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The use of educational resources in teaching learners with deafblindness (ldb) - a case of selected primary school in Dar Es Salaam City Tanzania
No full textx, 93 p. ;This study investigated the use of educational resources in teaching LDB. The use of educational resources in teaching helps LDB in academic performance, independent and social interaction. Involvement of LDB in teaching and the use of educational resources seem to be low in Dar es Salaam City in Tanzania. The study applied qualitative research approach and case study design. Research paradigm applied was critical or transformative. The target population included teachers of LDB (N=8), head teacher (N=1) and LDB (N=15). Out of the target population the sample selected comprised teachers (N=4), head teacher (N=1) and LDB (N=15). Purposive and saturated sampling techniques were used to get the sample needed. Interview guides and observation checklists were used for collecting data. Data were analyzed using content and thematic means. One of the findings is that teachers` role is important in different ways in the promotion of the use of educational resources in teaching and learning of LDB. That, teachers do this when they are creative, proactive and capable of producing educational resources. Another finding is that, well trained teachers have the ability, capability and skills in guiding learners in the different ways of using a variety of educational resources available. The last finding is that, there is serious lack of funding by government to promote successful teaching and learning of LDB in the use of educational resources. The study provides clear and precise conclusions in line with the study objectives and study topic. One of the conclusions is that, the school management committee (SMC) has the responsibility to support teachers to be creative, pro-active and capable of providing relevant educational resources that motivate and promote teaching and learning of LDB. Another conclusion is that, well trained teachers are able and capable of guiding, supporting and promoting the ways LDB can use educational resources successfully in their learning. Last, but not least, it is concluded that easy success in the teaching and learning of LDB currently face formidable challenges that hinder successful implementation and effective use of educational resources These include: inadequate funding, inadequate knowledge and skills by teachers of LDB, inadequate educational resources and large number of learners per teacher. The study therefore provides the following recommendations: first, school management should support teachers to be creative, pro-active and capable of producing relevant educational resources and should be trained to gain update skills of using educational resources for the teaching and learning of LDB. LDB. Dar es Salaam city authority (DCA) together with the SMC should collaborate to train more teachers for the good of LDB. The SMC should improve the school environment for better teaching and learning of LDB. The SMC should procure modern tactile educational resources and train teachers on how to use them to support teaching and learning teaching of LDB. and learning. The SMC should conduct regular awareness workshops to reduce negative attitudes towards LDB. The use of educational resources for LDB should be adopted as part of teachers’ competences in teaching LDB. SMC should compel teachers to maximize use of educational resources for LDB. Government, through the Ministry of Education Science and Technology should address the current challenges affecting successful teaching and learning of LDB by allocating enough fund. These challenges include: inadequate funding, inadequate knowledge by teachers of LDB, inadequate educational resources and large number of learners that teachers handle per class
Role of starch in one pot fabrication of mesoporous gamma-alumina with excellent fluoride sorption capacity
No full textP. (1-16) ;Green synthesis of mesoporous γ-AƖ2O3, a cutting-edge material for sustainable application in medicine, engineering, energy, and water treatment, is still challenging. Our study used a one-pot strategy for facile synthesis of γ-AƖ2O3 by sol-gel method using starch from cassava waste. AƖ(OH)3 were bound to the O-H groups of the starch molecule to form the AƖ(OH)3-starch complex in a nano-network confined in starch polymer cages. Its calcination at 500
℃
produced a mesoporous, highly crystalline water stable γ-AƖ2O3 with a pore size of 2.07 nm and an extensive BET surface area (215 cm2/g). Using the response surface methodology (RSM), the as-synthesized γ-AƖ2O3 was optimized for efficient fluoride removal from water. A central composite design (CCD) was used to study the effect of initial fluoride concentration, pH, contact time, and sorbent dose on fluoride removal efficiency and optimization of the process. The relative importance of the sorption process variables to the fluoride removal process was assessed using ANOVA. The quadratic model showed that the predicted response was significantly correlated with the experimental response (R2 = 0.9667), with sorbent dose and pH being the process's most influential factors. Optimum conditions for 93.6% fluoride removal efficiency were sorbent dose of 0.5 g, initial fluoride concentration of 10 mg/L, pH 7, and contact time of 137.5 min. A weakly acidic medium favored fluoride removal from water, while the presence of PO43- and HCO3- retarded the process. The sorption data fitted well in the Langmuir isotherm (0.9783) and pseudo-second-order kinetic model (0.9999), indicative of a chemisorption process. The maximum sorption capacity towards fluoride was 207.5 mg/g. A thermodynamic study indicated that the sorption process was spontaneous and endothermic, with increased randomness at the solid-solution interface. Sorption, desorption, sustainability, and leaching tests showed that the sorbent could be used for sustainable fluoride removal at 8.3 USD/1000 liters of safe drinking water
Evaluation of the effectiveness of protected areas in conserving ecological integrity in Kibale and queen Elizabeth conservation areas, Uganda
No full textVarious pagings ;The effectiveness of wildlife protected areas in conserving ecological integrity in Kibale and Queen Elizabeth Conservation Areas, Uganda was explored. The study was conducted from August 2017 to October 2019 in response to the inadequate data and information that existed on how effective wildlife protected areas conserve ecological integrity with a view to suggest management strategies to enhance the conservation of biological diversity and ecosystem processes. An evaluation of how the long-term wildlife monitoring, wildlife corridors, community-based conservation, and threats affects biodiversity and ecological integrity was conducted through a survey. Document review, semi-structured questionnaires, Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, the Nature Conservancy’s Conservation Action Planning methodology, Threat Reduction Assessment technique, and Geographical Information System/remote sensing were used to collect data. A sample size of 416 respondents was used during this study. Data was analysed using inferential statistics, and results presented in tables and figures. The study established that Wildlife Monitoring was done primarily in-house by the protected area staff; and rarely through co-operation with other agencies, academic institutions, co-operative projects with NGOs, and contracting out to consultants and/or freelance researchers, (χ2 (4, N = 81) = 15.523, p = .000, α = .05, V=.526). The long-term wildlife monitoring program used on-the-ground monitoring, and rarely used traditional knowledge and remote sensing which would improve wildlife monitoring. Wildlife monitoring guided the wildlife agency to formulate conservation-related policies (χ2 (1, N = 81) = 297.1, p = .000, α = .05, V = .342), identify new conservation initiatives (χ2 (1, N = 81) = 7.247, p = .000, α = .05, V = .370), and propose innovative conservation policy areas (χ2 (1, N = 81) = 9.351, p = .001, α = .05, V = .416) to conserve biodiversity and protect ecological integrity. The landscape had 20 key wildlife corridors which facilitate the movement of migratory animal species mainly Elephants, Chimpanzees and Lions. However, the corridors experienced changes in vegetation cover, corridor connectivity, migratory animal populations, and stepping stone habitats. Community Based Conservation contributed to overall conservation through participation of local communities (χ2 (1, N = 268) = 46.013, p = .000, α = .05, V = .588), local authorities (χ2 (4, N = 268) = 17.021, p = .000, α = .05, V = .261) and private sector (χ2 (1, N = 268) = 20.822, p = .000, α = .05, V = .326) in conservation programs which improved community-park relations (χ2 (3, N = 268) = 24.815, p = .000, α = .05, V = .229). Further, the wildlife protected areas were primarily threatened by anthropogenic and natural threats, and administrative constraints which threatened habitat quality, diversity, and continuity. The average threat reduction indices for both Conservation Areas were less than 50% implying that management only mitigates less than 50% of the PAs threats, hence a significant “dissatisfactory” on the overall performance of the conservation areas to protect ecological integrity. In conclusion, long-term wildlife monitoring guides development of conservation-related policies, innovative conservation initiatives, and proposes policy areas to conserve the ecological integrity. The wildlife corridors provide ecological linkages for migratory animal species contributing to the overall conservation of biodiversity. Community-based conservation is fundamental to conservation of biodiversity since it improves community knowledge and collaboration, creates trust, belonging and acceptance, reduces pressure on the park resources, and improves community-park relations. Threats in the conservation areas were reducing. Therefore, wildlife agency should provide incentives to meet community needs, strengthen the benefit sharing scheme, and create and strengthen community conservation institutions to participate in conserving biodiversity. The wildlife agency should formulate more conservation-related policies; integrate ecosystem health in the wildlife monitoring program; and also put more effort to address the threats affecting biodiversity to move from “dissatisfactory” to “satisfactory” level of ecological integrity. Finally, further research should investigate ecosystem health; the magnitude (area) and intensity of habitats affected by invasive and alien plant species; restoration options of the wildlife corridors; and the impact of tourism-related infrastructural development on ecological integrity of the wildlife protected areas.
Key words: Biodiversity, Conservation, National Parks, Wildlif
Watershed management and climate change adaptation mechanisms used by people living in dryland areas of Lokere catchment in Karamoja, Uganda
No full textThe effects of climate change in Uganda are manifested by severe and sometimes extreme weather events such as droughts and
landslides. An Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) plan was initiated in the Karamoja region, aimed at generating
information that could be used to reduce climate vulnerabilities among the rural poor. The study aimed at determining the local
community’s perception of the effects of climate change on their livelihoods; and, to examine the effectiveness of the Integrated
Watershed Management practices (IWMPs) on agricultural production within the area. Three hundred and ninety-seven
households were randomly chosen and included in the survey. Interviews with local government officials who held high posts
were conducted. Direct observations were also used for data collection. Findings showed that droughts and increases in pests and
diseases; were some of the impacts caused by climate change events. Despite the initiation of IWMPs, climate change events
moderately increased food insecurity (γ = 0.556; P=0.000) and also moderately affected community assets like roads and valley
dams (γ = 0.426; P=0.000). In addition, household income insecurity was moderately and positively related to climate change
effects (γ = 0.556; P=0.000). A weak positive relationship was found between the application of IWMPs and agricultural
production (γ = 0.273; P=0.000). The Uganda Government should emphasize and intensify the implementation of IWMPs among
the farmers living in agricultural watersheds as a means of continuously improving agricultural production and building the
farmers’ resilience to climate change events
Provision of career guidance services to students with learning disabilities in secondary schools in uganda the case of hoima city
No full textxii, 71 p. ;The study examined the career guidance services provided to students with learning disabilities in secondary schools in Hoima City. The study objectives included the following: to explore the career guidance services offered, examine how the services are offered and analyze the challenges teachers experience in offering the services to students with learning disabilities. The study was conducted using a case study design and qualitative methodology. Head teachers, educators, and students with disabilities took part in the study. The aforementioned respondents were interviewed using semi-structured interview guides in order to collect data. The study findings showed that career guidance services are provided to students with learning disabilities although it is inadequate. These services include: educational guidance, provision of remedial support, career guidance and counseling and instilling discipline to the students. The challenges experienced in provision of career guidance services include: inadequate materials, inadequate knowledge and skills of teachers, lack of interest of teachers in career guidance services, lack of enough teachers to be assigned career guidance service roles, lack of parental involvement and support, low self-esteem of students, indiscipline among the students with learning disabilities, negative attitude from parents, the absence of strong government policy on recruitment of many teachers mainly to provide career guidance, the rigidity of the education curriculum and lack of enough funds designated for career guidance services. The study recommends that teacher training, funding, teacher recruitment, motivation of teachers, parental involvement, integration of career guidance in curriculum, sensitization of parents and more policy formulation on career guidance service provision should be improved
Analyzing the factors that affect the quality of staircases: a case study of universities in the central region, Uganda
No full textxv, 144 p. : ill. (some col.) ;Staircases are the most common means of vertical access in low and medium rise storeyed buildings in Uganda. Their purpose is to provide safe means of movement from floor to floor. Reduction of accidents would be one of the functional requirements of stairs which is part and parcel of safety. However, the high accident rates are an indication of poorly designed and constructed stairs. With such problems on staircases, this study sought to investigate the factors that affect their quality in storeyed buildings in Ugandan universities specifically in the central region in a bid to minimize the occurrence accidents. Four kinds of surveys including observational, design and construction, technical and staircase user surveys were conducted in the study. The observational survey done using a check list revealed that the key features for quality vertitical access were; tactile ground indicators, balustrades, handrails, risers, treads, stair flights, newel posts, nosings, landings and presence of ramps in buildings. The design and construction survey which was done using self-admistered questionnaires involving 22 respondents revealed that the major factors that affect the quality of staircases were: design proficiency, construction competences, design review and other project factors. The technical survey conducted using a technical tool revealed that 66% of the stairs did not conform to the design and construction requirements due to riser heights, tread depths, slope relationship (2Rise + Going), stair slopes, handrail heights, handrail extensions and depth of nosing contrasts not conforming to the standards.
The staircase user survey carried out using self-admistered questionnaires involving 212 respondents revealed that 26.3% of the users were injured while using the staircases due to missed steps, slippery surfaces, inadequate lighting in the stairwell, unevenness in the risers and treads and broken edges of steps. It was therefore concluded that to minimize the occurrence of accidents on staircases, proper design, construction and supervision need to be done in accordance with the standards short of which will lead to accidents.
Key words: Staircase, quality, accidents, design, construction, supervision, use
Inclusion of students with hearing impairment in universities in Dodoma City, Tanzania
No full textxi, 152 p. : ill. (col.) ;This study explored the inclusion of students with hearing impairment in universities in Tanzania. The study was framed on four objectives, namely: to examine the support services available in universities for enhancing inclusion of students with hearing impairment; to analyze the adaptations made in the teaching and learning for students with hearing impairment to enhance their classroom participation; to determine the lecturers’ perceptions in teaching students with hearing impairment in inclusive educational settings and to find out the opinions of students with hearing impairment about their inclusion in the university environments. The study was guided by two theories, the social model of disability and the human right model of disability so as to understand the practice of inclusion of students with hearing impairment in universities. A qualitative research approach and case study research design were applied to obtain information through semi-structured interviews, observation and Focus Group Discussions. The target population was the students with hearing impairment, hearing students, lecturers, leader of Chama cha Viziwi Tanzania (CHAVITA), a member of Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU), disability support personnel and representative of students with disabilities. The data obtained was analyzed both thematically and descriptively to derive meaning from them as per the objectives of the study. The findings discovered that support services provided in universities included: assistive devices and sign language interpretations were inadequate to meet the learning needs of these students; teaching and learning strategies were hardly adapted to meet the learning needs of students with hearing impairment; lecturers perceived teaching these students as being a burden that demands for extra attention, modifications and time. The students with hearing impairment perceived the learning-environment in all the universities as unfriendly, stressing that since they were not (initially) identified to have special-needs, the learning environment was not designed to suit their learning needs. Generally, the findings revealed that the inclusion of students with hearing impairment in universities was still a challenge due to the stakeholders’ lack of awareness on matters related to students with hearing impairment. And lastly, the study makes a number of recommendations: Special needs and inclusive education component should be merged in teacher curriculum at all levels; both lecturers and hearing peers be adequately trained on sign language skills; universities should employ competent sign language interpreters; universities should make screening and identification of students with hearing impairment during registration. Also, universities should include in its structure a department of special needs education and establish resource rooms that should serve as a disability support center
Assessment of the quality of levonorgestrel emergency contraceptive tablets (morning-after pill) sold in Uganda
No full textxiii, 75 p. : ill. (some col.) ;Use of poor quality emergency contraceptives may lead to unwanted pregnancies. Many unwanted pregnancies lead to illegal abortions having a devastating impact on the health of the girl child and women at large. This study was aimed at assessing the quality of levonorgestrel tablets sold on the Ugandan market.
The quality of levonorgestrel tablets was established through collection of samples from the Eastern, Western, Central and Northern regions of Uganda. The High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and the High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analytical techniques were used to identify and determine the content of levonorgestrel, respectively. The quality parameters assessed included visual inspection, identification, content uniformity, assay and dissolution.
Results showed that thirteen percent of samples found on the market were counterfeits and all belonged to brand G. The samples that had been confirmed counterfeits further failed the uniformity of content, assay and dissolution tests. Eighty-seven percent of the samples found on the market passed the assay and uniformity of content test and the statistical analysis conducted at 95% CI revealed significant differences (ANOVA, p < 0.05) within the brands in the mean uniformity of content and assay results.
Further findings showed that 30% of the samples on market exhibited inadequate release of levonorgestrel by dissolution testing whereas 13% showed no release of levonorgestrel. Similarly, the statistical analysis conducted using the one-way ANOVA at 95% CI revealed that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the drug release of the different brands of levonorgestrel tablets examined in the study.
From the study it was observed that only 57% provided the stated level of contraceptive action, 30% provided questionable results whereas 13% offered no prevention against unwanted pregnancy. The statistically significant differences observed further indicated the availability of levonorgestrel tablets on the market that are not therapeutically equivalent.
It was concluded that there is need to emphasize regular assessment of the quality of emergency contraceptives on the market in order to lower the risk of patients being exposed to products of poor quality, safety, and efficacy
Improving students enrollment in home economics through selected career guidance strategies: a case of bwera primary teachers’ college in kasese district
No full textxi, 100 p. : ill. (some col.) ;There has been low enrollment of students in Home Economics at different educational levels globally. The purpose of the study was to implement identified strategies of enhancing students’ enrollment in Home Economics at Bwera Primary Teachers’ College in Kasese District. The study was guided by three objectives that sought to; explore selected career guidance strategies of enhancing enrolment in Home Economics, implement the selected career guidance strategies of enhancing enrolment and evaluate the implemented career guidance strategies of enhancing students enrollment in Home Economics at Bwera Primary Teachers College. This study was qualitative in nature, following a descriptive participatory research design. Through the participatory action research approach, a total of 75 stakeholders were involved in the implementation of the strategies. The methods of collecting data included interviews, future workshops, verbatim quotes, website feedback, focus group discussions and observations. The findings indicate that career talks enhanced immediate students’ enrollment, Home Economics fair showcased activities under Home Economics, the talking compound reminded stakeholders to learn about the course and the website launched a platform for continuous interaction with stakeholders on Home Economics. The study confirmed that there is need for a paradigm shift in order to unlearn, relearn and learn for individuals to compete favourably in the 21st century
Development of a Mobile SLT Clinic: A Case of East Africa
No full textBackground: In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the ratio of persons with communication disabilities to speech-language therapists is adverse. People living in urban areas in some countries are much more likely to receive treatment than those living in rural areas. Mobile health care is a community-based strategy that provides solutions to speech-language therapy (SLT) delivery to underserved and at-risk populations. Methodology: This multinational project report elaborates on the culturally appropriate adaptation of the general concept of a mobile clinic to a mobile SLT clinic. The authors from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Europe outline a strategic methodology for developing, equipping, and using the mobile clinic. Results: Challenges, pitfalls, and prospects of developing a culturally sensitive practicing mobile clinic for SLT are discussed. In particular, the collaboration of a multinational project team of experts from sub-Saharan Africa and Europe is critically reviewed. Discussion: While developing a culturally appropriate and mobile SLT clinic, a cost-benefit analysis became one of the main tasks. SLTs need to question themselves whether there is a need for expensive inventories or low-cost basic equipment for assessment and therapy, or both