Constructivist-Based Learning on Students Psycho-Productive Skills Performance in Agricultural Science

Abstract

Constructivist-based approaches to teaching typically make extensive use of problem-based learning (PBL) and learning-by-doing (LBD) which were used to investigate their effects on psycho-productive skills in Agricultural science in secondary school. The research design adopted was a pre-test, post-test, non-randomised control group quasi-experimental. The sample comprised eighty-four students from three schools (intact classes) with thirty-one, twenty-three and thirty in experimental 1, 2 and control groups respectively. The Psycho-productive Skills Performance Test (PSPT) and Psycho-productive Skills Performance Rating Scale (PSPRS) were the two instruments developed by the researchers and administered as pre and post tests. The PSPT was subjected to content validity and item analysis, its reliability test through spilt-half method gave a co-efficient value of 0.74 and for the PSPRS, using Cohen’s Kappa statistic when subjected to inter-rater reliability it gave a value of 0.84. The data collected were analysed with the use of frequency counts, percentages, mean, standard deviation, t-test and ANOVA. The results reveal significant effect of instructional strategy on psycho-productive skills performance in Agricultural Science. Furthermore, it shows no significant effect of parents’ education level on the students’ psycho-productive skills performance in Agricultural Science. Arising from the findings, it was recommended among others that PBL and LBD learning strategies should be incorporated in the teacher education programmes as part of their training.