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The current state of secondary school teachers' morale competence to teach
School library and students' understanding of public administration
Parent-Adolescent Communication About Reproductive Health Issues in Nigeria
Parent-Adolescent Communication About Reproductive Health Issues in Nigeria
by Taofeek Kolawole Aliyu
Keep ReadingTeacher educators' self-efficacy and perceived practices of differentiated instruction in Ethiopian primary teacher education programs: Teacher education colleges in amhara regional state in focus
Perception of students on challenges hindering the implementation of civics and ethical education: evidence from aleta wondo secondary school, sidama national regional state, Ethiopia
School readiness and home environments: comparison study of naturalized citizens and majority groups in Tanzania
Principals’ Leadership Orientation and Students’ Academic Performance in Secondary Schools of Gedeo Zone, Ethiopia
Teaching Mathematics Meaningfully with Technology: Design Principles for Professional Development
Teaching Mathematics Meaningfully with Technology: Design Principles for Professional Development
by Kanandjebo, Leena Ngonyofi
Keep ReadingTEACHING AND LEARNING MECHANICS EXPLORED THROUGH THE USE OF THE 5E's EDUCATIONAL MODEL
TEACHING AND LEARNING MECHANICS EXPLORED THROUGH THE USE OF THE 5E's EDUCATIONAL MODEL
by Nkurikiyimana, Jean de Dieu
Keep ReadingTraditional Children’s Games: Their Relevance on Skills Development among Rural Zimbabwean Children Age 3–8 Years
Promoting students’ interest and achievement in mathematics through “King and Queen of Mathematics” initiative
Substance Use, Sleep Deprivation, Unsafe Sex, and Suicide Attempt among Finote Selam College of Teachers’ Education Students: Implications for Psycho-Educational Interventions
Positive attitudes toward mathematics among senior high school students in Cape Coast Metropolis
“Digesting the abundance of idol matter” key factors in personal information management experiences of selected social science faculty
The current state of secondary school teachers' morale competence to teach
by Nigatu Benti
The purpose of this study was to assess teachers' morale competence in the secondary school of Kersa woreda. To achieve this objective, the researchers used a cross-sectional survey research design. The study was carried out on 110 secondary school teachers who were teaching grade nine. A questionnaire and an interview were used to collect data. The analysis of quantitative data was carried out by using descriptive statistics, whereas the qualitative data was analyzed with narrations to substantiate the quantitative findings. Based on the findings, the study recommended that to improve teachers' morale, Woreda education office, secondary school principals, vice-principals, and secondary school supervisors should give special attention to encouraging teachers' morale competence by providing fair and equitable school facilities and services system and creating awareness in the community to support education to achieve school goals and objectives.
School library and students' understanding of public administration
by Awaah, Fred
Student difficulty in public administration has witnessed some writings within the African context. Although these studies are emerging, there seems to be minimal research on the influence of school libraries on students' understanding of public administration. This gap in the public administration literature precludes educational managers from determining whether or not the variable influences students understanding of the course/programme. Not establishing this places educational managers in a situation that inhibits them from placing measures to enhance the understanding of the course from the lenses of school libraries. This study responds to the gap in the public administration literature by employing a mixed-method approach to investigate the influence of the variable in the study of public administration by Ghanaian and Nigerian university students using a sample of N = 650. Anchored on the Culturo-Techno-Contextual Approach, the study results suggest significant differences in corruption, governance, and defining public administration (p < .001) when there are poor school libraries. Both theoretical and practical implications have been proferred for the use of school libraries to enhance students' understanding of difficult concepts in the study of public administration in Ghanaian and Nigerian universities.
Parent-Adolescent Communication About Reproductive Health Issues in Nigeria
by Taofeek Kolawole Aliyu
Parent-adolescent communication about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues is associated with healthy sexual outcomes in adolescents. The increasing evasion of this discourse at the home front in sub-Saharan Africa is receiving greater academic and public health attention. In many Nigerian households, adolescents lack access to informative and undiluted communication with their parents, a situation that is worse for adolescents dwelling in slums. This study documented SRH issues and patterns of parent-adolescent communication in selected slums of Ibadan, Southwestern, Nigeria. A mixed sequential explanatory research was carried out in 10 selected slums in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire scripted on open data kits (ODK) and vignette for Focus Group Discussion (FGD) were used to obtain data from parents and adolescents. A sample of 796 parent-adolescent dyads was interviewed for the quantitative strand, and 8 FGDs were conducted for the qualitative component. Analytical techniques utilized for quantitative data included descriptive (frequency counts and percentages) and inferential (chi-square) statistics, while descriptive and interpretative analyses were adopted for qualitative data. Communication regarding SRH issues occurs in many households, but indirectly. A higher proportion of mothers discuss all SRH issues with their adolescents and better than fathers. While female adolescents engage their parents only on limited topics, the consequences of sexual behaviors are the least discussed. The chi-square values for each topic were not significant for parents and adolescents, however, only the discussion of preventive sexual practice was significant for parents (0.042) at a significant level of 0.05 and adolescents (0.000) at a significant level of 0.01. The findings of this study suggest that sexual education training intervention is germane to enhancing parent-adolescent communication on SRH issues for parents and adolescents. © The Author(s) 2023.
Teacher educators' self-efficacy and perceived practices of differentiated instruction in Ethiopian primary teacher education programs: Teacher education colleges in amhara regional state in focus
by Zelalem, Abrham
The purpose of this study was to examine teacher educators' self-efficacy and perceived practices of differentiated instruction in Ethiopian primary teacher education programs. To this end, a mixed research approach was employed. As research participant, 400 instructors who had been teaching in teacher education colleges of Amhara regional state were selected through stratified random sampling for the quantitative phase and 15 of them were selected purposively for the qualitative phase. The data gathered through questionnaires and semi-structured interview were analyzed using percentage, one sample t-test and thematic analysis. The findings revealed that most of the teacher educators have not had any training on differentiated instruction and are less efficacious to implement differentiated instruction. It was also found that implementation of differentiated instruction in the study area was at a very low level. Thus, it is suggested that college officials should organize training that will provide instructors with sufficient opportunities to learn how to differentiate instruction and to strengthen their DI self-efficacy.
Perception of students on challenges hindering the implementation of civics and ethical education: evidence from aleta wondo secondary school, sidama national regional state, Ethiopia
by Kite, Asfaw
The main objective of this study was to explore the perception of students on challenges that hindered the implementation of Civics and Ethical Education in Aleta Wondo secondary school. To achieve this objective, the study employed a cross sectional survey research design with a combination of mixed research approach. The quantitative data collected through survey was analyzed via mean and standard deviation while the qualitative data obtained from key informant interviews and document analysis was presented using narration. The findings of the study indicated that content and context related problems such as repetition of the content, deformity of contents and improper mode of delivery of the course were identified as major factors that influenced the implementation of the discipline. Moreover, external environment related challenges such as engagement of a number of students in harmful activities, lack of parental involvement in the school activities, and mass media were major reasons for Civics and Ethical Education to meet its objectives ineffectively. Therefore, this study demanded all stakeholders to be highly committed to the effectiveness of the subject, and responsible to curb those challenges that affected the implementation of the discipline.
School readiness and home environments: comparison study of naturalized citizens and majority groups in Tanzania
by Ndijuye, Laurent
For more than six decades, Tanzania has been hosting more than three million refugees, of whom more than 300,000 have been naturalized as citizens. Traditionally, there have been learning and developmental disparities between children from refugee backgrounds and those from local majority communities. This study compared the school preparedness of children from self-settled and in-settlement naturalized citizens with that of children from urban and rural majority groups in Tanzania. Four hundred preprimary children, aged between 57 and 68 months, were randomly selected to undertake a contextualized version of the Bracken's Basic Concept Scale-Receptive. Further, 120 parents were recruited - 30 from each community group. Findings indicated that children of self-settled naturalized citizens were as well prepared as urban children and substantially more than of those from the rural majority group. Parents' practices, beliefs and expectations were possible factors in the better school readiness of children from this group. Parents from this group considered education for their children as essential for upward social mobility. These findings draw attention to the importance of the developmental and learning potential of children from minority and disadvantaged groups.
Principals’ Leadership Orientation and Students’ Academic Performance in Secondary Schools of Gedeo Zone, Ethiopia
by Seyoum Gari Aleme
As accountability in educational leadership has increased, interest in finding the most rewarding type of principal leadership orientation that helps to improve student performance is enhanced. The lack of agreement on the most rewarding type of leadership orientation among task-focused, relationship-focused or/and change-focused behaviours, as well as the incidence of poor performance by students has resulted in the Gedeo Zone of Ethiopia commissioning us to conduct this study. The objective of the study was to identify the most profitable type of principal leadership orientation that enhances the success of students in the secondary schools of the zone. Three ineffective (least achievers) and three effective (best achiever) schools of the zone were chosen purposively, as sample for the study by using the maximum variation strategy. The total of the sample was 339, of which 321 (n=321) participated in the quantitative part of the study, while 18 were involved in the qualitative part. A questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used as instruments to collect the data. The quantitative data were analysed by using means, standard deviations, correlations, regressions, and line graphs, while the qualitative data were analysed via a content-analytical approach. The findings of this study revealed that high task and change-oriented behaviours among school leadership enhanced the students’ success, while high relationship-oriented behaviours intended to get a mere affiliation affected the learners’ success negatively. High task-oriented behaviours enable principals to initiate work, directing members towards goals, and monitoring members’ performance. The active engagement of principals in teaching and learning activities enhances students’ academic ‘achievements more than mere passive involvement to deal with the challenges they may encounter. Thus, principals are advised to exhibit high task and high change-oriented behaviours, as their engagement affects other stakeholders to play their role in improving students’ learning. © Authors.
Teaching Mathematics Meaningfully with Technology: Design Principles for Professional Development
by Kanandjebo, Leena Ngonyofi
This paper argues that the practice of teaching and learning is being re-defined as technology enables a re-imagining of what can be taught, and how it could be taught. In Namibia, demands on mathematics teachers to incorporate technology use into their teaching practice are often mismatched with the curriculum. This theoretical paper proposes meaningful mathematics teaching via technology, instead of a mere response to societal adoption of digital tools. The concept of meaningful teaching is viewed through a Vygotskian lens. Kilpatrick et al.'s five Strands of Mathematical Proficiency inform the interpretation of goals for teaching mathematics with technology. We discuss the gaps in current models for professional development for teaching with technology when we take the Namibian cultural historical context into consideration. Activity Theory is used to conceptualise a two-triangle embedded activity system of teachers and professional developers, and to reflect on nodal interactions. We conclude by proposing some principles for the design of professional development programmes that aim to support mathematics teachers in using technology in their teaching. The principles may be useful for professional development in other developing countries with uneven access to both technology and reformed mathematics curricula.
TEACHING AND LEARNING MECHANICS EXPLORED THROUGH THE USE OF THE 5E's EDUCATIONAL MODEL
by Nkurikiyimana, Jean de Dieu
This study assesses the level of application of the 5E's educational model by Rwandan physics teachers and how the model affects the learning of basic classical mechanics in secondary school physics classrooms. For this analysis, quantitative data were collected using the classroom observation tool framed at the 5E's educational model. A sample of six secondary physics teachers was selected purposively from three boarding secondary schools of Nyamasheke district in the western province of Rwanda to participate in this study. Twenty-four classroom observations were conducted during teaching and learning mechanics concepts in the way of four observations for each teacher before being trained on 5E's educational model. This was done to help the researcher to have the real picture of the prior ability of teachers to incorporate 5E's aspects in their usual teaching practices. Similarly, a total of 24 observations were done after teachers' training. The collected data were tabulated in Microsoft Excel, and descriptive statistics were analyzed and presented. The overall mean scores on the teachers 'ability to apply 5E educational model during lesson delivery on introductory mechanics were low before training and increased due to teacher training on the use of 5E's educational model. The main findings from this study revealed that 5E's educational model is more effective in stimulating students' motivation and strong interaction and a better understanding of mechanics concepts through interactive activities, discrepant events, and computer simulations. Based on the findings of this study, some recommendations were suggested that would improve more physics students' active learning.
Traditional Children’s Games: Their Relevance on Skills Development among Rural Zimbabwean Children Age 3–8 Years
by Madondo, Fortunate
This study demonstrates the richness of traditional children’s games as an instructional tool for promoting holistic child development at the early childhood development (ECD) level. The study examines traditional children’s games from rural Zimbabwe. Valuable insights were drawn from different dimensions of indigenous knowledge systems, ranging from linguistics, crafts, cognitive skills, and clinical psychology. In this grounded theory study, participants included 10 ECD educators from rural schools in five selected Zimbabwean provinces. The researchers employed systematic random sampling technique. Data were generated using questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, and observations conducted in the five participating schools. The multiplicity of data generation methods enhanced validity of the data through triangulation. Findings suggested that traditional children’s games take cognizance of children’s socio-cultural context and are thus culturally relevant. The researchers recommend that ECD educators should maximize use of traditional children’s games in teaching. The skills that children develop in the classroom through cultural heritage resources like games are useful and sustainable in everyday life and the future. © 2021 Childhood Education International.
Promoting students’ interest and achievement in mathematics through “King and Queen of Mathematics” initiative
by Jimmy Ezekiel Kihwele
Purpose: The study explored the impact of the King and Queen of Mathematics Initiative (KQMI) in promoting students’ interest in learning mathematics and improving their achievement. The specific objectives of the study focused on the impact of the initiative in promoting interest in mathematics, assessing the contribution of the initiative to students’ achievements and investigating challenges encountered by the initiative. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a case study design with a mixed-method approach. One ward secondary school was involved. The sample size was N = 79, where 77 were grade three students in a science class and two teachers. Data collection involved documentary review, observation and interviews. Data analysis employed both content analysis and a dependent t-test to determine the effect size of the initiative. Findings: The findings revealed that KQMI had a significant impact on improving performance in mathematics among students (t (71) = −7.917, p < 0.05). The study also showed that male students improved their performance more than their counterparts throughout the KQMI. The mathematics teacher revealed that students still need assistance to solve mathematical questions with different techniques to develop the expected competencies. Research limitations/implications: The initiative was conducted only in one school, limiting the findings’ generalization. Also, the innovation faced different challenges, such as accessing adequate resources and students with little knowledge of mathematics, which the initiative aimed to address. Practical implications: Pedagogical innovations enhance the promotion of students’ interest in learning mathematics and hence improve their performance. Also, through pedagogical innovations, teachers improve their teaching skills and practices from students’ feedback. Originality/value: The KQMI is a new pedagogical innovation modified from the existing innovations such as game-based method, task design, mobile learning and mathematics island. © 2022, Jimmy Ezekiel Kihwele and Jamila Mkomwa.
Substance Use, Sleep Deprivation, Unsafe Sex, and Suicide Attempt among Finote Selam College of Teachers’ Education Students: Implications for Psycho-Educational Interventions
by Tegegne, Wossen Ayalew
The objectives of the study were to assess risky behaviors among students. A total of 52 female and 48 male graduating class students were selected by using comprehensive sampling. Independent sample t-test and chi-square were used. The study revealed that unsafe sexual practice was found to a large extent. However, substance usage and suicide attempts were found to be lower among regular college trainees. Risky behaviors such as unsafe sexual practices, suicide attempts, and sleep deprivation are more dominantly seen in females while substance usage was more dominantly seen in males. Therefore, training and advice should be given by reproductive health experts and psychologists. © The Author(s) 2022.
Positive attitudes toward mathematics among senior high school students in Cape Coast Metropolis
by Kwaku Darko Amponsah
The study involved 2,575 students selected through a combination of probability and non-probability sampling procedures. Explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used. Participants completed the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scales (FSMAS) to provide the quantitative data for the research. The qualitative data were gathered through interviews. The arithmetic mean from the survey data for each of the students was used to shortlist 140 students for focus group interviews. The findings revealed that some of the impetuses that drive the respondents’ positive attitudes towards mathematics were mathematics as a compulsory subject, good teaching strategies by teachers, the utility of mathematics, career aspirations, and encouragement from parents, guardian or peers. The study recommended that stakeholders should encourage, enhance and promote these factors. Teachers, educators, and researchers are encouraged to dig deeper to unearth more of such factors. © 2023, Intelektual Pustaka Media Utama. All rights reserved.
“Digesting the abundance of idol matter” key factors in personal information management experiences of selected social science faculty
by Williams Nwagwu
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the personal information management (PIM) behaviours of social science faculty in Africa. The study examined the experiences and encounters of selected social scientists in Africa in organising and finding and re-finding of the information they previously created or stored. More specifically, the study sought to examine how faculty keep and refind information, the files and folders in which they store the information. Also, the study examined the nature and characteristics of faculty information spaces with particular respect to electronic documents including emails and paper documents. Design/methodology/approach: Sample survey research design and a mixed methods approach consisting of qualitative and quantitative were used. Data was collected using a discursive technique, an interview schedule and a questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using factorial analysis of mixed data design, guided by a combination of category and codes identification using NVivo and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 17. Principal component analysis (PCA) of factor analysis was executed to identify key components. Findings: Eleven issues, namely, time, infrastructure, importance of the information, folder/file management, document characteristics and organisational context played significant roles in the PIM behaviours of the respondents. Others were importance of the information, document overload, memory, workload and computer literacy. PCA extracted four major components, namely, document overload, time, computer literacy and importance of the information. Research limitations/implications: An expansion in the number of faculty involved in this study would probably yield a more reliable outcome. Extending the study to cover Africa would also yield a more applicable result. Practical implications: The key PIM issues identified in this study, namely, document overload, time, computer literacy and importance of the information should constitute the focus of continuous information literacy education aimed at improving PIM social scientists’ faculty in Africa. Social implications: Improved PIM of social science faculty will result to improved research productivity and good health. Originality/value: PIM of social scientists has not been examined in the literature, and yet it is crucial for further understanding their learning and information behaviours, and improving their productivity. The design and administration of a questionnaire constructed based on codes extracted from qualitative and discursive sessions to the same respondents from whom the qualitative data was collected makes the findings very strong. A further deployment of factorial analysis of mixed data design to handle qualitative data makes the contribution of the study very significant. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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