Francis Arthur
4 Publications in AERD
Author Publications
Export PDFGreen consumption behaviour among higher education students as an approach to achieving sustainable source reduction of marine plastic pollution
By Iddrisu Salifu
Purpose: Marine plastic pollution (MPP) is increasing in recent times because of the high usage of plastic products. Green consumption behaviour (GCB) gaining attention as effective approach to achieving sustainable source reduction of plastic pollution, which negatively affects both human pollution and marine biodiversity and ecosystem. Although, Higher Education (HE) students are key stakeholders in addressing environmental issues, including MPP, there is limited empirical research in Ghana on factors influencing HE students’ GCB. This study, in an endeavour to bridge the gap, used the revised theory of planned behaviour (TPB) framework to investigate the factors influencing higher-education students’ green consumption behaviour in the Ghanaian context. Specifically, the purpose of the study is to examine the interplay of consumer novelty seeking (CNS), environmental concern (EC), perceived behavioural control and social influence on green consumption behaviour among higher-education students in Ghana. The study also explored the moderating role of gender in the relationship between CNS and green consumption behaviour. Design/methodology/approach: This study used quantitative approach to obtain data from a sample of 233 students at the University of Cape Coast and used the partial least squares structural equation modelling approach for the data analysis. Findings: The findings provide valuable insights, highlighting the important role of CNS and ECs in driving higher education students’ green consumption behaviour in Ghana. This study also found a revealing role for gender as a moderator in the relationship between CNS and green consumption behaviour, with females exhibiting a more pronounced response to CNS in influencing green consumption behaviour. On the contrary, the authors found a non-significant impact of perceived behavioural control and social influence. Research limitations/implications: Although this study presents results that provide valuable insights for policy and practical implications, it has some limitations worth mentioning for future research directions. Firstly, the participants sampled for this study comprised only higher education students from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, which may limit the applicability of the findings to other student populations at various universities in Ghana and beyond. Moreover, the exclusion of non-students who are considered as “Generation Z” (i.e. born within 1995–2010) may narrow the scope of generalisability in the context of young consumers’ green consumption behaviour in Ghana. To enhance the generalisability of future studies, it is recommended that the scope of this study be extended. Furthermore, it should be noted that this study primarily measured higher education students’ green consumption behaviour based on self-reported data. Therefore, future research could adopt alternative approaches, such as non-self-reported measures or experimental data so to reduce the complexities and the gap that may exist between attitudes and behaviour. Practical implications: These results provide valuable insights for policymakers, educators and environmental advocates to develop targeted initiatives that resonate with Ghanaian higher education students to foster green consumption practices and contribute to global efforts against marine plastic pollution. Originality/value: The novelty of this study lies in the decision to propose a TPB model by including variables like CNS and EC that are believed to positively shape attitudes towards green consumption behaviour. The rationale for examining these variables is grounded in the belief that they are appropriate factors that may predict students’ green consumer behaviour, which may serve as a potential solution to marine plastic pollution. © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Preservice teachers’ behavioural intention to use artificial intelligence in lesson planning: A dual-staged PLS-SEM-ANN approach
By Bernard Yaw Sekyi Acquah
In the ever-changing landscape of education, the integration of technology has become an inevitable force that reshapes the foundations of teaching and learning. Amidst this transformative wave, the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has taken center stage, promising innovative approaches, and increased efficiency. Within this context, the exploration of preservice teachers' behavioural intention to employ AI in lesson planning has emerged as a critical issue for examination. This study used a descriptive cross-sectional survey design and employed a purposive sampling technique to recruit 783 preservice teachers. By employing a cutting-edge dual-staged partial least squares structural equation modelling-artificial neural network (PLS-SEM-ANN) approach, this study investigated the influence of the following essential variables on preservice teachers' intentions to incorporate AI into their lesson planning endeavours: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, habit, hedonic motivation, social influence, and facilitating conditions. Social influence emerged as the most significant positive predictor of preservice teachers' behavioural intention to use AI in lesson planning. Additionally, habit, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and facilitating conditions substantially positively influenced preservice teachers' behavioural intention to use AI in lesson planning. Conversely, hedonic motivation did not significantly affect preservice teachers’ behavioural intention to use AI in lesson planning. This study not only enhances our understanding of technology integration in pedagogy from a theoretical standpoint but also provides practical recommendations for refining educational curricula and instructional strategies that promote effective AI integration. © 2024 The Authors
Digital paradigm shift: Unraveling students’ intentions to embrace Tablet-based Learning through an extended UTAUT2 model
By Francis Arthur
With the rapid digital paradigm shift in educational settings, it is of utmost importance to comprehend the factors that influence the inclination of students towards utilising tablet-based learning. This study examined students’ intentions to use Tablet-based Learning (TBL) through an extended UTAUT2 model. Descriptive cross-sectional survey design was employed for the study. A questionnaire was utilised to collect data from 409 students in public senior high schools (SHSs) in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. The novel variance-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse the data. The study revealed that perceived learning opportunities, trust, effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, social influence and facilitating conditions had significant positive influence on students’ intention to use Tablet-based Learning. Also, the findings revealed that perceived learning opportunity and trust were the most external decisive factors for individual student’s intention with regards to Tablet-based Learning. Meanwhile, students’ attitude had a significant negative effect on their intention to use Tablet-based Learning. The study provides valuable insights for education policymakers and senior high school administrators regarding the essential factors that students require for effective implementation of Tablet-based learning systems. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Exploring economics teachers’ efficacy beliefs in the teaching of economics
By Mumuni Baba Yidana
This study explored Economics teachers’ efficacy beliefs in the teaching of Economics. The quantitative research approach was adopted for the study with focus on the descriptive cross-sectional survey design. In total, 125 Senior High School Economics teachers were selected for the study. The Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale was adapted as the data collection instrument for the study. Both descriptive statistics (e.g. means and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (MANOVA) were used to analyse the data. The study revealed that Economics teachers were more efficacious in instructional strategies (M = 4.14, SD =.94) compared to classroom management (M = 4.04, SD =.97) and student engagement (M = 4.03, SD =.98). Also, it was found out that there was a statistically significant difference in Economics teachers’ efficacy in the teaching of Economics based on their teaching experience. However, the study revealed that there was no statistically significant difference in the Economics teachers’ efficacy based on school proprietorship and school location. Therefore, it was recommended that Ghana Education Service, Ministry of Education and Non-Governmental Organisations should continue to organise professional development programmes for teachers to ensure a continuous, progressive and consistent high efficacy level of Economics teachers. Also, private and public SHS headmasters should organise in-service training and professional development programmes for SHS teachers to further enrich their efficacy level. In the organisation of professional development programmes and seminars for teachers, equal attention should be given to rural and urban teachers. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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