Video is a potential window that can expose the minds and heart of
many rural African children to
modern Agricultural practices and Environmental concepts, far more
than the traditional
classroom teacher can achieve. Children and youths are so enthralled
with home video films that
they are described as video crazy (Akpabio, 2004). Their interest in
watching home video films
can be exploited in the formal school system in teaching Agricultural
and Environmental practices
in vivid and entertaining manner.
Enlightened and middle class parents would want to encourage their
wards to migrate to the
cities, to escape the poverty circle in the rural community in order
to make quick money. This
fuels the loss of agro-labour force. There are fewer young farmers and
increasingly older farmers
in the rural community. Agriculture is becoming less attractive to
youths. Modern agricultural
practices presented to children in an exciting manner through video
could reverse this attitudinal
tendency of the rural people on the long run.
In addition, conservation of soil and forest resources in the
environment is not a priority concern
for resource-poor farmers. Rural people are less bordered about Ozone
layer depletion,
106 IJEDICT
desertification and depletion of forest resources due to “cut and
burn” farm practices. Their main
concern is on economic empowerment and improvement of the social
infrastructure such as good
primary health care and roads. A vivid motion picture through video of
the long-term effect of their
present bad practices could touch the soul of the children to convince
their parents to adopt better
farm practices that will sustain the resources for the incoming
generation. Besides, the children
and youths are likely to deviate from their parents’ bad practices and
take to environmentally
sustainable/friendly behaviour.
There is a strong need for an alternative technique of teaching the
children if the Millennium
Development Goal of better environment and education for all in 2015
will be attained. In addition,
the sustainability of the agricultural labour force, rural – urban
migration, food insecurity and
massive youth unemployment are worrisome issues that evoke serious
concerns and calls for
urgent action to empower the youths early through educative,
informative and entertaining
agricultural/environmental video programmes. It is expected to improve
on the current level of
adult literacy put at 57 percent, incidence of poverty at 54.4 percent
and life expectancy at 54
percent (CBN 2004).
The primary school age (6 – 11) of children in Nigeria is 15 - 17
percent of the 140 million citizens
of Nigeria. There is a 2.5 percent annual growth rate, 3 percent of
GDP (US$493.2) budget on
education, 62 percent net primary school enrolment/attendance and a
teacher – pupil ratio of 1:85
in public primary schools and 1:35 in private schools. The National
Policy on Education specifies
that the curriculum of the Primary School (Basic 2– 6) shall include
among others agriculture. The curriculum objectives are to arouse and sustain pupil’s interest in
the art of farming, enable them
acquire elementary knowledge and manipulative skills in agriculture.
It is also to prepare them for
further studies and career opportunities in Agriculture and to
appreciate the environment in a
scientific way. Consequently, topics on the environment and farming
were organized into units
spread over the 6-year primary school period. It is stipulated that “a
special attribute of the
primary Agriculture core curriculum is its practical orientation right
from the first year of school till
it peaks at 100 percent practical work in year five, leaving year six
for field work. (NERDC 1991).
This is a beautiful document. But most primary school teachers are not
even aware of it, neither
has it been put into practice. This is the bane of Nigeria-good
policy, poor execution. These
objectives may never be achieved due to poor governance in Nigeria and
gross ineptitude among
educational administrators.
The Universal Basic Education programme received a boost with an
interest free loan facility of
US$105 million from the World Bank disbursed to twenty states and
Federal Capital Territory. In
addition, Educational Trust Fund (ETF) disbursed $27.9million to state
primary school boards for
construction of new classroom blocks. (CBN, 2004). These funds are
largely misappropriated.
Primary school teachers are not well motivated. Poor salaries that
come 3 – 6 months late are a
regular occurrence. There are inadequate instructional materials,
charts, models, realia,
specimen and equipment. Dilapidating structures with leaking roofs,
hot uncomfortable classroom
with children sitting on the floor is observed in some cases. Teachers
are poorly trained. They
lack zeal and commitment. They are uninspiring, unimaginative and do
just the much to earn their
poor wages. The teachers face great challenges. They teach large
classes (50 –100 students),
use inadequate instructional media in a poor environment and inferior
classroom condition. There
is excessive paper work. Parents’ indifference is negatively impacting
on the teacher’s efficiency.
These challenges hinder effective teaching (Awake, 2001). The teacher
and the school
environment make learning fun. But these are in short supply in most
primary schools in Nigeria.
The load can be taken off the chest of the teachers with the
introduction of video in the primary
school system. The children can be engaged having fun and learning at
the same time.
Video is a powerful tool for instruction in the classroom. By means of
it children could learn about
lands and people they can never visit and how they cope with their
environment. Children ‘travel’
Effectiveness of video as an instructional medium in teaching rural children 107
to mega cities with skyscrapers and polar ice caps, to mountain peaks
and ocean depths. It
enables the children to peer into the intriguing worlds of both atom
and stars. One watches
documentary of what has happened on the other side of the globe. Video enhances
comprehension and retention. Real life activities – illustration,
demonstration and specimens in
agriculture and the environment are brought to the pupils in the
classroom in a neat and exciting
package. Learning experiences that would have cost much (in terms of
field trips) could be
recorded with a video camera and shown on a television through VHS or
VCD at much less cost.
Environment issues such as effect of erosion, bush burning, pesticides
poisoning, HIV/AIDS,
forest degradation, global warming and climatic changes could be
taught through video. The
beauty of video is that it can be watched repeatedly as often as it is
required. (Spencer, 1991;
Ahmad, 1990; Adedoyin and Torimiro, 1999).
Many studies have found no statistical difference in learning due to
the presentation medium,
whether it is face-to-face in a classroom teaching-learning process or
face-to-screen in a distance
education setting. What makes a course good or poor is a consequence
of how well it is
designed, delivered, and conducted. Dannenberg and Capell (1997)
conducted a study on the
effectiveness of Just-In-Time Lecture technology via video as a
delivery mechanism. They found
no significant difference in the achievement of students taught in the
classroom and those taught
through video. The students that received instruction through video
complained of not been able
to ask questions immediately. The delayed feedback-feed forward
mechanism in distance
learning through video or any other electronic medium is a major
drawback. In the study,
reference was made to a three-year study involving 200,000 students
and 800 public schools.
One hundred and nineteen were significant in favour of television
–taught students and 44 in
favour of the teacher-taught students. Most of the comparisons showed
no significant difference.
Another study on the comparison in achievement in seven different
courses between students
taught with closed circuit television and conventional manner showed
no significant difference in
29 out of 32 cases.
Kumar, Sharm and Vyas (2003) carried out a study on the use of array
of electronic media
technology by counselors in distance learning in Turkey. It showed
that out of 12 electronic media
used, videocassette was ranked third behind telephone and computer.
Moore and Kearsly (1996)
posited that comparing the achievement of learners (as measured by
grades, test scores,
retention and job performance) who were taught at a
distance;face-to-screen and those taught in
face-to-face classes is a line of research going back more than 50
years. The usual finding in this
two environment, regardless of the nature of the content, the
educational levels of students or the
media involved are:
•Classroom instruction is the optimum delivery method.
•Distance Education can be as effective as classroom instruction.
•Absence of face-to-face is not in itself detrimental to the learning process.
•What makes a course good or poor is a consequence of how well it is
designed, delivered and conducted, not whether it is face-to-face or face-to-screen.
From the fore-going, many researchers have attested to the
effectiveness and advantages of
using video as a medium of instruction. It is low cost. Returns on
investment are attractive. Its
flexibility, convenience and availability are quite good. Students
generally are favourably disposed
to it. Group discussion which aids social skills among students is
enhanced.( Isiaka, 2000;
Dopemu, 1990; Ahmed, 1990; Talabi, 1989).
The study focused on the effectiveness of video in comparison with
chart and live specimen
(realia). The effectiveness was determined by the performance of
pupils taught certain subject
matter. The relationship between gender and class on the performance
of pupils was established.
