ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIAN PRIMARY SCHOOLS: TEACHERS’ ASSESSMENT OF PUPILS’ AGRICULTURAL LITERACY

Abstract

Agricultural literacy is increasingly recognised as essential for preparing young learners to understand food systems, environmental sustainability, climate change, and modern agricultural practices. However, conventional instructional approaches adopted in many primary schools continue to limit pupils’ interest, engagement, and understanding of agricultural concepts. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers opportunities to enhance agricultural education through adaptive learning environments, intelligent tutoring systems, personalised instruction, and interactive educational technologies. Despite these prospects, empirical evidence regarding AI supported agricultural education in Nigerian primary schools remains limited. This study investigated artificial intelligence for agricultural education in Nigerian primary schools through teachers’ assessment of pupils’ agricultural literacy. Specifically, the study examined existing AI supported instructional practices, barriers affecting AI integration, the effectiveness of AI supported agricultural instruction, and strategies for strengthening AI integration in primary schools. Four research questions and four null hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. Data were collected from 165 primary school teachers responsible for Agricultural Science and related subjects to assess their perceptions of AI supported agricultural learning and pupils’ agricultural literacy. Mean and standard deviation answered the research questions, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation and multiple regression analysis tested the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The regression model was statistically significant and explained 69.9% of the variance in pupils’ agricultural literacy. The findings indicate that effective implementation of AI supported agricultural education, supported by adequate infrastructure, teacher capacity development, and institutional commitment, can substantially enhance pupils’ agricultural literacy. The study provides evidence for curriculum developers, policymakers, school administrators, and educational technology developers seeking to strengthen AI integration in primary education.