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Samlafo, B.V, and Adakwah, D (2021). Evaluative Study of River Birim in Denkyembuor, Ghana, Using Water Quality Indices. Chemical Science International Journal, 30,
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate water quality of the river Birim after a two-year ban as a result of illegal mining activities in the catchment areas of the river. Methodology: Samples were taken during wet and dry seasons in acid-washed plastic containers. Two water quality indices were adapted for the river under study and used in the evaluation. These were Water Quality Index (WQI) and Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI). Twelve physicochemical parameters, such as pH, turbidity, conductivity, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, total hardness, alkalinity, sulphate, phosphate, nitrate, Fluoride, and chloride which were life-threatening and generally acceptable in water quality were used to evaluate the water quality index. The computed WQI was 439.168, which fell within the unfit for drinking category with turbidity and total suspended solids positively influencing the index. Iron, (Fe), As, Mn, and Hg were used to evaluate HPI, with an index value of 39.49, which was excellent considering a critical value of 100 set, below which the water is fit for good drinking water. Conclusion: Except for heavy metal pollution, the river Birim is unfit for drinking without chemical treatment and that, the two-year ban on artisanal small-scale mining was not enough for the river to recover fully from previous pollution episodes and hence did not have any impact on water quality of the river Birim.
Aim: To evaluate water quality of the river Birim after a two-year ban as a result of illegal mining activities in the catchment areas of the river. Methodology: Samples were taken during wet and dry seasons in acid-washed plastic containers. Two water quality indices were adapted for the river under study and used in the evaluation. These were Water Quality Index (WQI) and Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI). Twelve physicochemical parameters, such as pH, turbidity, conductivity, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, total hardness, alkalinity, sulphate, phosphate, nitrate, Fluoride, and chloride which were life-threatening and generally acceptable in water quality were used to evaluate the water quality index. The computed WQI was 439.168, which fell within the unfit for drinking category with turbidity and total suspended solids positively influencing the index. Iron, (Fe), As, Mn, and Hg were used to evaluate HPI, with an index value of 39.49, which was excellent considering a critical value of 100 set, below which the water is fit for good drinking water. Conclusion: Except for heavy metal pollution, the river Birim is unfit for drinking without chemical treatment and that, the two-year ban on artisanal small-scale mining was not enough for the river to recover fully from previous pollution episodes and hence did not have any impact on water quality of the river Birim.
Quarcoo,R, (2021). An Evaluation of the Affective Entry Behaviors of Students and Teachers in Clothing and Textile at the Senior High School in Ghana.. B. Patton Canada International Conference on Education [CICE-2021]. Mississauga,Canada: Infonomics Society.
Abstract
This study evaluated the affective entry behaviors of students and teachers in Clothing and Textile at the Senior High School level of education in Ghana. The mixed method approach of research design was adopted and a multi-staged sampling technique was used to sample 478 students and 23 teachers respectively. The results shown that, majority of the students had the minimum entry aggregates, some Clothing and Textiles teachers had other specializations other than Clothing and Textiles, Students and teachers were not interested in Clothing and Textiles. Students were forced by parents and teachers to take Clothing and Textiles. Recommendations such as Ghana Education Service (GES) should employ teachers with Clothing and Textiles background, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and Ghana Education Service should make the Basic Design and Technology component ‘sewing’ very attractive at the Junior High School level to help students develop interest in Clothing and Textiles. Key Words: Evaluation, Affective entry characteristics, Clothing and Textiles, Students, Teachers (ISBN:978-1-913572-32-7)
This study evaluated the affective entry behaviors of students and teachers in Clothing and Textile at the Senior High School level of education in Ghana. The mixed method approach of research design was adopted and a multi-staged sampling technique was used to sample 478 students and 23 teachers respectively. The results shown that, majority of the students had the minimum entry aggregates, some Clothing and Textiles teachers had other specializations other than Clothing and Textiles, Students and teachers were not interested in Clothing and Textiles. Students were forced by parents and teachers to take Clothing and Textiles. Recommendations such as Ghana Education Service (GES) should employ teachers with Clothing and Textiles background, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and Ghana Education Service should make the Basic Design and Technology component ‘sewing’ very attractive at the Junior High School level to help students develop interest in Clothing and Textiles. Key Words: Evaluation, Affective entry characteristics, Clothing and Textiles, Students, Teachers (ISBN:978-1-913572-32-7)
Akayuure, P.
OCCE 2021 Digital transformation of Education and learning (DTEL): past, present and future. Tampere University, Finland 16-20 August 2021
Paper presented:
Use of vclass in mathematics education delivery: The UEW experience
Abstract
The advent of the Coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) has rapidly influenced every domain of human existence and drifted human undertakings to a new normal in which social distancing becomes the norm. With the emergence of the new normal, educational institutions worldwide are beset with teaching, assessment and learning sustainability crises. These crises compelled many educational managers and lecturers to rethink about educational access and delivery while students strive to adjust to new learning systems external to the orthodox face-to-face mode. The questions of which and how learning platforms can be used for educational delivery remain unsettled. In spite of this, institutions of higher learning are quickly adapting to the crises. In developing countries like Ghana, new and emerging digital learning platforms, assessment modalities and delivery modes are being experimented in schools without prior evidences of their effectiveness, successes and shortfalls. For the past one and half years for example, there has been unprecedented push to online teaching, learning and assessment with commercial digital learning platform providers also on the rush to provide support and solutions to educational delivery, sometimes for free. The University of Education Winneba (UEW) trains competent professional teachers for all levels of education in Ghana and the West African sub-region. When Ghana recorded its first case of the Covid-19 in March 12, 2020, culminating to lockdowns and closure of all institutions, the academic calendar was disrupted. UEW was then compelled to device innovative ways of using Learning Management Systems (LMS) called vclass to enable students learn amidst the pandemic to bring the 2019/2020 academic year to a successful close. Following this, the struggle to sustain the new innovation of using the UEWvclass for educational delivery in UEW comes with new dilemmas and contextual issues of ICT infrastructures, faculty capacity and students’ support and welfare. This paper mirrors students and their lecturers’ experiences in the use of UEWvclass platform to learn various courses in mathematics education in UEW. Notwithstanding a number of exciting experiences conveyed as first time users of vclass, users are challenges with online course creation, online lesson delivery, e-assessment, digital skills and network connectivity. As a result of the covid-19 pandemic and digital experiences, UEW plans to emphasize, consolidate and serve as a pace setter of hybrid/blended instructional delivery for its regular, sandwich and distance modes beyond the Covid-19 era. Keywords: Covid-19, Mathematics education, LMS, UEW vclass experience.
The advent of the Coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) has rapidly influenced every domain of human existence and drifted human undertakings to a new normal in which social distancing becomes the norm. With the emergence of the new normal, educational institutions worldwide are beset with teaching, assessment and learning sustainability crises. These crises compelled many educational managers and lecturers to rethink about educational access and delivery while students strive to adjust to new learning systems external to the orthodox face-to-face mode. The questions of which and how learning platforms can be used for educational delivery remain unsettled. In spite of this, institutions of higher learning are quickly adapting to the crises. In developing countries like Ghana, new and emerging digital learning platforms, assessment modalities and delivery modes are being experimented in schools without prior evidences of their effectiveness, successes and shortfalls. For the past one and half years for example, there has been unprecedented push to online teaching, learning and assessment with commercial digital learning platform providers also on the rush to provide support and solutions to educational delivery, sometimes for free. The University of Education Winneba (UEW) trains competent professional teachers for all levels of education in Ghana and the West African sub-region. When Ghana recorded its first case of the Covid-19 in March 12, 2020, culminating to lockdowns and closure of all institutions, the academic calendar was disrupted. UEW was then compelled to device innovative ways of using Learning Management Systems (LMS) called vclass to enable students learn amidst the pandemic to bring the 2019/2020 academic year to a successful close. Following this, the struggle to sustain the new innovation of using the UEWvclass for educational delivery in UEW comes with new dilemmas and contextual issues of ICT infrastructures, faculty capacity and students’ support and welfare. This paper mirrors students and their lecturers’ experiences in the use of UEWvclass platform to learn various courses in mathematics education in UEW. Notwithstanding a number of exciting experiences conveyed as first time users of vclass, users are challenges with online course creation, online lesson delivery, e-assessment, digital skills and network connectivity. As a result of the covid-19 pandemic and digital experiences, UEW plans to emphasize, consolidate and serve as a pace setter of hybrid/blended instructional delivery for its regular, sandwich and distance modes beyond the Covid-19 era. Keywords: Covid-19, Mathematics education, LMS, UEW vclass experience.
Nyatsikor, M. K., Abroampa, W. K., & Esia-Donkoh, K. (2021). The influence of school type on pupils’ proficiency in selected school subjects: Implications for curriculum implementation in Ghana. Global Journal of Educational Research, 20,
Abstract
This research examined the influence of private and public basic schools on pupils’ proficiency in Mathematics and English language subjects. The theoretical model that supported the study was the bioecological model of human development. The sample comprised 16,481 Primary 3 and 14, 495 Primary 6 pupils from 448 and 426 schools respectively. The research design was a descriptive cross-sectional survey. Schools were sampled using a stratified random sampling technique. Data were analysed using a multilevel modelling technique. The significance or otherwise of the influence of school type on pupils’ proficiency in both subjects was assessed at p ˂ 0.001. The results showed that many pupils performed below the minimum competency level in both subjects uniquely because they attended public schools. Conversely, many pupils were found to be proficient in both subjects exclusively because they attended private schools. The research findings suggest that the type of primary schools pupils attend in Ghana significantly mattered for their academic success and the progression from one grade-level to another. The results imply that learning opportunities are not equal for all pupils. This has implications for the effective implementation of the primary school curriculum in the country. To improve upon the academic achievement of primary school children in Ghana, first, there is the need to eliminate the achievement gap between private and public schools. Keywords: School Type; Pupils; Proficiency; Mathematics: English Language
This research examined the influence of private and public basic schools on pupils’ proficiency in Mathematics and English language subjects. The theoretical model that supported the study was the bioecological model of human development. The sample comprised 16,481 Primary 3 and 14, 495 Primary 6 pupils from 448 and 426 schools respectively. The research design was a descriptive cross-sectional survey. Schools were sampled using a stratified random sampling technique. Data were analysed using a multilevel modelling technique. The significance or otherwise of the influence of school type on pupils’ proficiency in both subjects was assessed at p ˂ 0.001. The results showed that many pupils performed below the minimum competency level in both subjects uniquely because they attended public schools. Conversely, many pupils were found to be proficient in both subjects exclusively because they attended private schools. The research findings suggest that the type of primary schools pupils attend in Ghana significantly mattered for their academic success and the progression from one grade-level to another. The results imply that learning opportunities are not equal for all pupils. This has implications for the effective implementation of the primary school curriculum in the country. To improve upon the academic achievement of primary school children in Ghana, first, there is the need to eliminate the achievement gap between private and public schools. Keywords: School Type; Pupils; Proficiency; Mathematics: English Language
Changing incentives for vehicle use: Zero emissions areas and congestion pricing (Taming traffic webinar series, Part 3)*Enoch F Sam*Senior Lecturer*Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP)*Virtual*11 August 2021*11 August 2021
Damsere-Derry, J., Adanu, E. K., Ojo, T. K., & Sam, E. F. (2021). Injury-severity analysis of intercity bus crashes in Ghana: A random parameters multinomial logit with heterogeneity in means and variances approach. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 160,
Abstract
Travel by bus is an efficient, cost-effective, safe and preferred means of intercity transport in many advanced countries. On the contrary, there is huge public sentiment about the safety records of intercity buses in low- and middle-income countries given the increasing bus-involved road traffic crashes and high fatality rates. This study sought to model the injury severity of intercity bus transport in Ghana using the random parameters multinomial logit with heterogeneity in means and variances modelling technique to account for unobserved heterogeneity in the dataset. The dataset involves crash data from the 575 km long Accra-Kumasi-Sunyani-Gonokrom highway in Ghana. Four discrete crash outcome categories were considered in this study: fatal injury, hospitalized injury, minor injury, and no injury. The study observed that crashes involving pedestrians, unlicensed drivers, and drivers and passengers aged more than 60 years have a higher probability of sustaining fatal injuries. Also, speeding, wrong overtaking, careless driving and inexperienced drivers were associated with fatal injury outcomes on the highway. The incidence of intercity bus transport crashes involving larger buses and minibuses were also found to more likely result in fatalities. The probability of hospitalized injury increased for crashes that occurred in a village setting. Given these findings, the study proposed improvement of the road infrastructure, enforcing seatbelt availability and use in intercity buses, increased enforcement of the traffic rules and regulations to deter driver recklessness and speeding as well as improving the luminance of the highways. Additionally, apps that have features for customers to rate intercity bus operators, the quality of services provided, and also have the option to report reckless driving activities can be developed to promote safe and inclusive public transport in the country.
Travel by bus is an efficient, cost-effective, safe and preferred means of intercity transport in many advanced countries. On the contrary, there is huge public sentiment about the safety records of intercity buses in low- and middle-income countries given the increasing bus-involved road traffic crashes and high fatality rates. This study sought to model the injury severity of intercity bus transport in Ghana using the random parameters multinomial logit with heterogeneity in means and variances modelling technique to account for unobserved heterogeneity in the dataset. The dataset involves crash data from the 575 km long Accra-Kumasi-Sunyani-Gonokrom highway in Ghana. Four discrete crash outcome categories were considered in this study: fatal injury, hospitalized injury, minor injury, and no injury. The study observed that crashes involving pedestrians, unlicensed drivers, and drivers and passengers aged more than 60 years have a higher probability of sustaining fatal injuries. Also, speeding, wrong overtaking, careless driving and inexperienced drivers were associated with fatal injury outcomes on the highway. The incidence of intercity bus transport crashes involving larger buses and minibuses were also found to more likely result in fatalities. The probability of hospitalized injury increased for crashes that occurred in a village setting. Given these findings, the study proposed improvement of the road infrastructure, enforcing seatbelt availability and use in intercity buses, increased enforcement of the traffic rules and regulations to deter driver recklessness and speeding as well as improving the luminance of the highways. Additionally, apps that have features for customers to rate intercity bus operators, the quality of services provided, and also have the option to report reckless driving activities can be developed to promote safe and inclusive public transport in the country.
Esia-Donkoh, K., Addai-Mununkum, R., Appianing, J., & Ofosu-Dwamena, E., (2021). Fundamentals of effective teaching: An introductory guide for 21st century educators. Accra: Sprint Publication. . ISBN: 978-9988-3-1779-9
Abstract
At the turn of the 21st Century, teaching is transitioning from its old-time status as a vocation into a dignified rewarding career path. Thus, individuals wanting to become teachers ought to be equipped with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that will enhance their professionalism. “Fundamentals of effective teaching” offers this content gap that has long be sought after by novice and experienced teachers alike. It is the product of meticulous writing by experienced professionals who seek to offer the academy a birds-eye view of teaching. Academic knowledge that is transmitted through this book is mediated by the authors’ experiences garnered through years of classroom practice. The content has been carefully chosen to offer a blend of antique and emerging scholarship in pedagogy, a potpourri of resources that every teacher needs. The first chapter, the concept of teaching, discusses some misconceptions about the teaching profession and provides a conceptual understanding of what teaching is all about. Chapter two traces the evolution of the teaching profession in Ghana, and highlights emerging changes and future projections. The third and fourth chapters focus on methods, techniques and strategies of teaching. Chapter five builds on the knowledge in the two preceding chapters to introduce integrated pedagogies. Chapter six focuses on play-based learning, an emerging pedagogy that is valuable for teaching the young and old. In Chapter seven, technical skills of teaching are discussed while in the final chapter, the newly introduced National Teachers’ Standards, the minimum set of standards expected of every teacher in Ghana, is discussed. We welcome teachers and would-be teachers to read, practice, discuss and critique this book. We do not intend it to be a manual for teaching. Rather, we wish that it will ignite passion and offer the needed guidance that will transition a novice into becoming an effective 21st Century teacher.
At the turn of the 21st Century, teaching is transitioning from its old-time status as a vocation into a dignified rewarding career path. Thus, individuals wanting to become teachers ought to be equipped with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that will enhance their professionalism. “Fundamentals of effective teaching” offers this content gap that has long be sought after by novice and experienced teachers alike. It is the product of meticulous writing by experienced professionals who seek to offer the academy a birds-eye view of teaching. Academic knowledge that is transmitted through this book is mediated by the authors’ experiences garnered through years of classroom practice. The content has been carefully chosen to offer a blend of antique and emerging scholarship in pedagogy, a potpourri of resources that every teacher needs. The first chapter, the concept of teaching, discusses some misconceptions about the teaching profession and provides a conceptual understanding of what teaching is all about. Chapter two traces the evolution of the teaching profession in Ghana, and highlights emerging changes and future projections. The third and fourth chapters focus on methods, techniques and strategies of teaching. Chapter five builds on the knowledge in the two preceding chapters to introduce integrated pedagogies. Chapter six focuses on play-based learning, an emerging pedagogy that is valuable for teaching the young and old. In Chapter seven, technical skills of teaching are discussed while in the final chapter, the newly introduced National Teachers’ Standards, the minimum set of standards expected of every teacher in Ghana, is discussed. We welcome teachers and would-be teachers to read, practice, discuss and critique this book. We do not intend it to be a manual for teaching. Rather, we wish that it will ignite passion and offer the needed guidance that will transition a novice into becoming an effective 21st Century teacher.
Esia-Donkoh, K., Bentil, J., & Nyatsikor, M. (2020). Variances in learning styles of full-time undergraduate students based on Demographic Variables. International Journal of Education, Learning and Development, 8,
Abstract
The study, which was based on the VAK Learning Style Model, examined the learning style preferences and variances in the learning style of full-time undergraduate students in the Department of Basic Education, University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Ghana. Using the simple random sampling technique, 621 students were involved in the study. With the use of a questionnaire, quantitative data were obtained and analysed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The study revealed that the students made use of all the three learning styles even though they dominantly preferred and used visual learning style as compared to auditory and kinesthetic learning styles. At a significance of 0.01, the study found statistically significant differences in the learning style preferences of male and female full-time undergraduate students. There were also no statistically significant differences in the learning style preferences of the students based on age, level of study and residential status. Among the recommendations is that lecturers in the Department should adopt a variety of appropriate instructional practices and strategies that may optimise the diverse learning style preferences of the students. Keywords: learning style preferences, sex, age, level of study, residential status
The study, which was based on the VAK Learning Style Model, examined the learning style preferences and variances in the learning style of full-time undergraduate students in the Department of Basic Education, University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Ghana. Using the simple random sampling technique, 621 students were involved in the study. With the use of a questionnaire, quantitative data were obtained and analysed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The study revealed that the students made use of all the three learning styles even though they dominantly preferred and used visual learning style as compared to auditory and kinesthetic learning styles. At a significance of 0.01, the study found statistically significant differences in the learning style preferences of male and female full-time undergraduate students. There were also no statistically significant differences in the learning style preferences of the students based on age, level of study and residential status. Among the recommendations is that lecturers in the Department should adopt a variety of appropriate instructional practices and strategies that may optimise the diverse learning style preferences of the students. Keywords: learning style preferences, sex, age, level of study, residential status
Nyatsikor, M. K., Esia-Donkoh, K., Abroampa, W. K. (2020). The efficacy of the bioecological model of human development in predicting primary pupils’ academic achievement in Ghana and its curriculum implications. International Journal of Elementary Education, 8,
Abstract
The study examined the efficacy of Bioecological Model of Human Development to predict Ghanaian Primary School pupils’ academic achievement in a National Education Assessment test in English Language and Mathematics. A total of 19458 primary 3 and 17447 primary 6 pupils from 548 schools were involved in the study. Participating schools were selected using stratified random sampling. Using a hierarchical multiple regression with a significance criterion of <0.001, pupils’ academic achievement was found to be significantly influenced by their personal characteristics, as well as the micro and macro environments they interacted in. Consistent with the theoretical model, pupils’ microsystems contributed most to their levels of academic achievement. Moreover, the impact of pupils’ personal characteristics on their academic achievement was moderated by the types of macro and macro systems they operated in. The outcome of the study validates the Model’s proposition that none of the variables operates in isolation but are mutually dependent in determining the levels of pupils’ academic achievement in a given context. It is therefore suggested curriculum developers and education policy formulators to be guided by the Model in attempts to initiate interventions to address the problem of low academic achievement among primary school pupils in Ghana. Keywords: Bioecological Model, Academic Achievement, Curriculum
The study examined the efficacy of Bioecological Model of Human Development to predict Ghanaian Primary School pupils’ academic achievement in a National Education Assessment test in English Language and Mathematics. A total of 19458 primary 3 and 17447 primary 6 pupils from 548 schools were involved in the study. Participating schools were selected using stratified random sampling. Using a hierarchical multiple regression with a significance criterion of <0.001, pupils’ academic achievement was found to be significantly influenced by their personal characteristics, as well as the micro and macro environments they interacted in. Consistent with the theoretical model, pupils’ microsystems contributed most to their levels of academic achievement. Moreover, the impact of pupils’ personal characteristics on their academic achievement was moderated by the types of macro and macro systems they operated in. The outcome of the study validates the Model’s proposition that none of the variables operates in isolation but are mutually dependent in determining the levels of pupils’ academic achievement in a given context. It is therefore suggested curriculum developers and education policy formulators to be guided by the Model in attempts to initiate interventions to address the problem of low academic achievement among primary school pupils in Ghana. Keywords: Bioecological Model, Academic Achievement, Curriculum
Nyatsikor, M. K., Abroampa, W. K., Esia-Donkoh, K. (2020). The impact of school locale on pupils’ competencies in selected subjects: Does it matter more for specific regions in Ghana?. Global Journal of Transformative Education, 2,
Abstract
The study examined the impact of rural and urban schools on pupils’ competencies in English Language and Mathematics tests. The sample comprised 16,481 primary 3 and 14,495 primary 6 pupils from 448 and 426 schools respectively. The schools were selected using stratified random sampling technique and the data analysed using multilevel modelling technique. The study found statistically significant differences in achievement between rural and urban school pupils at both the national and regional levels. Compared with urban school children, rural school children on the average score 2 and 4 marks less in primary 3 and 6 English Language tests respectively. Similarly, rural school children on the average earned 1 mark less in primary 3 and 6 Mathematics tests. Rural school children in the Eastern Region were most disadvantaged by scoring 6 and 8 marks less in the primary 3 and 6 English Language tests respectively when compared with their urban peers. The only exception was the Northern Region where the average achievements of rural school children were higher than their urban peers. The findings suggest that it significantly mattered which part of the country a child attends school. This runs counter to the nation’s educational policies and the realisation of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 4. Hence, to provide quality and inclusive education for all pupils, resources for schools and communities should be equitably distributed and effectively utilised. Keywords: School locality, Socioeconomic, Competency, Regions
The study examined the impact of rural and urban schools on pupils’ competencies in English Language and Mathematics tests. The sample comprised 16,481 primary 3 and 14,495 primary 6 pupils from 448 and 426 schools respectively. The schools were selected using stratified random sampling technique and the data analysed using multilevel modelling technique. The study found statistically significant differences in achievement between rural and urban school pupils at both the national and regional levels. Compared with urban school children, rural school children on the average score 2 and 4 marks less in primary 3 and 6 English Language tests respectively. Similarly, rural school children on the average earned 1 mark less in primary 3 and 6 Mathematics tests. Rural school children in the Eastern Region were most disadvantaged by scoring 6 and 8 marks less in the primary 3 and 6 English Language tests respectively when compared with their urban peers. The only exception was the Northern Region where the average achievements of rural school children were higher than their urban peers. The findings suggest that it significantly mattered which part of the country a child attends school. This runs counter to the nation’s educational policies and the realisation of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 4. Hence, to provide quality and inclusive education for all pupils, resources for schools and communities should be equitably distributed and effectively utilised. Keywords: School locality, Socioeconomic, Competency, Regions
