361 research outputs found
INTEGRATION OF ROBOTIC ACTIVITIES IN STEM AND ITS EFFECT TO STUDENTS' PERCEPTION OF THE SUBJECTS
No full textAbstract: In most countries, Secondary schools play a great role in preparing students in their future careers. STEM subjects are perceived to be difficult and as such, there has been low interest by the secondary school students in these subjects. This calls for reconsideration of the way teaching is done in the STEM subjects in order to make STEM careers attractive and to retain students in these fields. This study developed robotic activities and integrated them in the STEM subjects and assessed the effects of the activities to the perception and interest in these subjects. The study was conducted in the secondary schools in Murang’a County in Kenya. The target population included 200 students selected through simple random sampling method. The selected students were introduced to robotics activities integrated in Physics and Mathematics topics. Questionnaires were used to collect data and were administered to the students before and after exposure to the robotic activities integrated in the subjects. The quantitative data obtained was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. From the findings of this study, the robotic activities had a significant effect on students’ perception of Physics and Mathematics. The study recommends that the government should facilitate the integration of educational robotic activities in the current STEM curriculum in order to improve interest towards the STEM fields.
Keywords: STEM, Careers, Robotic activities, Integration, teaching and learning.
Title: INTEGRATION OF ROBOTIC ACTIVITIES IN STEM AND ITS EFFECT TO STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF THE SUBJECTS
Author: Mwangi Peter Ngugi, Muriithi Christopher Maina, Agufana Peace Byrne
International Journal of Novel Research in Education and Learning
ISSN 2394-9686
Vol. 9, Issue 4, July 2022 - August 2022
Page No: 82-90
Novelty Journals
Website: www.noveltyjournals.com
Published Date: 23-August-2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7016736
Paper Download Link (Source)
https://www.noveltyjournals.com/upload/paper/INTEGRATION%20OF%20ROBOTIC%20ACTIVITIES-23082022-4.pdfInternational Journal of Novel Research in Education and Learning, ISSN 2394-9686, Novelty Journals, Website: www.noveltyjournals.co
Transparency without Accountability
No full textKenya has been going through a period of political reform from 1991 when section 2A of the constitution that had made Kenya a de jure one party state was repealed. The reform followed a prolonged struggle by citizens both within and without the country. Their call for democracy was one that, post the fall of the Berlin wall, was embraced by western countries. Via diplomatic pressure and conditionality on aid, western donors played an important role in the repeal of section 2a, the return of multi-party elections and in the creation and reform of a number of political institutions and offices. In the main these changes were pushed by the donors and though supported by the opposition in Kenya they did not rise organically from the struggle over political power in Kenya. In this paper, we argue that although these reforms led to a heightened awareness of the ills of the political class, they failed to actually hold members of this class accountable for their transgressions. We argue that these institutions presupposed the existence of an electorate with an effective set of identities that belonged to the larger Kenyan nation. This broader construct of society did not exist. A history of economic and political inequality from the inception of modern Kenya had resulted in a divided population that was unable to exercise this mandate, and could ultimately discipline politicians when they failed. In actuality, since the politics was not based on broader Kenyan national interests but rather narrower personal interests construed as ethno-nationalist, the political class was not accountable to the larger Kenyan constituency. JEL Categories: O, P16, Z13Political Economy, Ethnicity, Development, Corruption, Kenya
Phytochemical and antimicrobial studies on Rhus natalensis
No full textMagister Scientiae - MScExtracts from the root bark, stem bark, and leaves of R. natalensis were screened for antibacterial activity against standard bacterial strains; Staphylococcus aureas, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aureginosa, and fungi; Candida albicans, Trichophyton mentagrophytes or Microsporum gyseum. Chromatographic techniques were utilized to isolate pure compounds. This study validates and documents, in a systematic way, the antimicrobial properties of the R. natalensis used for many years by many people of the world. It also provides valuable information for further phytochemical isolation and characterization studies of active compounds, necessary for the development of new drugs. The extractions were carried out using broad spectrum of solvents (hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and methanol). Fractionation was done using standard chromatographic techniques. A total of seven (7) compounds were isolated from R. natalensis. Three of the isolates were characterized and their structures were unambiguously established by detailed spectroscopic analysis that involved high resolution mass spectrometry, 1D and 2D-NMR spectral data experiments 1H, 13C, DEPT, COSY, HMBC, and NOESY. These compounds are: 3-(1-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,3-bis(4- hydroxyphenyl)-1-oxopropan-2-yl)-7-methoxy- 4H-chromone-4-one (39), Rhuschromone, a novel compound isolated for the first time, 2’,4’-dihydroxychalcone-(4-O-5’’’)-4’’,2’’’,4’’’- trihydroxychalcone (40) and 3-((Z)-heptadec-13-enyl) benzene- 1,2-diol (41), an urushiol. Compound 39 recorded the highest activity zone of inhibition (21mm) against S. aureas, which was found to be 50% as active the chloramphenicol standard used. The traditional use of the extracts in infections and inflammatory conditions is rationalized based on the content of theisolated compounds, and it has been proposed that the total crude extract, with its contents of so many bioactive compounds, could be formulated for use in many infections, microbial or fungal. Furthermore, not all of the species studied to date have been fully characterized for potential bioactivities. Thus, there remains a significant research gap spanning the range from lead chemical discovery through process development and optimization in order to better understand the full bioactive potential of many of these plants.South Afric
Nelson (Nz), Bishop of, (Rt Rev. Stephen Maina Mwangi, (Steve Maina)) (born 12 Oct. 1970)
No full textA Literary Critic of Socialization on Gender Stereotype in Three Children’s Books by Meja Mwangi
No full textThe study sought to critically analyze how gender stereotype has been portrayed in Meja Mwangi children’s books; Little White Man, The Boy Gift and Striving for the Wind. Children’s literature has focused on children’s social and moral development in the children’s books. However, the issue of gender stereotype is present in many children’s books. This is likely to affect children’s social life from the way they view children’s books with gender stereotype. Objectives of this study analyzed how gender roles, character’s personalities and socialization portray gender stereotype in children’s books. The study analyzed children’s books, specifically for ages 10 and 14. The study hoped to create awareness of how children get exposed to gender stereotype in children’s books. In addition, the study anticipated in drawing the attention of the parents, to gender stereotyped children’s books. This research study is therefore a useful material for reference to other researchers and readers. The study was guided by Lawrence Kohlberg's Cognitive Development Theory: The concept of Gender Constancy. The study was conducted through qualitative research design. The three story books were selected from the target population using purposive sampling technique. Then researcher used content analysis, as a method of qualitative analysis in order to analyze the selected sample. From research findings, gender stereotype is evident in the children’s books by Meja Mwangi. The author portrays roles according to the genders. There are those roles that are only meant for male characters and female characters. The personality traits that are portrayed for the women and girls are weak and they depend on the male characters. While the men do not depend on the women and instead, they are brave and tough. The society highly regards the male characters as opposed to the female characters. From the conclusions made from the analysis of the research data, there are situations where the author challenges gender stereotype. In a particular illustration, the female character is portrayed having strong and courageous personalities. Also, the male character is portrayed performing chores associated with the women. However, much needs to be done, in curbing gender stereotype in children’s books. Both genders should be portrayed with equal roles, having some personalities. Social set-up should accommodate both female and male characters, in order to avoid gender stereotype portrayed in children’s books. In conclusion, the study suggested recommendations to parents and teachers in using gender neutral children’s books, which promote gender equality among girls and boys. Hence, the study provided sufficient and effective information in order to improve the quality of children’s books and a positive impact in children’s social life and moral development.
Keywords: Gender Stereotype, Children's Literature, Socialization, Literary Criticism, Meja Mwang
Management of rust of french beans by seed treatment and determination of yield loss in relation to the stage of infection
No full textMsc Thesi
Exploiting recycled plastic waste as an alternative binder for materials used in the construction industry
No full textThesis submitted in the fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Engineering: Mechanical Engineering, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.The population in the world is growing at an alarming rate and four local and global threats
viz. plastic pollution, high unemployment, inadequate housing for all citizens and damage to
the ozone layer causing climate change continue to emerge. The overwhelming demand for
plastic goods in daily use resulting in plastic waste pollution has become an environmental
challenge. Plastic waste is now becoming extremely dangerous due to their rapid accumulation
in the environment and in landfills, and their improper disposal methods leads to many harmful
effects on land, air, marine life and humans. Incineration of plastic waste is already posing
several health risks.
Concurrently, the cement, building and construction industry is amongst the biggest contributor
to carbon dioxide (CO2) gas emissions, which poses an added environmental challenge. This
creates a negative image on the use of cement-based masonry as construction materials, which
renders it unsustainable. Hence, an alternative construction material is required. The
manufacture and utilisation of burnt clay bricks have become an area of debate which led to a
move towards greater sustainability. Therefore, there is need for a strategy to reduce plastic
pollution, create job opportunities, provide alternate ways of constructing affordable ecofriendly houses, and reduce the depletion of the ozone layer for the benefit of all citizens. This
strategy is explored in this research study that supports, enhances and promotes sustainability.
The efficacy of producing eco-friendly plastic-sand bricks as a feasible solution and an
attractive alternative to cement or burnt clay bricks have been investigated in this study. This
investigation encompasses an effort to combat issues related to plastic waste, high
unemployment, rising building costs and climate change. In the first stage the study analyses
the use of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and river sand using six different ratios of
sand(s): plastic(p) viz. 60s: 40p; 65s: 35p; 70s: 30p; 75s: 25p; 80s: 20p and 85s: 15p. The
second stage consisted of the addition of 1%, 5% and 10% of Kaolin Clay DSF which was
experimentally added to each of the different ratios of sand: plastic respectively to improve the
mechanical and environmental properties towards producing eco-friendly plastic-sand bricks.
The mechanical tests showed significant improvement. Results revealed that the addition of
5% Kaolin Clay DSF, significantly increased the compressive strength from 21.4 MPa to 52.76 MPa in the 75s:25p ratio, the modulus of elasticity from 1109.35 gigapascal (GPa) to 2434.84
GPa and the short beam strength from 1.84 MPa to 2.27 MPa. The addition of 10% Kaolin
Clay DSF, significantly increased the results for the impact test from 4.6 joules to 5 joules in
the 75s:25p ratio. However, the addition of 5% Kaolin Clay DSF revealed an increase from 4.6
joules in the same ratio to 4.7 joules. The hardness test revealed that the impression of the nail
did not affect the samples which implied that the plastic-sand bricks are durable and tough in
all six ratios.
The environmental tests also showed significant improvement. Results revealed that the
addition of 5% Kaolin Clay DSF decreased the rate of water absorption from day 1, being
0.78% to 0.43% on the 21
st day. The plastic-sand brick as a composite material is an electrical
insulator. The plastic-sand brick sample resisted the immediate absorption of water with respect
to 0%, 1%, 5%, and 10% addition of Kaolin Clay DSF. No visible deposit of alkali was present
when the efflorescence test was done. The fire test revealed that the addition of 10% Kaolin
Clay DSF with an increase in sand content drastically reduced the linear burning rate
significantly in the 75s:25p ratios from 10.52 mm/min to 2.10 mm/min respectively. This
decrease in approximately 81% in the burning rate is significant.
The main conclusion of this research study is that HDPE plastics can be used to produce plasticsand bricks that are durable, significantly high in strength and eco-friendly as compared to the
conventional cement or burnt clay bricks. The addition of Kaolin Clay DSF improves both the
mechanical and environmental properties of the plastic-sand brick. The manufacturing of
plastic-sand bricks is an eco-friendly process. Thus, recycled plastic waste can be effectively
used as an alternative binder material in the construction industry.
Maximizing the impact of print media in church development in the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (P.C.E.A.) (Kenya), 1997
No full textAccording to the report of the Communications Committee of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (P.C.E.A.) to the 15th General Assembly, the church is aware of the immensity of information, education and revelation that can be shared and disseminated through the print media in the church. 1 However, to effectively disseminate the Gospel through the print media requires some creativity and administrative initiatives in the national office and particularly in the division of Communications and Publishing. As an initiative proposal, this dissertation examines how the P.C.E.A. has used print media from the missionary period (early 1900) to the mid-1990s, and offers proposals for maximizing print media impact in church development and social transformation. This dissertation is the final stage and result of a Doctor of Ministry project study and research conducted in Kenya and the United States between 1993 and 1997. Four parts comprised of eight chapters compose the dissertation. Part I is the ministry setting, containing chapters One and Two. Chapter One is a brief description of the nation of Kenya in terms of geography, history and politics. It is the wider context of this project. Chapter Two introduces the Presbyterian Church of East Africa as the central setting of the project. The history, the organizational structure and theological stance of this church are here discussed. Part II is the main body of the dissertation. It is the ministry issue, and it is divided into Chapters Three and Four. Chapter Three contains the history of print media in the P.C.E.A., with some remarks on the early beginnings of print media in Europe. Chapter Four is a brief examination of biblical and theological basis for print media use. Part III is the project, containing Chapters Five and Six. Chapter Five includes a review of six key texts which have been helpful in this research. The texts are: Keeping Your Church Informed by Austin Brodie; 2 Let the People Know: A Media Handbook for Churches by Charles Austin; 3Communications Media in the Nigerian Church Today by Boniface Ntomchukwu; 4 How to Publicize Church Activities by William J. Barrows, Jr.; 5 Communication for Development by Karl Lundstrom; 6 and Hope for Africa by G. Kinoti. 7 This chapter also includes questionnaire responses from a cross section of participants in Kenya and America, including the P.C.E.A. ministers living in Atlanta at the time, and members of the International Class of First Presbyterian Church-Atlanta. Chapter Six includes interviews, briefs from some P.C.E.A. leaders, and workshop proceedings from the P.C.E.A. Nkoroi and Chuka churches and from First Presbyterian Church-Atlanta. Part IV is the project evaluation. This final part contains Chapters Seven and Eight. Chapter Seven discusses recommendations for possible implementation of the proposals or suggestions made in the dissertation. These primarily relate to finance, training and structural innovations and changes. Chapter Eight is the conclusion, restating the purpose of the project. It emphasizes questions of faith and the sense of urgency in doing whatever it takes to maximize the impact of print media in the P.C.E.A. for God's glory and the blessing of the church
Aalysis of factors affecting supply chain management networks in Non -governmental organizations (a case of IOM-Kenya)
No full textAbstrac
- …
