Effectiveness of Expository and Discovery Approaches to Teaching Practical Agriculture in Junior Secondary Schools

T h i s study. determined t h e r e l a t i v e e f f e c t i v e n e s s of t h e
discovery and e x p o s i t o r y approaches i n t e a c h i n g p r a c t i c a l
a g r i c u l t u r e t o JSS 111 s t u d e n t s .
The s t u d y u t i l i s e d a p r e - t e s t - p o s t - t e s t e x p e r i m e n t a l design
which i n v o l v e d t h e comparison of g a i n s . Two d i f f e r e n t
i n s t i t u t i o n s were used f o r t h e s t u d y (Emmanuel Secondary
s c h o o l , Ugbokolo) f o r t h e t r e a t m e n t group and ( ~ g b o k o l o
Community Secondary s c h o o l , ~ k p a t i )f o r t h e c o n t r o l group.
JSS 111 s t u d e n t s were used f o r t h e s t u d y , f i f t y (50) s t u d e n t s
sampled from each i n s t i t u t i o n making hundred (100) s t u d e n t s
from t h e two i n s t i t u t i o n s used f o r t h e study. However, t h e
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e n t i r e p o p u l a t i o n of JSS 111 s t u d e n t s from t h e two i n s t i t u t i o n s
amounted t o t h r e e hundred (300) s t u d e n t s . Each i n s t i t u t i o n
with one hundred and f i f t y (150) s t u d e n t s . The same e v a l u a t i o n
test-item was nsed f o r t h e two i n s t i t u t i o n s . Data c o l l e c t e d
was used t o f i n d o u t t h e mean g a i n s c o r e s of t h e t r e a t m e n t
group and t h e c o n t r o l group. T h i s l e d t o t h e computation of
s t u d e n t s performance i n c o g n i t i v e domain, s k i l l s and t o t a l
performance i n s k i l l .
The mean g a i n s c o r e s a r e f u r t h e r used t o compute t h e t - t e s t ;
t h e r e s u l t s compared w h i c h ' l e d t o t h e f i n d i n g s t h a t
(1) discovery approach is much more e f f e c t i v e t h a n e x p o s i t o r y
approach i n t e a c h i n g p r a c t i c a l a g r i c u l t u r e t o JsS 111 s t u d e n t s ;
(2) discovery approach is e f f e c t i v e i n t h e i n c u l c a t i o n of
knowledge, a c q u i s i t i o n of s k i l l s and s t i m u l a t i o n of i n t e r e s t
than t h e expository approach.
The recommendation made by t h e Federal Ministry of Education
i n using discovery approach f o r teaching p r a c t i c a l a g r i c u l t u r e
t o JSS 111 is t h e r e f o r e accepted.