Investigating Academic Performance in Practical Agriculture: Evidence from Single-Sex and Co-Educational High School Students Investigating Academic Performance in Practical Agriculture: Evidence from Single-Sex and Co-Educational High School Students Olutosin A. Otekunrin 1* , Oluwaseun A. Otekunrin 2 1 Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Nigeria 2 Department of Statistics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria This study investigated the attitudes of students to practical agriculture and examined whether there were significant differences in the mean scores in Practical Agriculture Achievement Test (PAAT) among the three categories of schools used for this study. This study was a descriptive survey design carried out in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria. Nine (9) public secondary schools were randomly selected from three different Local Government Areas (LGAs) out of eleven (11) present in Ibadan zone comprising three (3) Boys’ only, three (3) Girls’ only and three (3) Co-educational schools. A total of two hundred and fifty-five (255) Senior Secondary Schools (SSSIII) students from three selected categories of schools participated in this study. PAAT and AtPAQ were the research instruments used for data collection. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test of independence, ANOVA and multiple comparison techniques. The ANOVA test was significant (p = .00). Boys’ only schools had the highest mean scores of 48.14 followed by Girls’ only schools with 42.72 while Co-educational schools had 34.92. Least Significant Difference (LSD), a multiple comparison technique, on the ANOVA showed that there existed significant differences in the mean scores of PAAT for all pairs of the three categories of schools. There was no association between students' mean scores and selected attitudinal variables. The study recommended awareness campaign on the importance of agricultural science education and training as a vocational subject which can make them self- employed after leaving school and also boost agricultural productivity in the nation. Keywords: Practical Agriculture; Students’ attitudes; Academic success; Co-Educational Schools; Single-sex schools. INTRODUCTION Nigeria, with an estimated population of 193 million persons is undoubtedly regarded as the most populous country in Africa (NPC and NBS, 2018; Otekunrin et al. 2019a). With growth rate of 2.43 percent per annum and population projected to reach an unprecedented 390 million by 2050.The population has an estimated 42 percent falling within the 0-14years age bracket indicative of the fact that there are more young people which is one the strong pillars of any vibrant economies in the world (IITA, 2017; Matemilola and Elegbede, 2017; Otekunrin et al. 2019a). Nigeria is the 10 th largest crude oil producer globally, attaining the status of a middle-income country in 2014. Despite Nigeria’s oil wealth, 68% of her citizens live below the poverty line of $1.25 per day (FGN, 2014; Otekunrin et al. 2019a). Agriculture in Nigeria remained a key sector of the economy capable of bringing food to the tables of her teeming population, provision of foreign exchange earnings, income for agricultural farming households and employment opportunities for about 70 percent of the population (Otekunrin et al. 2019b). According to Inusa et al. (2018) and Otekunrin et al. (2019b) which reinstated the fact that “Agricultural sector has started regaining its lost *Corresponding Author: Olutosin A. Otekunrin, Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Nigeria. Email: otekunrin.olutosina@pg.funaab.edu.ng Co-Author Email: oa.otekunrin@mail.ui.edu.ng Research Article Vol. 6(1), pp. 288-299, January, 2020. © www.premierpublishers.org. ISSN: 2167-0432 International Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension