ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Revision of kerr’s model of the curriculum for a more effective and dynamic science education

Kerr’s (1972) model of the curriculum was an improvement over Tyler’s (1949) model. It is, however, known that new concepts, knowledge and methods of teaching invariably influence the curriculum and hence its development. For example Shulman’s (1986) concept of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and van den Akker’s (2004) concept of Levels of the Curriculum have greatly influenced curriculum development and implementation. For this reason this paper critically assessed Kerr’s model of the curriculum in the light of emerging curriculum concepts and knowledge and how it could be modified to make it suitable for a more effective science education. The paper looked at the strengths and weaknesses of Kerr’s model and proposed a new and simpler model of the curriculum. The usability of the proposed model is illustrated through specific examples that indicate how it can be adapted to various levels of the curriculum. Key Words: Pedagogical, usability, competencies, multitudinous, constraints.

Source: UEW
Rewards and punishment as a means of promoting discipline in selected Junior High Schools in Jaman North District

The purpose of this study was to investigate rewards and punishment as a means of promoting discipline in some selected schools in the Jaman North District. The study was, therefore, a descriptive sample survey. The study population was made of 688 teachers and students. Random sampling technique was used to select 5 out 45 schools in the district. Proportional stratified random sampling technique was used to select 180 male and female students. On the other hand, Disproportional stratified random sampling technique was use to ensure fair representation of male and female teachers. The sample size totaled 224 respondents. A self –designed Likert-type scale questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. Frequency and percentage analysis were performed on the data. The results indicated that teachers and students share similar perceptions on all the 5 research questions. The findings were that: (i) There is similarity in perceptions of teachers and students on the frequency of occurrence of acts of indiscipline in the schools. (ii) Teachers and students agreed on the degree of seriousness of various acts of indiscipline. (iii) Teachers and students had similar perceptions on the forms of punishment used to control indiscipline. (iv) Teachers and students shared similar perceptions on the forms of rewards used to promote discipline. (v) Teachers and students shared the view that teachers had the tendency to use more punishments than rewards as a means of discipline. (vi) Teachers and students appeared to share the belief that punishment is more effective than rewards as a means of discipline. It is recommended that the District Director of Education should take responsibility to ensure that corporal punishment is actually abolished as it has been banned by the G. E.S. Teachers should be trained to use more positive approaches to school discipline. Workshops should be organized to sensitize students on the effects of indiscipline on instructional time and the importance of self –discipline. Teachers should be good models for their students always and have a genuine interest and positive outlook to help students to become responsible citizens. Further research should be conducted on the effectiveness of specific types of rewards and punishment on student discipline. Also, studies could be conducted on the relationship between school indiscipline and students achievement.

Source: UEW
A rhetorical analysis of mock examination essays in three disciplines-the case of Ve senior high school students

The aim of this research was to qualitatively analyse written mock examination essays from three different disciplines (literature, business management, and biology) in Ve Senior High School. The scholarship focused on the organisational structure and two key rhetorical features (the introduction and conclusion) of students' essays, as well as their interpretation of examination prompts. The research used the theory of English for Specific Purpose, hence, Swales (1990) move analysis, Hewings (1993) and Horowitz (1986,1989) move analysis were used to examine the introduction, conclusion and examination prompts of 50 censused essays. Three heads of departments, six subjectspecific teachers, and six students were also interviewed. Analysis revealed that while most students used a five-paragraph essay structure, biology students did not use an introduction or conclusion due to the structure of their examination prompts. In addition, literature examinees preferred 2-moves to achieve their communication purposes, while business management used 3-moves. At the conclusions, both literature and business management candidates used 2-moves to achieve their communication purposes. The study contributes to the field of rhetorical analysis in academic writing, specifically in the context of Ghanaian high schools. It highlights the importance of incorporating rhetorical analysis in the curriculum of Ghanaian high schools to improve critical thinking and analytical skills among students, enhancing their writing skills, and equipping them with the necessary tools to excel academically and professionally. It is recommended that future researchers should investigate the impact of introductions and conclusions on the quality of writing in disciplinary groups.

Source: UEW
Rhetorical analysis of President Akufo-Addo’s 2017 and 2021 inaugural and State of the nation addresses

This study analyses and discusses the discourse features of the political discourse of His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Adddo’s 2017 and 2021 Inaugural and State of the Nation Addresses. The study sought to identify and examine how he used persuasive appeals conceptualized by Aristotle to achieve his intended purpose as a politician and president of the republic of Ghana. The study also examines how power and ideologies were employed by His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Adddo in his 2017 and 2021 discourse of the State of the Nation Addresses (SONA) and Inaugural Addresses to achieve an intended effect. Using Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis and Aristotle’s rhetoric theory as theoretical frameworks, the study discovered that, His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Adddo consciously made use of Ethos, Logos and Pathos to persuade Ghanaians to create an intended effect among them and also instigate their thoughts to act along to achieve the anticipated development of the country within a time frame. It was also revealed that, power was exhibited in the speeches to build confidence among Ghanaians by giving them the needed assurance of support, providing good sense of direction and duty to work which are critical in the development agenda of the country. The study established that language is a fundamental tool in a communication process was used to engage Ghanaians in a socio-political discourse. The study therefore affirmed the statement that language has an ideological dimension which is not explicitly stated but implied. The study recommends that Ethos, Logos and Pathos be used in socio-political discourse due to their persuasive nature and the lasting effects such appeals create among the audience. Critical attention should be given to the use of language and power in political discourse.

Source: UEW
Riddling among the Dagbamba

This study discusses Riddling (Salinlɔha) among the Dagbamba in the Northern Region of Ghana. The study shows that the Dagbamba riddle has the antecedent and a response and an opening formula as the basic structure. It is also shown that there may be a semantic fit or mismatch with the relationship between the antecedent and the response. There are three types of Dagbamba riddles; these include the simple riddle, the tone riddle and the song riddle. The song riddle is peculiar because, apart from it been sang as a song, it is also accompanied with gestures and dance during its enactment. It is also revealed that the Dagbamba riddle has various stylistic properties which include alliteration, metaphor, parallelism, imagery, ideophones, symbolism, personification, repetition, pilling or linking, assonance and also violates social norms.

Source: UEW
The riddling tradition of the Farefari people the Solengirega

The study is about the Gurenɛ riddle which precedes the narration of the folktale in most instances, among the Farefari people in the Upper-East Region of Ghana. The study examined the types of riddles, their themes, characteristics, composition and performance, and their functions as it pertains during the narration of the folktale and riddles. The riddle is an oral genre performed among the people of the Farefari society. Riddling serves as a major form of entertainment among the Farefari people and was performed formerly only in the evening as a means of entertainment at the homes of members of the community who are storytellers and also at social gatherings such as at the funeral celebrations of elderly people. The riddle is reputed to portray the culture and tradition of a people. Its performance invokes a sense of wisdom, moral teachings, and oneness in cultural issues. It entertains, educates, and generally transmits a people‟s culture. Its recitation also serves as an effective tool in the Farefari society for members as they use that medium to educate, socialize, and equally criticize the wrong doings of members of the community. Riddling promotes a healthy competition of ideas leading to a peaceful coexistence among members of the community. The study revealed that riddling is an effective communication tool that when fully cooperated into the curriculum of the basic schools would enhance learners‟ ability to grasps concepts faster.

Source: UEW
A right based analysis of Ghanas free senior high school practices

The research analyzed Ghana‘s Free Senior High School Programme (FSHSP) in light of the increasing interest to expand and strengthen its implementation to provide access to quality education. The purpose is to do a Right-Based Analysis of the programme‘s implementation practices. The research, therefore, examined how stakeholders‘ participation affects the FSHSP implementation. It also analyzed how the FSHSP implementation practices promote the right to education. It further explored the effect of stakeholder participation in the FSHSP implementation practices on access to quality education. The pragmatic worldview, through the sequential mixed method design, was used for the research analysis. It provided an insight into divergent and complementary views from relevant stakeholders about the impact of the programme on the right to education. The research revealed that the FSHSP implementation have been mainly government-centered. 46.2% of the respondents strongly disagreed that the FSHSP implementation practices promote the right to education. The study further revealed that stakeholder participation to catalyze the right to education principles is inadequate. On the aspects of the programme that need improvement, the findings skewed towards unequal treatment of students. It is, therefore, recommended that there is the need for active stakeholder participation in the FSHSP implementation as an essential ingredient to promote the child‘s right to education in order to address its inequitable provisions.

Source: UEW
Right to education and learner pregnancy in pre-tertiary schools in Northern Ghana evidence from Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri District.

Right to education is a fundamental necessity for the development of every aspect of human life. Globally, it has been enshrined in various laws, legislations and sector policies of nearly every country to guarantee access to acquisition and impartation of knowledge, skills and attitude as means of safeguarding opportunities for attaining the individual’s full potentials. This notwithstanding, there are a number factors that pose as hindrances to the fulfillment of its full benefits. Learner pregnancy among others poses a significant barrier to the success of inclusive education as it is generally regarded a policy against traditional norms and expectations. This research was conducted to examine the challenges pregnant learners faced, establish the nexus between policies to tackle it and recommend alternative strategies. It applied purposive sampling from a qualitative approach drawing a sample size of 28 participants, the study included District Education Officers, the school management unit and teachers, pregnant learners, parents and traditional rulers in Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri local government in North-East Region of Ghana. Semi-structured interview guide was drafted, followed by a one-on-one interview session with participants. The study found out that pregnant learners faced challenges such as loss of concentration, learning difficulties, low performance; natal health related issues, criticisms, shame and dejection at both school and society levels. The policy of inclusive education for pregnant learners was found out to be incompatible with local norms resulting in inability to smoothly integrate with the cultural values regarding learner pregnancy at the pre-tertiary level. It is therefore recommended that there should be collaboration between the Ghana Education Service at the district level and the traditional authorities to address the issue of the incompatibility of learner pregnancy and the customs of the people. Stakeholders should liaise with both the Ghana Health Service and school managers to ensure accessibility to antenatal services. There should be a restructure of time table for those whose pregnancy may require less sitting during instructional period. University of Education,Winneba http://ir.uew.edu.gh

Source: UEW
Risk management on mass housing estate a case study in the upper west region

Mass housing industry is highly risk prone, with complex and dynamic projects environment which create an atmosphere of uncertainty and risk. The industry is vulnerable to various technical, managerial, socio- political among other risks. The track record to cope with these risks has not been good in the industry. As a result, the people working there bear various failures such as;inadequate specifications, errors in designs etc. with the overall consequence of poor management of risk. The aim of the study was to examine risk management practice of mass estate housing projects and to develop a framework of recommendations towards effective risk management of such housing units. The research employed the use of the non-experimental descriptive cross sectional survey research design where three districts of the Upper West Region were considered; Wa Municipal, Jirapa and Nandom districts. Purposive sampling technique was employed in administering the questionnaires to 100 contractors.The research findings showed that about 98 percent of contractors do identify the risk associated with contracts they are about to execute while 96 percent of them do assess the impact level of the various forms of risk identified. Majority of the contractors also do analyze the risk before the execution of the project as well as 88 percent does risk monitoring and control. The respondents attest to the fact that risk factors exist in their operating environments and that they are quite aware of their potential role in lowering productivity. The following were identified as the prevailing risk factors; financial risk, management risk, environmental risk, technical risk, socio-political risk and others. The financial risk was however seen as the most nagging factor in the mass housing construction industry. The study recommends that before handing over the site all parties to the contract should brainstorm the possible challenges expected in the project and a regular in-house workshop with stakeholders to help them understand effective risk management processes in the life of the project.

Source: UEW
The role of advertising in branding of a product the case of neat fufu

The primary purpose of this research work is to find out the role of advertising on branding of a product using Neat Fufu as a case study. The relevance of advertising is critical because it helps the brand of products to be accepted by consumers. The main objectives of the study were to identify advertising strategies for creating brand awareness of Neat Fufu and examine the relationship between advertising and brand image of a product. The research design for this study was a qualitative and exploratory in nature. The study employed the use of interviews which were administered to 10 participants using the probability and non-probability sampling techniques. It was found that smart advertising was indicated by most of the interviewees as the key advertising strategies for creating brand awareness. This is because social media advertising provides digital marketing channel for paid ad campaigns to meet the target audience. The study revealed that branding serves as the perception about a product as reflected by the cluster of associations that consumers connect to the product name. Again, the study revealed that advertising guarantees validation of the product and ensures high competitive edge in the business environment. The study recommended that management of Neat Fufu should invest more in advertising and give priority to diverse strategies especially social media. Again, the study recommends that management should provide and maintain the quality and affordability of the product to be able to have a higher competitive edge.

Source: UEW
The role of credit risk management in the liquidity position of microfinance companies in Ghana_ case study of selected microfinance institutions in the Kumasi metropolis

The purpose of the study was to assess the role of credit risk management in the liquidity position of microfinance companies in Ghana: case study of selected MFIs in the Kumasi Metropolis. The researcher used descriptive research approach. Quantitative research approach was used. The target population of the study was made up of employees of selected MFIs in the Kumasi Metropolis that comprised of 156 employees. Census method was used to select all the 156 respondents for the study. Questionnaire was the main instrument used to gather primary data. The statistical analysis such as frequencies, percentages and mean were used to analyze the questionnaire. The study findings concluded that the credit risk reduction tools that were used by the MFI to manage loan default were staff training, client project evaluation, internal controls, customer affordability calculation, credit granting policy, debt collection techniques and credit scoring models. The factors MFI considered before granting loans to clients were ability to pay, future prospects of the business, profitability of the business, cash flow statement, profit and loss statement, security, character of customers, borrower repayment history and experience of credit utilization. The credit risks faced by microfinance institutions were over reliance on guarantors, carelessness and poor underwriting typically evidenced by inadequate loan documentation, lack of current financial information and a lack of protective covenants in the loan agreement, communication ineffectiveness and ineffective loan monitoring cause loan default. The study recommended that the management of the MFI must organize periodic workshops and seminars to educate credit officers on loan approval, credit appraisal techniques, loan supervision strategies and monitoring strategies to improve loan recovery in the MFI.

Source: UEW
The role of cues in improving students’ learning of physics_a case study of form one students of St. Peter’s Senior High School

This study investigated the role of cues in improving students‟ learning of physics. The study sought to observe students‟ reaction towards the use of cues in teaching by the teacher. The performance of the students was monitored during the use of the cues. An action – research method was adopted in this study to gather data. During the intervention, cues such as visual, positional, verbal and accessibility cues were adopted to teach the students. These cues were used to teach Form 1students of St. Peter‟s Senior High School who were about 60 in the Kwahu East District of the Eastern Region. The main instrument used in this study was observation. However, informal interviews were conducted among the students prior to the intervention. The findings of this study were that students‟ performance in physics improved significantly. Furthermore, classroom discourse also saw an improvement with students asking a lot of questions during the lessons. The results of the study revealed that about 85% of students get a conceptual understanding of physics when cues are used to teach them

Source: UEW
The role of discourse markers in lecture delivery _an analysis of communication skills lessons in Kumasi technical university

This thesis explored the types and functions of discourse markers used in the lecture delivery of lecturers of Kumasi Technical University. Data were recorded from 10 Communication Skills lecturers and subjected to transcription and textual analysis. The analysis was based on Chaudron and Richards’ (1986) classification and function of discourse markers which was supported by Flowerdew and Richards (1985) that grouped discourse markers into three major types with different functions. The analysis revealed that discourse markers used in the various lectures fall under the micro, macro and micro-macro markers as supported by Chaudron and Richards (1986). In addition to these, two other markers not reported in the literature; micro-micro and macro-macro markers, were identified. The results suggest that macro markers were prevalent in all the lectures recorded as compared to the use of micro and micro-macro markers. This can be attributed to the fact that they make the text more meaningful than micro markers, in line with Chaudron and Richards’ argument that macro markers contribute to successful recall of lectures than micro markers. Also, these markers performed more of structural functions among the other functions like referential and interpersonal functions. This can be attributed to the fact that lecture is a delivery of texts. The findings also indicate that these markers function as topic opening, closing, discourse organizing, referrals, sharing knowledge and reformulating. Based on the results, it is argued that it is important for lecturers to employ relevant discourse markers in order for their students to understand their lessons.

Source: UEW