Difficulties in learning agriculture science as a subject in G.C.E. advanced level class

Abstract

This study was planned to find out the present status of agricultural education in Vavuniya district, the difficulties in learning agriculture science and to reason out why a lesser number of students choose agriculture science as a subject in G.C.E. advanced level class. All the schools in Vavuniya district having agriculture science as a subject in advanced level classes were selected for the study. The study was conducted with thirty students who study agriculture as a subject, another thirty students who do not study agriculture as a subject and four teachers who teach agriculture and data were collected by using three different questionnaires. It was found that the students from arts stream, town areas and non- farming families and those who did not offer agriculture in the G.C.E ordinary level class were facing difficulties in learning agriculture as a subject in the advanced level class. Further the study showed that lack of laboratory facilities, unavailability of demonstration plots, shortage of reference materials, vast syllabus and lack of qualified teachers were the important problems faced by the students. Lack of seminars for teachers, inadequate teachers’ guide materials and the misuse of students to do labour works by the school administration also affected the learning of students.