Two decades of World Bank assisted extension services in Nigeria: Lessons and challenges for the future

Abstract

This paper reviewed the period between 1975 and 1995 when World Bank funds were used to reactivate the erstwhile moribund extension services in Nigeria. It noted that significant progress had been made in the establishment of an institutional framework for a functional extension service in the country. There were, however, some weak areas that require special attention for the extension services to remain functional and relevant to the needs of a majority of farmers. These areas include the input supply system, the need for a special focus on issues of natural resources management for sustainable land use and the environment. Others are the need for democratization and empowerment of local communities and farmers’ associations, and the harnessing NGO efforts for a wider coverage and sustainability of the extension services. It was concluded that the big challenge in the next decade would be in the areas of securing government commitment and mobilizing local funds for sustaining the service. JAgr Educ Ext (2001, 7, 3, pp 143–152)     

Correlations Among Five Demographic Variables and the Performance of Selected Jamaican 11th-graders on Some Numerical Problems on Energy

This study was designed to assess whether the level of performance of selected Jamaican 11th-grade physics students on some numerical problems on the energy concept was satisfactory and if there were significant differences in their performance linked to their gender, socioeconomic background (SEB), school location, English language and mathematical abilities. The 331 sampled students consisted of 213 boys and 118 girls; 197 students were from a high SEB and 134 students from a low SEB; 296 students were from seven urban schools and 35 students from three rural schools; 112, 153 and 66 of the students had high, average and low English language abilities, respectively, while 144, 81 and 106 of the students had high, average and low mathematical abilities, respectively. An Energy Concept Test (ECT) consisting of six structured numerical questions was employed for data collection. The results indicated that although the students’ level of performance was regarded as fairly satisfactory, there was a lot of room for improvement. There were statistically significant differences in the students’ performance on the ECT linked to SEB, and mathematical abilities in favour of students from a high SEB, and high mathematical abilities, respectively. There was a positive, statistically significant but weak correlation between the students’ (a) mathematical abilities, and (b) English language abilities and their performance on the ECT, while there were no correlations among their gender, school location, and SEB and their performance on the ECT.     

Equality of access and catchment area factor in university admissions in Nigeria

The objectives of the study were to criticallyexamine the desirability of the catchment areapolicy in the admission process in Nigeria andto analyse the implementation and implicationsof catchment factor as one of the criteria usedin the admission process into NigerianUniversities.Three federal universities were purposefullysampled for the study. Data were obtained fromthe universities' admission officers,examination and record officers, faculty anddepartmental examination officers. Data werealso collected from the Joint Admissions andMatriculation Board, the National UniversitiesCommission and the Federal Ministry ofEducation.Data were collected through a preparedchecklist. Two research questions were raisedand two hypotheses formulated. The obtaineddata were analysed by using simple percentageespecially for the trend and comparativeanalysis. The t-test statistic and anova wereused to test the hypotheses, while simplepercentage and ratios were used to compute thewastage rate difference.The major findings include: that admissionratio into the universities among states wasnot proportional to the size of enrolment atthe terminal grade of the secondary schoollevel in these states which justify affirmative policies such as the one in focusto redress the imbalance; that the universitieshave been implementing faithfully the policyaccording to the laid-down guidelines; that themajor groups in the catchment area of eachuniversity predominate admission, except wherea major group is absent; and that there was asignificant difference in the quality ofperformance of students admitted on merit andthose admitted through catchment area policywhile a no significant difference was found inthe academic performance among studentsadmitted through catchment area, universitydiscretion and educationally disadvantagedstates; and that the wastage rate of those onmerit was lower than those through thecatchment area policy.Based on the findings, the study suggested thatthe policy should be retained, but finetuned soas to effectively serve as a measure throughwhich the imbalance in university educationcould be minimized and increased access touniversity education by the various groups inthe country would be assured. However, thepaper suggested that the percentage allocatedto this factor be reduced in the light of itsnegative implication on the quality of studentperformance and subsequently the primaryobjective of university education.     

Effects of Concept and Vee Mappings Under Three Learning Modes on Students' Attitudes Towards the Mappings,Learning Modes,Ecology and Genetics

This study investigates the effects of concept and vee mappings under cooperative, cooperative-competitive and individualistic learning modes, ability levels and gender on students' attitudes towards concept and vee mappings, the three learning modes, ecology and genetics. A pre-test-post-test experiment, with control groups, involving 808 eleventh grade (fourth form) students, was used for data collection. Students taught the use of concept and vee mappings, under cooperative conditions, developed superior positive attitudes towards the two heuristics, ecology and genetics, compared with those taught under cooperative-competitive and individualistic conditions. Statistically significant differences in their attitudes were due mainly to treatment and ability. High ability students developed the most superior positive attitudes to concept and vee mappings, ecology and genetics. Students' attitudes towards cooperation were mostly positive but totally negative to individualisation and mostly negative to competition. Students' positive attitudes to ecology and genetics correlated negatively with their attitudes towards competition and individualisation. The implications of the study's findings for the teaching of science are addressed.     

Effects of concept and vee mappings under three learning modes on students' cognitive achievement in ecology and genetics

This study verified the efficacy of concept and vee mapping heuristics under cooperative (CP), cooperative–competitive (CP-CM) and individualistic whole (IW) class learning conditions in improving students' achievement in ecology and genetics. A total of 808 tenth-grade students were involved in the study. The results showed that the experimental groups taught with concept and vee mappings under the three learning modes achieved significantly better than the control groups. Students in the CP-CM condition in all groups achieved significantly better than their counterparts in the other two groups, whereas the CP-CM experimental group students achieved significantly best. A significant interaction between treatment and ability suggested that an element of competition, when combined with small group cooperation, favored students of lower ability.     

The Relative Effectiveness of the Reflective and the Lecture Approach Methods on the Achievement of High School Social Studies Students

The aim of this study was to find out whether the achievement of high school social studies students differs significantly according to whether they are taught by the reflective teaching method or the lecture approach method. A stratified random sample of 215 year three social studies students was randomly assigned to two groups: 107 students into the reflective approach group and 108 into the lecture approach group. An achievement test was used as the pre‐ and the post‐test. The means of the aggregate mean performance scores were compared by the use of Student's t‐test. There was no significant difference between the two groups on the pre‐test scores but there was a significant difference between the post‐test scores, in favour of the group taught by the reflective approach method.     

Cognitive style and achievement in science: A report from a developing society

This study investigated the effect of cognitive style, instructional mode and sex on students' achievement in biology. A sample of 258 subjects were involved and the study used a Treatment (2) × Sex (2) × Cognitive style (3) Non-randomized Control Group Pre-test-Post-test Design. Data were collected with Biology Achievement Test (BAT), Aptitude Test and Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) and an Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyse the data. The results show that subjects differed significantly in their post-test achievement scores on instructional mode and cognitive style factors. However, sex main effect was found not to be significant. It is interesting to note that the combined two-way interaction was significant. Of the three individual two-way interactions, instructional mode by sex, and instructional mode by cognitive style were significant. It is noteworthy that the three-way interactions were not significant. The results are discussed and their implications for effective biology instruction and consequently improved student achievement in biology especially in the Nigerian secondary schools are pointed out.     

A selected review of the literature on library co-operation

Abstract

A study of broadcasting libraries in Nigeria was carried out using the social survey method. Questionnaire, observation, and interview techniques were used to generate data from a representative sample of the nation's broadcast media stations (radio and television) located in the Bauchi and Plateau States of Nigeria. A general underdevelopment of the libraries was revealed. Staffing is inadequate in number and is also non-specialized. Preservation and conservation practices are virtually non-existent. Whereas the content of the modest collection shows a rich resource base, collection development is near-crippled while mediagraphic control is done more by common-sense than by any system. State stations generally fared better than federal ones. Poor funding was identified as the major constraint in the general development of the libraries. Suggestions were offered towards revenue generation and the need for professional leadership in the country's broadcasting libraries.     

A Review of Some Sources of Students' Misconceptions in Biology

It is now widely acknowledged that students' misconceptions in science impede their meaningful understanding of and good performance in the subject. A search in the literature reveals that textbooks, reference books, teachers, language, cultural beliefs and practices are some principal sources of high school students' misconceptions of many science concepts in biology. In this paper, some misconceptions students hold in biology, which originate from each of these sources, are reviewed using cognate studies and published documents. The implications of the conclusions from the review for biology education are addressed.