University of Education, Winneba Online Journal System
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Meaning of artefacts in Asogli Traditional Area: Views from residents
Full text linkThe creation and production of meaningful artefacts for trade and
tourism is one way by which accelerated industrialisation could be
achieved in Africa. This could first be realised through knowledge
acquisition and skills development. The research sought to gather
information about what residents in Asogli Traditional Area in the
Volta Region of Ghana know about their own artefacts, and to identify
interpretation challenges regarding them. The knowledge acquired
from the results will guide artists and other creators of works of art
and enable them to produce highly impressive pieces of artefacts that
offer better understanding for the target audience. Questionnaire as
a tool was employed for data gathering while the purposive sampling technique was adopted in the study. The research revealed that only
19.2% of residents understand the meaning of artefacts in Asogli
because of lack of supporting literature and other forms of publicity.
Most artefacts are practically seen as objects of decoration. It was,
therefore, recommended that for the residents and the outside world
to acquire knowledge on the artefacts, art and culture symposia
should be organised frequently by the local authorities, and brochures
or magazines showing pictures of the artefacts and their meanings
should be published occasionally and distributed among residents,
hotels and libraries for proper education, to generate the expected
excitement among all
NICODEMUS KOFI BADU, HIS BIOGRAPHY AND EXPLOITS IN THE UTILIZATION OF TRADITIONAL MUSIC ELEMENTS IN CHORAL COMPOSITIONS
Full text linkThis paper exposes Nicodemus Kofi Badu as one of the relatively
younger generation Ghanaian Choral Music composers. It is projected
as a spotlight into his family and educational background, musical
endeavours as well as titles and awards he had won. This information
built up in the paper was conducted through interview with Kofi Badu
himself. In addition I collected his pieces and studied to ascertain the
fact that he can be characterized a younger generation composer
who has utilized traditional music elements in his choral works. It
is palpable among other things that Nicodemus Kofi Badu belongs
to the third generation of Ghanaian Choral Music composers.This
implies that he has received training from the first and the second
generations and has incorporated what he learned in his works to
make him distinct from his contemporaries. The paper closes that,
in order to come out with much music theory related to African art
music, research works must be conducted on more composers of
diverse styles in Africa/Ghan
DEVELOPMENT OF AUTOMATED DYEING MACHINE (BOAFO) FOR SMALL SCALE DYERS, BATIK, TIE AND DYE IN GHANA.
Full text linkHand craft dyeing processes has been with traditional batik makers,
tie dye producers for centuries coupled with indigenous techniques
without any major technological advancement in their dyeing
processes. These indigenous techniques most of the time result in
varied dyeing defects. This project seeks to develop an automated
dyeing machine (Boafo) for small scale dyers, batik, tie and dye
in Ghana. The experimental approach was used in execution and
testing of the machine. Findings revealed that the machine (Boafo)
offers minimum handling of chemicals and fabric by operator. This
speeds up production rate of a given time and maintains calendaring
lustre of fabric even after dyeing process, thus improve performance
in the dyeing methods adopted by local craft, small scale industries
and institutions working in the domain of dyeing textile fabrics
Finishing in Creative Metalwork: An Appraisal of the Use of Bar Polishing Compounds in Metal Art Studio Practice in Nigeria
Full text linkGlobally over the years, polishing operation has been an important aspect of
finishing in most creative metal works. Investigation revealed that in Nigeria,
the first known and used substances for polishing creative metal works have
been the traditional use of ashes from animal bones and wood, and lime
juice mixed with sand. However, the use of natural lime juice mixed with
sand and ash, as metal polishes by traditional metalworkers do not produce
the type of high lustre surface finish required by contemporary Nigerian
artists. Therefore, Nigeria contemporary metal artists have embraced the use
of imported bar polishing compounds in conjunction with polishing wheel
in order to achieve desired surface finishing of their products, and to satisfy
their clients’ needs and demands. Presently, there has been an increase in
the demand and use of bar polishing compounds in Nigeria. The increase in the demand and use of imported bar polishing compounds has created scarcity and high cost in their procurement. Therefore, the article is an
appraisal of the emergence of bar polishing compounds. The article discusses
the roles, constituents, challenges and prospects of imported bar polishing
compounds in the development of the indigenous creative metalwork
finishing technology in Nigeria. It also sought to develop potent alternative
local bar polishing compounds
THE INFLUENCE OF SELF-EFFICACY ON CHILDREN’S DRAWING IN GHANA
Full text linkThis study explores the role of self-efficacy in shaping children’s drawing practices across Ghana’s rural, peri-urban, urban, and metropolitan contexts. Guided by the social cognitive theory by Bandura (1977), the research investigates how mastery experiences, observational learning, and supportive feedback from teachers and parents influence children’s artistic confidence and expression. Employing a qualitative, multiple-case study design within a social constructivist framework, data were collected through spontaneous and directed drawings, semi-structured interviews, and field observations involving pupils aged 7-10, their parents, and teachers. Findings reveal that children with high drawing self-efficacy frequently choose familiar and culturally resonant subjects, reflecting lived experiences and environmental familiarity. Repetition, guided practice, and positive reinforcement significantly enhanced artistic performance and emotional engagement. Feedback from teachers and parents, when constructive and affirming, was found to foster motivation, resilience, and willingness to experiment with key traits of creative growth. Conversely, environments lacking in encouragement or cultural relevance diminished artistic confidence. The study enriches existing literature by expanding the focus beyond urban settings and highlighting the socio-cultural dynamics that mediate self efficacy in artmaking. It concludes that cultivating children’s drawing self efficacy requires not only pedagogical skill but also culturally responsive strategies and active parental involvement. Recommendations include practice based and observational learning tasks, training in feedback delivery, and policies that integrate culturally grounded art education into early childhood curricula
CONTEMPORARY ART SONGS FOR SELECTED GHANAIAN LANGUAGES: COMPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Full text linkOne of the significant musical artefacts that emerged from Ghanaian–European
socio-cultural encounters in the nineteenth century was the art song; a
composition for solo voice and piano typically set to poetry or narrative text. Art
songs provide a platform for individual performers to demonstrate vocal artistry
and interpretive skill. In contemporary Ghana, however, art song composition
and performance have received limited attention, overshadowed by the
proliferation of choral music. Existing scholarship suggests that, apart from the
pioneering works of Ephraim Amu and J.H. Kwabena Nketia, relatively few
Ghanaian composers have created contemporary art songs suited to the
audiences of the twenty-first century. This article presents new art song
compositions in different Ghanaian languages and for varied vocal ranges, with
the aim of fostering accessibility and appreciation within the Ghanaian context.
The study further provides formal analyses of the works to illuminate the
compositional techniques and stylistic approaches employed. Using purposive
sampling and document analysis of the compositions and related texts, the study
highlights creative possibilities in Ghanaian art music. In this regard, it seeks to
encourage solo vocal performance, stimulate compositional exploration, and
expand research into art song as a vital dimension of Ghana’s contemporary art
music practice
Positivist God and reformed half-nihilist Satan: Examining the research dimension of the story of Job
No full textThis study examined the research dimension of the story of Job in the Bible on the premise that it derived from a scientific inquiry. The story portrays Job as an upright man who suffered misfortune through no fault of his; struggled to maintain his integrity throughout his suffering and finally restored beyond his former state. This study, thus, delineated the research features of the story of Job and discussed implications for theory, practice and teaching of research methods. This was a documentary research which employed document analysis to analyze and interpret selected texts with scholarly arguments and reported from an educational researcher’s perspective and contextualization within the research paradigms of modern era. The study revealed sixteen (16) salient features that confirm the story derived from an inquiry; an A-B-A-B Single-n design; God’s positivist research perspective and the hint from the conclusion that Satan is a reformed half-nihilist
TEACHER KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ASSESSMENT PRACTICES FOR DIAGNOSING KINDERGARTENERS’ COGNITIVE NEEDS WITHIN EJISU MUNICIPALITY
No full textThe study examined teacher knowledge about assessment practices for diagnosing kindergarteners’ cognitive needs within Ejisu Municipality in Ghana. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed method design. A total of 132 kindergarten teachers were selected for the quantitative phase of the study using the Krejcie and Morgan sampling formula. Whiles 10 teachers were sampled using the opportunity sampling technique for the interview session. The quantitative data was collected using a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide was used for the collection of the qualitative data. Frequencies, percentage, mean and
standard deviation were used in analysing the quantitative data whilst the qualitative data was analysed thematically. The study found that the majority of the kindergarten teachers in the Ejisu Municipality have an appreciable knowledge of assessment practices in diagnosing the cognitive needs of kindergarteners. However, they only adopt the observational checklist and rating scale for diagnostic practices. Ejisu Education Municipal Directorate and Ghana Education Service (GES) should put in effort to motivate kindergarten teachers to use alternative assessment practices for diagnosing cognitive needs of kindergarteners. Again, a call is made on GES and head teachers to organise in-service training to update kindergarten teachers’ knowledge about the use of varied assessment tools for diagnosing cognitive needs of kindergarteners
ACHIEVING SCHOOLING FOR ALL: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF HOUSEHOLD ANNUAL FORMAL PRIMARY EDUCATION EXPENDITURE IN GHANA
No full textThe study analysed household-level annual spending on formal primary education with focus on determinants of various socio-economic factors, using the latest Ghana Living Standards Survey Seven data of 2016-2017. The study findings are that an increase in annual household income of 122 cedis per year increases actual household expenditure on formal primary education by about 1.2 cedis. The study further established that increase in household size positively correlates with annual household formal primary education expenditure. Rural annual household formal primary education expenditure lags behind urban household annual education expenditure in Ghana. Based on the findings, it is recommended that policy-makers must take pragmatic steps to drastically reduce the gap to help maximised the education for all as envisaged by the SDG 4
EXAMINING PLAY-BASED LEARNING ON THE HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT OF KINDERGARTEN LEARNERS: INSIGHTS FROM SELECTED TEACHERS
No full textThis study explores the influence of Play-Based Learning (PBL) on the holistic development of kindergarten learners, with a specific focus on insights derived from selected teachers. A cohort of (n = 56) teachers from 28 kindergarten classrooms in Hohoe participated, having been purposively chosen based on their engagement in a play-based learning workshop. The investigation employed the Holistic Development through Play Questionnaire as the primary instrument for data collection. Construct validity of the questionnaire was established using Pearson correlation (r=0.96), while reliability was assessed through Cronbach alpha, adhering to a threshold of 0.7. Data analysis encompassed mean, correlation and Fuzzy C-Means Clustering. The findings revealed a moderate level of agreement among teachers (M = 3.55, SD = 0.945) regarding the positive influence of PBL on the holistic development of kindergarten learners. A significant positive correlation was observed among cognitive, social, and physical development domains, underscoring the interconnectedness of these aspects within the PBL framework. Moreover, distinct patterns of development were discerned across these three domains, illuminating the diverse facets of children's development fostered by PBL. In conclusion, this study underscores the role of PBL in empowering holistic development among kindergarten learners, as endorsed by the insights of selected teachers. The findings hold implications for the design of effective PBL activities that are rich in the development in early childhood learners