The University of Zambia Journals
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Attitudes of Undergraduate Teachers Towards the Application of Statistical Package for Social Science When Teaching Statistics in Social Studies
Get PDFAttitude of the students towards teaching and learning of Statistics in Social Studies has always been at low ebb. Students have in most cases continued to struggle in Statistics related courses in Social Studies because of their perception and tagging of Statistics as a difficult course. This study assessed the attitude of pre-service Social Studies teachers on the application of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) in teaching Statistics. The study employed descriptive research design. The population for the study consisted of 200 level Social Studies pre-service teachers in the Faculty of Education of a public tertiary institution in Ogun state. Two hundred and thirty-two (232) students were selected to form the sample for the study using stratified sampling technique. The main instrument used to collect data for the study was a sixteen (16) item questionnaire titled “Attitude of Pre-service Social Studies Teachers. Towards the Application of SPSS Questionnaire” (APSSTASQ) (R=0.80). Data Collected were coded and analysed using descriptive and inferential Statistics. Findings showed a moderate positive attitude of pre-service teachers towards the application of SPSS package in teaching Statistics and no gender influence was found in the attitude of pre-service teachers towards the application of SPSS package. It was recommended that SPSS packages should be used in the teaching of Statistics in Social Studies classes to leverage the anxiety ascribed to manual calculation and all students must be given equal opportunity during the statistics classes
Gender Discrimination on Property and Widow Inheritance Rights Among Rural Dwellers of Ipokia Local Government of Ogun State
Get PDFThe study assessed gender discrimination on property and widow inheritance rights among rural dwellers of Ipokia local government area of Ogun state, Nigeria. The study set out to assess the perception of rural dwellers on women property inheritance rights and widow inheritance. Two research questions were answered in the study. The study adopted qualitative research design. The population of the study was all adult rural dwellers within Ipokia local government area of Ogun state. Five inhabitants of the rural areas were sampled for the study using simple random sampling. The main instruments used for the study was an interview guide. The qualitative data collected through the interview guide was transcribed (Using verbatim transcription) and analysed using inductive analysis. The results showed gender discrimination in form of denying widows right to inheritance and widow inheritance is still in existence within the area. It was recommended that, gender discrimination caused by cultural bias should be eliminated in Ipokia culture; both male and female should be treated equally and government legislation should be strong in-terms of protecting the equal rights of female and males to property ownership of their late family members
The Role of Job Shadowing in Career Development of Pupils in Secondary Schools of Chipata District of Zambia
Get PDFCareer guidance is one of the critical components of secondary school education in Zambia as it helps learners to make informed decisions about the choice of training and job prospects. The study investigated the role of job shadowing in career development in selected secondary schools in Chipata District. Job shadowing is one of the career guidance activities that gives chance to learners to get exposed to the world of work while observing an employee perform his or her job. A descriptive research design was used. A total of 50 pupils from 5 secondary schools, 5 guidance teachers and 5 deputy head teachers were selected from 5 schools through stratified random sampling for the pupils and purposive sampling for the members of staff. A questionnaire and an interview guide were used as instruments for data collection. The study revealed that some learners had not experienced neither were they exposed to job shadowing in career guidance services. The results further revealed that the guidance teachers opted for career exhibitions and talks rather than facilitate for job shadowing in career development of learners as it was seen to be too involving for the learner, teachers and workers. Based on these findings, the researcher recommended that secondary school guidance teachers should be equipped with different tools and mechanisms to develop career aspirations of learners in schools to ensure progression into satisfying careers
Home Literacy Environment and Social-Economic Status as Predictors of Initial Literacy in the first Grade in Lusaka-Zambia
Get PDFStudies have shown that Socio Economic Status (SES) and Home Literacy Environment (HLE) are associated with reading achievement. However, very few studies have shown this association with regards to emergent literacy skills in Zambia. This study examined how home literacy environment and social economic status are related to first graders’ emergent reading skills. The study also sought to identify specific pathways in which socioeconomic status and home environment mediate first graders’ emergent reading skills. To obtain the results for this study, a quasi-experimental design was used were 216 first graders from 18 different schools were assessed using the Basic Skill Assessment Tool (BASAT) at the beginning of first grade and at the end of first grade (approximately seven months after the baseline study). Home literacy environment and social economic status information was gathered using the demographic data form completed by the teachers and parents. To obtain the results, data was analysed quantitatively using descriptive, correlations and multi-level regression analysis. Results demonstrated that both home literacy environment and Social Economic status are associated with improvements in children’s emergent reading skills. Particularly, mothers’ occupation was a strong predictor of school achievement compared to father’s occupation. However, the influence of mother’s occupation was not significant for children who attended preschool, this was observed at both pre and post-test. Concurrent and longitudinal effects of social economic status were observed on reading while no longitudinal effects of home literacy environment were observed. The implication of these findings is that children who do not attend preschool but have mothers in gainful employment perform better in emergent literacy than those who have preschool exposure. This is a very important finding that stimulates debate and future research
Blood Pressure Monitoring Variation in Routine Antiretroviral Therapy Clinic Visits: A Cross-Sectional study
Get PDFBackground:
In the time of COVID-19, various strategies are initiated by the Ministry of Health to ensure that accessibility to the way blood pressure is measured can result in inaccurate readings with huge clinical implications for management. Although several studies exist that report blood pressure variations due to measurement errors, data is lacking from sub-Saharan Africa on the proportion of inaccurate blood pressure readings. The main aim of this study was to explore the blood pressure measurement variations between routine blood pressure measurement and measurement that follows standard guidelines.
Methods and Materials:
We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study at Livingstone University Teaching, in Zambia and enrolled 226 persons living with HIV. Routine blood pressure measurements were repeated using standard guidelines. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to describe and determine blood pressure differences between routine and standard measurements.
Results:
The median age (interquartile range) in the study was 44 (35-52) years with 149 female participants representing a female preponderance of 65.9%. Systolic and Diastolic BP were significantly different between routine and standard measurements (
Mining Associations in Zambia Supporting Women in Small-Scale Mining: A Case Study of Zambian Women in Mining Association
Get PDFThis article focuses on the findings presented from the primary data collected on the Mining Associations in Zambia in general, supporting women in small- scale mining. Using the case study approach, particular attention is given to the Zambian Women in Mining Association (AZWIM) that was created specifically for women. The selection of the case study site was purposive since the association specifically supports women in small-scale mining. The data collected from the case study used the empirical method of observing the facts within their natural surroundings without any attempt to interpret those facts. In addition, eco-feminism as a feminist methodology that supports social change through activism was used to analyse the findings. Ideas and lessons were drawn from three selected examples from different parts of the world that embrace eco-feminist activism. Firstly, from ‘The Chikpo Movement’ in India where women saved the indigenous forests and their water resources from destruction by the limestone mining companies. Secondly, from the possibility to save from collapse the Brazilian dam which was created by the accumulation of the tailing over a decade of mining activities. The overflowing mud from the dam destroyed the communities and the eco-systems caused by the mining companies’ negligence. Finally, from the feminist table an initiative formed after the death of thirty-four mine workers during a strike in Marikana, a mining town in South Africa to help not only the mine workers but the women who supported the men who went on strike. The case study findings showed that there was a clear need to use eco-feminist activism in the mining associations as per the ideas and lessons drawn from the three selected examples to overcome the oppression of women and damage to the environment in small-scale mining in Zambia
Keeping Quality of Rabbit Meat Floss Prepared with Different Oils and Stored in Three Packaging Materials.
Get PDFMeat floss is a dehydrated ready-to-eat meat product most commonly produced from beef. Due to increasing consumer awareness about health, there is interest in healthier alternatives like rabbit meat. In this study, meat floss was produced from rabbit meat using three cooking oils: Refined palm oil (RPO), Soya Oil (SO) and Canola Oil (CO). The iodine number of each of the three oil types was determined before use. The resulting Rabbit Meat Floss (RMF) was packed in three materials: Aluminium Foil (AF), Ziploc (ZPL) and Polypropylene (PP). The RMF were stored at room temperature and analysed for Sensory properties and Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) on days 7, 14 and 21 of storage. The study was a 3 x 3 factorial experiment fitted into a completely randomized design and replicated three times.
The refined RFO had the highest iodine number (81.05), and CO had the least (69.57). Following interactions among storage days, oil type and packaging material, TBARS was significantly highest (
Willingness to Take Antiretroviral Drugs in a High HIV Prevalence Setting: The Case of Adults Living in Chawama Township of Lusaka, Zambia
Get PDFThe willingness to take antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) has been found to be associated with several factors. We investigated the level of willingness to take antiretroviral drugs and factors likely to be associated with willingness among adults living in Chawama township.
This was a cross-sectional study of 409 adult respondents aged 18 years and above, recruited by a simple random sampling method. A structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data and other factors likely to influence willingness. Determinants of willingness and association between variables of interest were examined using multivariate analysis.
About 52.8% of females and 46.9% of males participated in the study. The mean age of participants was 31 years (SD±11.60). The response rate was 99%. A high level of willingness was observed, with more than 50% of participants willing to take ARVs if they were found legible for ART. Some of the key factors that were found significantly associated with willingness were the aspect of being male or female, with females being more likely to be willing than males, the perceived effectiveness of ARVs, the need for consent to begin ARV treatment with females being more likely to needing consent than men, and fear of discrimination.
There is a high willingness to take antiretroviral drugs among community members suggesting a high potential to influence individual acceptability and general uptake of ARVs. Furthermore, stigmatizing attitudes and socio-cultural influences towards people taking ARVs persist and interventions to reduce these influences are needed
Renewable Energy: The Catalyst for a Sustainable Energy Distribution Sector in South Africa
Get PDFThe purpose of this article, with practical focus, is to analyse the potential of Renewable Energy (RE) as the catalyst for a sustainable energy distribution sector in South Africa (SA) and promote collaboration between the manufacturers, government, and all relevant stakeholders. The research design was a systematic literature review. It used a qualitative research method, through a questionnaire, to evaluate the knowledge and views of professionals from the energy distribution sector, managers or leaders in the energy sector, and energy sector experts. The sample size selected was between 350 and 400 participants. The literature reviewed noted that photovoltaic (PV) energy was one of the primary RE sources for sustainable energy generation. Furthermore, installing capacity and investment continued to grow throughout SA. Of note was the value-added through distributed RE systems in respect of electricity provision. The energy poverty in SA was high, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic further contributed to the challenges experienced. The general conclusions were that due to global warming and increased large-scale pollution, the use of RE for power generation had become evident. The article offered the potential opportunities of RE as the catalyst for the sustainable energy distribution sector in SA. Criteria was developed to include or exclude relevant scientific literature, by identifying subject relevance, type of technology, geographic scope, intervention scale, and data type
How University of Ilorin Undergraduates Perceive Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission's Social Media use for Citizens' Engagement
Get PDFUsing mixed method with questionnaire and in-depth interview as instruments of data collection, a study was carried out with the objective of finding out undergraduates' perception of the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) deployment of social media to engage citizens. Population of the study was 44,919 undergraduates at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria from which a sample of 386 was drawn for the quantitative aspect and fifteen informants for the qualitative aspect. The quantitative data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences 21 version while responses of informants were recorded and transcribed by the researchers. Findings showed that undergraduates, who are active users of social media perceived messages the electoral body posted as untrustworthy. In addition, the body lacked visibility on social media. The study concluded that INEC's use of social media for citizens' engagement was in response to the demand of the contemporary society which social media cannot be ignored. The study recommended the need for INEC to be more aggressive in social media use as well as build public trust through prompt responses to issues and allegations