ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Assessment of groundnut (arachis hypogaea l.) genotypes for yield and resistance to late leaf spot and rosette diseases

Groundnut which is a major staple food crop in Uganda is constrained by late leaf spot (LLS) and groundnut rosette disease (GRD), accounting for major economic yield loss. This study was conducted to identify sources of resistance to LLS and GRD and yield potential of selected groundnut genotypes that could be used in breeding programs. Thirty-eight groundnut genotypes were evaluated at the National Semi Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI)-Serere, Eastern Uganda during the first and second seasons of 2015. The experiment was arranged in randomized complete block design with four replications. The results showed highly significant (P < 0.01) genotype-by-season interaction for most of the traits studied. There were significant differences among the genotypes for 100 seed weight (P < 0.01), and dry pod yield and unshelled sample of 100 pods at P < 0.05. Late leaf spot severity (at harvest), GRD incidence (at 12 weeks) and severity (at harvest) were significantly (P < .01) different and positively correlated with Area Under Disease Progress Curve (AUDPC). GRD severity at harvest showed highly significant (P < 0.001) negative correlation with shelling percentage. Both 100 seed weight and unshelled sample of 100 pod showed highly significant (P < 0.01) negative correlations with LLS at harvest, LLS AUDPC, GRD at 12 weeks, GRD AUDPC, and GRD severity. Genotypes susceptible to both LLS and GRD recorded the lowest 100 seed weight. Nine genotypes (Serenut.2, SGV 0001, SGV 0005, SGV 0006, SGV 0019, SGV 0071, SGV 0082, SGV 0083, and SGV 89751T) showed resistance to both diseases with high yield potential. These genotypes could be used to introgress resistance to both diseases in acceptable cultivars which are susceptible

Source: UCC
Assessment of Groundwater Quality and Governance in Four Coastal Communities of Ghana

This study presents the findings of the assessment of groundwater quality, associated health risks, and groundwater governance in four coastal communities (Essiama, Winneba, Accra, and Keta) in Ghana. Membrane filtration method, Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME-WQI), and Nemerow’s Pollution Index (NPI) were used to assess groundwater quality while Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA), incremental life cancer risk, and hazard quotient were employed to assess the health risks associated with groundwater use. In addition, policy document review, focused group discussions, and expert-based assessment were employed to assess groundwater governance status. The results showed that mean total coliforms and Escherichia coli ranged respectively from 123.40 to 501.30 and 30.98 to 141.90 CFU/100 ml, respectively, in the selected communities. Mean NO3 concentrations exceeded the World Health Organization’s standards in Winneba and Accra for both the rainy and the dry seasons. Arsenic was higher than the acceptable level in Accra and Keta during the dry season, while Fe was higher than the acceptable levels in Accra in both seasons. CCME-WQI indicated that groundwater quality ranged from poor to marginal and NPI revealed that NO3, As, and Fe contributed to the deterioration of the groundwater sources. QMRA showed that exposure to E. coli O157:H7 through drinking groundwater ranged from 5 to 23 cells per day and the annual risk of infection and illness from E. coli O157:H7 for all communities was 1 for drinking. Arsenic showed non-cancer risks in Accra and Keta. Assessment of groundwater governance capacity showed that overall groundwater governance capacity in Ghana was incipient. To protect groundwater resources in Ghana, there is a need to regulate activities that degrade groundwater sources, and also build groundwater governance capacity, and promote public participation in the process.

Source: UCC
An assessment of guidance programmes in the National Vocational Training Institute in Central Region, Ghana

This study assessed the guidance programme as organized in the NVTI centres in the Central Region of Ghana. A descriptive survey research design was adopted to carry out this study. Through the use of the purposive and the simple random sampling procedures, 44 coordinators/teachers and 194 students were selected from the NVTI centres to participate in the study. A set of questionnaires were used to gather the requisite information from the respondents in order to answer the research questions that were posed for the study. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations were used to analyse the data.The study found out that the guidance team in the NVTI centres is not adequately professionally and academically trained to handle guidance programmes. Programmes like career, appraisal, placement, information, referral and orientation and educational programmes are organized in the NVTI centres. To some extent, the guidance programmes that are organized in the NVTI centres have impact on the student. Inadequate funding and professional guidance coordinators are the main challenges that the centres face and the coordinator/teachers as well as the students’ suggestions focused on the training of personnel, logistics, and funding guidance programmes. It was recommended that the key stakeholders of Education should organise an in-service training for guidance coordinators/teachers in the NVTI centres. Also, the Government, Non Governmental Organisations should help by funding guidance programmes in schools.

Source: UCC
Assessment of guidance services in senior high schools in Cape Coast Metropolis

The purpose of this study was to assess the delivery of guidance services in Senior High Schools (SHSs) in Cape Coast Metropolis of Central Region, Ghana. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The population of the study comprised senior high students, guidance coordinators and teachers. Multi-stage sampling technique was used in selecting the sample for the study. A sample size of 531 (Wesley Girls=108, Adisadel College=115, Ghana National College=179 and University Practice SHS=129) was randomly selected for the study. A questionnaire was used to obtain data from the students. Frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations and independent samples t-test were used to analyse the data. The study revealed that SHSs provide orientation, counselling, appraisal, information, consultation, placement and follow-up services. The results indicated that the appraisal service was effectively implemented while the information and consultation services were not effectively implemented. The study also revealed that the main resources available for the effective running of guidance services in Senior High Schools in Cape Coast Metropolis were the counselling office, professional counsellor and a large hall or assembly hall. Furthermore, the study revealed that schools have inadequate funds and time for carrying out guidance service in the schools. The results also revealed that gender is not a significant determinant of students’ assessment of the consultation and orientation services. From the results obtained, it is recommended among others that SHSs should pay attention to all guidance services in order to effectively promote the personal, social, educational and career development of students.

Source: UCC
An Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Sediments of a Tropical Lagoon: A Case Study of the Benya Lagoon, Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem Municipality (KEEA) — Ghana

Background. Elevated concentrations of heavy metals in soil have detrimental consequences on the environment, which translates into damaging effects on humans. Objective. An evaluation was carried out to determine the concentrations of seven heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn) in soil sediments collected from 12 different stations within the Benya Lagoon in Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem Municipality (KEEA) in Ghana. Methods. The calibration and concentration measurements of the elements were carried out using a fast sequential hydride generation atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results. An assessment according to metal concentration in terms of abundance found that Pb registered the highest, while a comparison with standard sediment criteria by USEPA and CBSQG indicated heavy pollution levels of As, Cd, Hg, and Pb. Using Pearson's coefficient matrix, As-Cd had a correlation of 1.000, while Zn-Pb registered 0.858, indicating the same or similar source input for each pair. Both the geo-accumulation index (I eo) and the contamination factor (CF gave the extent of contamination in the order Cd > Pb > As > Hg > Cu > Cr > Zn, while the degree of contamination Cd at the stations was in the order 1 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 6 > 2 > 7 > 8 > 9 > 10 > 12 > 11, indicating Station 1 as the most polluted. The Hakanson index established the order of decreasing threat of a potential ecological risk as Cd > Hg > As > Pb > Cu > Cr > Zn. Discussion. The high sums of the individual potential risks values obtained at the sampling stations point to a possible detrimental effect on the health of inhabitants that use resources directly from the lagoon without treatment, and therefore the need for education to curtail any unanticipated disasters. Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Source: UCC
Assessment of heavy metal pollution in the main Pra River and its tributaries in the Pra Basin of Ghana

The Pra Basin is one of the Basins in Ghana with a high level of illegal mining activities. Heavy metal pollution in water bodies is common in areas where illegal mining is practiced. This study focused on the assessment of heavy metal pollution in the Pra Basin. The study was based on 216 water samples collected from 27 sampling points from the Pra River and two of its tributaries during the dry and wet seasons in 2017. Nine heavy metals namely arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) were assessed in this study. The metal concentrations (mgL-1) in the water were as follows: Fe > Pb > Ni > Cu > Cr > Cd > Zn > Mn > As and in the dry season as Fe > Zn> Cu >Cr> Pb > Mn >Ni > Cd >As. Five metals exceed the safe drinking water guidelines making the water generally not safe for domestic activities like drinking and cooking. According to the Nemerow’s Pollution Index (NPI) results, six metals namely Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Fe, Zn were the principal metal pollutants in both the dry and wet seasons whereas Mn, As, and Cu, were found not to contribute to the pollution effect. The water quality index confirms that the water quality is marginal to fair in the dry season and poor for 26 out of the 27 sites in the wet season. Generally the studied rivers (Pra, Offin and Oda) are polluted which is a serious threat to the health of inhabitants in villages which still use the water for cooking activities. The study recommends continuous monitoring of the polluting metals and the assessment of the river sediments to inform effective remediation measures

Source: UCC
Assessment of heavy metal residues in hides of goats singed with tyres, and the effect of boiling on the heavy metal concentrations in the hides

Tyres are reported to contain toxic materials which could pose health threats to humans. However, some butchers in Ghana singe carcasses of small ruminants with scrap car tyres. This study was therefore conducted to determine the heavy metal concentrations of carcasses singed with scrap tyres, and the effect of boiling on the heavy metal concentrations in the hides. Samples of singed goat carcasses were taken from the Cape Coast slaughter house and analyzed for the concentrations of Cu, Pb, Fe, Zn, Ni and Cd. In addition, the scraped soot from the singed carcasses was collected to determine the levels of heavy metals in it. The Cu, Zn and Pb concentrations in the tyre-singed carcasses far exceeded the Maximum Permissible Levels (MPL), rendering them unwholesome for consumption. Boiling of the carcasses marginally reduced the heavy metal concentrations, but the heavy metal residues after boiling were still higher than the MPL, indicating that boiling cannot render tyre-singed carcasses wholesome for consumption. The scraped soot from the singed animals had very high levels of heavy metal residues and therefore poses threats to soil and water bodies. Laws should be enforced in Ghana to stop local butchers from using tyres as singeing materials. Scraped soot should also be disposed appropriately in order to reduce the risk of polluting soils and water bodies

Source: UCC
Assessment of heavy metals [As, Cu, Zn] from boreholes in the Western Region of Ghana

Ground water is the source of drinking water for many people around the world, especially in rural areas. A lot of parameters such as the concentrations of Arsenic, Copper, Zinc and other heavy metals in conjunction with other physico-chemical properties contribute to the suitability of water for drinking and for other purposes. This study was carried out in the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District of the Western region of Ghana to assess the presence and the levels of selected heavy metals (As, Cu, Zn) pollution of boreholes from different villages in the study areas using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The result of the study revealed that, the mean concentrations of As, Cu and Zn in the analyzed samples were 0.00143, 0.0186 and 0.0329 mg/L, respectively. The analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences in the Arsenic concentrations among the eight boreholes (F=4.078, P=0.033). However, the differences in the concentrations of Copper (F=1.592, P=0.264) and Zinc (F=0.741, P=0.647) from the eight boreholes were not significant. Concentrations of the selected heavy metals in analysed water samples were below the acceptable limits of World Health Organization (WHO) and Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (GEPA). The concentration of the selected heavy metals may be attributed to the activities of panners, improper disposal of sewage and solid materials containing toxic chemicals and the indiscriminate use of farming inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides which have impacted on the water quality of the selected boreholes in the study areas. Although the levels of the selected heavy metals in these water samples did not exceed WHO and GEPA permissible limits, it is necessary for residents in the study areas to be provided with potable water

Source: UCC
Assessment of heavy metals and metalloid in soils, sediments and water from pristine and major mining areas in Ghana- data to aid geochemical baseline setting.

The distribution, risks and geochemical baseline analysis of the heavy metals in soils, sediments and water in pristine and major mining areas in Ghana were investigated. The surface soils, sediment and water were pulverized, acid digested, and analyzed for the major and minor elements using (ICP QQQMS). The average metals and metalloid (As, Cd, Pb and Zn) concentrations from the mining sites were higher than the pristine sites (p>0.05) with many of the metals not detected in pristine water samples. The natural geogenic metals however, showed varied concentrations in both the pristine and the mining areas. The total heavy metals concentrations from the study ranged from 0.OHO.01 (Cd) to 86859.36±47.07 (Fe) in the soils and sediments and 0.002±0.00 (As) to 0.929±0.06 mg/L (Fe) in the waters. With the exception of Al, Fe, Mn and As, the metals levels in the water samples were generally found to be below the WHO, EC and USEPA guideline limits. For the soils and sediments, the concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn were below the guideline limits. However, As showed exceptionally high concentrations in samples from the mining areas, especially those from Obuasi and Kwabeng mining areas, indicating a potential biological effect. Elevated human health risk indices (>10“4) were obtained for As and Cr with the severity of the metals and metalloid in the soils and sediment ranked as As >Cr> Pb> Cd. The multi-criteria ranking, employing PROMETHEE and GAIA, indicated that the pristine sites have low degree of contamination which is suitable for setting the geochemical baseline values for the metals and metalloid in the pristine areas. The proposed geochemical baseline values will be applied for speedy identification of sites that could be affected by heavy metals contamination.

Source: UCC
Assessment of heavy metals pollution of sediments from Fosu lagoon in Ghana

The distribution of some heavy metals, namely Cu, Pb, Zn, and Fe in sediments of Fosu lagoon of Cape Coast, Ghana was studied in the early summer (November) of 2009. The levels of the selected trace metals were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The overall mean ± RSD % of Cu, Pb, Zn, and Fe were, respectively 26.4 ± 51.0, 28.1 ± 101.0, 20.90 ± 41.90 and 1.15 × 103 ± 2.02 mg/kg. Fe recorded the highest concentration levels, the distribution of which followed the sequence Fe > Pb > Cu > Zn. Statistical analyses also showed different mean levels of trace metals at the five sites. The heavy metal burdens in the sediments revealed significant variations in the distribution of the metals, with Pb showing the greatest variation and Fe the least. Enrichment level of Fe was minimal; Cu and Zn were significantly enriched and Pb showed very high to extremely high enrichment. The average geoaccumulation values and pollution load index calculated for the five studied sites indicated that the lagoon is practically unpolluted with Fe, Cu and Zn, but moderately polluted with Pb

Source: UCC
Assessment of Historical Thinking Concepts Among History Teachers in Selected Public Senior High Schools in the Central Region of Ghana

This study sought to assess historical thinking concepts among history teachers in selected public Senior High Schools in the Central Region of Ghana. The interpretive phenomenological design of qualitative research was used to gather the necessary information for the study. Twelve (12) history teachers were used for the study. Data was collected through face –to –face interviews and was analysed according to each research question. Thematic analysis was used for the analysis of the data. The study revealed that history teachers possessed an understanding of historical significance. The history teachers depended on important past events, profundity, contemporary lessons, resonant and quantity to judge significant events in history. Additionally, history teachers demonstrated a deeper understanding of historical empathy. Furthermore, the findings indicated that history teachers apply sourcing, contextualisation and corroborative skills in analysing primary source evidence. Also, history teachers possessed an understanding of ethical judgement in history. Thus, history teachers have demonstrated knowledge of historical thinking concepts. The recommendation of this study is that history teachers should use their knowledge of historical significance to aid students identify significant events in the past. Also, history teachers should approach history in ways that students will appreciate the process involved in historical empathy. Finally, the ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service should occasionally organise professional development seminars on ethical judgement in history to further up-grade history teachers‟ knowledge of ethical judgement in history

Source: UCC
Assessment Of History Instructors‘ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge In The Senior High Schools Of Montserrado County Educational District 1b, Liberia

This research was designed to assess the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge of secondary school History instructors in Montserrado County Educational District 1B, Liberia. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design of the quantitative research approach was employed in conducting this study. This research encompassed all 85 History instructors currently teaching in Montserrado County Educational District 1B senior high schools. A census survey approach was employed to involve all the participants. The primary tool utilized for soliciting responses from the respondents was a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the gathered data, such as means, percentage, standard deviation, and inferential statistics, including One-way Factorial ANOVA and Independent Sample t-tests. Results from the study indicate that History instructors have moderate level of technological knowledge, technological pedagogical knowledge, technological content knowledge, and technological pedagogical content knowledge. Additionally, the findings show no statistical differences in History instructors‘ Technological Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge levels based on gender and qualification. The findings also revealed statistical differences in History instructors‘ Technological Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge levels based on age and teaching experience. It is recommended that History instructor education institutions endeavour to include the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) curriculum in their training programm documents.

Source: UCC
Assessment Of History Instructors’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge In The Senior High Schools Of Montserrado County Educational District 1b, Liberia

This research was designed to assess the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge of secondary school History instructors in Montserrado County Educational District 1B, Liberia. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design of the quantitative research approach was employed in conducting this study. This research encompassed all 85 History instructors currently teaching in Montserrado County Educational District 1B senior high schools. A census survey approach was employed to involve all the participants. The primary tool utilized for soliciting responses from the respondents was a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the gathered data, such as means, percentage, standard deviation, and inferential statistics, including One-way Factorial ANOVA and Independent Sample t-tests. Results from the study indicate that History instructors have moderate level of technological knowledge, technological pedagogical knowledge, technological content knowledge, and technological pedagogical content knowledge. Additionally, the findings show no statistical differences in History instructors‘ Technological Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge levels based on gender and qualification. The findings also revealed statistical differences in History instructors‘ Technological Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge levels based on age and teaching experience. It is recommended that History instructor education institutions endeavour to include the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) curriculum in their training programm documents.

Source: UCC