Habimana, Olivier

2 Publications in AERD

Author Publications

The Role of Symbolab Calculator Usage to Enhance Pre-Service Primary Teachers’ Conceptual Understanding in Trigonometry Through Community of Inquiry

By Ndagijimana, Jean-Baptiste

This study investigated the role of Symbolab Calculator software usage in enhancing pre-service Science and Mathematics Education (SME) primary teachers’ conceptual understanding of trigonometry through community of inquiry. The research used a quasi-experimental design with control and experimental groups. Thus, purposive sampling techniques was used to select pre-service primary teachers in the option of Science and Mathematics Education (SME) taken from two schools randomly selected from Southern Province of Rwanda. Thus, the selected sample was 99 pre-service primary teachers from two classes of Year One. Besides, the interview guide was used with seven pre-service primary teachers to explore their perception towards Symbolab Calculator software. Qualitative data was analyzed analytically and thematically. To analyze quantitative data, a t-test statistical analysis tool was used to compare means of the two groups. Although the results from a t-test revealed that there was no statistically significant difference between the control and experimental groups (p>0.5), the treatment group made a significant increase in scores compared to the control group. In addition, the results from pre-service primary teachers’ conceptual understanding solutions analysis and those from pre-service primary teachers’ interviews, showed that using Symbolab Calculator helped to develop a collaborative skill and more understanding of trigonometry. It recommended the tutors to integrate a Symbolab Calculator software in their instructions for an effective teaching and learning mathematics. © (2024), (Elite Scientific Publications). All rights reserved.

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Foreign language skills and labour market earnings in Rwanda

By Muhawenayo, Jacqueline

This paper investigates the extent to which proficiency in English and French as a form of human capital individually determine earnings in Rwanda's labour market and whether it still pays to be bilingual. Using data from the nationally representative Labour Force Survey conducted in 2018, our findings show that after controlling for other human capital and demographic factors, proficiency in both languages is positively rewarded. However, economic returns for proficiency in English language are higher than those for French proficiency and this gap widens from the median to the upper tail of the earnings distribution. Further, in the last two deciles of the earnings distribution, returns to English proficiency surpass returns to bilingual proficiency. A key finding of our study is that proficiency in English is highly rewarded while being bilingual in English and French pays but not in the upper 20% of the earnings distribution. The observed high returns to English language proficiency are likely the outcomes of the language reforms that have been implemented in the country and, most importantly, reflect the history of post-genocide Rwanda. English has become the language of business, government and education, and this trend is likely to continue.

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