Socio-economic strategies in promoting agroforestry practices in primary schools of peri-urban Singida
Loading...
Date
2005
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
This study investigated the socio-economic strategies in promoting agroforestry practices
in primary schools of peri-urban Singida. Specific objectives were: (a) to identify the type
of agroforestry practices being used in the primary schools; (b) to find factors if any, which
constrain the adoption of agroforestry practices in primary schools; (c) to find more means
of motivating pupils in adopting agroforestry practices; (d) to identify ways of broadening
the knowledge and skills of primary school teachers for effective teaching and training of
agroforcstry practices; and (e) to make recommendation for more effective strategies in
improving agroforestry practices in primary schools.
for this study.
A cross-sectional design was used
Data were collected using self-administered questionnaire, personal
observation and focus group discussion. Chi-square tests were used to test the relationship
between variables. The findings show that tree/crop mixture was the major type of
agroforestry practices used in primary schools.
Inadequate skill of managing both trees
and crops was the most important factor that constrains the adoption of agroforestry
practices in primary schools. Inadequate skills and lack of agroforesters highly influenced
agroforestry practices (at P< 0.005).
Teaching agriculture as a separate subject was
suggested to be the most important way of motivating pupils in adopting the practice. The
results also show that 100% of the respondents support training as the most effective way
of broadening the knowledge and skill of primary school teachers for effective teachrfig
and training of agroforestry practices. About 66.7% of the teachers did not attend any
training concerning agroforestry practices. The majority suggests construction of wells for
irrigation, planting legume trees; extension workers should stay in villages and
dissemination of the research results to the searched sites. The study recommends the
government through its policy makers and the development planners to strengthening
agroforcstry policy in order to maintain agroforcstry quality and productivity on a long
term.
International organizations that sponsor agroforcstry research should provide
agroforestry information, funds, and technical assistance to primary schools.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Agroforestry practices, Primary schools-peri urban