Students' and teachers' perceptions of school farm interventions by the development assistance to school farms (DASFA) in the central region, Ghana

Abstract

This study examined the perceptions of teachers and students of school farm interventions by an agricultural education NOD known as Development Assistance to School Farms (DASFA). The population for the study was students and teachers who have participated in school farm activities supported by DASFA. Students of the Agro-Youth Clubs at Cape Coast School for the Deaf and Jukwa Senior Secondary School and their teachers, patrons, and farm assistants were purposively sampled because of their participation in all four of the agricultural enterprises examined. A descriptive survey design employing the Retrospective Pre-post Approach was used to examine competency perceptions of the students before and after the school farms and gardens project interventions. Teachers were surveyed through the use of questionnaires. Means and standard deviations were computed to describe students' perceived competency levels. Paired t-tests were computed to determine whether there were significant differences between perceived levels before and after the project interventions. The findings of the study indicated that significant gains were rna,' ~ in terms of students' acquisition of knowledge and skills in the four enterprises included in the study. Teachers indicated that the interventions were helpful in contributing to the delivery of the agriculture curriculum in their schools. Some problems reported include insufficient inputs and lack of incentives. Recommendations for improving the management of school farms included wider involvement and commitment, transparent record-keeping and the sharing of profits.