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From Learning Tool to Behavioural Addiction: Assessing Smartphone Use among Ghanaian Undergraduate Students
Get PDFThe proliferation of smartphones has transformed higher education landscapes, particularly in the Global South, where mobile technology is a primary tool for both academic and social engagement. This study investigates the nature and extent of smartphone addiction among undergraduate students at the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana. Grounded in the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model, the research reveals subclinical problematic smartphone use (PSU) and clinical smartphone addiction. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, utilizing the Smartphone Addiction Scale–Short Version (SAS-SV) to assess responses from 567 undergraduate students. Results revealed that 59.3% of students exhibited problematic smartphone usage indicating high levels of addiction, with significant differences observed across age and gender. Younger students (?24 years) and males demonstrated greater susceptibility. Although the average duration of daily smartphone use did not significantly predict addiction levels, qualitative usage patterns, such as multipurpose use (92.9%) and engagement with social networking and entertainment applications, were implicated in reinforcing compulsive behaviours. The study underscores the dual role of smartphones as both academic aids and sources of behavioural addiction. Findings support the need for targeted interventions that address age- and gender-specific risk factors, promote digital self-regulation, and distinguish between problematic and addictive use. The implications of excessive smartphone engagement extend beyond academic performance to encompass psychological and physical well-being, calling for institutional policies that balance digital integration with mental health safeguards
Reverse of Democracy’s Third Wave: Understanding the Causes of Coups d’état in West Africa in the Twenty-First Century
Get PDFRising coups in West Africa have raised serious socio-economic, political and security concerns across Africa. This paper contributes to debates on the causes of the rising military coup infernos, the effects on the sub-region and its peoples, and suggests remedial actions. The paper found that several factors, including the French colonial policies of Assimilation and Association, neocolonialism, geopolitical undercurrents, non-performance of civilian regimes and corruption enable the phenomenon to fester. The paper suggests that, among other things, in order to reverse the current trend and to avoid such occurrence in the future, African countries must de-link themselves from existing colonial linkages that do not inure to their benefit. Also, agreements and treaties that are inimical to the general wellbeing of the citizens, and which have over the years been used as basis for popular uprising and military takeovers must be carefully renegotiated. 
FROM ORIGINALITY TO INTEGRITY: CONFRONTING ACADEMIC DISHONESTY IN CREATIVE ARTS EDUCATION-PEDAGOGICAL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTIONS FROM THE COLLEGE OF ART, KNUST
Get PDF1. Introduction
Volume 8 Issue 2 June 30, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org//10.63102/jaac.v8i2.20255
https://jaac-sca.org ISSN 2637-3610
Abstract
Academic integrity in creative arts education remains an underexplored domain,
particularly concerning contract cheating in applied arts, where traditional assessment
frameworks prioritise textual knowledge over experiential, process-driven artistic
practice. This study critically examines the epistemological bias inherent in institutional
integrity policies, which often fail to account for the complexities of non-text-based
disciplines, which poses significant challenges to authenticity and ethical practice in
artistic disciplines. Drawing on their expertise as art educators, the researchers employ
an art-based phenomenological approach within a hybridised descriptive-interpretive
paradigm to examine academic disengagement in applied arts education, with specific
attention to contract cheating. Findings reveal that cheating behaviours among creative
arts students are shaped by a generational shift from valuing self to prioritising a
performance-oriented self, a lack of authentic self-expression and the unethical use of
technology in educational contexts. Findings further reveal a disconnect between
institutional policies and the lived realities of artistic education, exacerbated by broad,
text-centric definitions of misconduct. This study highlights the critical gap in academic
integrity research, where discussions on contract cheating predominantly focus on
conventional text-based disciplines, overlooking the complexities inherent in creative
arts education. This paper advocates for a discipline-sensitive, pedagogically responsive,
and institutionally adaptive approach to academic integrity, promoting assessment
methodologies that align with the experiential and creative processes central to artistic
scholarshi
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES AND CULTURAL VALUES IN NNWONKORO
Get PDFNnwonkoro, a traditional female choral musical type among the Ashanti of Ghana,
serves as artistic expression and an educational tool for transmitting cultural values,
ethics, and historical narratives. Despite its cultural significance, scholarly engagement
with its pedagogical dimensions remains limited, with most existing research focusing
on its performance traditions. This has left a gap in understanding the instructional
methods and social values embedded in vocal traditions such as Nnwonkoro. This study
addresses this gap by exploring the pedagogical approaches inherent in Nnwonkoro
music and how they contribute to knowledge transmission within Ashanti communities.
Using an ethnographic research design—including participant observation, interviews
with practitioners, as well as discographic engagement—the study examines various
pedagogical dimensions of Nnwonkoro that can inform music teaching and learning in
Ghanaian schools. Additionally, it highlights cultural values embedded in Nnwonkoro
performance, such as social cohesion, respect for elders, and the reinforcement of gender
roles. Findings suggest that Nnwonkoro is not merely an artistic performance but a vital
pedagogical tool that integrates music with social and moral instruction. The study
contributes to broader discourses on indigenous African music education and offers
practical insights into how traditional musical type like Nnwonkoro can be adapted into
contemporary educational frameworks, particularly through culturally responsive
curriculum design and community-based pedagogies
The Effectiveness of Ghanaian Basic School Band Directors’ Rehearsal Strategies on Students’ Performance
Get PDFThere has been a concern about the quality and depth of the musical outputs resulting from participation in school instrumental music
programmes. In Ghana, the focus is on the level of technical ability exhibited by students and the extent to which instructors assist students in developing acceptable technical control over their musical instruments. Unfortunately, no study has been done in this area in
Ghana. Employing a mixed method design with a sample of 10 Basic School Bands, the present study examines the impact of the two teaching strategies revealed in Dordzro (2021) (rote and staff notation methods), on students’ performance in terms of playing proficiency. Analysis of codes generated from videotapes of rehearsal sessions, field notes, and interviews revealed that teacher-directed instructional technique was the most utilised instructional strategy. Out of the ten bands, only two bands’ performance scores fell within the ‘average’ mark for tone/intonation. Four bands performed averagely well on technique and all ten bands performed ‘poorly’ on interpretation. There was a significant difference between the rehearsal strategies employed and students’ performance. There was also a strong positive relationship between performance scores and rehearsal observation scores
Examining the Teaching Strategies for Clothing and Textiles in Ghanaian Senior High Schools
Get PDFThere are several studies on teaching methods and its impact on
Clothing and Textiles in tertiary and basic schools but not in Senior High
Schools and not on general teaching strategies. This study therefore
investigated the suitability and impact of teaching strategies used in
teaching Clothing and Textiles at Senior High School level of education
in Ghana. Research questions that guided the study were: What are
the teaching methods used in teaching Clothing and Textiles in Senior
High Schools in Ghana? What is the impact of teaching methods on
learning Clothing and Textiles in SHS in Ghana? What is the impact
of other teaching strategies on teaching and learning of clothing and
Textiles and H01: There is no statistically significant difference in the test
scores of students taught theory lessons and students taught practical
lessons. Eighteen schools, four hundred and seventy eight students
and twenty three teachers were selected using stratified sampling,
purposive sampling and random sampling techniques. Observation,
test and questionnaires were used to collect data. The study revealed
that, there are three dominant instructional strategies currently used to facilitate C&T lessons in SHSs across Ghana namely demonstration
method, discussion method and question and answer method. Students
who were taught practically (M =57.71) were found to do better than
their counterparts thought theoretically. (M=49.53). There is a statistical
difference between the performance of students taught practically
and those taught theoretically with p value =.000. The report of the
study indicates that, students disagreed they were exposed to good
teaching strategies (M=1.73, SD=0.33) and (M=1.69, SD=0.22). It was
recommended that, Clothing and Textiles teachers should: use modern
teaching methods to enhance teaching and learning; teach concepts
practically to improve learning outcomes; introduce students to adequate
Clothing and Textiles textbooks to enhance teaching and learning and
should assess students during and after instructions to enhance effective
learning
The Roots of Brass Bands in Ghana: The Premier Brass Band in Winneba
Get PDFThe main purpose of the paper is to document the provenance, growth,
achievements, challenges and prospects of the first brass band formed in
Winneba - the Winneba Yamoahs Brass Band. Using interviews and document
review, the paper traces events leading to the band’s formation, the birth of
the band, growth and sustenance, recruitment and training of members,
achievements, challenges and the prospects of the band which remained
in oral context with early band members and owners of the band and thus
risked being lost with the passage of time. Major findings from the study such
as the circumstances leading to the formation of the band and achievements
since its formation places the band as a pacesetter among brass bands in
Winneba and recommends that an interest be taken in writing on similar
bands or groups that have no written history yet
The ‘Evaluation Triangle’ in Theatre-For-Development Education in Ghana
Get PDFQuality Theatre-for-Development (TfD) education requires adequate
provision to support the holistic development of the individual through
an all-inclusive curriculum. TfD is a strategic resource for personal, socio
cultural and sustainable development. Hence, instructional TfD is valuable
to sustainable development discourses, the global knowledge economy
and the global society. This article explores to evaluate instructional TfD
in higher education in Ghana. Employing the qualitative approach to
research, the article used an empirical case study design to evaluate the TfD
curricula of three public universities in Ghana, focusing especially on course
contents, pedagogical approaches and teaching and learning logistics. The
data collection method adopted were document review (curricula, course
outlines, course descriptions and logistics for teaching and practice), with
qualitative content and thematic analytical approaches guiding the data analysis process. The findings showed that the curricula as textual materials
privilege preferred pedagogy that mostly specifies artistic and cultural
pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in TfD. Also, the curricula are guided
by utilitarian, cognitivist-behavioural and developmentalist philosophies that
pay little attention to critical discourses in affective-aesthetic education. Such
philosophical underpins reflect the ideologies and values of the designers
and implementers. The analysis further demonstrated that the desired
pedagogical context of implementation generally thrives on course contents,
which are theory-practice-driven. The article proposes a discipline-specific
and context-dependent framework and a space for the practice as artistic
aesthetic-cultural education to support quality TfD education delivery in
Ghana
Socio-cultural Significance of Calabash Art among the Nomadic Fulani of Northern Nigeria
Get PDFSo much is known about the decoration and use of calabash in Nigeria. Studies have shown that the nomadic Fulani of northern Nigeria are popularly known for their unalloyed attachment to the calabash for which they have accorded time and energy to decorate as well as give character. The calabash as a household utensil and commercial item also has provided countless uses for them. However, extant literature has not sufficiently paid attention to this art tradition of calabash decoration among the nomadic Fulani, which is a rich and significant aspect of their culture. This study, therefore, sought to bridge this gap by surveying the decoration and the use of calabash in nomadic Fulani culture with a view to shedding more light on the importance of their art. This study hence, adds to the existing literature that promotes this distinctive art piece associated with a unique African ethnic group
Acceptability of Locally Produced Nose Mask in a University Community in Ghana
Get PDFThe study looked at the acceptability of cloth nose masks produced during the outbreak of COVID 19 in a public University in Ghana. This study looked into staff consumers’ views and experiences with the cloth nose mask produced by the Clothing Production Unit (CPU) of a public university in Ghana. The production quality, durability, comfortability, ease of care and acceptability of the cloth nose was assessed with the intent to use findings to guide future production. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. A self-developed structured questionnaire was used for detail data collection from one hundred (101) respondents who were purposively selected and conveniently reached. The findings generally presented high acceptance level for the cloth nose masks. Specifically, respondents rated sample two (46) and one (44) as the most preferred designs of the cloth nose mask. Also, respondents found the cloth nose masks quality in terms of production (M=3.84), design (M=3.98), comfort of usage (M=3.77), durability (M=3.97), easiness in caring (M=3.95). The study concludes that the cloth nose masks produced by CPU meet consumer expectations and acceptance. This implies that if production is guided by improved practices the cloth nose masks would serve its intended purpose of controlling the spread of covid-19. Therefore, this survey recommends the adoption of the cloth nose masks to supplement other types recommended for use by World Health Organization (WHO) whilst maintaining and/or improving standards of production