UFS Publications Platform (Univ. of the Free State)
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Determinants of poor planning in public sector construction projects in Nigeria
Get PDFThe study assessed the determinants of poor planning in public-sector construction projects in Nigeria. The paper adopted a questionnaire survey. A structured questionnaire was administered to 217 construction professionals, out of which 156, representing 71.9%, correctly filled questionnaires were analysed. The study deployed descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation for data analysis. Results indicated that the primary determinants of poor project planning are the need for qualified personnel, with a mean of 4.70; experience, with a mean of 4.63; and poor communication among the project teams, with a mean of 4.63. The significant factors influencing the implementation of project planning in public sector construction projects include natural occurrences, the use of computers and ICT, differing approaches of those who produce the plans and those who deliver the project, the leadership of the project team, application of planning techniques, only trained project managers should plan the project, non-availability of labour, lack of experience. The critical barriers to project planning implementation in public construction projects include lack of communication, performance problems, political influence, dissatisfied project teams, abandonment of the project, time overrun, absence of new technology and software for planning, compromised project quality, and wrong estimation. The research suggests that contractors involved in public sector construction projects in Nigeria should enhance their planning and performance through various measures. These measures include conducting financial and ethical client checks, employing dedicated project managers, utilising computerised planning systems, and improving team communication through reliable channels
Transformative approaches to managing student unrest in a South African university
Get PDFHigher education and training institutions in South Africa have experienced widespread student unrest and crises in recent years, particularly within universities. This issue has been attributed to strained relationships between students and university management. Therefore, it is imperative to address the conflict gap between students and management in order to promote peaceful university operations. This study employed qualitative research, utilising decoloniality theory and a transformative paradigm lens within a qualitative research approach and participatory research design. Data was collected through focus group discussions (FGDs), with participants selected using a homogeneous sampling technique. For this study, three management employees, three students (SRC members), three lecturers, and three security officers from the chosen university were selected as participants using the homogeneous sampling technique. Data analysis was conducted using Braun and Clarke\u27s six-step thematic analysis. One of the key findings is that the lack of a proper structure to manage unrest and the failure to involve students in decision-making pose significant challenges in the management of student unrest. The potential solutions to these challenges include the establishment of appropriate structures, the involvement of stakeholders in decision-making processes, and the development of common ground among stakeholders. These solutions could effectively address the issue at hand. Furthermore, a major recommendation is to engage society in order to address student unrest comprehensively. The study concludes that applying principles of openness and integrity is crucial in building and maintaining trust among stakeholders, as trust has been identified as a significant factor in bridging the gap between them
Analysis of Asset-Based Community Development to Transform Rural Schools in South Africa
Get PDFRural schools worldwide have been categorised as underprivileged and/or under-resourced, characterised by limited resources, teacher shortages, and lack of access to social and educational amenities, among others. This conceptual paper analyses the potential of Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) to transform rural schools. This study is lensed within transformative paradigm as a worldview towards building on a school community\u27s assets, strengths, and resources to promote positive change. The concept of ABCD was presented and analysed using conceptual analysis as a tool to make sense of the ABCD concept and its assumptions which includes community engagement, asset mapping, asset mobilisation, and capacity building. The study presents the assumptions of ABCD vis-à-vis its relationship with schools’ transformation. It argues that ABCD can be a practical approach to address these challenges by empowering rural communities to identify and leverage their strengths and resources to improve education outcomes. The paper concludes by highlighting the potential benefits of ABCD in transforming rural schools, including increased community involvement, improved teacher retention, and enhanced student outcomes.
Counting the homeless in Papua New Guinea 2024 population and housing census
Get PDFThe 2011 population census in Papua New Guinea (PNG) failed to generate reliable data due to logistical constraints and inadequate capacity. Addressing this, this conceptual communication analyses the benefits of using single contact census, capture-recapture method, and indirect estimation to enumerate the homeless population in the PNG 2024 Census. The study argues that, owing to the distinct geographical distribution of the homeless in urban locales, the single-contact census and the capture-recapture method emerge as the most suitable strategies for the 2024 enumeration. The exploration meticulously outlines the practical assumptions imperative for deploying these techniques, emphasizing their pivotal role in ensuring an accurate representation of the homeless demographic. This paper serves as a pivotal guide to adapting and refining enumeration methodologies to overcome challenges witnessed in the previous PNG census. The study concludes by explaining the practical assumptions for using the single-contact census and the capture-recapture method in the PNG 2024 census
A comparative analysis of gender trend in academic achievement among history graduates of a University in Nigeria
Get PDFGiven gender as properties that distinguish organisms based on their reproductive roles as female or male, these properties have been argued to have discrepancies in the learning abilities of males and females. Therefore, this study analysed gender and academic achievement trend of graduates in History Studies from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, from 2019 to 2021. This study adopted ex post facto research design within a census population. 1,491 male and female graduates of History Education from the Faculty of Education and History and International Studies from the Faculty of Arts from 2019 to 2021 were used as the sample. Therefore, the Order of Proceedings of the University of Ilorin for 2019, 2020, and 2021 was used for data collection. The data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics, such as bar charts and percentages, to answer research questions, and inferential statistics, such as the independent t-test for the hypothesis at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings from this study revealed that the trend of academic achievement among male graduates with 2nd-Class-Upper and Lower was upward, while the proportion of males with 3rd Class and Pass was downward. The trend of academic achievement among female graduates with 2nd-Class-Upper, 2nd-Class-Lower, and Pass was upward, while the trend for 3rd-Class was downward. Additionally, there was no statistically significant difference in the academic achievement of male and female graduates from the University of Ilorin. Therefore, it is recommended that male and female students should take their studies and courses seriously, among other recommendations
Undergraduate students’ exploration of Instagram and TikTok in learning language skills contents: A leverage to digital literacy
Get PDFThe literacy needed to live efficiently and functionally in a knowledge-driven society goes beyond the ability to read, write and calculate to a more encompassing literacy such as digital literacy. Two social media platforms, Instagram and TikTok, lend themselves to digital literacies and practices needed to learn language skills and content with ease and fun. The study investigated undergraduate students’ knowledge of and competence in using Instagram and TikTok as learning spaces for learning language skills and content. The study also examined the influence of age and gender on undergraduate students’ competence to use Instagram and TikTok to learn language skills and content. Two major language departments in a university in Nigeria were involved in the study. Three hundred and fifty-two students constituted the sample for the study; 110 from Linguistics/Languages Department and 242 from English and Literary studies. Data were collected using a close-ended-self-constructed questionnaire and a checklist. The data were analysed using inferential statistics. The study revealed that undergraduate students possess adequate knowledge of Instagram and TikTok as learning spaces and are competent to harness the features of Instagram and TikTok to learn language skills and language content. The study also shows that age and gender influence undergraduate students’ competence in using Instagram and TikTok. The study recommended that undergraduate students should harness the potential of Instagram and TikTok on activities that will enhance their linguistic repertoire
Investigating illocutionary acts in video podcasts and its pedagogical implication in EFL teaching
Get PDFThis study belongs to qualitative- content analysis focusing on the illocutionary speech acts in video podcasts of Najwa Shihab. Data were collected from her interview with one of the invited guests which were subsequently coded and categorized into illocutionary types: representative, directive, commissive, and expressive. To know the distribution of each type, the frequency and percentage were counted simultaneously. The results of the analysis revealed that directive acts were the most frequently used and followed by representative, commissive, and expressive acts. These findings are of benefit to have a comprehensive understanding of the speech acts productions employed by Najwa Shihab in her video podcasts. In addition, the findings provide constructive dynamic strategies in communication and pedagogical implication in language teaching.
Post COVID-19: New breakthroughs and the future of behavioural research data collection
Get PDFBehavioural researchers have been faced with challenges associated with the choice of data collection methods that is timely and cost-effective for all situations. Several studies have examined various means of collecting data while some electronic means of data collection have been explored. However, there is a need for a study that compares the conventional and contemporary data collection methods in terms of profile, perceptions and prospects. Therefore, this study examined the new breakthroughs and the future of behavioural research data collection in post COVID-19 era. The study is underpinned by connectivism learning theory within ex-post facto design with a sample of one hundred and twenty-six (126) behavioural science researchers. Post COVID-19 Data Collection Methods Scale-Forms App (r=0.86) was used, and the data collected were analysed using frequency count and t-test. The findings showed that there were more users of breakthrough methods 47 (37.3%) than conventional 39 (30.9%) and mixed method 40 (31.7%). Conventional methods were less available than new breakthrough methods. There is a significant difference in the perception, challenges and prospects of the conventional and breakthroughs in behavioural research data collection methods, all in favour of new breakthroughs. It is, therefore, recommended that behavioural researchers, as well as other researchers, avail themselves of the opportunities offered by the new breakthrough to advance their research endeavours in post COVID-19 era
Exploring Community Resilience towards Rebuilding Community Identity After the Portapique Mass Shooting in Canada
Get PDFThis research aims to explore the significance of citizen participation in rebuilding a sense of community identity and facilitating the communal healing process in the aftermath of the public shooting in Portapique, Nova Scotia. We approached this research using autoethnography and completed a thematic analysis of the first author’s journal entries written in the ten months following the public shooting. We generated two higher-order themes- posttraumatic stress responses and factors of resilience. These two themes provided the framework on which to organise the data. The findings indicate the significance citizen participation and event organisation have on a community’s ability to exhibit resilience and the detrimental effects that can occur when support is not community-led. Through the lens of participation in community organising (the Portapique Community Build-Up project), participation was the crucial link to building a sense of community identity.
An investigation of the impact of non-formal education on sustainable development in Mafeteng, Lesotho
Get PDFIn the context of this study, non-formal training has been viewed as an intentional educational endeavour that frequently operates outside the traditional schooling system, with the curriculum and instructional systems tailored to the participants\u27 particular needs and requirements. The study explored the relationship between non-formal education training and sustainable development. An interpretive paradigm was espoused in this study using a qualitative approach confined within a case study, and in-depth face-to-face interviews with three managers from one program of poverty reduction were selected. The other 18 beneficiaries participated in three focus group discussions made of six participants per group. Findings from face-to-face interviews revealed challenges that managers faced in convincing old and illiterate beneficiaries to adapt to modern agricultural trends, especially climate change and the preservation of seeds. Furthermore, findings from focus group discussions reveal a number of training difficulties faced by the beneficiaries, including low literacy levels, lack of efficient teaching techniques, insufficient time for beneficiaries to fully comprehend the concepts, information overload, and the frustration they experience during training. On these premises, the study thus recommends that beneficiaries should be actively involved in all decision-making processes in order to understand their requirements and preferences as well as the transparent use of funding.