THE IMPACT OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN IKA SOUTH, AGBOR. DELTA STATE

This study examined the impact of experiential learning on students’ knowledge and attitudes towards sustainable agricultural practices in Ika South Local Government Area of Agbor, Delta State. A descriptive survey was used for the study. One hundred (100) Agricultural Science students constituted the study’s sample. One instrument titled “Questionnaire on the Impact of Experiential Learning on Students’ Knowledge and Attitudes towards Sustainable Agricultural Practices (QIELSKASAP)” was used to gather data for the study. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency counts, percentage, means and standard deviation. The findings revealed as follows: the impact of experiential learning on students’ attitudes towards sustainable agricultural practices is positive; the challenges of implementation of experiential learning to enhance students’ knowledge and attitudes towards sustainable agricultural practices in Ika South Local Government Area of Agbor, Delta State are lack of adequate teaching materials, insufficient access to demonstration farms or practical sites, overcrowded classrooms, limited time allocated for practical sessions, inadequate training of teachers, lack of funding and resources, and resistance from students who prefer traditional classroom teaching; while the strategies used for the implementation are use of school farms for hands-on agricultural training, field trips, engage students in real-life planting and harvesting, integrate project-based learning on soil and water management, invite agricultural experts for interactive workshops, incorporate group tasks on composting and recycling, use ICT tools to simulate sustainable farming techniques, and encourage student-led research on local farming challenges. Again, the hypotheses revealed that there was no significant difference between the impact of experiential learning on male and female students’ knowledge of sustainable agricultural practices in Ika South Local Government Area of Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria (df = 98; t = .684; p>0.05); there was a statistically significant difference between the impact of experiential learning on male and female students’ attitudes towards sustainable agricultural practices in Ika South Local Government Area of Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria (df = 98; t = -3.307; p