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Assessment of Agricultural Extension Curriculum Teaching Methods and Students’ Acquisition of Skills for Okra Production in Nigerian Colleges of Agriculture

Catherine Ubong Akpan, PhD, Ekerette Udo Etok

Abstract

This study assessed the effectiveness of agricultural extension teaching methods in facilitating students' skill acquisition for okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) production in Colleges of Agriculture in North-East geopolitical zones, Nigeria. Six research questions, six hypotheses and descriptive survey design were used for the study. The population comprised 389 final-year students from Adamawa State College of Agriculture and Yobe State College of Agriculture , with 186 and 203 students, respectively. A sample of 349 students (166 from ASCOA and 183 from YSCA) was randomly selected. A 60-item questionnaire consisting of seven sections and 5-point rating scale used for data collection was faced validated by three experts. Cronbach’s alpha yielded an overall reliability index of .80, with section-specific indices of .79, .72, .84, .77, .86 and .81 for section B, C, D, E, F and G respectively indicating that the instrument was reliable. Research questions were analyzed using Mean and Standard Deviation, and independent t-tests were applied to test hypotheses at a .05 significance level. The results indicated that demonstration, lecture, discussion, inquiry-based, project-based, and cooperative teaching methods were effective in enhancing students' skills for okra production. No significant difference was found in students’ responses regarding the effectiveness of these methods. Based on these findings, it is recommended that COAs implement a robust monitoring and evaluation system to regularly assess teaching methods and curriculum content. Periodic curriculum revision, based on feedback from students, industry stakeholders, and educational assessments, is also advised to meet evolving agricultural education needs.

Keywords

Agricultural ExtensionTeaching MethodsSkill AcquisitionOkra ProductionColleges of AgricultureNigeria.

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