Students’ perception and attitude to agricultural science subject acceptance in government-owned secondary schools in Edo state, Nigeria

This study investigated students’ perceptions and attitudes to Agricultural Science acceptance in government-owned upper secondary schools in Edo State, Nigeria. The Theory of Planned Behavior was used to explain how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control influence students’ intentions and behaviors. An ex-post factor design and a survey method were used to collect data from 395 students selected by multi-stage sampling. The results showed that students have a positive attitude and perceive ease in accepting Agricultural Science. The study found that students’ perceived ease or difficulty in accepting Agricultural Science can influence their attitude to choose the subject. The study concludes that stimulating students' positive perception and attitude towards Agricultural Science can influence them to choose agriculture as a career, strengthening the future agricultural workforce for sustainable food security in Nigeria. Recommendations include raising awareness about career opportunities in agriculture and providing adequate funding for modern farming equipment and resources in schools.