Influence of Institutional Factors on the Integration of Practical Skills in Teaching and Learning Agriculture in Secondary Schools in Matayos Sub-County, Busia County, Kenya

Agriculture plays an important role in the economy of any nation as it is the background on which most of the activities emanate from. Throughout history, agriculture has had a significant impact on civilization, serving as one of its primary drivers. The purpose of the study was to investigate selected factors influencing the integration of practical skills in the teaching and learning of agriculture in secondary Schools in Matayos Sub-County, Busia County, Kenya. The study was guided by one main objective namely; to determine the influence of institutional-related factors on integration of practical skills in teaching and learning of agriculture in secondary schools. The study was guided by the experiential learning theory as postulated by John Dewey. The study used the descriptive survey design. Data was collected using questionnaire, interview schedules and observation. The target population for the study consisted of 23 principals, 23 agriculture instructors, 1,591 form three and four agriculture students, and one quality assurance officer in secondary schools in Matayos Sub-County, Busia County, Kenya. The study sampled a total of 367 respondents which comprised of 23 principals sampled using saturated sampling, 23 agriculture teachers sampled purposively and 320 students sampled through random and 1 quality assurance and standard officer. Quantitative data was cleaned and analyzed using SPSS version 26 and data presented using tables and charts. Qualitative data was coded and themes identified then presented alongside quantitative data. The study revealed that institutional related factors like availability of resources, administration support and collaboration with other stakeholders influenced integration of practical skills. The study concluded that schools faced various challenges which hampered integration of practical skills in teaching and learning of agriculture in secondary school in Busia Sub-County, Kenya. The study recommends that teachers be provided with regular professional development courses to enhance their teaching methodology. Additionally, adequate resources should be allocated for practical purposes in teaching and learning of agriculture.