AVAILABILITY AND ADEQUACY OF EQUIPMENT FOR TEACHING PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE IN FEDERAL COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN NORTH EAST ZONE OF NIGERIA

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the Availability and Adequacy of equipment for teaching practical Agriculture in Federal Colleges of Education in the North East Zone of Nigeria. Survey research design was adopted for the study, two research questions were formulated to guide the study. The population for the study was 1, 038 (480 NCE I and 487 NCE II) agricultural education students and 72 teachers in three Federal Colleges of Education in the North East Zone of Nigeria. A sample size of 363 respondents (72 teachers and 150 NCE 1 students as well as 141 NCE 11 students making the sample size of 291 students) was used for the study. The instrument used for data collection was structured questionnaire which was designed by the researchers, the instrument was subjected to face and content validity by three experts and the reliability of the instrument was established by trial testing, reliability coefficient of 0.81 was obtained using Spearman Brown Step up (Prophecy) formula. Data collected were analyzed using percentage. The finding of the study revealed that 54% of the equipment for teaching practical Agriculture in COE are not available while 46% were available. The study also indicates that 77% of equipments for teaching practical Agriculture in COE were not adequate while 23% were adequate. The paper recommended that Agricultural education teachers should intensify effort to ensure availability of practical equipment, so that students can be familiar with many procedures for handling equipment needed for practical Agriculture.. Also Equipments that are not available should be provided, especially in the College farm where practical knowledge and skill of Agriculture is imparted. This is necessary to make Agriculture interesting hence improve the performance of students and skills acquisition.