SCHOOL RESOURCES AND SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IN IBADAN METROPOLIS
The poor academic performance of public secondary school students in Agricultural Science is a significant concern and poses a threat to the future of agriculture in Nigeria. This study investigated the influence of availability and utilization of school resources on academic achievement of Senior Secondary School students in Agricultural Science in Ibadan Metropolis. Employing a descriptive survey design with a multistage sampling technique, data was collected from 721 Senior Secondary School 2 (SSS 2) Agricultural Science students using the Agricultural Science Achievement Test (ASAT) and Students’ Questionnaires on School Resources (SQSR). Analysis involved frequency counts, percentages, mean, standard deviation, and multiple regression. Findings indicate a low academic achievement, with 92.5% scoring below 50%. Both resource availability (Mean=2.41; SD=1.132) and utilization (Mean=2.17; SD=0.571) were low in the surveyed schools. There was a significant influence of school resources on academic achievement (β = .205, p < .000). Recommendations include prioritizing resource acquisition for teaching agricultural science and implementing effective strategies for resource utilization by the government, school administrators, and teachers.