Unravelling student gains in agricultural practical skills from experiential learning approach of the student-to-farmer university outreach in Northern Uganda

Abstract

This study sought to assess the extent by which students acquired crop and livestock husbandry practical skills under Gulu University’s field attachment experiential learning program. Cross-sectional survey data gathered from 140 randomly selected alumni of the University’s Faculty of Agriculture and Environment (FAE) field attachment program were analyzed using 2-tailed paired t-test. Results indicate improved competences in livestock husbandry from contemplation to preparation level as follows: fish farming and management (MD=0.63, p ≤ 0.001), animal nutrition (MD=0.85, p ≤ 0.001), fodder storage and management (MD=0.66, p ≤ 0.001), and general animal breeding (MD=0.69, p ≤ 0.001). In addition, the results indicate significant improvements in students’ competences from preparation to action level in crop husbandry related tasks: soil, disease and pest management (MD = 0.88, p ≤ 0.001), record keeping and farm tools storage (MD =1.02, p ≤ 0.001), nursery and seedbed operations (MD=1.00, p ≤ 0.001), and post-harvest and marketing (MD=0.86, p ≤ 0.001). Overall, students were found to have comparably attained higher competence levels in crop enterprise-related practical skills after the field attachment program than in livestock practices. It is concluded that the field attachment strategy for university students enhances practical skill competences and its utility in improving employable crop husbandry students’ competences prior to graduation, recommended. Further, the difference in animal and crop competence acquisition points to the need to search for enterprise-based predictors of gains in students’ skills from outreach programs.