ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of household heads’ intentions to adopt biogas technology in Ghana

Evidence abounds that biogas technology has enormous health and environmental benefits, including improvement of community livelihood and health, sanitation, sustainable energy and reduced emissions. In spite of these benefits, intentions to adopt biogas technology are low among household heads in developing countries, notably Ghana. This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of household heads’ intentions to adopt biogas technology, based on the theory of planned behavior. The study adopted an exploratory design and collected data from 394 household heads’ using questionnaires. It was discovered that attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control are significant predictors and independently contributed to predicting household heads’ intentions to adopt biogas technology. Additionally, the study found that, the dynamics of ethnicity and education have a significantly direct effect on household heads’ intentions to adopt biogas technology. The study recommends that respected persons in local communities, using different ethnic dialects, lead public education and awareness creation on the benefits of the use of biogas technology. Besides, government should subsidize the cost of biogas plants installation so as to promote its adoption rate

Source: UCC
Dynamics of maize price in Ghana: Linear versus nonlinear cobweb models

This paper intends to study the price dynamics of maize in Ghana using cobweb models derived from linear demand and nonlinear supply function and then compare with that from linear demand and supply functions which are constructed from real economic price and production data of maize. Comparative analysis of stability conditions of the equilibrium was discussed. The results from the linear cobweb model provided unstable equilibrium state of prices towards the zero equilibrium price as well as the supply. Thus the system is unstable and no equilibrium price is achieved towards the equilibrium point 0 which is also not realistic because of producers’ sensitivity to price. However, the nonlinear cobweb model provided two equilibria of which one is also stable at the zero equilibrium price and the other unstable at non-zero equilibrium price which is realistic and a reflection of maize price system due to inflation and insufficiency of food supply at the markets in Ghana. It is deduced that linear model though provides an acceptable estimate of most problems researchers come across but in real economic situations, there is the need to use nonlinear approach as it is shown in this study to avoid under or overestimation and make better predictions

Source: UCC
Dynamics of metabolic adaptation during initiation of controlled atmosphere storage of ‘Jonagold’ apple: Effects of storage gas concentrations and conditioning

Controlled atmosphere (CA) storage reduces respiration, ethylene production and related biochemical and physiological changes. The dynamics of the metabolic changes accompanying initial periods of CA storage of ‘Jonagold’ apples have been studied. The apples were exposed to 1 kPa O2, 3 kPa CO2; 3 kPa O2, 3 kPa CO2; 1 kPa O2, 10 kPa CO2 and air (20.8 kPa O2, 0.03 kPa CO2) was used as a control. The effect of air storage preceding CA storage was also investigated. In response to CA, metabolic changes were observed in glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, amino acids and other metabolites linked with these pathways. In general, stress response patterns of immediate and delayed CA stored apples were similar. Aspartate and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid were positively correlated with O2 concentration during the rst fi two days and after one week of storage, respectively, while glucose-6-phosphate and some amino acids such as proline, alanine and threonine were negatively correlated with O2 concentration. Glutamate and succinate were correlated with CO2 concentration. Galactinol substantially increased with storage time. The observed metabolic changes are discussed in the context of adaptation mechanisms of the fruit to CA storage. ã 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Source: UCC
The dynamics of potassium (k) in representative soil series of Ghana

The immediate supply of K by soils to growing plants derives mainly from the K that is labile whereas the long term K nutrition of plants depends on the non-labile K. The dynamic relationship between these forms of K constitutes the dynamics of K in soils. Most Ghanaian farmers grow root and tuberous crops which have high K requirements. Knowledge of K dynamics in soils is therefore essential for K management to sustain crop production and management of agroecological environments in Ghana. Quantity-Intensity isotherms provide a better overview of K dynamics in soils. Therefore, Quantity/Intensity (Q/I) curves were used in this study to evaluate the dynamics of K in ten soil series representing the major agro-ecological zones of Ghana. K dynamics in the soils were found to be influenced by some soil properties. Significant correlations were found between soil properties and Q/I parameters; and among equilibrium solution parameters and Q/I parameters. There was no significant variation among the mean quantity (±∆K) values of the soils. The savannah soils had higher non-specific K, K-potential, and potential buffering capacity (PBCK) than the forest soils; and the Akuse series had the highest values for these parameters. However, the forest soils had higher K-intensity. Therefore, the forest soils will require frequent and split K applications since they have lower capacity to maintain long-term supply of K. However, the savannah soils will require less frequent but higher K fertilization to satisfy the exchangeable pool and immediate plant nutrition requirement

Source: UCC
Dyslipidemia associated with type 2 diabetics with micro and macrovascular complications among Ghanaians

In this study, differences in lipid levels amongst diabetics with and without complications were assessed to determine lipid disorders that are associated with diabetic complications other than cardiovascular diseases. A Cross sectional study design was employed. The study included 288 diabetics and 108 non diabetics with different types of complications such as hypertension, nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy. The mean serum total cholesterol was higher in patients with complications compared to those without complications and the non-diabetic controls. The normotensive diabetic patients had the lowest total cholesterol among the diabetic patients’ groups (4.65 ± 0.17 mmol/l) compared to the diabetics with hypertension (6.051 ± 0.20 mmol/l), retinopathy (6.26 ± 0.29 mmol/l), neuropathy (5.80 ± 0.17 mmol/l) and nephropathy patients 5.74 ± 0.26 mmol/l (P\0.05). The prevalence of dyslipidemia among diabetic subjects was between 19.2 and 84.0%. The study shows that, in addition to macrovascular complications, dyslipidemia is common in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with microvascular complications

Source: UCC
Dysmenorrhoea and its impact on the quality of life and coping mechanism of University of Cape Coast female students

The purpose of the study was to investigate dysmenorrhoea and its impact on quality of life among UCC students. Survey was used for the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse research questions and hypothesis. Three hundred and fifty two students were purposively and conveniently sampled for the study. Early age of menstruation (p<0.05) and waist pain (p<0.05) were the risk factors. Pain killer (M= 4.22, SD= 0.79) was the most utilized coping mechanism. The study revealed that quality of life of students was impacted negatively. There was a weak positive correlation between headache and painkiller use (r= 0.19, p< 0.01). There was a strong negative correlation between overall symptoms score and overall quality of life score (r= -0.53, p < 0.01). There was a weak negative correlation between dysmenorrhoea and quality of life (r= -0.12, p<0.05). There was a strong positive correlation between physical and psychological health of students with dysmenorrhoea (r = 0.63, p < 0.05). This finding suggests that health professionals in collaboration with school administrators should initiate health educational programmes to create awareness about dysmenorrhoea and teach students how to cope in order to enhance their quality of life. Medical doctors should be involved to educate students on the appropriate medicine for dysmenorrhoea. Clinical psychologist should be involved to teach about ways to deal with anxiety, depression, and anger associated with dysmenorrhoea. Additional findings, implications and further studies are discussed.

Source: UCC
E-banking service quality and customer satisfaction: a study of GCB Bank in Accra

The study examined the effects of e-banking on customer satisfaction of GCB Bank. The study employed the quantitative approach of a descriptive design of which the targeted population were customers of five branches of GCB Bank in the Accra Metropolis. A total respondent of two hundred (200) e-banking users were purposively selected. Questionnaires were the main data collection instruments. It was found that respondents were aware, understood e-banking service and therefore used it. Respondents expected security issues to be low as compared to their awareness of cost and charges of banking services. On the other hand, respondents perceived that it was easy to use e-banking services as compared to its security and cost of using it. Moreover, by adopting the SERVQUAL model there was a negative gap analysis of the e-banking service quality. Thus, expectations of the respondents outweighed the perceptions of the respondents. Therefore, there is low level of customer satisfaction provided by GCB Bank on e-banking service quality. Furthermore, respondents found e-banking useful. However, poor network services, frequent breakdown of system, especially, ATM and insecurity affected customer satisfaction to a great extent. Therefore, the study recommended that the GCB Bank should review their charges on e-banking services. Also, the GCB Bank should improve upon their service quality, especially, on responsiveness, reliability and security issues. Moreover, the operations department of GCB Bank should ensure effectiveness and efficiency in its systems as well as good network.

Source: UCC
E-Learning at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana-Are our Distance Education Students Technologically Ready?

.Since the adoption of e-learning involves high investment cost, Educational Institutions are expected conduct considerable up-front analysis to assess readiness among their stakeholders-lecturers, administrators and students in order to derive maximum benefit. Thus the study was conducted to measure University of Cape Coast Distance Education (UCC DE) students’ perceived readiness to engage in e-learning. The research design adapted was a descriptive survey, using open- and close-ended questionnaire developed through literature search to solicit responses from students’ readiness (self-assessment or perception). The results show that majority of DE students have diverse basic computing and Internet skills with regular Internet access. However, they have very little or no experience with LMS tools and majority are less freely willing to fund their e-learning activities. The study then recommended ICT and e-learning skills training as a solution to reduce or minimise the identified deficiencies.

Source: UCC
E-waste recycling and public exposure to organic compounds in developing countries: a review of recycling practices and toxicity levels in Ghana

This paper reviews e-waste practices and aggregates the toxicity levels of organic compounds in different environmental media and human body fluids resulting from e-waste recycling activities in Ghana. Literature was searched from three academic databases (Science Direct, SpringerLink and PUBMED). Research articles published in English from 2010 to 2018 were selected in addition to reports of country studies. In all, 13 documents passed the inclusion criteria. E-waste recycling practices in Ghana were found to be mainly rudimentary. he major organic contaminants found in soils, air, sediments, food and body fluids of people exposed to e-waste recycling activities are PAHs, PCBs, Dioxin-like PCBs, PCDD/Fs, PBDD/Fs and PBDEs. The concentration of PCBs in the blood of e-waste workers and breast milk of nursing mothers at the recycling areas were respectively 0.082 µg/g (blood) and 3.64 ng/g lipid wt (breast milk). PAHwas 3.94 µg/g creatinine in the urine of e-waste workers and 4,822 ng/g (median) in the soils at open burning areas. PCDD/F was 12.1 pg/g lipid base WHO2005-TEQ per year in the blood of e-waste workers and 988 pg EQ/g in sediments of a shallow lagoon near the largest e-waste recycling site. Further studies are required to establish the levels of organic contaminants in air, water and food stuffs at e-waste recycling sites and body burdens of children living or illegally working at e-waste recycling sites

Source: UCC
Early childhood pedagogy in a Ghanaian socio-cultural medley: A case study of two Kindergarten classrooms

In a quest for quality-driven early childhood education settings, it is important to explore subtleties that define socio-culturally-relevant pedagogy that is often ignored in scholarly literature. To address this gap in literature, a qualitative multi-case study approach was used to explore four kindergarten teachers views regarding early childhood pedagogy over a six-month in kindergarten classrooms in Tata School and at Kariba School. This study sought to establish “Why does children’s socio-cultural contexts influence choice of pedagogy in kindergarten classrooms”. The study was framed by Bronfenbrenner’s framework, ecological theory. The sources of data comprised semi-structured individual interviews, pair-interviews and field notes of classrooms observations. Both within and across case interpretative analysis was used. The study established that, participants in the two cases perceived that a socio-cultural context-based pedagogy such as learning materials, storytelling, traditional songs and traditional rhymes supported children’s development in terms of their understanding of concepts, language development, cognitive and moral development, respectively.

Source: UCC
Early Childhood Pedagogy in a Socio‑cultural Medley in Ghana: Case Studies in Kindergarten

In the quest for quality in early childhood education, it is important to explore the subtleties that define socio-culturally relevant pedagogy. A qualitative, multi-case study approach was used to explore perspectives of teachers about socio-cultural influences on their teaching in kindergarten classrooms in Ghana. Four teachers from two kindergartens participated in the research. Data were collected across a six-month period and were drawn from semi-structured individual interviews, paired-teacher interviews, and field notes made during classrooms observations. Both within-case and cross-case analyses were used to explore how the local sociocultural context influenced the use of learning materials, storytelling, and use of traditional songs and rhymes. Teachers believed that adapting their practices to the socio-cultural context could support children’s understanding of cognitive concepts, language, literacy and moral development. The findings provide evidence about how individual teachers take account of the socio-cultural contexts in their pedagogy. The findings demonstrated that the teachers had sufficient agency to modify and adapt their pedagogies that took account of the social-cultural experiences of children and applied these ideas within the curriculum framework in order to support children’s learning.

Source: UCC
Early Childhood Teachers’ Characteristics and Self-Efficacy Variances: The Case of Kindergarten Teachers in Central Region, Ghana

The focus of the study was to examine the self-efficacy variances of kindergarten teachers based on their background characteristics in Central Region, Ghana. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was employed. Data were gathered from 1413 KG teachers using a questionnaire adapted from the Ohio Teachers Efficacy Scale. The teachers were randomly selected from ten districts in the Central Region of Ghana. Data were analysed using MANOVA. It came to light that statistically significant differences exist between urban and rural teachers (p =.010); young, middle aged and old teachers (p = .000); professional and non professional teachers (p = .018); novice, experienced and more experienced teachers’ (p = .000) level of combined self-efficacy. However, there was no difference in male and female teachers’ self-efficacy. It was recommended heads of schools should develop peer assessment and mentoring models for teachers to facilitate interaction between less experienced and young KG teachers and the older and more experienced ones; qualified teachers should be posted to teach in kindergartens.

Source: UCC
Early Comparative Musicology and the Study of non-Western Music: A Critical Appraisal

This article focuses on the emergence of the academic discipline of comparative musicology at the end of the nineteenth century. As predecessor of ethnomusicology, comparative musicology paved the way for the study of non-Western music and many of its premises had a lasting impact on musical studies around the world until the present day. Based on the premise of the situatedness of knowledge production within the socio-cultural as well as political and technological contexts from which it emerges, this article critically examines the conditions of possibility for the study of non-Western and more generally human musical expression outside the Western art music paradigm around the turn from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. It scrutinises the paradigm shift in aesthetical discourse that made the institutionalisation of comparative musicology possible and addresses questions about the relevance of early studies of non-Western music by comparative musicologists for scholars working in postcolonial contexts today.

Source: UCC
Early Identification and Intervention Procedures for Preschool Children With Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

For children with special educational needs and disability (SEND) to benefit from education, there should be procedures available whereby teachers, caregivers and parents can use to determine the needs of the child. However, it appears that in Ghana and particularly in the Komenda Edina Eguafu Abirem (KEEA) Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana, the needs of children with SEND are taken for granted. The study therefore explored the procedures used by preschool teachers in early identification and intervention (EII) for children with SEND in preschools in the KEEA Municipality. The study employed a multiple method research design. The sample size for the study was 168 teachers and 57 parents. Twelve teachers who teach children with SEND and 12 parents were conveniently selected for the qualitative phase. Also, purposive sampling technique was used to sample parents whose children were suspected to have or were diagnosed of disabilities. Questionnaire and interview guide were used for quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. Quantitative data was analysed using mean and standard deviation whereas qualitative data were analysed using thematic approach. It was found that preschool teachers in the KEEA district have adequate knowledge of early identification and intervention for children with SEND. Also, it came to light that, the teachers relied mostly on observation and checklist as a technique in identifying children with special educational needs. They also used collaboration and communication, and accommodation and adaptation during the intervention process. It was also revealed that parents were actively involved in the early identification and intervention process. Amongst the recommendations was that the Pre-school teachers should continue to enhance their knowledge in identifying children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Source: UCC
Earnings differential between public and private: Formal sectors of Ghana

The study recognises the fact that both public and private sectors in the formal economy need the relevant human resource to ensure growth and development of the economy of Ghana. Any significant disparities in earnings between these two sectors for workers of identical productivity-related characteristics have the potential effect of denying the low paying sector of the quality labour it would need. Using data from the fourth Ghana Living Standard Survey, it was revealed that gross earnings differential existed and was in favour of public sector workers. The study therefore sought to investigate whether the disparities in earnings were “justified”, that is as a result of differences in productivity-related endowment or not, that is constituting “real” premiums. Using Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition technique to decompose gross earnings differentials, results showed that there exist earnings differential in favour of public sector workers when productivity related endowments are controlled for. Premium was greatest in agriculture, about 60 percent and least in service, about 50 percent. Earnings were found to rise with an increase in educational level in both public and private-formal sectors. The study suggests the need for strong worker unions in the private-formal sector to reinforce their bargaining power. There is the need for the expansion of higher educational facilities and institution of more scholarship schemes and educational grants to enhance affordability and increase higher educational enrollment.

Source: UCC
Earnings Management, Audit Quality And Dividend Policy Of Listed Firms In Ghana

This study looked at the earnings management, audit quality, and dividend policy of Ghanaian listed companies. The agency theory, signalling theory, and lending credibility theory were adopted to explain the variables used in the study. The study drew on data from both financial and non-financial firms listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange. The study's data came from published financial statements from 2011 to 2020. Earnings management was measured using discretionary accrual (Modified Jones method). Audit quality was measured based on audit firm size and dividend policy was measured using dividend payout ratio. Using the GMM method of estimation, the study found that earnings management positively relates to dividend policy. However, audit quality has a negative relationship with dividend policy. It was also observed that audit quality moderates the relationship between earnings management and dividend policy. It is therefore recommended that regulatory bodies should formulate polices to guide the dividend policies of firms and help control earnings management. The study participant should look beyond dividend policy when assessing firms’ performance and also be informed in choosing auditors for their firms.

Source: UCC