Comparative study of the influence of lecture and demonstration methods on the teaching of Agricultural Science in Senior Secondary Schools in Bende Local Government Area

Abstract

Teaching methods are teacher’s skills and manipulations on the subject matter and the desired responses from the learner. With the application of effective method, the teaching of agricultural science will be facilitated. The study compared the influence of lecture method and demonstration  method on the teaching of agricultural science. One research question and one null hypothesis guided the study. The design of the study was  descriptive survey design. 266 senior secondary school students from 6 schools in Bende Local Government Area formed the sample. A  questionnaire structured by the researchers on 4 point response scale was used for data collection. The reliability of the instrument was calculated to be 0.60 using Cronbach alpha. Mean ratings were used in answering the research question while correlation was used to analyse the null hypothesis at P<0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that demonstration is one of the best methods used in the teaching of agricultural science in senior secondary schools. The findings equally revealed that demonstration method exposes students more to all the practicals in agriculture and equally enhances understanding. Based on the findings, recommendations were made among which are that government should ensure that all the practical facilities, machineries and tools needed for the teaching of agricultural science are provided in schools. Student teachers should be employed in schools.