instructional materials used in teaching agriculture were available but in very small amounts compared to pupils enrollment in primary schools. Because of this, pupils in schools rarely utilized most of the instructional materials including textbooks. Land to cater for practical demonstration in agriculture was also found to be inadequate in all schools particularly those in urban areas. In a nutshell, agriculture in these schools is not learnt as an independent subject in the curriculum and emphasis is not put on field practices. The researcher recommends publishing of enough agriculture textbooks and provision of tools and equipment to primary schools by the Ministry of Education and Sports in conjunction with the National Curriculum Development Centre