Parents' Perception towards Inclusion of Agriculture in School Curriculum in Rural India

A bstract Purpose : The study aims at analysing the influence of demographics factors on inclusion of agriculture in school curriculum. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was conducted in five villages of Rewari district in Haryana using a Mixed Methods Research Approach. After a qualitative discussion with the parents in groups, a personal interview survey was administered among 75 parents having diverse demographic and socio-economic profiles. The descriptive statistics and chi-square tests have been used for validating the hypotheses on Parents' perception towards inclusion of agriculture in school curriculum. Findings: Result of the study shows that parents who are older in age, farmers by occupation and have landholdings greater than three acres view the inclusion of agriculture in curriculum in a positive manner. It was also found that parents who viewed vocational training favourably also viewed inclusion of agriculture positively. Practical Implications: This research has an implication for policy makers and school administrators while formulating teaching and learning strategies. The study also provides insights in school curriculum development by the educationists based on local requirement. Originality/Value: There are limited numbers of studies which have evaluated parent’s perception on inclusion of agriculture in the school curriculum.