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Health Sustainability of Popular Musicians in Ghana
Get PDFIn this study, I bring to the fore some prominent popular musicians whose careers were truncated due to ill health and have passed on recently as an attempt to stimulate a discourse towards the health sustainability of popular musicians in Ghana for a sustainable career and industry. Drawing on descriptive research design, document analysis, and interviews for data collection, I observed that only a few prominent Ghanaian popular musicians had sustained their careers for over five decades. At the same time, some are grappling to do so due to ill health. I conclude that the health sustainability of popular musicians is paramount to the sustainability of Ghana’s music industry. Therefore, popular musicians should prioritise their health as a matter of urgency in their quest to have a sustainable career. I hope this study serves as a moderate contribution to Ghanaian popular music scholarship, marks the beginning of a new direction, stimulates debates, and gives rise to
similar research in other creative arts traditions
Talking Drums for Instruction in Alavanyo-Kpeme Basic Schools, Volta Region, Ghana
Get PDFThe study was based on the use of talking drums by Alavanyo-Kpeme basic schools for instructions, a practice which is the perpetuation of educational policy and preservation of Ghanaian culture. Using the descriptive research model, data was collected through observation and interviews with headteachers, teachers and pupils by interacting with them. The data collected was analyzed by aesthetic analysis. It is noted that talking drums communicate the embodiment portraying the interplay between music, communication and the social structure of the school system. The paper explains the perceptual qualities and the exhibition of the educational potency of the talking drums in Ghanaian schools
Introduction: Cultural Change in Ghana
Get PDFIn this Special Issue of the African Journal of Social Sciences Education(AJSSE), our focus is to interpolate in critical pan-Africanizing and decolonializinganalyses of current cultural undulations with their peaks and valleys in Ghana.These are framed around the praxes of what was, what has been modified, andthe holistic results of the interlocking of change and continuity within specificjoints of Ghanaian culture and heritage. In sum, we argue that Ghanaian culturehas demonstrated both resilience and adaptability in the face of grippingcultic of ‘Modernisation,’ Globalisation, Afropolitanism, Cosmopolitanism,Transnationalism, and Cyber-Worldism. We conclude, among others, that culturalchange and continuity in Ghana have succeeded in accelerating human creativityhence imaginatively blended cultural ethos and idioms. Thus, we assert that fromcritical standpoints, considerable aspects of Ghanaian culture and heritage, likethose of other parts of the globe, are adrift in pursuit of ontological anchoringand aesthetical cosmopolitanizing. In sum, we harness material and temporalfellowship of variables to alchemize cultural change and continuity in Ghana thatare syntheses rather than antitheses
Basic School Students’ Learning Outcomes Through Leadership Practices: Prospects of Effective Collaboration Between the University of Education and Basic Schools in Six Districts/Municipalities in The Central Region of Ghana
Get PDFThe study investigated the collaboration between basic schools and the University of Education, Winneba through leadership practices for the purpose of improving learning outcomes in six districts/municipalities in the Central Region of Ghana. The researchers used concurrent triangulation mixed-method design. Questionnaire and interview guide were used as the research instruments to collect data from heads and teachers of basic schools in six
districts/municipalities, and the Heads of Departments directly linked to basic education in the University of Education, Winneba. They employed a multi-stage sampling technique to select a sample size of four hundred and one (401) for the study. It was found that generally, basic school heads had a sense of shared leadership. They subscribed to visionary and transformational leadership styles, and teachers’ perceptions of their styles were positive. It was also observed the heads of the basic schools encountered numerous challenges which impede quality learning and the desired learning outcomes. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that school leadership could create opportunities for regular interactions with all stakeholders such as the past students, district assemblies and the Universities. The University of Education, Winneba could develop a policy to regularly engage basic schools in their catchment areas which would inure to their mutual benefit
THE EVOLUTION OF HEALTH CARE IN GHANA, THE CASE OF TEMA, 1945-2008
Get PDFI set out to do this work because from my research there seems to be no comprehensive historical writing on healthcare in Tema. Tema started as a small farming village where the people engaged in the cultivation of gourds used in making calabashes, water bottle and preservation of items. The name Tema is an adulterated version of the Gã name “TORMAN” which literally means “town of gourds.” Overtime a section of the population in Tema embarked on small-scale fishing in the Kpeshie and the Chemu lagoons. As the economy of Tema grew, both the colonial government and private individuals established businesses in the community, and thus the farming activities diminished. By 1957, Tema had shown itself to be a potential industrial enclave and a beacon for Ghana’s social and economic development due to the springing up of different businesses both private and state owned. In the era of social and economic growth the colonial government established healthcare facilities that offered western medical care to the people. Prior to the introduction of western medicine, the people of Tema relied on herbal medicine. However, the outbreak of strange diseases rendered herbal medicine ineffective and therefore the need for western medicine. This paper has established that healthcare was among factors such as the harbour, education, trade and industry that contributed to the development and the transformation of Tema from a small farming community to a metropolis in 2008
ASSESSMENT OF THE ROLES OF CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES IN POVERTY REDUCTION IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA
No full textThis study examined the role of cooperative societies in addressing the needs of members and their contribution towards personal development and poverty reduction in Ogun State. The main objectives of this study is to assess the roles of cooperative society in poverty reduction and sustainability of cooperative societies in achieving the goals. The population of this study comprised 1,455 members from twenty (20) registered cooperative societies whose activities cover thrift, loan, and credit facilities. Stratified random sampling technique was used to sample 437 respondents representing 30% of the members of the twenty (20) thrift loan and credit co- operative societies which were used for the study in Ogun East Senatorial district. Findings from this study revealed that cooperative societies in the area of study have been empowering their members through their poverty reduction activities by given financial support to members, to established SME, vocational skills training and educational empowerment. It is recommended that in order to sustain the cooperative societies’ in poverty reduction activities, cooperators needs more enlightens and orientation, develop strategies in capital formation and active involvement in the operations and running of cooperative societies in various communities
Screening strategies available for the identification of at-risk children in early childhood classrooms within the Effutu Municipality
No full textThis study explored the strategies available in the identification of at-risk children in early childhood classrooms within the Effutu Municipality. The study adopted an exploratory case study design. The researcher purposively selected twelve early childhood teachers in the six classrooms, using semi-structured interview guide and observational checklist to collect data for the study. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. And the checklist was analysed using content analysis. The study established that the classrooms identified and observed do not have tools, but they employed some strategies to identify such learners. Also, it was found out that, there
were learners with special educational needs in early childhood classrooms. Finally, it was found out that the schools mainly depended on informal strategies of screening at-risk conditions among learners. The study recommends that, regualr in-service training must be regularly organised for teachers at early grade centres by the education Directorate in the Districts and Municipalities, to upgrade the knowledge of teachers regarding at-risk conditions among early grade learner
Peer Influence and Adolescent Substance Use: A Qualitative Study Among Senior High School Students in Accra
No full textAdolescent drug use represents a significant public health concern. Peer relationships substantially influence drug use initiation and maintenance. This research investigates the connection between peer dynamics and substance use among secondary school students in Accra, with particular attention to substance types, vulnerability factors, and students' management strategies. The research design followed qualitative phenomenological principles, gathering data through in-depth interviews with twenty students (8 males and 12 females) between fourteen and nineteen years old from a pair of senior secondary institutions. Participant selection followed purposive and snowball sampling methods. Thematic analysis identified patterns in substance use behaviours, peer influence, and coping mechanisms. Findings revealed widespread drug use among students. Cannabis-infused confectioneries (weed toffees), energy drinks, alcohol (Panache), and tramadol emerged as commonly abused substances. Peer pressure constitutes a significant factor, with students using drugs to gain acceptance within social groups. Some of the participants endeavour to withstand negative influences by seeking guidance from counsellors or deliberately avoiding classmates known for substance use; nevertheless, many find such resistance challenging within the complex social hierarchies that characterise secondary education environments. The evidence from this study points toward an urgent need for educational interventions that simultaneously target personal decision-making and the wider social ecosystem surrounding adolescents. Academic institutions should develop student-led awareness initiatives, enhance psychological support frameworks, and institute more rigorous substance regulations. Broader community participation proves indispensable in curtailing youth substance misuse and mitigating its enduring impacts on development and well-being
Effectiveness of Tracing Activities in Improving Basic Three Pupils’ Writing Skills at Evangelical Presbyterian Primary School in the Tamale Metropolis
No full textThe purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of tracing activities in improving Basic Three (3) pupils’ writing skills at E.P. Primary School in the Tamale Metropolis, Northern Region, Ghana. An experimental research design was used. Pre-intervention, intervention, and post-intervention stages were employed to assess pupils’ handwriting skills. The population was seventy-two (72), and thirty-seven (37) pupils were randomly selected for the study. A pre-intervention test diagnosed the extent of the problem, identifying strengths and weaknesses to inform interventions. A post-test was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of tracing activities in enhancing writing skills. A simple percentage count was used to analyze the results. Findings revealed that 31 out of 37 pupils failed to score the pass mark of 15 out of 30 in the pre-intervention test. However, after the intervention, 29 pupils achieved 15 or more in the post-test. This demonstrates significant improvement in writing abilities among Basic Three pupils at E.P. Primary School following the implementation of tracing activities. The pupils' performance in the post-test further confirmed the intervention's effectiveness
Teachers’ Perceptions, Challenges, and Engagement in Digital Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in Ghanaian Public Senior High Schools
Get PDFThis study examined senior high school (SHS) teachers’ perceptions of digital professional learning communities (DPLCs) in Ghana. A self-administered online questionnaire was used to conduct a cross-sectional descriptive survey with 76 SHS teachers in the Central Region of Ghana. Three internally reliable Likert-type subscales comprised the instrument: willingness to participate in future DPLCs (7 items, ? =.87), perceived challenges (6 items, ? =.70), and perceived benefits (8 items, ? =.88). Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the help of SPSS. The results revealed that the teachers perceived DPLCs to be highly beneficial, particularly in improving access to expert colleagues, saving travel time, enhancing flexible scheduling and enabling reflective collaboration through recorded sessions, while unstable internet connectivity, time constraints and inadequate training were identified as major challenges. The results also revealed strong positive correlation between perceived benefit and willingness to participate in future DPLCs (r =.54) and moderate negative correlations between perceived challenges and perceived benefit (r =- .42) and perceived challenges and willingness to participate in future DPLCs (r = –.36). When the groups were compared, male teachers reported significantly greater perceived benefits than female teachers (p = .02). Furthermore, teachers in the rural areas significantly reported facing more challenges than those in urban areas (p = .007). However, no notable differences were found based on teaching experience or subjects taught. These results underscore the need to improve digital infrastructure, offer targeted training, and adopt hybrid PLC models to ensure equitable professional learning across diverse educational contexts in Ghana