Contribution of Classroom Climate to the Teaching of Agriculture at Senior Secondary Schools in Eswatini

Abstract

The impact of classroom climate on students and staff can be either beneficial or a barrier to the teaching and learning process. Unfortunately, there is no study that has been conducted on the contribution of classroom climate to the teaching of high school agriculture students in Eswatini. Therefore, the study sought to find out the contribution of classroom climate to the teaching of agriculture in senior secondary schools in Eswatini. An exploratory research design was used in the study. A total of sixteen schools were randomly selected; and one agriculture class was picked for an observation for the contribution of classroom climate to the teaching of agriculture. After the observation, an interview was conducted with the classroom teacher to complement and explain some of the observation. The observation schedule and interview protocol were peer reviewed to address issues of trustworthiness. Data were collected in February 2019. Findings revealed that the four variables: presage, context, process and products were contributing to the classroom climate; thus enhancing the teaching of agriculture. Therefore, the study recommended that agriculture must be taught by teachers who have received training on the subject matter and have the technical skill in solving problems.