TITLE:
Determinants of Sub-Optimal Academic Achievement in Agricultural Science: Disparities between Northern and Southern Zones of Kaduna State, Nigeria
AUTHORS:
Martin Royal Okechukwu Onwunali, Ahmed Adebayo Omodara, Paul Dogo, Daniel Ayeni
KEYWORDS:
Academic Performance, Agricultural Science Education, Regional Disparities, Systemic Factors, Teacher Effectiveness, Kaduna State, Nigeria
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.3,
March
19,
2026
ABSTRACT: The study examined the systemic determinants of poor academic performance in Agricultural Science among senior secondary school students in Kaduna State, Nigeria, with emphasis on regional disparities between the Northern (Zone 1) and Southern (Zone 3) Senatorial Zones. A descriptive survey design was adopted, involving 400 students and teachers from 40 purposively selected schools, 20 in each zone. Data were collected on environmental, teacher-related, parental, and student-related factors and analyzed using mean scores, standard deviations, and t-tests (p ≤ 0.05). Results showed that Zone 3 consistently recorded higher mean scores and lower standard deviations across all variables, indicating both greater severity and stronger consensus regarding the challenges experienced. Environmental constraints included dilapidated school infrastructure, lack of functional laboratories, and limited access to conducive learning spaces. Teacher-related challenges comprised insufficient pedagogical competence, weak lesson planning, and the deployment of unqualified teachers from non-agricultural disciplines. Parental factors, notably low involvement in schooling, inadequate academic support at home, and negative disciplinary practices, were found to diminish students’ motivation and engagement. Student-related issues such as absenteeism, inadequate examination preparation, social media distractions, and adverse peer influence further exacerbated low achievement. The t-test values of 13.68, 12.64, 14.42 and 17.93 for environment, teacher, parent, and students’ constraints revealed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) between the two zones, with Zone 3 being more adversely affected. The study therefore rejects the null hypotheses and concludes that location-based factors substantially shape academic outcomes in Agricultural Science. It recommends context-specific interventions, including infrastructure improvement, teacher capacity building, parental sensitization, and student-centered guidance services to promote more equitable learning outcomes.