The status of food and nutrition practical work in senior high schools in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region of Ghana.

Abstract

The study examined the status of teaching and organising Food and Nutrition practical work in the senior high schools in the Hohoe Municipality of Ghana. Three research questions and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The mixed methods research design was adopted and used for the study. The population for the study comprised four (4) Home Economics Heads of Department, five (5) Food and Nutrition teachers and 162 third year students offering Food and Nutrition in four senior high schools within the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region of Ghana. The census sampling technique was employed for the study. Three instruments comprising a questionnaire, observation checklist and interview guide were used to collect data. The questionnaire data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 22.00), computer software. Descriptive statistic was used to analyse the observation data and thematic analyses for the interview data. The results of the study showed that students were not taken through enough practical due to financial challenges faced by students, qualified teachers exhibited adequate knowledge of the subject matter and all the schools lack well equipped food laboratory for organising practical work. Students‟ poor performance is mainly as a result of lack of material resources in the schools. It is recommended that The Ministry of Education, PTA, NGOs, churches and Old Students Associations should aid the schools by providing the material resources needed for Food and Nutrition practical work.