ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Technology appropriation and maternal healthcare, a case study of two chips compounds in the Effutu Municipality

The study investigated how mobile phone technology is appropriated in two selected CHPS compounds in the Effutu municipality. The study was underpinned by the Technology Appropriation Model. Data was collected through a semi-structured interview and analysed thematically. The findings showed that users appropriated mobile technology through WhatsApp, Voice notes and Video calls. In spite of the problem of poor connectivity and knowledge gap associated with mobile phone technology appropriation, it enhanced the reduction of maternal mortality rates, allows for easy payments, provides users with a lot of satisfaction, and access to information. It recommended that efforts should be made and policies put in place to fully embrace and utilise mobile technology appropriation in the healthcare delivery systems. The study concludes that the appropriation of mobile technology is very relevant and useful in curbing maternal deaths. It may enable Ghana to meet the SDG 3 by 2030 if it is well implemented.

Source: UEW
Telenovelas and female audience a study of telenovela viewers in the Tema municipality

This study examined the telenovelas that interest women and the cultivation of these interests among female audience in BBC, a suburb of community 2 in the Tema Municipality. Also, the study examined the characters that women identify with in telenovelas and finally, examined why women identify themselves with these characters in telenovelas. Purposive sampling strategy was applied to sample 20 female audience of telenovela viewing for data collection. With the use of questionnaires, further supported by the cultivation theory and the social cognitive theory, this study established that the kind of telenovelas that women have so much interest in watching are those that have themes revolving around love, romance, relationships, etc. Again, it was established that telenovelas that have been translated into local languages (i.e with the use of voice overs) are the ones that have become popular and majority of female viewers can identify with. This is because the translated version of the telenovelas aids their understanding and helps them to better appreciate the plots of the story. In characterization of telenovelas, it was revealed that female audience recognize the role of the main characters and as such identify with them as role models as these characters mirror their own lives on the screen. The study also established that due to constant watching of telenovelas, women cultivate habits and values which they imbibe into their everyday lives.

Source: UEW
Television channel branding in Ghana, a study of television idents

TV Idents are short videos or animated sequence of about 3-7 seconds that are played in between programmes to identify, promote and advertise a TV channel to its audience. This communication tool has become increasingly important the Ghanaian television landscape in recent times. A close observation of Ghanaian television idents from both experts and laymen point of view suggest that the visual elements do not reflect channel philosophy. Besides, the design structure and aesthetic contents seem to lack the expected commensurability with the core philosophies of television channels in Ghana. The aim for this study was to investigate the extent to which TV idents express the brand philosophies of GTV, TV3 and UTV. The study was conceptualized under the interpretivist worldview of research and therefore takes the disposition that knowledge, truth and reality regarding the construction and deconstruction of meanings through television idents are subjective. In view of this, the qualitative research approach was employed to investigate motives, meanings, reasons, and other subjective experiences of television channels, visual communicators and audiences regarding the use television idents as a means of communication. Using the purposive sampling technique, the researcher sampled GTV, TV3 and UTV, which form the three top television channels out of the accessible population of 21 free-to -air television channels in Ghana. Data was collected through interviews, questionnaires and semiotic analysis. Findings indicate that, though the selected channels are deeply steeped in philosophies, there is a disconnection between the visual elements, design structure and the philosophical underpinnings of the selected channels. Rather than visually explaining their philosophies, television channels rely solely on their slogans. Again, the study discovered that the pattern of meanings from the television idents do not commensurate with their philosophical underpinnings. The University of Education, Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh researcher recommends that GTV, TV3 and UTV could improve on their ident by expressing their core philosophies through visuals that simply explain their core philosophies rather than relying solely on slogan to communicate their core philosophies. Television channels should develop brand manual to guide designers in communications.

Source: UEW
Temperature system of Siyas3 and Ewe

Temperature phenomena are universal, easily perceptible by humans and basic in human categorisation (Wierzbicka 1996). Their conceptualization however, differs from language to language and involves a complex interplay between external reality, bodily experience and subjective evaluation. Temperature terms can therefore be characterized as both embodied and perspectival with regard to their meaning since rather than reflecting an objective image of the external world, they offer a naïve picture based on people’s experience and rooted in their cultural practices. This paper is a comparative work on temperature terms in two Kwa languages in contact. Firsching (2009) notes that the linguistic aspects of the temperature domain have received very little attention apart from some few works which analyzed temperature terms in Baltic languages – Russian and Swedish. Taking inspiration from Firsching, who is currently working on Temperature terms in 15 African languages, the paper investigates the number of temperature terms (TTs hereafter) and the number of basic TTs in the two languages. It will also categorize these terms according to their semantic fields or domains and find out which of these domains are relevant for temperature evaluation in the two languages. The paper is structured as follows: Section 1 presents information on the literature on temperature systems as well as general information on Ewe and Siyase and Section 2 is the set up of data collection. Section 3 presents the findings and discussion whereas Section 4 concludes the paper.

Source: UEW
Temporal Description of Annual Temperature and Rainfall in the Bawku Area of Ghana

With varied implications, Ghana's temperature and rainfall are projected to rise and decline, respectively. A study exposing specific areas of concern for appropriate responses in this regard is a welcome one. This study sought to describe the temporal variations in temperature and rainfall in the Bawku Area of Ghana. A forty-year (1976-2015) daily climate data was collected on three meteorological stations from the Ghana Meteorological Agency. Normality test, homogeneity test, Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) analysis, Mann-Kendall trend test, and One-way post hoc ANOVA were performed using XLSTAT and DrinC. Over the period under study, the mean annual rainfall pattern was generally erratic, fluctuating between 669.8 mm and 1339.4.6 mm with an annual average of 935.3 mm. The long-term (40-year period) average temperature of the three stations, on the other hand, was 28.7�C, varying between 26.9�C and 29.9�C annually. Whereas the SPI value of 2006 was ?2.0, indicating extremely wet year with 2.3% probability of recurring once every 50 years, 1988 was the hottest year with temperature anomaly value of 1.2�C, while coolest years were 1979 (-1.8�C) and 1976 (-1.0�C). The Mann-Kendall trend test showed a rise in rainfall in Binduri, Garu-Tempane, and Manga, yet none of the rainfall changes were statistically significant (P>0.05). Mean temperature on the other hand experienced a significant rise (P<0.05). With an R-square of 34.7%, the rise in temperature in Manga witnessed the most significant change in annual temperature changes. There were statistically significant (P<0.05) differences in the interdecadal temperature over the 40-year period. Generally, it can be stated that both temperature and rainfall vary in the study area with various degrees of disparities, but temperature assumes an upward trend at a faster rate. We therefore recommend that stakeholders resort to the construction of dams and boreholes to ensure regular availability of water for both domestic and agricultural uses. � 2020 Yaw Asamoah and Kow Ansah-Mensah.

Source: UEW
Ten new insights in climate science 2021: A horizon scan

Non-technical summary We summarize some of the past year's most important findings within climate change-related research. New research has improved our understanding about the remaining options to achieve the Paris Agreement goals, through overcoming political barriers to carbon pricing, taking into account non-CO2 factors, a well-designed implementation of demand-side and nature-based solutions, resilience building of ecosystems and the recognition that climate change mitigation costs can be justified by benefits to the health of humans and nature alone. We consider new insights about what to expect if we fail to include a new dimension of fire extremes and the prospect of cascading climate tipping elements. Technical summary A synthesis is made of 10 topics within climate research, where there have been significant advances since January 2020. The insights are based on input from an international open call with broad disciplinary scope. Findings include: (1) the options to still keep global warming below 1.5 �C; (2) the impact of non-CO2 factors in global warming; (3) a new dimension of fire extremes forced by climate change; (4) the increasing pressure on interconnected climate tipping elements; (5) the dimensions of climate justice; (6) political challenges impeding the effectiveness of carbon pricing; (7) demand-side solutions as vehicles of climate mitigation; (8) the potentials and caveats of nature-based solutions; (9) how building resilience of marine ecosystems is possible; and (10) that the costs of climate change mitigation policies can be more than justified by the benefits to the health of humans and nature. Social media summary How do we limit global warming to 1.5 �C and why is it crucial? See highlights of latest climate science. Copyright � The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press.

Source: UEW
Tense errors in the writings of students a case study of St. Bernadette’s Technical Institute

This study sought to investigate the tense errors in the writings of students of St. Bernadette’s Technical Institute in order to establish the exact problems for redress. The researcher used the qualitative approach for the data collection and analysis. Questionnaire, observation and class exercises and test formed the instruments mainly used for the study. The respondents for the study were fifty (50) students and six (6) English Language teachers in St. Bernadette’s Technical Institute whose data were collected, interpreted and analyzed. The study revealed that students make errors in all the tense forms even though the progressive forms recorded the least. They mostly used the suffixes “-ed”or “-d” as a past tense marker for all verbs as well as for their participles and the third person singular present form marker “-s” as a plural marker. These errors are caused by many factors which include; interlingual and intralingual factors as well as inappropriate teaching methods and approaches by the teachers. The use of student centered approach and variety of teaching methods, applying tense usage in all aspects of the language, deductive approach and improved knowledge and techniques of teaching are some of the activities to help students overcome tense errors. It is hoped that if the recommendations that this study came out with are given the needed attention, it will go a long way to improve the performance of students in the use of tenses and the English Language as a whole.

Source: UEW
Tense usage difficulties a case in Nyimati JHS one students

The researcher identified the problem of pupils inability to use past tense well at Nyamati JHS one in the Sissala West District of the Upper West region in Ghana. The purpose of this paper is to identify the underlying factors for the weakness of tense usage and address the practical problems faced by the students of JHS one students to use tenses appropriately in communication. The research design was qualitative. The target population for the study was the pupils of Nyimati JHS in the Sissala West District of the Upper West region in Ghana. In this research the census technique was used to select all the JHS One students (N = 22) of Nyimati JHS to examine their first term exams answer sheets for English Language for the 2019/2020 academic year. The instruments used for the research are observation, interview and test. Based on the responses given by pupils and teachers it was found out that the students had difficulty in tense usage and it affected their general academic performances. Students’ score in English language was the lowest among the four core subjects studied at the JHS.

Source: UEW
Terms of trade, institutional quality and exchange rate volatility in the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS)

The empirical literature on volatility in exchange rates and its impact on terms of trade is expanded upon in this study, considering the role of institutional quality. The research employs GARCH and PARDL techniques to analyse data on member countries of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), between 2000 and 2021. The findings revealed past volatility in exchange rates has a significant predictive power on current volatility. However, the relationship between inflation and exchange rates differs between non-francophone and francophone countries, with inflation acting as a positive driver in the former and a negative driver in the latter. The study also finds that most indicators of institutional quality, except regulatory quality, have a significant negative impact on exchange rate in the long run. Institutional quality, financial development, external debt, and debt services yield mixed results. Additionally, majority of variables in the interim are insignificant. The study highlights that the overall imbalance in terms of trade within the sub-region leads to currency destabilization and a subsequent reduction in aggregate GDP. In the short run, the impact of these variables is significant for oil-producing nonfrancophone countries, while oil-producing francophone countries do not experience significant impacts. Therefore, the study highlights on the urgency to implement appropriate fiscal control policy and focus on the dynamic patterns to ensure stability of the exchange rates. Also, strong institutions are needed in formulating effective policies to stabilise exchange rates. The study finally recommends that strategic value chain policies should be implemented.

Source: UEW
Tetrapleura Tetraptera (prekese) and spices (ginger and Turkey berry) to manufacture prekese mixed spice drink

This research was conducted to assess the possibility of using prekese, ginger and turkey berry to produce prekese mix spiced drink. Nutritional studies have shown that Prekese extract has some useful therapeutic action easing hypertension, and Asthma. To this effect, the aim of the study was to use Tetrapleura tetraptera (Prekese) and spices (ginger and turkey berry) to manufacture prekese mixed spice drink to prevent post harvest losses of prekese and spices (ginger and turkey berry) in Ghana. Four different products were thus prepared, labeled, The mean values of the samples P01 = Control (100% Prekese drink), P02 = (prekese and ginger), P03 = (prekese and turkey berry) P04 = (prekese, ginger and turkey berry). Prepared products were then examined for their proximate composition with the standard AACC, 2000. Sensory evaluation analysis was also conducted under the ‘hedonic scale’ measure of 1-7 score points. Data was analyzed win an Excel database spread sheet at P < 0.05 level of probability. Proximate composition analysis showed no significant difference between the means of the constituent nutrients measured. However, the proportionate increased percentage crude fat, crude fibre and protein; 4.29%+2.45, 2.47+0.28 and 7.49+2.94 respectively, showed the potential effect of ginger and turkey berries in the production of prekese mix spice drink. Percentage carbohydrate decreased with increasing proportion of ginger and turkey berry, recording 37.56+5.81 for sample P04. The sensory analysis also showed no significant difference at P < 0.05 between the means and according to the hedonic scale evaluation, P02, P03 and P04 composite drink compared to P01, the 100% prekese drink were “moderately liked” and “like very much” that is, between 5.3 to 6.6 by the fifteen semi-trained panelist. The Ministry of Health should create public awareness regarding the health benefits of consuming prekese, ginger and turkey berry to enhance public awareness and consumption.

Source: UEW
Text readability and grade propriety an analysis of Senior High School English textbooks in Ghana

This study sought to examine the suitability of texts in Ghanaian Senior High School English textbooks to their intended students. The purpose is to determine the readability levels of English textbooks as well as the relationship between Lexical Density (LD) and readability, the inter-grade readability variation of texts, their suitability to intended academic levels, the extent of agreeability of readability metrics in their application to same texts as well as the reconcilability of metric and grader readability assessment of same texts. The textual data was culled from the Global Series English textbook series used in Ghanaian Senior High Schools for the teaching of the English language. Applying the mixed methods research, primary data was also collected from a total of 150 graders across the 3 grades of SHS in Ghana. Using a descriptive research design, within the constructivist research paradigm, the study revealed that there is gross arbitrary appropriation of texts in Ghanaian English textbooks to the intended learners as the readability levels of the sampled texts were found to be far above the intended grades of the students. Although the study is focused on senior high school, most of the texts (76%) were found to have readability levels suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate learners as they recorded very high (unreadable according to Flesch’s translated index) readability values. Only two percent (2%) of the texts were found to be suitable for their intended grades at the senior high school. Grader readability assessment of texts was found to be at variance with metric readability assessment. Whilst most graders found most texts to be readable (over 96%), metric readability assessment found same texts to be unreadable (about 98%). The inter-grade readability variation was also found to be very high whilst the readability metrics applied to the texts fairly agreed, with the exception of the Gunning Fog Index (GFI). Some findings of this study are consistent with those of Bani-Amer (2021) and Abuquba et al (2022). The study concludes that readability tests should be conducted on texts in English textbooks before assigning them to students of various grades at the senior high school level in Ghana. It emphasizes the need for the comparative application of readability metrics to texts rather than using one metric. Also, both metric and grader readability assessments need to be conducted on same texts in order to conclude properly on their realistic readability status before assigning them to respective grades. This is as a result of the wide departure between the Gunning readability metric and the three other metrics used in this study, as well as the wide metric-grader readability assessment disparity.

Source: UEW
Textile art as an effective vocational tool for rehabilitating discharged mental patients

The research sought to find out the art of the discharged mental patients who were once inmates of the Kumasi rehabilitation centre Cheshire Home Edwenase, who were taught art activities in textiles by the researcher and has been discharged to their respective communities. The scope of the research was limited tothe art of the discharged mental patients which involves a follow up of some selected discharged mental patients who were once inmates in theKumasi Rehabilitation Centre (Cheshire Home) Edwenase whom I taught some art activities in textiles at the rehabilitation centre from the year 2008-2010, now living within the southern part of the country (Kumasi, Cape Coast, Accra, Sunyani, and Takoradi). To solve this problem, an in-depth interview with the discharged mental patients, the administrator, Chief Psychiatric Nurse and staff of the home were conducted. Participant and non-participant observation as well as experiments were made. The main findings of the research which have been expounded by photographs of selected works of the discharged mental patientsshow that the environment, their state and their intensity of illness did not affect their creativity. Then the government can make a policy that all mentally challenged patients should be given a vocational training at the various psychiatric hospitals and units. This will reduce the stress that they will go through if they are bored and idle in the house and may end up back to the psychiatric Hospital.The findings and recommendation made on these patients will serve as a useful source of information for the psychiatric hospitals, rehabilitation centers and occupational therapist in the country and the general public.

Source: UEW
Textiles design as a communicative tool to curb the spread of covid 19 in Ghana

The study focused on using textile design as a communicating tool to curb the spread of COVID 19 in Ghana. The outcome of the result was discussed and analysed critically. The research was based on the qualitative research approach and made use of the art studio experimental and descriptive observational methods of research. The study revealed among others that, COVID-19 is global pandemic bedeviling many nations such as Ghana, however, the Ghana government has instituted various measures to curtail the spread of the virus. Also, the Ghanaian government is keen on enforcing preventive measures as a way of creating public awareness of the deadly nature of the virus and the need to stop its spread to preserve lives. Again, the study revealed the need for unique cloth prints to facilitate the education on the spread and curb of COVID-19 in Ghana. This project will enable other institutions to adapt this unique cloth print as their official cloth to help the mass production of this cloth sample for the education of the general public on the spread and preventive measures in the fight against COVID-19 in Ghana. Further recommendation is made for future research into exploring innovative cloth designs for solving other health issues bedeviling the country. This is to help promote the use of textile design as a communicating tool for educational purposes on health and other social issues.

Source: UEW