Self-esteem of agriculture students at the University of Ibadan and the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nigeria

The study investigated self-esteem of agriculture students of the University of Ibadan and the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta in Southwestern, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 117 and 124 students from the conventional university and agriculture-based university respectively. A structured questionnaire was used in data collection and analysed with percentages, Chi-square, PPMC and independent t-test. The students from the University of Ibadan (UI) preferred medicine (x̄ = 1.14), had unfavourable perception (87.2%) about agriculture and low self-esteem (85.5%) while students from the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB) preferred agriculture (x̄ = 1.48), had favourable perception (82.7%) about agriculture and high self-esteem (89.5%). Self-esteem was significantly related to family structure and preferred course of study in UI while sex and perception towards agriculture is significantly related to self-esteem of students in FUNAAB. There were significant differences in self-esteem of students in UI and FUNAAB and that of 100 level and 500 level students in UI. School counsellors should promote careers and opportunities in agriculture to make it popular and attractive to the students