| dc.description.abstract | Agriculture plays an important role in the economy of any nation as it is the background on
which most of the activities emanate from. Throughout history, agriculture has had a
significant impact on civilization, serving as one of its primary drivers. The purpose of the
study was to investigate selected factors influencing the integration of practical skills in the
teaching and learning of agriculture in secondary Schools in Matayos Sub-County, Busia
County, Kenya. The study was guided by three main objectives namely: To establish the
effect of curriculum guidelines on integration of practical skills in teaching and learning of
agriculture in secondary schools; to determine the teacher related factors and their
influence on integration of practical skills in teaching and learning of agriculture in
secondary schools and to determine the influence of institutional-related factors on
integration of practical skills in teaching and learning of agriculture in secondary
schools.The study was guided by the experiential learning theory as postulated by John
Dewey. The study used the descriptive survey design. Data was collected using
questionnaire, interview schedules and observation. The study sampled a total of 367
respondents which comprised of 23 principals sampled using saturated sampling, 23
agriculture teachers sampled purposively and 320 students sampled through random and 1
quality assurance and standard officer. Quantitative data was cleaned and analyzed using
SPSS version 26 and data presented using tables and charts. Qualitative data was coded and
themes identified then presented alongside quantitative data. The study revealed that
curriculum guidelines were very clear on the scope of practical integration and hence,
influenced integration of practical skills but teachers lacked proper implementation
measures. Additionally, the study revealed that teacher related factors like teaching
methods and teacher competency influenced integration of practical skills. The teaching
methodology deployed by teachers did not favor integration of practical skills as most
teachers prefered lecture method. Finally, the study established that institutional related
factors like availability of resources, administration support and collaboration with other
stakeholders influenced integration of practical skills. The schools faced various challenges
which hampered integration of practical skills in teaching and learning of agriculture in
secondary school in Busia Sub-County, Kenya. The study teachers be provided with
regular professional development courses to enhance their teaching methodology.
Additionally, adequate resources should be allocated for practical purposes in teaching and
learning of agriculture. | en_US |
