ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
An Evaluation of Senior High School Religious and Moral Education Curriculum: A Study in Brong Ahafo, Ghana

This study aimed at evaluating the senior high school Religious and moral education curriculum(syllabus) in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana. The study adopted Tyler’s (1949) Objective-based curriculum evaluation model as the theoretical framework. The study was an evaluative study situated in the descriptive cross sectional survey design. Ten senior high schools that teach the subject were selected. Participants for the study were 300 students and 15 teachers from the 10 schools. They were selected using the simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Two sets of questionnaires with a Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficients of 0.88 and 0.86 and document analysis were used to collect data. Data collected with questionnaire were analysed using SPSS version 22. Descriptive statistical tools like frequency, percentage and means were used to analysed questionnaire data. The RME syllabus was also used for content analysis. The results showed that the aims of the RME syllabus are well stated and also attainable. Also the content of the syllabus was well placed to help attain the aims, despites the exclusion of social and experiential topics. The results again showed that there was inadequate teaching and learning resources for the subject. It was recommended that, CRDD of the Ghana education service should endeavour to include topics like democracy, governance and politics in the content of the syllabus.

Source: UCC
Evaluation of spatial arrangement of legumes on weed suppression in cassava production

Cassava, the most important root crop in the tropics, is intercropped with legumes due to the early growth of the legumes to suppress weeds. Field experiments were carried out from September, 2013 to September, 2014 to evaluate the effects of spatial arrangement of legume intercrop on the suppression of weeds in cassava cropping system. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications was used. Treatments consisted of combinations of five spatial arrangements of three legumes (cowpea, groundnut and soybean). Spatial arrangement of one row of cassava alternating with two rows of legumes-controlled weeds more efficiently and also gave the best yields of both cassava and legumes. The results also indicated that spatial arrangement is important in determining the productivity of the cassava-legume intercrop system. Since subsistence farmers are resource poor and weeds are a major problem in crop production systems, intercropping cassava with legumes will improve productivity of the system and improve the diet of the farmers from the associated legumes

Source: UCC
An evaluation of staff training and development in Bank of Ghana at the Tamale branch

The study set out to evaluate the staff development and training policy of the Bank of Ghana. A descriptive and cross-sectional survey was adopted to study 47 employees of the Tamale Branch of Bank of Ghana. The categories of staff studied covered employees from Banking, Issue, Research, General Service, and Administration. These groups comprised the sources of primary data for the study. The completed questionnaires were subjected to reliability test using SPSS version 16. Frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, and Kruskal-Wallis H Test, were used to analyse the data. It was shown that the contribution of training programmes to staff performance was identified to manifest in the improvement of skills and knowledge, performance avenue to acquire new technology, improvement of performance, and creation of promotion opportunities. Training methods used were found to be relevant to staff training needs, and this fostered teamwork and cooperation, encouraged good communication and discussions among trainees. However, enough time was not given for training sessions and for feedback. Challenges which trainees faced during the training programmes related to travelling, late notification, little or no preparation of trainees, choice of course materials, short course period, and little time for breaks. The study recommended decentralising the training programmes to branch levels, extension of training period, lessening of course content, breaking lessons into phases, giving early notifications, providing more training facilities, and ensuring that enough time is given for breaks.

Source: UCC
Evaluation of students' internship programmes in selected technical universities in Ghana

There seems to be an annual recurrence of the challenge of placing every university student for practical internship programme in most technical universities in Ghana. In addressing this challenge, this study evaluated students' internship programmes in selected Technical Universities in Ghana. The pragmatism philosophical paradigm specifically concurrent triangulation mixed methods approach was utilised. In the quantitative phase, data was solicited from third-year students, lecturers and administrators of technical universities with the help of pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires. Multistage sampling technique was utilised. Data was analysed using mean and standard deviation. The study found weak technical university-industry linkages, and unclear legal and regulatory framework governing internship. Again, no internship training plan was formulated by technical universities for each intern after the placement had been agreed upon. However, a memorandum of understanding was reached and signed by both the intern and the employer. Internship offered countless benefits to students, including greater sense of responsibility, as well as development of one's career. Among others, the challenges facing the successful implementation of internship programmes were poor integration among relevant stakeholders, competition from other education institutions, lack of stipend for interns, and weak business relationship with employers. To address the challenges, some of the strategies recommended were technical universities must target multi-nationa.1 corporations that can take on multiple interns; site visits by university supervisors should be used to monitor compliance; and interns should be encouraged to bring to the fore their concerns.

Source: UCC
Evaluation of Suma rural bank’s credit policy and its effects on loan repayment

The study was conducted to examine Suma Rural Bank’s credit policy and its effects on loan repayment. The study specifically ascertained the effectiveness of credit policies in Suma Rural Bank Limited, examined how loans were recovered and the relationship between credit policy and loans repayment at the bank. The target population comprised client and staff of Suma Rural Bank. Thirty-five respondents selected through random sampling technique answered the questionnaire and 15 officials were also interviewed. The quantitative data was processed using the IBM SPSS Statistics version 24. The data was then analysed using both descriptive statistics and inferential statistical tools. The study found that the credit policies in Suma Rural Bank were effective. There was also a strong positive relationship between credit policy and loan recovery. The bank uses penalties, legal proceedings, collaterals in order to check on loan default or late repayment. The study recommended that management of Suma Rural Bank need to educate their clients and also listen to their grievances, in order to make clients appreciate the credit and loan recovery processes. The bank should also implement loan differentiation strategies by segmenting clients based on their needs, size and type of business. Management should also design products that meet the unique needs of their segmented clients at the most competitive price for each segment.

Source: UCC
Evaluation of T-Cell Responses to Sars-Cov-2 Spike Antigens in Pfizer/Biotech and Janssen Booster Vaccinations in Fully Vaccinated Individuals: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study

With the recent emergence of the deadly COVID-19 and its worldwide spread, vaccines of different formulations; the viral-vector, m-RNA and subunit vaccines among others were developed to curb the spread of the virus and reduce its disease burden. Very little is known about the durability of these vaccines and immune protection mechanisms from homologous and heterologous booster vaccines and their effectiveness remains largely understudied. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the longevity of cellular immune responses (interferon-gamma release) following the administration of Janssen or Pfizer booster doses. Archived PBMCs obtained across four time points; Pre-booster, Month 3, Month 6 and Month 9, isolated from subjects from the Legon community, Ghana, were used in this study. In-silico HLA restriction epitope prediction of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was done to determine immunogenic peptides after which the Interferon-gamma release response ELISpot Assay was conducted. Briefly, 60% of all samples registered positive responses to at least one of the spike peptides with 55.5% from the Janssen booster vaccination and 44.4% Pfizer booster vaccination. Against all the peptides a comparison of responses between the two vaccine boosters was done across the four time points. Both Pfizer and Janssen boosters elicited durable spike-specific T-cell responses, with persistence observed for up to 6 months. The study found that homologous prime-boosting with a viral-vectored vaccine (Janssen) produced stronger T-cell responses compared to heterologous boosting. Heterologous m-RNA prime-boosting using Pfizer led to stronger T-cell responses than homologous m-RNA prime-boosting.

Source: UCC
An evaluation of Tafi Atome money sanctuary project: A study of community-based ecotourism project in Ghana

Community-Based Ecotourism (CBE) has been popularised as an effective tool for integrating economic development and conservation. Many developing countries including Ghana have adopted this tool to aid in their developmental efforts. This thesis sets out to evaluate the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary, a CBE project in the Hohoe Municipality in Ghana, within the context of the social exchange process model. The study adopted a cross sectional study design. Data was obtained from 317 residents of Tafi Atome in November, 2010. The t-test statistic and one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to analyze the quantitative data. Observations made were presented with pictures while narratives from in-depth interviews were used to support the qualitative results. The study found out that the project had yielded collective benefits which were accessible to all residents in the community. It has also enhanced the local culture, increased environmental awareness amongst local residents and has become a major source of income for the community. The study also revealed that the local community is insupport of further tourism development in the area. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the project has the potential to effectively integrate economic development and conservation in Tafi Atome. It is therefore recommended that the Hohoe Municipal Assembly should offer more assistance to the project in order to make it more effective so that in the long run, the community’sneeds would be met, the environment protected, quality tourist experiences delivered and the project sustained.

Source: UCC
Evaluation of the antioxidant potentials of ten leafy vegetables extracts commonly consumed by the Ghanaian population

Ten traditional leafy vegetables commonly consumed by Ghanaians have been evaluated for their antioxidant potential based on their polyphenolic and flavonoid contents. Among the plants studied the methanol extracts of Ocimum basilicum (akokobesa), and Amaranthus incurvatus (aleefo) exhibited the highest phenolic content of 16.4 mg GAE/gdw and 11.3mgdw GAE/g respectively. The highest phenolic content for water extracts were seen in Manihot esculenta (cassava; 9.29mg GAE/gdw) and Hibiscus sabdariffa (shuuré; 7.28mg GAE/g dw) and C esculanta (7.11 mg GAE/gdw). The methanol extracts of H. sabdariffa (Shuuré), Vernonia amygdalina (bitter leaves), Manihot esculenta (cassava leaves) and Ocimum basilicum (akokobesa) recorded the highest flavonoid content (FC) of 99.14 µg QE/gdw, 70.20µg QE/gdw, 70.08µg QE/gdw and 63.37µg QE/gdw respectively. For the FC of the aqueous extracts the order was; A. incurvatus > H. sabdariffa > Talinum triangulare> Colocasia esculenta > M. esculenta > V. amygdalina> O. basilicum > Solanum macrocarpon > Launaea taraxacifolia > Corchorus olitorius. A good positive correlation 2 = 0.663 was observed between polyphenolic content and antioxidant values for the aqueous extracts, however, no correlation was found between flavonoids, polyphenolics and total antioxidants. The study indicates that the leafy vegetables consumed by Ghanaians are potentially rich sources of dietary polyphenolic compounds and antioxidants, and might contribute important health and nutraceutical benefits to consumers

Source: UCC
Evaluation of the appraisal system on employee performance of selected banks in Akim Oda, Ghana

This study looks at the effect of performance appraisal system of selected banks in Akim Oda. The specific objectives are to examine the relationship between performance appraisal and employee commitment, the extent to which it affects performance and intention to quit. The study adopted a quantitative method with a sample size of 80. Questionnaire was the main research instrument which was used in the collection of data. Data was analysed with means, standard deviations, frequencies, percentage, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The results of the research revealed that there was an overwhelming agreement from the respondents affirming that performance appraisal systems exist in the banks. Employees indicated that there are appraisal systems that address employees’ strengths and weaknesses and that the bank have well-defined policy on appraisal of employees. The results showed a positive relationship between performance appraisal and employee commitment. The results of the study also showed a very high satisfaction with the performance appraisal system across all the banks. A relatively higher percentage of the employees indicated that performance appraisal information is not used in improving employee salary. The study concludes that performance appraisal systems affect employee commitment.

Source: UCC
Evaluation Of The Binding And Anti-Angiogenic Capacity Of Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 Nanobody (Anti-Vegfr2 Nanobody)

The use of antibody in targeted therapy has become the credible option in the treatment of cancers due to its specificity and the fact that it is associated with relatively lower toxicity compared to the other treatment options like chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, Pharmaceutical 5N, 32N, 71N and 91N targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) were generated from camel. The nanobodies University, Nanjingwere then screened by ELISA, immunoblotting and surface plasmon 210009, PR China.resonance (SPR) to select the nanobodies with high binding affinities. The nanobodies 5N and 32N demonstrated the highest binding affinities and therefore were selected for further studies. This was further confirmed by flow cytometry assay. Additionally, the selected nanobodies 5N and 32N demonstrated significant anti-angiogenic and anti-neoplastic abilities by restraining the proliferation of VEGFR2 expressing human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in a dose-dependent manner. These nanobodies are therefore potential anti-angiogenic agents which could possibly be used in cancer therapy.

Source: UCC
Evaluation of the Christian religious studies curriculum: a convergent study of senior high schools in the cape coast metropolis

The intention of this study is to improve the Christian Religious Studies curriculum. It presented difficulties encountered in order to support implementers with findings from the field. Many of such research have used traditional models for evaluation: Objective based models, Goal free evaluation models, experimental evaluation models and many more. The Context Input Process Product (CIPP) evaluation model was used in this study to evaluate the Christian Religious Studies curriculum in the Cape Coast metropolis. The study used the Convergent design of the Mixed methods paradigm. It employed the use of interview and questionnaire. Three hundred and thirty three students and all sixteen teacher respondents were randomly and conveniently selected to provide data. The typological analysis and descriptive analysis techniques were used to analyse data. The descriptive analysis used descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, percentages and mode. The study found out that teachers of the subject may have forgotten the aim of the subject’s implementation. Data also shows societal activities do not help implementation. Again, the teaching and learning at later periods of the day do not also get students involvement in classroom activities. It is recommended that teachers revisit the syllabus to implement the subject, based on their developed aims. There is also the call to bring forward the teaching and learning of the subject to early hours in order to increase students’ involvement.

Source: UCC
Evaluation of the Corporate Social Responsibility of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (Nggl) in Kenyasi

The study evaluates the corporate social responsibility practices of NGGL in Kenyasi in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana. This research adopted both quantitative and qualitative method of data collection, analysis and reporting in providing socio-economic development effects of the activities of the NGGL. Also, the study depended on secondary and primary data sources. Interviews and questionnaires were the main tool for data collection and using SPSS (16) for the analysis. It became evident that, NGGL is committed to high standards of environmental protection as well as worker health and safety. The district has also benefited from the operations of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited in the areas of water, electricity extensions, employment and revenue generation. It is recommended that, inhabitants of Kenyasi supports the operations of Newmont Gold since it has a lot of prospects for the development of the District. This would be in the Implementation of most if not all of the development priorities of the community and also invest in other communities to generate more revenue for future development projects.

Source: UCC
An evaluation of the differential impact and sustainability of the alternative livelihood programme of Golden Star Resources Company on communities

Alternative Livelihoods Programmes (ALPs) have been adopted as an alternative form of livelihoods for people whose original means of livelihood have been taken for other purposes. ALPs have been seen as viable option for people of the under privileged class. However, despite the increasing importance of ALPs in Ghanaian mining communities especially in the Prestea-Huni Valley Municipality, little studies have been conducted to assess the real impacts of the ALPs on the livelihood of the inhabitants. This study therefore sought to explore the livelihood sources in the communities before the arrival of the Golden Star Resources, the impact of mining activities on the livelihood sources, examine the types of livelihood sources introduced within the ALPs and finally explore the resource requirements for engaging in the livelihood sources introduced in the ALP and the economic viability of the ALP. The study employed interview schedule to collect data from Sixty (60) beneficiaries of the ALPs in the Prestea-Huni Valley Municipality whereas in-depth interview guide was employed for Six (6) key stakeholders. The main findings indicate that most of the beneficiaries were generally satisfied with the ALPs. Also, the beneficiaries indicated that jobs under the ALPs are preferred to their previous jobs. There was collaboration between the Prestea-Huni Valley Municipal Assembly and Golden Star Resources Company in the implementation of the ALPs. The main challenge encountered by Golden Star in implementing the ALP was minimal cooperation from chiefs. Based on these findings, it was recommended that Golden Star should broaden the base of the projects under the ALPs to other communities within the Municipality.

Source: UCC
Evaluation of the effectiveness of junior high school education in the Central Region of Ghana.

The study evaluated the quality of Junior High School (JHS) education in the Central Region of Ghana using context, input, process and product (CIPP) model by Stufflebeam (1971). Descriptive survey design was employed in the conduct of the study. The target population for this study was made up of public and private JHSs in all the 20 Metropolitan/Municipal/District Assemblies in the Central Region. Proportionate stratified random sampling was employed. In all, the participants for the study were made up of 1,260; 378 JHS three teachers, 756 pupils and 126 head teachers. Questionnaire and performance data sheet were used for data gathering. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed in analysing the data. It was found that urban schools had class sizes larger than the recommended class size by GES, Ghana. Similarly, private schools had larger class sizes than the public schools. Also, textbook pupil ratio was better in urban schools and private schools as well for English, Mathematics and Integrated Science. In addition, other input factors were present in urban schools to a greater extent; these factors were poor for rural schools for teaching of core-subjects. Private schools reported the availability of other process factors than public schools. Mediation analysis revealed that process factors significantly mediated the relationship between input factors and output factors. The multi group analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between the indirect effect for the urban and rural schools. It was therefore, recommended that Ghana Education Service should provide sufficient infrastructure for the basic schools in Ghana. Also, parents of pupils in Basic schools in Ghana are encouraged to involve themselves in their wards’ education.

Source: UCC
Evaluation of the effectiveness of Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (Sp) as antimalarial prophylaxis in pregnant women in selected health facilities in Central Region

The use of sulfadoxinepyrimethaine (SP) as an intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) against malaria during pregnancy has become a policy in most sub-Sahara African countries but crucially depends on the efficacy of SP. This study sets out to evaluate the effectiveness of the SP given to the pregnant women in the selected health facilities in the Central region of Ghana to prevent maternal malaria in the pregnant women. A cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of SP in clearing malaria parasites in 543 pregnant women recruited from 7 selected health centres in Central Region of Ghana. To determine the quality of SP, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to assay the SP in samples of the tablets given to the pregnant women. The tablets were taken through dissolution test. The parasite density of Plasmodium falciparum was determined from the peripheral blood of the pregnant women using microscopy. Haemoglobin levels as well as ABO blood types were determined. The pregnant women did not receive IPT-SP because of either unavailability of the drug or they were not due to take SP were 44.0%. Malaria infection was recorded in 11.2% of pregnant women who had a history of SP consumption. Low haemoglobin level was recorded in 73.5% of the pregnant women. Pregnant women with blood group O had the highest frequency of 55.2% of the population. SP was found to be sub-standard because it failed the dissolution test. IPT-SP is ineffective in preventing malaria infection. Manufacturing practice of SP should be improved as well as in the stocking of SP tablets at the health centres to make it readily available to the pregnant women.

Source: UCC