Attitudes of Agricultural Education Students Teachers Towards Lesson Planning in Eswatini

Abstract

Lesson planning is an important component of teaching practice as it determines lesson delivery. However, little research has been done regarding attitudes of student teachers towards lesson planning in Eswatini. Therefore, this study sought to determine the attitudes of agricultural education student teachers towards lesson planning in Eswatini. The study employed a descriptive correlational research design. It targeted a census of the agricultural education student teachers (N=40) who were doing teaching practice in the 2018/2019 academic year. A questionnaire was developed from the literature and used for data collection.  The questionnaire was validated by three lecturers from the Department of Agricultural Education and Extension. The inter-item reliability was determined using Cronbach’s Alpha and the reliability coefficient was found to be r=.77. Data were analysed using descriptive and correlational statistics. Findings of the study revealed that student teachers considered lesson planning an important part of teaching practice as it saves the student teacher from haphazard teaching, promotes orderliness, facilitates effective teaching and makes the teachers feel confident. Despite this, the student teachers also considered lesson planning to be tedious and time consuming. The general conclusion drawn from the study was that the agricultural education student teachers had a positive attitude towards lesson planning. Therefore, the study recommended that the school should ensure that all stakeholders collaborate to support the student teacher with the entire requirements for developing and delivering a lesson plan.