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Effect of conceptual transformation on electrochemistry performance of high-performing high school learners in South Africa
Get PDFIn the Ximhungwe circuit of the Bohlabela district in the South African province of Mpumalanga, learners studying physical sciences participated in wider research to establish the influence of a constructivist approach to learning on learners’ understanding of electrochemistry principles. The study examined how learners in high achieving schools (HAS) responded to the conceptual change teaching strategy (CCTS), also known as collaboration on their understanding of electrochemistry principles. The investigation implemented a non-equivalent pre-test and post-test control group quasi-experimental research design. The sociocultural theory, commonly referred to as Vygotsky's theory of social constructivism, served as the foundation for the study's theoretical framework. Using a table of random numbers, a sample of 51 physical sciences students in the 12th grade from two top-performing public schools in the circuit was chosen at random to take part in the study. Both a pre- and post-test were provided to the learners: the ECT (Electrochemistry Concept Test) and the CCEQ (Chemistry Classroom Environment Questionnaire). Students taught using the CCTS significantly outperformed students taught using the traditional teaching method (TTM) in terms of learning scientific conceptions related to electrochemistry, according to one-way between group analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and post hoc analysis with a Bonferroni adjustment performed on ECT. A substantial correlation between performance and students' perceptions of their chemistry classroom setting was also found using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. The study offers statistical proof of the value of social interaction and meaningful learning in raising students' grasp of electrochemistry
The Benefits of the University of Health and Allied Sciences to its Host Communities
Get PDFIn the last four decades, universities have been under increasing pressure to prove their relevance towards the development of their host communities. This study, from this background generally builds on existing research by assessing the benefits of UHAS to its host community. The study specifically examined the benefits of the university on indigenes and other community members and further assessed the factors that determine the impact of the university on its host community. The study adopted the qualitative research paradigm. In all, the study utilized a sample of 20 respondents comprising 5 university staff, 10 indigenes, and 5 people from operating businesses close to the university. Respondents were selected using a purposive sampling strategy. Interviews were used as the instrument of data collection. Results of the study reveal that the university’s host communities have benefited from the establishment and operation of the university in the form of increased access to education, employment creation, boosting of the local economy, and access to other community services. The study culminates by proffering policy implications. Among other measures, it is recommended that the University creates a strategic community engagement plan, create incentive structures that promote faculty community engagement, and aligns its programs with local economy needs
Motivational influence and employees’ performance: Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies and Dr. Hilla Limann Technical University in perspective
Get PDFThe study examined the influence of motivation on employees’ performance with reference to two tertiary educational institutions in Ghana. Purposive sampling was used to select Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies and Dr. Hilla Limann Technical University as the study area. Purposive sampling technique was again used to select a sample size of 300 from the two institutions. Data was collected through the use of a questionnaire based on the Likert scale method. With respect to the main findings, 73% of the respondents strongly agreed that motivation influences employees’ performance, also 58.0%, of the study respondents agreed that financial rewards can motivate employees to increase performance. In all, 70% of the respondents strongly agreed with the statement that non-financial rewards motivate employees to increase performance as compared to financial rewards. Finally, 47.0% of the respondents agreed that employers encounter challenges in motivating hardworking employees. It was recommended that management focus more on non-financial reward packages such as promotions, commendations, and feedback to give employees satisfaction and increase performance
public university
Get PDFGoing to work just to be ineffective is a decade canker in our workplaces and it is very difficult to measure, especially in a typical Ghanaian community. This situation needs to be tackled as a matter of urgency. Being at the workplace and failing to function due to illness or stress can be very devastating for an institution or a company. The purpose of this paper is to draw University managers’ attention to an enemy of production in our workplaces which has been tagged ‘bureaucracy’. The researcher looked at what happens at the workplace every day, look at what the existing literature says about the phenomenon, and came out with the challenges and suggestions for possible eradication. The researcher believes that having asecond look at the institution’s Welfare program to make sure administrativestaff’s wellness is considered by making physical exercise a key to unlockingworkers’ health will be a step in the right direction in reducing workplacepresenteeis
Three Decades of Electoral Reforms Under Ghana’s Fourth Republic: Improving the Quality of Elections from 1992 – 2022
Get PDFThis paper seeks to explain Ghana’s success story regarding the quality of her general elections from the perspective of electoral reforms put in place by the stakeholders that matter. From a flawed start in November 1992 presidential elections which led to the opposition boycotting the December parliamentary elections the same year, Ghana now prides itself in seven (7) successful, peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections. Relying heavily on published materials and elites interviews from officials of the Electoral Commission (EC), top party executives from the two main political parties in Ghana: the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), this paper argues that though Ghana started very badly in 1992, she has been able to improve tremendously upon the quality of subsequent elections in general, but in particular, the organisation of each election is always an improvement upon the previous one. All these became possible due to numerous electoral reforms, such as the transformation of the Interim Nation Electoral Commission (INEC) into a permanent and independent EC, replacing thumb-printed voter ID cards with photo IDs, the replacement of opaque ballot boxes with transparent ones, the introduction of Biometric Verification Machines, the creation of sixteen (16) regional collation centres to replace the two hundred and seventy-five (275) and many others. The paper concludes that, though Ghana has done so well regarding elections, especially compared with her neighbours within the ECOWAS sub-region, she cannot claim to have arrived because sporadic electoral violence, abuse of incumbency, and vote buying persist. Their presence does not only threaten the electoral process but also disempower the individual citizens who are the principal actors in the democratic process for whom these elections are conducted
TEACHER-TRAINEES’ BACKGROUND IN TEACHING AND LEARNING OF MATHEMATICS
Get PDFThis study investigated teacher trainees’ preference for enrolling in the college of education programmes and their conceptual understanding of mathematics. The study employed the quantitative research approach where purposive and convenience sampling techniques were adopted to select 641 third-year teacher-trainees of the 2019/2020 batch from three colleges of education in the Volta Region. The instrument for data collection was developed and structured from reviewed literature and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The 21-survey items were administered to 842 participants at Akatsi, Peki, and St. Francis Colleges of Education. At the Junior High School and Senior High School levels, teacher-trainees below the age of 25 years performed better in mathematics than those above 25 years and only 20.3% and 24.6% studied Sciences at the SHS and the College of Education respectively. As low as 34.9% did not want to become teachers, nevertheless, 72.9% desired to teach mathematics after graduation. The study would enable the Colleges of Education to meet the goal of mathematics learning as stipulated in the National Curriculum Framework of 2005 (the ‘mathematization’ of the child’s thinking). On average, teacher trainees have relatively good knowledge and interest in the teaching and learning of mathematics. They should, therefore, be guided in introducing them to effective instructional strategies with special reference to constructivism
Effect of Gender on Senior High School Students' Performance and Perception of Core Mathematics in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana
Get PDFThis study investigated the gender differences in senior high school student's performance and perception of core mathematics in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana. A mixed approach was used specifically the sequential explanation mixed method. A purposive, convenient, simple and stratified sampling method was employed in the study to select 393 senior high school students, consisting of 212 males and 181 females. Data was collected through the use of Mathematics Perception Questionnaires (MPQ), a mathematics test, and an interview protocol. Quantitative data (questionnaires and mathematics tests) was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data (interviews) was analysed on a thematic basis. The results of the study revealed that there was a significant gender difference in students’ performance in mathematics in favour of females. Female students reported feeling more supported in mathematics by both parents and teachers than male students. Additionally, the results revealed that there was no significant difference between males and females in their perceptions of mathematics. Both males and females had a positive perception of mathematics because they saw the subject to be an integral part of daily life, also a way to succeed in many other areas The study recommends that stakeholders in the education sector should provide equal opportunities for both male and female students to learn and excel in core mathematics and also mathematics teachers in SHS should employ positive behaviours during teaching and learning to help students of both genders perform better
Assessing youth capacity to influence public policy and practice in Ghana
Get PDFThis capacity assessment on youth groups, networks and organisations revealed that only 4 per cent of youth-focused organisations and groups in Ghana were legally registered with the Registrar General’s Department. Majority (at least 54%) of the groups and networks (including organisations) lacked clear-cut organisational structure and systems, mission and strategy and the requisite personnel (people) to function effectively. Leadership and management capacity to deliver on their mandate was inadequate to influence public policy in favour of the youth. Few of the youth groups and organisations understood the youth policy and legal framework in Ghana. Again, majority did not understand their sector of operations; and majority were not financially sustainable. The assessment which was conducted across the sixteen (16) regions of Ghana categorised youth groups into a) Organisations engaged in youth work; b) Youth-led organisations or groups; and c) Youth Networks or Federations. A regional list of youth groups and organisations within the three categories was the sample frame and used to purposively sample as many youth as could be reached for the assessmen
Impact of staff development programmes on productivity: The case of Tamale campus of University for Development Studies
Get PDFThis study presents the importance of staff development programmes on productivityamong the staff of the University for Development Studies on the Tamale campus.The Human Capital Theory was the tool adapted to serve as a theoreticalfoundation for this study. A convenient sampling technique was employed inselecting respondents for the study. Primary data was collected through theadministration of semi-structured questionnaires. The study population was seniormembers and senior staff of the Tamale campus. Findings from the study show thatin-service training was the most predominant staff development programme amongrespondents, while short courses were the least programme. On the relevance andquality of the staff development programmes, the findings indicated that theprogrammes were very relevant with no record of the programmes not beingrelevant. Focusing on the quality of the staff development programmes, the majorityof the respondents indicated the programmes were very good in developing theircareers with a few of them indicating the quality of the programmes was on average.Challenges faced by respondents in accessing staff development programmesincluded infrequent training programmes; biases in the selection of applicants;short notification of opportunities; short duration of programmes; inadequateinformation on programmes; long application and selection process; inadequatesponsorship; unskilled facilitators; and poor planning. Among the recordedchallenges, inadequate sponsorship was the major challenge while poor planning ofprogrammes constituted the least of the challenges. It was therefore recommendedthat the University should establish a Fund or Scholarship Scheme to support staffin the various development programmes since inadequate sponsorship was a majorchallenge for respondents
Students’ expectations and satisfaction on the vocational training learning environment: The case of the University of Health and Allied Sciences
Get PDFThis study was intended to find out the level of expectation and satisfaction in healthand allied sciences regular undergraduate and sandwich students with theirvocational training learning environment. A descriptive cross-sectional researchdesign was carried out among 870 undergraduate students who were studying for aBachelor’s degree from the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho. Nonprobability enumerative sampling was used to select the sample. Modified standardtool Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision, and Preceptor evaluation scalewas used to assess the level of expectation and satisfaction in vocational trainingenvironment among students. Data were analyzed by using descriptive andinferential statistics. The findings of the study revealed that most of the studentswere satisfied beyond their level of expectation with their vocational trainingenvironment. However, few students both regular and sandwich recorded a level ofsatisfaction lower than their level of expectation on some of the factors. Further, astatistically significant association was found between both regular and sandwichstudents’ expectations and satisfaction with the vocational training environmentfactors. The findings imply that there is a need for the University of Health andAllied Sciences to organise regular capacity-building training for preceptors andhealth facility managers to improve students’ level of satisfaction regardingfacility/ward/unit atmosphere, the leadership style of a preceptor, leadership ofpreceptor to nursing care/clients, preceptorship/supervisory relationship, preceptoras enabling the integration of theory and practice, cooperation between placementstaff and preceptor, the relationship among student, preceptor, leadership ofpreceptor to nursing care/clients, preceptorship/supervisory relationship, preceptoras enabling the integration of theory and practice, cooperation between placementstaff and preceptor, the relationship among student, preceptor as enabling the integration of theory and practice, co operation between placement staff and preceptor, the relationship among student, preceptor, and abiluty to achieve vocational training objectives could be improved