PRACTICES REQUIRED BY LECTURERS OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN SELECTED AGRO-CLIMATOLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN ADAMAWA AND BAUCHI STATES, NIGERIA

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the practices required by lecturers of agricultural education in utilizing agro-climatological instruments for instructional deliver in Colleges of Education in Adamawa and Bauchi States, Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design. Four research questions guided the study. The area of the study was Adamawa and Bauchi States. The population of the study was 56 respondents comprising of lecturers of agricultural education in Colleges of Education. The entire population was used for the study. Therefore there was no sampling as the population was manageable.  The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire named “selected agro-climatological instruments questionnaire” (SAIQ). Three experts validated the instrument and was trial tested. A Cronbach Alpha coefficient of 0.86 was established indicating that the instrument was reliable to elicit information for the study. Fifty six copies of the questionnaire were administered on the respondents by the help of two research assistants in the two states. One hundred percent of the questionnaire was retrieved. The data collected was analyzed using weighted means and standard deviation to answer the four research questions. It was found that all the 61 practices identified in utilizing the selected agro-climatological instruments were required by lecturers of agricultural education in Colleges of Education.  The results showed that lecturers of agricultural education require the practices in utilizing the following items: 20 practices in maximum and minimum thermometer, 19 practices in rain gauge, 8 practices in barometer and 14 practices in hygrometer. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that: lecturers of agricultural education in Colleges of Education should utilize the identified practices in the selected agro-climatological instrument to train students.