IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 19, Issue 7, Ver. VII (July. 2014), PP 30-36 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org www.iosrjournals.org 30 | Page Secondary School Student’s Percepti on towards Agriculture Subject in Public Secondary Schools in Nairobi County, Kenya Kamau Titus Njoroge 1 And John Aluko Orodho 2* 1 Department of Educational Management, Policy and Curriculum Studies, School of Education, Kenyatta University, Kenya. 2 Department of Educational Management, Policy and Curriculum Studies, School of Education, Kenyatta University, Kenya and supervisor of Kamau Titus Njoroge 1 Abstract: The study sought to examine the secondary school student’s perception towards agriculture subject in public secondary schools in Nairobi County. The objectives of the study were: i)to examine the enrollment profile of students in Agriculture between 2009 and 2013,ii) find out students’ perceptions regarding the availability of teaching resources and iii) determine students’ perception regarding level of difficulty of Agriculture subject. The study was premised on the production Function Theory in education postulated by Psacharopoulos and Woodhall which refers to the process by which inputs are converted to outputs. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design using questionnaires as the main data collection instrument. Data was provided by 304 randomly students taking Agriculture subject in secondary schools in Nairobi County. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics aided by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer programme version 20.The major findings were that although there was a declining enrollment trend , the enrolled students had positive attitude towards Agriculture subject. However, the teaching and learning of the subject was constrained by inadequate instructional resources, especially the tools, demonstration land and agricultural equipments. It was therefore recommended that the subject should remain an elective subject due to shortage of land and equipment, and the few students taking the subject should be motivated by receiving some of the farm produce and specialized training beyond the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development syllabus to make the learners acquire modern agricultural techniques through internet and e-learning mode. [245 words]. Key words: perceptions towards agriculture, attitude, secondary schools, Nairobi County, Kenya. I. Introduction Background Information Much research has been done in the field of students’ attitudes towards certain subjects and their subsequent enrollment in those subjects and academic achievement (Orodho, 2014; Sherry, 2010). Many of these authors have given their suggestions about the factors that influence students within the school environment (Broughton, 2003; Sherry, 2010; Orodho, 2013, 2014; Republic of Kenya, 2012a, 2012b). Two of these factors include student attitudes and school context (Orodho, 2014). Research has shown that a large number of students' performances are affected by their attitudes towards specific subjects, education and academics in general (Bowen & Richman, 2000; Richlin & Cox, 2004). It has been suggested that when students demonstrate week commitment to their academics then they are bound to underperform. Additionally, some students with an unrealistic view of themselves may perform poorly too. For instance, those who tend to be overconfident or naïve about the requirements of their academics may register very poor performance (Broughton, 2003; Orodho, 2013; Republic of Kenya, 2010, 2011; Sherry, 2010). Conversely, when students do not believe in themselves or when they have low self confidence, then chances are that they will underachieve. (Powers, 2006) Sometimes some students may think of themselves as people who cannot control their own destiny. They imagine that they are victims of the system and this can lead to academic failure. In other scenarios some students may be too proud to ask for help when they encounter a problem in their studies. (Bowen & Richman, 2000; Orodho , 2013). Also, some students find it difficult to grow or develop because they tend to resist change and this impedes their academic progress. In other situations, a student may not work well in groups yet this is a necessary part of the academic environment (Orodho, 2014). Lastly, some students tend to avoid those areas where they perform poorly such as in science or mathematics. These and many more aspects of student's attitudes can be causes of academic failure (Orodho, 2014). Writing on school-based factors, Orodho, Waweru, Ndichu and Nthinguri (2013) contend that school context is depicted through certain avenues. These avenues can either lead to excellent performance or poor performance depending on how they are implemented (Powers, 2006; Orodho, et.al. 2013) . In certain schools, the system may be too bureaucratic to the point that both teachers and students cannot do their jobs. This