Perceptions of Undergraduate Students to Practical Agriculture Experience at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa

Abstract

The study examined perceptions of final year students of agriculture at the University of Fort Hare to practical agricultural experience. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to obtain data from 278 which were analysed, using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study reveals that more than half (55.0%) had favourable perceptions of practical agriculture experience (PAE). However, only about half (51.1%) expressed a high level of satisfaction. The majority (61.9%) were in favour of on-the-farm internships. There was a significant relationship between respondents' perceptions regarding improved performance (r = 0.276), general attitude to PAE (r = 0.438) and overall satisfaction with the PAE programme. Based on its findings, this study has implications for the evaluation process of the programme and suggests that the design of the PAE should center around on-farm activities based on a specific number of weeks for internships on commercial farms. This will provide the reallife experiential learning that could stimulate students to venture into practical farming post-graduation.

Perceptions of Akwa Ibom State University Agricultural Students on Practical Year Programme

“…Only a small percentage of students stated that they were given suitable working tools. Furthermore, few students ( =1.71) acknowledged that they visited farms outside of the university, which contradicts Yusuf et al (2019) findings, which claim that exposing students to commercial farms outside of the university will improve their hands-on experience and expose them to new skills. In total, 72% of students favored PYP, while 28% did not.…”

“…According to Subbiah, Kannan, Koiyu, and Monama (2017), industrial training was relevant and provided students with the essential skills to meet job market needs. Yusuf et al (2019) found that more than half of the respondents in a South African study had favorable perceptions of practical farm experience. However, in the study of Karunaratne and Perera (2019), despite the fact that students' perceptions of the internship programme were positive, with the claim that they were exposed to learning experiences and the opportunity to develop a relationship with the industry, acquire industry work culture, develop self-confidence, execute problem-solving activities, develop social interaction skill, and aspire future education and career, the students negatively ranked the internship programme in providing opportunities to develop social interaction skills and aspire future education and career.…”

“…Previously, agriculture was thought to include a great deal of drudgery, deterring young people from entering the field because it is a dirty work with little pay. As a result, agriculture continues to be unappealing to the youth, leading to their migration to other sectors of the economy in search of a better living (Yusuf et al, 2019). Many farmers with limited resources rely only on family labor.…”