ABSTRACT

The study on land factor in the sitting of school farm project in secondary schools in Ikono Local government area of Akwa Ibom state aimed at evaluating the land factors that affects school farm project sitting in Ikono L.G.A, to determine the nature of the school farm projects in Ikono Akwa Ibom state and to determine the relationship between the land factors and the sitting of school farm project in secondary schools in Ikono Local government area of Akwa Ibom state. The study made use of primary data which are gotten from the distribution of the research questionnaires; the sample size for the study is 100. The study made use of the Pearson correlation method for the analysis. The study therefore concluded that there is a statistically significantly (0.00) strong relationship (0.819) between the responses of the respondents that said that there is significant relationship between land factors and the sitting of school farm project in secondary schools in Ikono Local government area of Akwa Ibom state and those that said that the land nearness to school and the topography affects the sitting of school farm project in secondary schools. The study also made useful recommendation to assist the federal government in decision making.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The school farm is a laboratory, specifically designed and operated, for the purpose of carrying out practical in agricultural science or education in order to impart knowledge and managerial skills to students through practice. It is an area specifically earmarked for agricultural activities, usually sited in the school or at a walking distance to the school compound.

Olaitan (2001), in a study noted that students acquire agricultural knowledge in classrooms in such areas like crop production, forestry, fish farming, agricultural business, farm management, livestock production and so on. He stated that the school farm is an agricultural laboratory that interprets the acquired theoretical knowledge into practice through practical activities to gain experience.

Students are guided on standard school farms through hands on experience to put the knowledge gained in the classrooms into practice on the school farm under the watch of the teacher. The teacher makes use of different methods and technologies, such as demonstration, observation, imitation, and supervised practice to explain techniques and complement the different learning experience required to teach the practical very effectively.

The school farm helps to inculcate into the students the need to value what they could not do or practice by themselves and for themselves. The school farm encourages the use of the head to think, eyes to see and to lay hands on actual operation or techniques to make learning easier and more permanent.

According to Mama (2001), students are made to use their heads, hands and hearts (3Hs) during practical activities on the school farm to produce crops, livestock, keep records and participate in managerial activities. The respect for dignity of human labour is also built into the learners through this process. They also learn how to protect the farm from pests, and diseases, predators, human invaders and how to store farm produce and process them.

On the other hand, school farm has a close relationship with land. Land is required for various uses in schools (public and private) for agricultural purposes. It is a major factor of production and a vital element in the socio-economic development of any country or society (FMH&UD, 2003).

Effective use of the school farm allows for skill development among the growing youths, and transfer of knowledge or experience. For example, students from different background, especially those from farming families with some learning experience in agricultural activities, through exposure to school farm work, would see the relevance of their experience to the agricultural activities of the school and vice versa, thereby encouraging the transfer of modern ways of farming from their schools to the rural farmers for improvement purpose.

1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

School farm is very important to the development of school and welfare of the students. There are so many contribution from school farm to students and teachers; some these contributions include development of students’ agricultural skills, provision of revenue to the school management. However there some challenges faced by school management in the sitting of school farms project; some of the challenges could be assess to waters, location of the farm to the school, topography of the land and also the ph level of the land. Secondly there are series of studies on school but not even a single study has been done on land factor in the sitting of school farm project in secondary schools in Ikono Local government area of Akwa Ibom state; hence a need for the study.

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of the research work is to examine land factor in the sitting of school farm project in secondary schools in Ikono Local government area of Akwa Ibom state. The specific objectives of the study are:

1. to identify the land factors that affects school farm project sitting in Ikono L.G.A
2. to determine the nature of the school farm projects in Ikono Akwa Ibom state
3. to determine the relationship between the land factors and the sitting of school farm project in secondary schools in Ikono Local government area of Akwa Ibom state
4. to recommend ways to improve the sitting of  school farm project and control the challenges of land factors in Ikono L.G.A, Akwa Ibom state

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The study came up with research questions so as to ascertain the above stated objectives of the study. The following research questions guide the objectives of the study:

1. What are the land factors that affects school farm project sitting in Ikono L.G.A?
2. What is the nature of the school farm projects in Ikono Akwa Ibom state?
3. What is the relationship between land factors and the sitting of school farm project in secondary schools in Ikono Local government area of Akwa Ibom state?
4. What are the ways to improve the sitting of school farm project and control the challenges of land factors in Ikono L.G.A, Akwa Ibom state?

1.5 STATEMENT OF THE HYPOTHESIS

H0: there is no significant relationship between land factors and the sitting of school farm project in secondary schools in Ikono Local government area of Akwa Ibom state

H1: there is significant relationship between land factors and the sitting of school farm project in secondary schools in Ikono Local government area of Akwa Ibom state

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study on land factor in the sitting of school farm project will be of immense benefit to the all the secondary schools in Ikono Local government area of Akwa Ibom state. The study will explore all the land factors that might affect the sitting of school farm project and proffer solution on how to control them. The findings of the study will establish a correlation between land factor in the sitting of school farm project in Nigeria. The study will also serve as a repository of information to other researchers and students that desire to carry out similar research on the above topic. Finally the study will contribute to the body of the existing literature on land factor in the sitting of school farm project.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study will cover on land factor in the sitting of school farm project with focus on secondary schools in Ikono Local government area of Akwa Ibom state.

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

SCHOOL FARM: School farms are not just spaces for growing food items. They are complete learning zones, which largely succeed in taking learning to new heights; whenever the school records bumper harvest, the pupils/students can be fed from the produce, while proceeds from the ones sold can be used to develop the school