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Mathematics Achievement and Academic Performance of Science Students.
No full textIn many tertiary institutions, a credit 'O’ level Mathematics is required of candidates wishing to offer science and technical courses. The underlying factor in this requirement is the relationship between the academic achievement of science students and their mathematical ability. This paper is a report of a comparative study of the academic achievement of science students with and without ‘o’ level mathematics credits in the College of Advanced studies, Zaria. The academic performances of the two groups of students was compared for the 1983/84 Sessional Examinations and the external Interim Joint Matriculation Board examinations (IJ.M.B.) which the students took in July 1983. The science subjects used for the study were Biology, Chemistry and Physics. No significant differences were observed between the two groups of students in the two examinations except the 1983/84 sessional results in Physics where the students with ‘o’ level mathematics credits performed better. The findings confirmed the effectiveness of the Remedial Mathematics Programme organised in the College for Science students without 'o’ level Credits in Mathematics.Students and Mathematic
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE AND THE MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA
Get PDFThe study investigated the influence of public and private partnership initiative on the management of public secondary schools in North Central Nigeria. Six research questions guided the study and six hypotheses were tested. The study was anchored on the Communications Theory by Scudder (1980). The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised of 44,342 teachers out of which 887 respondents sampled from 42 public secondary schools in the North Central Nigeria. The empirical studies covered management indices like infrastructural facilities, quality assurance, financial assistance, enforcement of discipline, laboratory equipment and recruitment of extra teachers by PTA. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled Public and Private Partnership Initiative and Management Questionnaire (PPPIMQ) with a modified four point rating scale. Interview schedule with seven questions were also used as the second instrument. These instruments were validated by three experts: Two experts from Educational Management in the Department of Educational Foundations, Benue State University and one expert in Measurement and Evaluation, University of Agriculture, Makurdi. The reliability test conducted yielded a Cronbach alpha Co-efficient of 0.87. Mean and standard deviations were used to answer the research questions while the chi square (x2) statistic was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results indicated that there was significant influence of public and private partnership initiative on the management of public secondary schools in areas of provision of infrastructural facilities, quality assurance, financial assistance, enforcement of discipline, laboratory equipment and recruitment of PTA staff in public secondary schools in North Central Nigeria. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher recommended among other things that government and the private sector should collaborate and ensure the provision of infrastructural facilities, quality assurance, financial assistance, enforcement of discipline, laboratory equipment and recruitment of parent teacher’s association staff for use in public secondary schools in the North Central Nigeria.SEL
A HISTORY OF HAUSA SETTLER COMMUNITY IN AKWANGA AREA, 1800 - 2011
Get PDFThis thesis focuses on the Hausa settler community in Akwanga area of present Nasarawa State from 1800 - 2011. The problem of the study is hinged on the dominance which the histories of the major ethnic groups like the Hausa have on minority groups like the Mada. The aim of the study, therefore, is to explain the factors that attracted the Hausa to Akwanga, their impact, adaptation and challenges as they relate to the growth and development of Akwanga. The historical methodology of research was adopted by the research and this involved the analysis of primary, secondary and tertiary sources of data. In this regard, 32 oral interviews were conducted within and outside the area of study. Information was also sourced from the National Archives Kaduna, the internet as well as from books and journals. The study shows that the Mada who are mainly farmers have lived in Akwanga for more than 2,500 years and that the earliest forms of Hausa migration into the area came through seasonal migration, hunting and trading activities until the Fulani Jihads took centre stage. Thereafter, colonialism and a chain of economic, socio - political factors continued to sustain the trend. The study shows that the Hausa settler community in Akwanga had both positive and negative impact on the study area and one of the positive impact was the expansion of economic activities in the area. One of the negative effects of the Hausa settler community in Akwanga is enculturation which led to the gradual fading of Mada cultural practices as a result of the growing influence of Hausa culture in the area. The study, however, found out that in spite of the conflict that tends to thrive among indigenes and settlers in other places, there have never been violent clashes between the Mada people and the Hausa settler community in Akwanga of the Nasarawa area due primarily to the adaptability of the Mada. However,political challenges like mutual suspicion and distrust can be found among them. In this regard the work sues among other suggestions, for conscious and deliberate efforts to be made by the relevant stakeholders to promote peaceful co-existence through avenues like the staging of cultural festivals so that the Mada cultural practices will continue to thrive in the area
CONSUMPTION SMOOTHING STRATEGIES OF HOUSEHOLDS IN THE PRESENCE OF HIVAIDS IN BENUE STATE
No full textThe study was conducted to determine how households in Benue state smooth their consumption in the presence of HIV/AIDS. A survey method was used and data were collected using structured questionnaire and Focused Group Discussion. 900 households comprising 300 affected and 600 not affected were purposively and randomly selected from Vandeikya, Tarka and Otukpo Local Government Areas representing the 3 senatorial zones in the state. Descriptive statistics, Engel curves and logistic regression were used in analyzing the data. The descriptive statistics showed a dependency ratio of 3.7 for affected households and 2.51 for not affected households; increased health expenditure of 31 percent was recorded for affected households as well as a loss of 18 man hours for care giving. The study also revealed that households adopt different strategies to cope with the presence of HTV/AIDS. These include receiving gifts and assistance from family members and friends, borrowing from self help groups and friends, reduction in household consumption of other goods, and sale of productive assets amongst others. The Engel curves used revealed a negative relationship between health shock (HTV/AIDS) and food expenditure, education expenditure and housing expenditure; while total income, de-saving, borrowing, sale of assets and other coping strategies were positively related to health consumption of the affected households. The logistic regression revealed that households’ characteristics such as educational level, marital status, age, gender and income level determine the ability of the household to cope with the illness. Hypotheses 1 and 2 were rejected at 5% level of significance using F-statistics of models 2, 3, 4, and 5 while hypothesis three was rejected at 5% level of significance using log-likelihood of 984.82. The study recommends that existing local safety networks should be encouraged to sustain the production and reproductive capacity of the households; labour saving technologies should be developed to take care of labour shortages; income bases should be diversified to reduce the poverty level of households amongst others.Faring of households in the face of HIV/AIDS
COTTON PRODUCTION AND TRADE IN IGALALAND OF CENTRAL NIGERIA, 1900 – 1986
Get PDFThis study examines the history of cotton production and trade in Igalaland of Central Nigeria, 1900-1986. Cotton was a major crop in Igalaland particularly during the colonial period because of its use as raw material in British textile and allied industries. As a result of this, concerted efforts were made by the colonial state in collaboration with expatriate firms towards its development. These efforts manifested in the forms of enactment of Cotton Marketing Ordinances and establishment of facilitative measures like the construction of road and inland waterway networks to enhance easy transportation of cotton from the hinterland to ginnery for onward shipment to Britain. Furthermore, this study interrogates the historical patterns of transformation that occurred in the local Igala society as a result of the production and marketing of cotton from the early twentieth century upto 1986. The major findings of this study are multilayered. The study demonstrates how the industrial revolution in Britain spurred the quest for raw materials, in this case, cotton in Igala land. The study notes that in the bid to maintain steady supply of cotton, the colonial state established the British Cotton Growing Association (BCGA) in 1902 and by 1906, BCGA established a Ginnery at Lokoja and Igalaland was a major area in which the bulk of the cotton was obtained from. In addition, the BCGA had Licensed Buying Agents who ferreted the nooks and crannies of Igalaland with the bid to buying cotton and propagating the culture of cotton to the natives. Using the Vent for Surplus theory of Hyla Myint, this study further argues that the upsurge in cotton production in this area within the period under study was a result of the creation of institutional, legislative and facilitative measures designed and consolidated by the colonial state and imperial merchants companies coupled with favourable environment which supported the cultivation of cotton. Besides, this study demonstrates the precarious placement of Igala cotton peasant farmers within the gamut of colonial cotton export production. The local farmers were exploited and exposed to the vagaries of incessant price fluctuations in the international market. The imposition of taxation coupled with the manipulation of local agency especially the Native Authority by the expatriate merchants led to the exploitation of the natives. This study traces the tapestry of the transformation of the cotton industry during the turbulent years of First World War, World Economic Depression and the Inter war periods. Methodologically, both primary and secondary sources of historical data were adopted. The study concludes by asserting that enormous potentials and opportunities existed in the Igala cotton industry as a veritable tool for economic diversification and development.Production and trade of cotton in Igalaland
IMPROVING KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND SKILLS OF SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS THROUGH ICT TRAINING FOR ITS FACILITIES UTILIZATION IN CLASSROOM PEDAGOGY IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA
Get PDFThis study examined the knowledge, attitude, and skills of Social Studies teachers through ICT training for its facilities utilization in classroom pedagogy in Benue State. The study also investigated the knowledge, attitude, and skills of Social Studies teachers across gender. The study was guided by six research questions while six hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The design of the study was one group pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design. The population of the study consisted of 508 Social Studies teachers from the 303 Upper Basic Schools in the three Education Zones of Benue State. The sample of the study comprised 244 Social Studies teachers of 130 males and 94 females drawn through multistage sampling techniques. Data were collected using researcher made instruments entitled “Teachers’ Basic ICT Knowledge Test (TBIKT), Teachers Attitude towards ICT Questionnaire (TAIQ)” and “Teachers ICT Skills Observation Scale” (TISOS). The TBIKT was subjected to a reliability test using the Kuder-Richardson (k-R21) method of analysis which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.98. Similarly, the TAIQ and TISOS were subjected to reliability analysis using Cronbach Alpha which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.82 and 0.82 respectively. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions while the t-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results indicated that there was a significant difference in the mean knowledge scores of Social Studies teachers before and after exposure to ICT training for its facilities utilization in classroom pedagogy (P=0.000 0.05). Furthermore , it was discovered that there was no significant difference in the mean attitude rating of male and female Social Studies teachers before (p = 0.446 > 0.05) and after exposure (p = 0.145 > 0.05) to ICT training for its facilities utilisation in classroom pedagogy. It was equally indicated that there was no significant difference in the mean skills scores of male and female Social Studies teachers before (p = 0.615 > 0.05) and after (p = 0.269 > 0.05) exposure to ICT training for its facilities utilisation in classroom pedagogy. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others, that Ministries of Education and school authorities should organize more ICT training for Social Studies teachers on a regular basis to build the knowledge of teachers towards the use of ICT facilities in classroom pedagogy and that Social Studies teachers be encouraged to avail themselves of the opportunities of any ICT training provided as this could help them improve on their skills and enhance their attitude towards the use of ICT facilities in classroom pedagogy. It was suggested that this study be replicated in other subject areas to allow room for more generalization and applicability
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AMNESTY PROGRAMME AND THE RESOLUTION OF THE NIGER DELTA CONFLICT IN NIGERIA
No full textThis study on the Federal Government Amnesty Programme and the resolution of the Niger Delta conflict in Nigeria examines the extent to which the amnesty programme as a mechanism for ending hostilities and resolving conflicts has been effective in the Niger Delta conflict. Employing both primary and secondary data for analysis, the study made use of qualitative research design. Focus group discussions and Key Informant Interviews were employed to generate information while Jack Hirshleifer’s economic theory of conflict as the theoretical framework. The study found that, the amnesty programme was responsible for halting hostilities in the Niger Delta region, particularly between June 2009 to November 2015. The study also found that, the immediate outcome of the amnesty programme was the sharp decline in violence and militant activities that had characterised the region. This, the study established, was because the amnesty programme provided economic and other incentives which surpassed the benefits of continuing in militancy. This was a departure from the usual use of force by previous governments. Consequently, the hitherto dwindling oil production and revenues were revitalised to an all-time high of 2.6million barrels per day by 2012. The study also revealed that of 30,000 ex-militants enlisted in the amnesty programme, 28,498 went through the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) process; were disarmed and removed from their military status to civilian while 1,502 were non - militant youth who were randomly selected from ‘impacted communities’ and were all empowered in the reintegration process through capacity building as well as engaging them in formal employment or micro businesses. The aim of this, as the study found was to give the ex-militants a ‘new life’ and source of livelihood having taken them out of the creeks and to keep them from returning to the creeks. The study concludes that, the amnesty programme was successful to the extent that, it brought a sharp decline in the hostilities and militant activities, therefore, restoring peace and relative security in the region. The study therefore recommends among others that, the various government agencies in the Niger Delta should be strengthened in a way and manner that they can effectively institute transformation in the region. Each of the government agencies must continue to strive to contribute its own quota to development and poverty reduction in the region through capacity building such as education and disbursement of zero – interest loans.TEDFUN
ANALYSIS OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROVISION IN DOMA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA
No full textThis study analysed infrastructure provision with a view to assess levels of concentration and access to available infrastructure in Doma LGA of Nasarawa State. To achieve the aim of this study, 22 settlements were selected for the study on the basis of population threshold and a total of 14 basic infrastructural facilities were investigated in each of the settlements using the village/community heads as respondents. Physical observation was utilised as a tool for data collection while location quotient technique was applied to measure the levels of concentration and access to existing infrastructure in the study area. The result showed that the public (62.1%) and private (37.9%) sectors were involved in the provision of infrastructure in Doma LGA. In terms of Quantity of infrastructure provided Doma town (41%) and Agbashi (4.8%) played the leading role in the concentration of infrastructure. The result of the location quotient revealed levels of disparity in access to existing infrastructure in Doma LGA, making Doma Town (1.6) less accessible than Agbashi (2.5). The study identified three (3) categories of settlements in line with the level of access to infrastructure. On the basis of the findings, it is recommended that population threshold should be used as yardstick in the provision of basic infrastructure and Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E) should be put in place to ensure sustainability of infrastructure provided in the study area.SEL
GENDER DISCRIMINATION IN EDUCATION AMONG THE TIV IN BENUE STATE
No full textThis study examined the gender discrimination in education among the Tiv in Benue State. Factors affecting women and girl child education forms of gender based discrimination, and the effect of gender based discrimination against women and girl child education were all investigated. 400 respondents were selected across the five intermediary areas in Tiv Land with one LGA chosen in each of the area namely: Ushongo (Kwande), Logo (Sankera), Vandeikya (Jechira), Gwer West (Minda), Tarka (Jemgbagh). 400 questionnaires were distributed across the sampled areas based on the proportion of the population. The results were analysed item by item through frequencies, percentages and charts. The findings revealed that, while there are available schools for women to be enrolled in Tiv land; however, many of them are currently out of school and do not have access to education. For the few who are currently in institutions of learning, a few agree that women are allowed to participate in all school activities such as games, sports and clubs, while a larger number opined that women are marginalised when it comes to school activities in Tiv land especially in the area of leadership positions. Some of the factors identified as possible reasons why so many girls/women are currently out of school are: high cost of schooling, cultural factors, financial constraint, discouragement from parents, motherhood responsibilities, fear of immoral behaviour, and religion amongst others. A vast number of respondents agree that there is gender based discrimination in their LGAs. Most of the respondents feel the greatest way in which they are discriminated against is their exclusion from family inheritance, which is reserved for the male children. Other forms of discrimination are: productive labour, and subordination. All the respondents agreed that all the forms of discrimination have an effect on the girl-child’s access to education. Some of the resultant effects resulting from discrimination are identified as early marriage, lower educational attainment compared to men, worsening poverty status among women, slow community development, and reduction in women participation. The study therefore concluded that there is discrimination of women and girl-child among the Tiv in education. This educational deprivation has affected economic and political empowerment of women which further worsens their relevance in the society. The study recommended amongst others that; the government of Benue State should look into the issue of gender discrimination in Tiv land by enacting laws compulsorily mandating all women in the region to be granted access to institutions of learning. Secondly, there should be collaboration between the government and school authority in the region to enlighten parents and guardians about the benefits of educating the girl child. Finally, the Tiv traditional council should be enlightened on the need to abolish all forms of early marriages and stop the usage of girls as collateral for sending their male counterparts to school. Activities such as primarily using the girl child for hawking, domestic workers and productive labour should be discouraged.SEL
INDIGENOUS STORAGE TECHNIQUES AND POST HARVEST LOSSES OF GRAINS IN GUMA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BENUE STATE
No full textThe agricultural sector in most developing countries of the world have experienced setbacks in recent times, one of which is food insecurity influenced by post harvest losses of grains. This study examined the indigenous storage techniques and post harvest losses of grains in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the indigenous grain storage techniques in Guma Local Government Area, to explain how farmers use the indigenous storage techniques to store grains in Guma Local Government Area, to examine the effects of indigenous grain storage techniques on stored grains in Guma Local Government Area, to evaluate the challenges involved in the use of indigenous grain storage techniques in Guma Local Government Area. The rational choice theory was adopted for the study to provide explanations as to what informs farmers’ choice of indigenous storage techniques they use to store their grains. Data were collected through primary sources. Primary sources included structured interview and key informant interview the population of the study, comprised both commercial and peasant farmers engaged in grain cultivation and storage. Sample size for unknown population was determined by Taro Yamane’s formula, sample size was 384. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select 384 farmers for the survey; 374 farmers were interviewed through structured interview while 10 commercial farmers were interviewed, through key informant interview. The study examined indigenous storage techniques and how they influence post harvest losses of grains. Findings from the study revealed that; 25.1% of farmers employ storage in bags, which was the highest frequency. 26.7% of farmers indicated pest infestation as the major negative effect of indigenous storage techniques on stored grains, while 28.3% indicated preservation of seed for the next planting season as the major positive effect. 25.4% indicated pest infestation as a major challenge involved in using indigenous storage techniques. 21.9% of farmers indicated poor management as a major factor that influence losses of grains. The assumptions discussed in the study included the poor storage management skills of farmers influences the rate of post harvest losses of grains; and the spray of insecticides and pesticides as control measures often have a negative impact on grains. Findings of the study revealed that both assumptions are true. Based on the findings, the study recommended that the use of indigenous storage techniques should be employed with proper storage management skills which can be made possible by the intervention of the government, the private sector/ NGO’s and Agric Extension Agencies. This will make available opportunities for training, enlightenment and dissemination of current information about technologies to farmers.WORLD BAN