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Information Literacy Competencies in Secondary Schools in Kenya
No full textInformation Literacy CompetenciesThe knowledge economy is marked by an increasing need for information skills at all levels including schools, universities, workplace and ordinary life. Therefore, education stakeholders should campaign for the teaching of information literacy skills at all levels of learning since they are life skills. The state of information literacy competencies among secondary school students in Kenya has not been adequately investigated to determine their prowess. Therefore, this study was aimed at assessing information literacy competencies among secondary school students using Nakuru County as a study site. The study was premised on the Big6 Skills information literacy theory. The study was based on a pragmatic paradigm where both quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted. Simple random sampling was used to draw teacher and student respondents while purposive sampling was used to select school/teacher librarians from the targeted population which comprised of 288 teachers, 1785 students and 12 school/teacher librarians from 12 sampled schools. This resulted to a sample size of 266 teachers, 1189 students and 12 school/teacher librarians. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview guide. Statistical Packages for Social Sciences was used to analyse quantitative data while thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. The findings of the study indicate that most of secondary students in Nakuru County were not information literate. They relied on teachers to help them understand class assignments. The study concludes that teaching information literacy skills to secondary school students may lead to effective and efficient use of school libraries and flourish educational achievements hence turn around the dwindling standards of our educational sector. The study recommends that information professionals should be in the forefront in advocating for the inclusion of information literacy at all levels of education and for the incorporation of information literacy in the secondary schools’ curriculum. It also recommends for teacher-librarian collaboration in planning information literacy issues. Therefore, information literacy should be included in the university curriculum in order to equip graduate teachers with these requisite skills which they will in turn inculcate to secondary school students. Finally, the study recommends for an IL programme to institutionalize information literacy in secondary schools
PREVALENCE OF GASTRO INTESTINAL PARASITES OF CATTLE IN MATHIRA CONSTITUENCY, KENYA
Get PDFFULLTEXTCattle’s farming is a crucial activity for Mathira constituency; since it acts as a source of livelihood to many people. However, gastrointestinal parasitic infection is a limiting factor in cattle management. Understanding the epidemiological characteristics of the infections is necessary to recommend control and preventive measures. There is however inadequate knowledge regarding the prevalence of gastrointestinal tract parasite infection of cattle in the study area. The current study was to assess the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of cattle in Mathira constituency. The specific objectives included determination of the association of farmers' knowledge and prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites, the association of farming practice and prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites, the combined association between prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites and farmer’s knowledge and farming practice. A total of 387 faecal samples were collected and subjected to parasitological analysis: modified McMaster technique was used to determine the number of Eggs per Gram (EPG); Willis technique to identify any stages for nematodes and cestodes; sedimentation method for trematodes identification and; direct smear to identify any stages for protozoans. Point prevalence was used to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites among cattle. The association between the prevalence of gastro-intestinal parasite and farming practice or farmers' knowledge was tested statistically using the Chi-square test of independence. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between dependent and independent variables while data obtained from the farm and laboratory were analysed using SPSS version 21 software. The risk factors (farming practice and farmers' knowledge) associated with the prevalence of intestinal parasite infection were drawn from the analysis of the questionnaires that were administered during faecal collection. The overall prevalence of parasitic infection was 69.4%. The percentage prevalence by gender shows that females (67%) had relatively high percentage prevalence compare to males (64%). Percentage prevalence on breed Ayrshire (70%) had a relatively high percentage prevalence compared to Guernsey (60%). The percentage prevalence by ward was highest in Kirimukuyu (86%) and lowest in Iriaini (44%). Cattle of age 1-2 (69%), had relatively high percentage prevalence compared to age 3-4 years (55%). It was equally observed that the intensity of infection of cattle was generally very low. Most of the cattle (64.3%) had between 0-200 eggs per gram (epg). The gastrointestinal parasites identified in the study were Schistosoma 12.14%, Strongyloides 4.39%, Fasciola 5.43%, Entomoeba 7.49%, Giardia 2.58%, Nematodirus 5.68%, Trichuris 2.33%, Toxocara 1.55%, Eimeria 9.82%, and Taenia 2.33%. Risk factors (farmers' knowledge and farming practice) were significantly associated with the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites. To manage gastrointestinal parasites and improve cattle farming veterinary services such as regular mass deworming, frequent diagnosis for infection and training farmers on control and prevention of infection are recommended
Climate Variability and Adaptation Among Small Holder Banana Farmers in Mountain Regions of Kenya
Get PDFBanana production is the mainstay industry for majority of small holder farmers living in the mountain regions of Kenya. These regions are affected by climate-related impacts at all levels of the value chain. This paper therefore discusses climate trends, related impacts, and adaptations in banana value chain in Mt. Kenya region for the period between 1980 and 2017. The study locations were purposively selected from Mt. Kenya region to include both Imenti South and Mukurweini sub-counties. A sample of 381 respondents was selected using simple random sampling. Triangulation research design was used to guide the study by integrating both qualitative and quantitative methods in data collection and analysis. Historical document analysis was used to examine climatic data (temperature and rainfall) from the Kenya Meteorological Department, Nairobi. Results showed that rainfall and temperature have changed during the study period. Temperature trends in Mukurweini showed R2 = 0.3314 while in Imenti South R2=0.3441 with an overall annual increase in temperature in Mukurweini by 0.02°C while in Imenti South we registered an increase by 0.016°C for the study period. Mukurweini sub-county rainfall trend line had R2=-0.1064 while Imenti South sub-county had R2=-0.1014. Adverse effects of climate variability on banana value chain included low yields in both Mukurweini (79.2%) and Imenti South (60.2%) sub-counties. Farmers in the study area preferred irrigation (57.2%) followed by crop diversification (13.9%) as adaptive strategies to climate variability
Using the Biological Condition Gradient Model as a Bioassessment Frameworks to Support Rehabilitation and Restoration of the Upper Tana River Watershed in Kenya
Get PDFdoi: 10.3389/fenvs.2021.671051The biological condition gradient (BCG), a scientific framework that describes the change in ecosystem characteristics in response to human-induced levels of stressors, was modified and used to characterize watershed habitats in the Upper Tana River watershed, Kenya. The inbuilt utilities of BCG, including its simplicity, versatility, and its robust nature, allowed its use by seven taxonomic groups of macroinvertebrates, diatoms, fish, herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles), plants, macrofungi, and birds to assess and monitor landscape conditions in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. The biological data
were described using taxa abundance distribution measures followed by multivariate analyses to determine their relationship with water or soil quality and thereafter assessment of taxa tolerant levels in response to environmental stress and disturbances. Preliminary findings reported that the taxonomic groups complemented each other, with each taxonomic group reliably assessing ecological conditions to a certain degree that supported assigning all 36 sampled sites into BCG tiers. The BCG models developed for all taxonomic groups assisted in the identification and selection of taxa indicating varying levels of landscape conditions. These taxa, referred to as flagship or indicator taxa, assist in simplifying the BCG model and, hence, are possible for use by parataxonomists or ordinary citizens to assess and monitor the ecological health of habitats under consideration. Furthermore, the capability of BCG models to assess landscape conditions shows how they can be used to identify important habitats for conservation, direct investment for restoration, and track progres
Influence of millennials innovativeness on organization change in the hospitality industry in Naivasha sub-county, Kenya
Get PDFhttps://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v10i7.1390The aim of this study was to determine millennial influence on organization change in the hospitality
industry Naivasha sub-county, Kenya. The study was guided by the following specific objectives:
determine the influence of millennial innovativeness on organization change. This study used innovation theory. The study will adopt a descriptive survey research design. The current study targets rated hotels in Naivasha. This study targeted 180 respondents the respondents were: 10 Managers, 40 departmental heads from the four departments in the hotels, 10 Millennial and 120 supervisors. Employees of these hotels will be the respondents in the study. Data was collected via a self –
administered questionnaires and an interview guide. Validity and reliability were ensured by conducting a pilot test in NarokCounty. Analysis of data comprised descriptive statistics and regression analysis with the help of SPSS. Results indicate that organizational change in the hospitality industry was positively significantly associated with millennial Innovation change in the hospitality industry. From the findings, the researcher concluded that millennials are innovative and easily come
up with new ideas further they are proficient in technology and techno-savvy
Adsorption evaluation of selected heavy metal ions by aminofunctionalized low-cost adsorbents. A Review
Get PDFPresence of heavy metals in drinking water has significant adverse effects on human wellbeing due to their toxicity
nature. Several techniques have been employed to reduce their concentration to permissible levels. In recent years,
adsorption has been widely investigated from low-cost adsorbents due to their cost effectiveness and easy in design.
The application of amino-functionalized adsorbents for decontamination of wastewater have been reported. Generally,
chemical modification of adsorbents has proved to have a higher adsorption capacity. Numerous amino- compounds
such as ethylenediamine, 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane, Triethylenetetramine, Sodium paminobenzoate,
Acrylonitrile, Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic dianhydride, Polyaniline, Nitrilotriacetic acid, 3aminopyrazole, N,N -
dimethyl benzal aniline, Di (2-picolyl) amine, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid etc. grafted on adsorbents in
studying equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamics has been reported. These adsorbents are applied extensively in the
removal of heavy metal ions such as Cu2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, Ni2+, Cr3+, Co2+, As5+ among others. The paper reviews the
applicability of vast amino-functionalized adsorbents in the study of equilibrium, kinetics and thermodynamic
adsorption studies of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution
An examination of Kenyan Government’s use of interpersonal communication in changing men’s behaviour response to prostate cancer screening
Get PDFProstate cancer (PCa) is one of the leading causes of death among men in the world. Early screening is recommended as one of the prevention measures of the disease. Screening can be encouraged by Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) strategies (which includes participatory and interpersonal communication), advocacy and message framing. In Kenya, the Central Region is one of the leading regions in PCa prevalence rate. This study therefore examined the interpersonal communication strategies used in influencing men’s behavior response towards PCa screening by the Kenyan government. The study was guided by Theory of Reasoned Action. It was anchored on the Pragmatist philosophical paradigm and took a mixed method approach which involved both qualitative and quantitative designs where Survey and Focus Group Discussions were used to obtain data. A sample of 384 people was picked from an estimated population of 700,010 men aged 40 years and above from the region using simple random sampling. Findings showed that although health workers and communication officials appreciated the role of screening in containing the scourge, the two levels of Kenyan government (County and National) did not put in place sound
interpersonal communication strategies for positive behavior response to the disease. It is therefore recommended that
effective interpersonal communication strategies for behavior change be put in place and an annual budget allocated
by the governments
Information System Security Practices and Implementation Issues and Challenges in Public Universities
No full textInformation System Security Practices and Implementation Issues and ChallengesThe use of information and communication technology has been providing the competitive edge for universities globally while Kenyan universities are not an exception. This has in turn made the universities targets of cyber-attacks and hence exposure to unprecedented security risks. The universities need to implement information security best practices and standards in their technological environments to remain secure and operational. The research sought to investigate the information security practices adopted in Kenyan public universities to protect themselves. Descriptive survey method was employed while the study was based on Operationally Critical Threats, Assets and Vulnerability Evaluation (OCTAVE) framework and other industry security best practices. The study targeted the 31 chartered public universities, whichwere clustered based on their year of establishment. Simple random and purposive sampling methods were utilized to select two target universities per cluster and determine respondents respectively. The study had a response rate of 61%. Analysis of data was done via descriptive statistics while presentation of results was done using tables and Likert scale. The study revealed that universities had implemented information security policies, with 47.6% of respondents somewhat agreeing to that. Funding for security was provided 57.6% somewhat agreeing, though the funding was deemed low by 51% of respondents. Training for security staff was deemed somewhat available (44%) thus below par, while involvement of university management on policies development was at 48% though university management participation in policies review was below average. 38% of respondents somewhat agreed that policies governing use of mobile devices existed.Frequency of user awareness and training was below the average, while48% of respondents somewhat agreed that universities usually share their intelligence reports on threats and responses with other government agencies. 49% of respondents were somewhat in agreement universities had put in place incidence response plans.Application of updates and improvements was below average, though evaluation of effectiveness of controls was average. To remain protected universities management should cause a review of their employed information security practices and address identified gaps through instigation of essential remedial action
Moderating role of service innovation on the relationship between corporate reputation and performance of hotels in Kenya
Get PDFcorporate reputation and the performance of hotels in Kenya. The study design used was crosssectional descriptive utilizing the mixed approach. The target that served as the study population, was General Managers of all the 4-star hotels in Kenya. Primary data was collected by the use of a selfadministered semi-structured questionnaire and secondary data from hotel records, journals, and government publications. Data analysis involved qualitative and quantitative techniques, analyses of variance (ANOVA), and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) which tested the hypothesized relationship in this study. Statistical software such as Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21, MS-Excel for Windows 8, Analysis of Moment Structures version 17, and SmartPLS version 2.0 was used for analysis. The theoretical models and hypotheses were tested based on empirical data
gathered from 43 General Managers. The study findings indicate that corporate reputation positively and significantly influences performance (C.R = 5.907 at 5% α-level) and service innovation moderates (R2 change = 0.054) the relationship between corporate reputation and performance. The study results are meant to benefit hotel industry policymakers, academicians, and other opportunistic entrepreneurs. The recommendation is that the hotel industry should invest seriously in corporate reputation so as to influence customer purchase behavior and improved performance
Dual inoculation of soybean with Rhizophagus irregularis and commercial Bradyrhizobium japonicum increases nitrogen fixation and growth in organic and conventional soils
Get PDFDOI: 10.3934/agrfood.2021028Soil amendment with beneficial microorganisms is gaining popularity among farmers to alleviate the decline ofsoil fertility and to increase food production and maintain environmental quality. However, farm management greatly influence soil microbial abundance and function, which overly affects crop growth and development. In this work, greenhouse experiments involving soybeans were conducted to evaluate the effects of bradyrhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) dual inoculation on nodulation, AMF root colonization, growth and nutrient acquisition under contrasting farming systems. The experimental treatments were AMF and/or bradyrhizobia inoculation and dual inoculation on SC squire soybean variety. The exotic AMF inoculants used were Funneliformis mosseae (BEG 12) and Rhizophagus irregularis (BEG 44) while bacteria were commercial
Bradyrhizobium japonicum (USDA110) and native bradyrhizobia isolates. Experiments with soil samples from organic and conventional farms were set out using a completely randomized design with three replicates. The results demonstrated that bradyrhizobia and AMF dual inoculation consistently and significantly enhanced soybean nodule dry weight (NDW), shoot dry weight (SDW) and AMF root colonization compared with individual bradyrhizobia, AMF and non-inoculated control.
Moreover, organic soil significantly (p = 0.001) increased soybean SDW, NDW and AMF root colonization compared to conventional soil. Remarkably, shoot nutrients content differed in organic and conventional farming where, shoot nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and organic carbon were 479 AIMS Agriculture and Food Volume 6, Issue 2, 478–495. higher in organic farming than the latter. Among individual inoculants, Rhizophagus irregularis outperformed Funneliformis mosseae, while commercial Bradyrhizobium japonicum showed higher performance than native bradyrhizobia. Our results demonstrated the importance of organic farming, AMF and bradyrhizobia dual inoculation in enhancing soybean growth and nutrient acquisition.
However, field trials should be assessed to determine the good performance of bradyrhizobia and AMF dual inoculation in organic farming before being popularized and adopted by farmers as a sustainable agronomical management strategy to increase soil fertility and food productivity