Factors Affecting Teaching And Learning Of Agricultural Science As An Optional Subject In Selected Secondary Schools In Tanzania

FACTORS AFFECTING TEACHING AND LEARNING OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AS AN OPTIONAL SUBJECT IN SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN TANZANIA

                                                         PELAGIA NYIGU

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION AND EXTENSION OF SOKOINE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE. MOROGORO, TANZANIA.

                                                        ABSTRACT
Agriculture as a subject has been taught in Tanzania before and after independence with overall purpose being development of basic agricultural skills relevant to learners‟ home environment. Thus, this study was conducted to assess factors affecting teaching and learning of agricultural science as an optional subject in selected secondary school in Mbeya and Songwe Regions, Tanzania. Specific objectives were to: examine the current status in teaching and learning of agricultural science as an optional subject; determine school based factors affecting teaching and learning of agricultural science as an optional subject; and determine non-school based factors affecting teaching and learning of agricultural science as an optional subject. Data were collected from 190 respondents including 160 students, 20 teachers, 10 key informants and various documentary sources using questionnaires, researcher‟s diary and checklist. Quantitative data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) computer software and “content analysis” technique was used to analyse qualitative data. The study examined current status of teaching and learning agriculture subject and determined school and non-school based factors affecting teaching and learning of agriculture science as an optional subject. It was concluded that Tanzania Government Policy towards agriculture science subject in secondary schools is that it is an optional and not compulsory. It was recommended that there is a need for the Government to have mechanism in place to periodically review and evaluate policies related to taking agriculture as an optional subject in order to ensure they are still relevant. The study also suggested to undertake case studies of teaching and learning agricultural science as an optional subject in secondary schools in other parts of the country in order to enable generalisation of the observations. The purpose of the case studies would be to develop and enhance understanding of factors affecting teaching and learning of agriculture subject in the country.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... ii
DECLARATION .......................................................................................................... iii
COPYRIGHT ............................................................................................................... iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...........................................................................................v
DEDICATION.............................................................................................................. vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................ vii
LIST OF TABLES .........................................................................................................x
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................... xii
LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................................ xiii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .....................................................................................xiv
CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................1
1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................1
1.1 Background Information ..........................................................................................1
1.2 Statement of the Problem and Justification of the Study ...........................................5
1.3 Objectives ...............................................................................................................6
1.3.1 Overall objective ..........................................................................................6
1.3.2 Specific objectives .......................................................................................6
1.4 Research Questions .................................................................................................6
1.5 Operational Definition of Terms ..............................................................................7
1.5.1 Secondary school ........................................................................................7
1.5.2 Agricultural science subject ........................................................................7
1.5.3 Optional subject ..........................................................................................7
1.5.4 Teaching and learning.................................................................................8

1.5.5 Key variables ..............................................................................................8
CHAPTER TWO ...........................................................................................................9
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW .....................................................................................9
2.1 Empirical Literature .................................................................................................9
2.2 Theoretical Framework .......................................................................................... 11
2.3 Conceptual Framework .......................................................................................... 12
CHAPTER THREE ..................................................................................................... 14
3.0 METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................. 14
3.1 Study Area ............................................................................................................ 14
3.2 Study Design ......................................................................................................... 14
3.3 Sampling Procedures ............................................................................................. 14
3.4 Sample Size ........................................................................................................... 16
3.5 Data Collection Instruments................................................................................... 16
3.6 Data Collection Procedures .................................................................................... 17
3.7 Data Processing and Analysis ................................................................................ 18
3.7.1 Data processing .......................................................................................... 18
3.7.2 Data analysis .............................................................................................. 18
3.8 Limitation of the Study .......................................................................................... 18
CHAPTER FOUR ........................................................................................................ 19
4.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS ........................................................................ 19
4.1 Students Respondents‟ Characteristics and Their Opinions on Status, School Based Factors and Non-school Based Factors Affecting Teaching and Learning of Agricultural Science as an Optional Subject .................. 19

4.1.1 Student respondents‟ characteristics ........................................................... 19
4.1.2 Status of teaching and learning of agricultural science subject .................... 21
4.1.3 Students‟ opinions on school based factors affecting teaching and learning of agricultural science as an optional subject ........................ 26
4.1.4 Students‟ opinions on non-school based factors affecting teaching and learning of agricultural science subject ................................. 32
4.2 Teacher Respondents‟ Characteristics and Their Opinions on Status, School Based Factors and Non-school Based Factors Affecting Teaching and Learning of Agricultural Science as an Optional Subject................................ 35
4.2.1 Teacher respondents‟ characteristics ......................................................... 35
4.2.2 Status of teaching and learning of agricultural science subject .................. 37
4.2.3 Teacher respondents‟ opinions on school based factors affecting teaching and learning of agricultural science subject ................................. 38
4.2.4 Teacher respondents opinions on non-school based factors affecting teaching and learning of agricultural science subject .................. 41
4.3 Summary of the Findings ....................................................................................... 42
CHAPTER FIVE .......................................................................................................... 43
5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................. 43
5.1 Conclusions ........................................................................................................... 43
5.2 Recommendations ................................................................................................. 43
REFFERENCES .......................................................................................................... 45
APPENDICES .............................................................................................................. 49

CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
This is a study of factors affecting teaching and learning of agricultural science as an optional subject in secondary schools in Tanzania. Since agriculture is the main source of livelihood for majority of Tanzanians who live in rural areas, teaching and learning the subject in secondary schools is very important. Despite the importance of agriculture, there is evidence that the number of students taking agriculture is low. This can be attributed to school and non-school based factors. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess factors affecting teaching and learning agricultural science as an optional subject in selected secondary schools in Mbeya and Songwe Regions.
1.1 Background Information
According to URT (1995), in Tanzania traditional education emphasised principles of good citizenship, acquisition of life skills and perpetuation of valued customs and traditions. During German and English colonial periods, education provided was restricted to few individuals earmarked to serve colonial interests. Immediately after independence in 1961 the Government passed the Education Act. of 1962 to regulate provision of education. This Act. repealed and replaced the Act. of 1927 education ordinance. Despite new policy measures, there were no significant policy changes in the goals and objectives of education until 1967 when the philosophy of education for self-reliance (ESR) was introduced to guide the planning and practice of education. The philosophy of ESR was a sequel of the Arusha Declaration and it underscored the weakness of education system then. This philosophy emphasised the need of curriculum reform in order to integrate theory with acquisition of practical skills. It also urged linkage of education plans andpractices with national socio-economic development and the world of work (Mkamati and Ndosi, 1998). In 1972, the Ministry of National Education implemented the policy of introducing agriculture and other vocational subjects in secondary school education curriculum (URT, 1995). Secondary school agriculture was therefore made the cornerstone of ESR because the Tanzanian Government places great emphasis on rural development. Agriculture in secondary schools aimed at preparing students for after-school life in rural areas and off-setting some of the costs of running the schools through agricultural production generated by students and teachers (URT, 1995). Delivery of vocational training in Tanzania was therefore partly through the secondary school system, which was diversified in the 1970s with the intention of providing students with vocational skills along side academic knowledge.
After having taught agriculture as a core course in lower secondary school curriculum since its introduction in 1972, it was phased out in 2004 since the secondary school system could only accommodate a small proportion of primary school leavers (MoEVT, 2004). The government had established post-primary training centres offering two-year courses in skills such as metalwork, woodwork, dressmaking and masonry. There were also a number of Folk Development Colleges, set up with support from Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), offering shorter courses and aimed at providing skills for rural development. Vocational training was also provided at National Vocational Training Centres. In 1994 these came under the newly formed Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) which was partly funded by a levy on businesses. VETA colleges offer a wide range of courses, many aim at modern sector jobs (VETA/GTZ, 2000).However, in 2006 teaching agricultural science subject in secondary schools was reinstated as an optional subject (MoEVT, 2006a), due to poor public perception which has been fueled by the low academic requirements for admission into VETA programmes and the limited prospects for further education and professional development. Worse, the impression is sometimes created by the government that the primary objective of the vocational education track is to keep dropouts and "lockouts" from the basic and secondary school system off the streets, rather than project this type of training as an effective strategy to train skilled workers for the employment market. The term "lockouts" refers to students who are unable to move up the educational ladder, not because of poor grades but because of lack of places at the higher level. The broad objectives of the subject at secondary school level are to: (i) stimulate and sustain students‟ interest in farming; (ii) enable students acquire basic agricultural attitudes, practical skills and knowledge; (iii) enable students integrate agricultural knowledge and skills; and (iv) prepare students for employment in farming and/or further studies in agriculture (URT, 2000).
Mbeya and Songwe regions (where data for this study were collected) are among the 34 administrative regions in Tanzania. (Fig. 1). The regions have an area of 63420km2 (Mbeya 39230.74 km2 and Songwe 24 189.26 km2). Administratively the regions are divided into 10 districts. Five districts of Mbeya Region are Mbeya City, Mbeya, Kyela, Rungwe, Mbalari and other five districts of Songwe Region are Momba, Chunya, Songwe, Ileje and Mbozi. Due to fertile soils, favourable rainfall and wide range of altitudes, a considerable number of crops are grown in the regions. Tea is the major cash crop while sunflower, peas, simsim and groundnuts are grown at limited scale by smallholder farmers. Major food crops produced are maize, bananas, paddy, beans and potatoes. The regions had a total number of 251 secondary schools (Mbeya147 and Songwe 104), out of which 18 secondary schools (Mbeya 11 and Songwe 7) were teaching agricultural science