Enhancing the use of a school garden to improve practical skills among a-level students of agriculture nsangi secondary school in wakiso district

Abstract

Whereas many secondary schools have gardens and farms, there is public outcry that secondary school graduate students know a lot of theory. These students lack enough practical skills more so in Agriculture; which skills would have helped them even after school. This action research study was conducted in Nsangi Secondary School to boost practical skills among students of Agriculture through rejuvenating the use of the school garden in the teaching learning processes. The objectives were to: characterize the existing agriculture teaching and learning practices in the School; identify the possible opportunities and challenges for reviving the functionality of the school garden, promote the utilization of the school garden for the teaching and learning of Agriculture and evaluate the functionality of the school garden in promoting the acquisition of practical skills among students of Agriculture at A-level. Data was collected using interview guides, observation checklists, and focus group discussions. Coding was done to summarize the responses given by the stakeholders for analysis. Qualitative data was cleaned and summarized into themes. Quantitative data was analy7ed with the aid of a computer using Microsoft Excel and SPSS as tools for analysis. The findings indicated that: the Agriculture teaching and learning practices in the school were largely theoretical and unable to equip learners with practical skills; the availability of the school garden enabled the learners to acquire skills in setting up and managing nursery beds, transplanting and care for seedlings in the seedbed. The key implementation challenges were funding for gardening activities and lack of scheduling on the school time table. Based on the findings, it was concluded that school gardens can effectively equip students with the practical skills only if well cared for as a teaching resource. It is recommended that the school garden gets funded for sustainability to be used in enhancing the practical teaching and learning of in Secondary Schools of Uganda.