ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Investigating the learning difficulties of chemistry students in Ada and Akatsi Science Colleges of Education

This study explored some of the difficulties students face when learning Chemistry in the Science Colleges of Education. The study was prompted by the students‟ poor performance in their first and second semester examinations. The main purpose of the study therefore, was to identify some of the difficulties the students face when studying Chemistry and also look at the practices that would enhance their study of the subject. The study was also aimed at finding out whether the Science Colleges had adequate facilities and equipment that would help to promote effective learning of the subject. Another target was finding out whether e chem had any impact on the study of molecular structure of compounds. Not only that but also the study sought to identify whether the use of practical activities by students to learn Chemistry assisted them to understand concepts which were complex. The descriptive survey was used to conduct this study. Two sets of questionnaires were developed by the researcher. These instruments were used to collect data from both tutors and students to determine some of the difficulties students face when studying Chemistry. Data was collected from two (2) out of the fifteen (15) colleges designated to pursue the quasi specialist science programme. The study involved one hundred (100) students made up of seventy (70) males and thirty (30) females, and four (4) of their male tutors. The responses to the questions were coded and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 12. The findings were computed into percentages, categorized and used to describe some of the difficulties the students faced in the Colleges. The findings were also represented in bar charts for easy pictorial view. The study showed that students really perceived Chemistry to be difficult. They learnt and memorized concepts without understanding them even though their tutors used practical activities to teach them. The study also found out that the students were hardly motivated and their prior knowledge was not considered when a new lesson was to be taught.

Source: UEW
Investigating the modes of communication,a study of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly

The Local Government system in Ghana has gradually extended its boundaries in terms of its capacity as in governance and application of communication. This study is to determine the communication modes used in the Local Governance System in the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly in its interactions with the Local people in the Community. A qualitative approach based on the case study design was used for the investigation. Data were collected and analysed using in-depth interviews and focus group interviews; and analysis of data was conducted using the two-step and participatory communication theories as the theoretical framework. The in-depth interview was conducted with some key officials of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and some of the Honourable Assembly Members. The Focus group, on the other hand, was conducted among five (5) groups with eight (8) members within a group and these were the people who have stayed in the community for a very long time and understood the phenomenon understudied. The study therefore used the purposive sampling techniques where the research participants were intentionally selected and they provided useful information that met the purpose for the study. The study found that the assembly employed a number of means to communicate with the people in the Kumasi metropolis. It was revealed that the process of the assembly’s activities with the local people in the various communities lack adequate communal spirit that can effectively lead to empowerment of the local people in the daily Governance structure. These impediments finally lead to and subvert of Local people and Community involvement in Local Governance, the key to a successful Decentralize Governance Structure.

Source: UEW
Investigating the nutritional quality of the diet of the elderly in Jasikan district

The nutritional needs of elderly people in society appears to be ignored or not sufficiently prioritized. This study was conducted in Jasikan community. It investigated the diet quality of the elderly. The research methods used for the study were survey, and observation. The study employed the cross-sectional design. Ninety eight (98) elderly people were sampled via multistage sampling technique for the study. Questionnaire with Crobanch’s alpha 0.775, and observation checklist were used as research instruments to collect data. The quantitative data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 software. The study revealed that breakfast, snack, lunch and supper meals eaten by the elderly in Jasikan were relatively large in quantity or portion size but poor in protein, vitamin and mineral contents. The poor diet quality of the elderly was linked to food insecurity and low income levels. It was evidenced that Hypertension, type 2 diabetes and constipation were the most prevalent nutritional disorders among the elderly in Jasikan community The study identified dietary and lifestyle modification strategies for improving the diet quality of the elderly. In this regard, the study recommended that caretakers and families of the elderly in Jasikan should always provide adequate food to the elderly people. They should improve the feeding practices and nutrient content of foods given to elderly by feeding them with the right amount of carbohydrate, protein, and vitamin-giving foods three times or more in a day and also give them adequate fresh fruits, vegetable and water.

Source: UEW
Investigating the participation of physically challenged students in physical education in colleges of education in the Volta Region

The challenges associated with participating in Physical Education (P.E) define the resists associated with the willingness of physically challenged students to participate in practical P.E lessons. The purpose of this study was to investigate the participation of physically challenged students in the Colleges of Education in the Volta Region. The study used phenomenological research design to investigate the lived experiences of the physically challenged students on their participation in P.E and other co-curricular activities. Thirteen physically challenged students and eight P.E tutors participated in the study. Purposive sampling was used to sample respondents based on the insight and in-depth understanding of the experiences of the participants. The physically challenged students were in levels 200 and 300 within the 2019 and 2020 academic years. This method was most convenient and enabled the researcher to generate in-depth evidence about experiences lived by these students during their engagement in P.E and Sports. The study used a semistructured interview schedule with open-ended questions to collect data. The recorded data were transcribed, coded and themes formulated and analyzed using Haase’s adaptation of Colaizzi’s method. The results of the study show that physically challenged students appreciate their involvement in P.E and co-curricular activities. It was established that infrastructure, and equipment, societal perception and attitude, cultural norms inhibited their participation. It has been proven, teacher attitude is a key factor that had kept the student active in the participation of physical activities. The applied significance of this study lies in the fact that Colleges in the Volta Region will appreciate the difficulties faced by physically challenged students and will find ways to keep them active in the participation of physical activities in P.E lessons and co-curricular activities.

Source: UEW
Investigating the performance of rural and urban petty traders in Afigya-Kwabre District

his research investigated the performance of rural and urban petty traders in Afigya Kwabre District. A total of two hundred (200) questionnaires were administered in the study area but one hundred and ninety-three (193) responses were received. Descriptive statistics was employed to describe the demographic characteristics, social capital of petty traders and their customers, the roles they play and challenges associated with petty trading. The findings revealed that demographic characteristics such as age, education, source of income and operation mode play a major role in the life of petty traders. Majority of petty traders own their businesses, finance it through personal savings and operate on part-time basis. Most petty traders win customers and get free foodstuffs through socialisation. However, petty trading is not competitive enough and barter trading rarely practised. The study revealed that, petty trading requires low starting capital, has easy entry, no special skills required, provides employment and serves as economic agent. Factors such as lack of access to credit, high interest rate, bad roads, difficulty collecting money from debtors, lack of storage facilities and partnerships, lack of government support and poor implementation of SSES policies contribute to the inability of SSES to perform very well. In view of these challenges, major recommendations proposed include the following; Establishment of SSES bank in Ghana, interest rate reduction, provision of good roads, ban on importation of foreign goods and good implementation of SSES policies to control them. Finally, effective implementation of the recommendation could lead to growth of SSES sector in Afigya-Kwabre District and eventually result in creation of employment as well as reduce poverty in Ghana

Source: UEW
Investigating the problem of punctuations and capitalisation in the writings of basic school students, the case of Nangalikinia Junior High School

This study investigated the problem of punctuation and capitalization among students of Nangalikinia Junior High school. The purpose of the study is to find out some of the errors basic school students commit when punctuating their writing. It is also to find out some of the causes of the punctuation problems among students and how to address them. This was done through pen and paper survey and through interview. The sample size used includes thirty (30) J.H.S students and five English teachers from Kasena Nankana West (A) Circuit. The study confirmed that students at the basic school commit various punctuation problems. Some of them do not punctuate their writings at all. Others punctuate where they ought not to punctuate while others use one form of punctuation mark for another or use a small letter in place of a capital letter. It was discovered that these problems exist because there is limited time allocation for teaching punctuation. Teachers do not use appropriate teaching strategies to teach the concept and students are not also encouraged to study it. Therefore, this study revealed that there is the need for enough time allocation in the syllabus for teaching punctuation and capitalisation. Teachers need to adopt modern teaching strategies for teaching the concept. Students should also be encouraged to study the concept. The study has contributed to the existing literature on the problem of punctuation and capitalisation.

Source: UEW
Investigating the problems associated with the teaching and learning of English grammar-a case study at Aduman Senior High School

Teaching and learning of grammar have become a major problem among students and teachers in Ghana. To be able to communicate very well in a language in written and spoken form, one has to master its grammar. It is in this view that the researcher conducted this study to find out the problems associated with the teaching and learning of grammar and identify means through which this problem could be solved. The problems that make it difficult for students to learn English included the teaching learning materials, using grammar in communication, availability of learning materials and the techniques for teaching grammar. Further analysis revealed that students find it difficult to use the grammatical rules so they feel shy to use thinking that they will be laughed at. Such students have lack of self-efficacy and feel more difficulty in understanding English. According to teachers, students’ knowledge of the English language is low. So, teachers use the explicit method in teaching. Again, the use of teaching learning materials and self-confidence were also perceived to contribute toward the problems in learning English. The school used for the study was Aduman Senior High School. The population used for the study was seventy (70); sixty-five (65) students and five (5) teachers. The instruments used were questionnaire and interview. The stratified random sampling method was used for the study. With this method, the population was divided into smaller groups known as strata and a random sample form each stratum was taken in a number proportional to the stratum’s size when compared to the population. The researcher used data collection procedure to collect data from the respondents, this data collection procedure was in three stages thus: pre-intervention, intervention and post-intervention data collection. The data collected were then analyzed and recommendations relevant to the problem investigated were made.

Source: UEW
Investigating the properties of sandcrete blocks using different sources of sand in the Ghanaian construction industry.

Sandcrete block has been one of the materials used in construction industry. The source of sand is one of the factors that influence the properties of sancrete blocks. In this experiment the properties of sandcrete blocks made with three (3) different sources of sand were investigated. The properties examined were; particle size distribution, density, water absorption, compressive strength, split tensile strength and abrasion. Materials used for the study were; pit sand, river sand, sea sand, cement and water. The sand used for the experiment conforms with ASTMC33/C33M. The cement used for the experiment conforms with ASTMC150/C150M and the water used also conforms with ASTMC1602/C1602M. ASTMC33/C33M was used as guide to conduct the particle size distribution analysis. 126 specimens were used to conduct the experiment. The mix design used was 1:6 (cement : sand) at a constant water cement ratio of 0.5. Batching of material was done by weight. Mixing of the materials was done manually and moulding of the bricks was done mechanically by hydraulic pressure brick moulding machine of size 100mm×100mm×130mm. The specimen was cured using water spraying method for 7, 14, 21, and 28 days respectively. The density, water absorption and compressive strength were determined using ASTMC90 as a guide. Split tensile strength of the specimen was also determined using ASTMC 496/C 496M as a guide and the abrasion of the specimen was determined using ASTMC944/C944 as a guide. The results revealed that the specimens made with pit sand had a higher density, compressive strength and split tensile strength for the curing days of 7, 14, 21and 28 respectively. It was again revealed that, water absorption of 8.02% for pit sand specimen was 5.09% and 5.40% lower than the river and sea sand respectively. The Anova analysis revealed that there was a significant difference between pit sand, sea sand and river sand whereas there were no significant differences between river sand and sea sand. The study therefore, concluded that the source of sand influences the properties of sandcrete block.

Source: UEW
Investigating the quality control measures in the production of reinforced concrete, a case study of construction firms in the Ashanti Region

Concrete is widely used in construction industry due to its strength. There are several cases where reinforced concrete structures have shown sign of distress and deterioration before their expected service life, which Ghana is no exemption. Ghana have experienced structural failure in recent times resulting in the death of innocent people, infringing permanent disability in many and destroying properties. The current study sought to examine the implementation of quality control measures in the production of reinforced concrete by construction firms using Ashanti Region of Ghana as case study. This current study employed a cross sectional survey as its research design with survey as its research strategy. The target population of the study was construction professionals employed by D1K1 construction companies within the Ashanti Region. A total of 71 construction professionals were sampled from the population through the use of simple random sampling techniques with data gathered from 52 respondents. With regards to quality control practices, the study revealed that all reinforced concrete products were designed to suit fitness for use and are produced in conformity to specifications and standards. The study also revealed that most project team members know the elements of quality assurance measures with durability and reliability as key dimensions for achieving quality concrete. Difficulty to keep permanent key site operatives for reinforce concrete operations due to financial constraints and inappropriate use of construction materials in their right proportions was further reveal by the study as some challenges faced by the firms. The study concluded that some of the construction project team members do not fully appreciate the basic requirements for producing durable reinforced concrete. Also, durability and reliability according to the study are key dimensions for achieving quality in reinforced concrete. The study recommends that project team members of construction companies must strictly stick to satisfying the specified requirement of any kind of project.

Source: UEW
Investigating the recruitment and selection practices of organisations a case study of the Ghana education service office in the Kumasi metropolis

The purpose of the study was to investigate the recruitment and selection practices of organisations, using the Ghana Education Service (GES) Office in the Kumasi Metropolis as a case. The study was guided by these objectives; to identify the recruitment and selection practices, to examine how recruitment and selection practices affect the performance of teachers and to assess the challenges faced by GES in recruitment, and selection process. The population for the study was forty eight (48). Census method was used to select all the forty eight (48) participants for the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design and quantitative research approach. Questionnaire was the main instrument used to gather primary data. The computer statistical package for social scientists (SPSS version 20) was used to process all the quantitative responses from the questionnaire. The study reviews that recruitment and selection play a pivotally important role in shaping an organization’s effectiveness and performance. The study again revealed that poor human relations planning affect recruitment and selection practices. It was concluded that recruitment and selection has an important role to play in ensuring worker performance and positive organizational. The study recommended that the planning Unit for Human Resources of GES should also involve the employees in the plans they make so that they feel part of the GES and also this would prepare them in case of any change.

Source: UEW
Investigating the sources of error in the sentence construction of form two students of Mampong Senior High Secondary School for the Deaf.

This is a qualitative study that investigates the sources of errors in the English sentence constructions of the deaf in the Senior High Secondary School for the deaf at Akuapim Mampong in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The instruments used for data collection were observation and test. The total number of instruments used were 30, these were randomly selected from the Home Economics, Visual Arts and the Technical Departments. From these a total of 310 errors were identified. Sources of errors investigated were from the influence of the sign language, teachers not specially trained, overgeneralization of rules and concept, inappropriate textbooks and methods of teaching among others. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended that, the English curriculum of the deaf schools in Ghana should be restructured and designed with lots of illustrations to compensate for the hearing disability. These inovations can ensure effective learning and teaching of English Language to the deaf and can yield positive results in the usage of English to enable them access higher education with ease.

Source: UEW
Investigating the state of implementation of the new junior high school social studies curriculum in the Hohoe municipality.

This study was carried out to investigate the state of implementation of the new Social Studies curriculum in the Hohoe Municipality. A descriptive survey design was used, employing structured questionnaires and structured observation checklist as data collection instruments. The 62 social studies teachers who were part of the study were all included using the census sample technique. In analyzing the teachers’ responses, simple frequencies, mean and standard deviation were used to respond to the study research questions. The findings of the study indicated that Social Studies teachers in the Hohoe Municipality have moderated implemented the contents of the new curriculum, commonly employing teaching techniques like lectures, group work, and question and answer session. In addition, the teachers received various forms of training and support on assessment procedure, topics in the new curriculum, supply of softcopies of the curriculum, and useful resources packs, aimed to enhance the implementation of the new social studies curriculum. Furthermore, the teachers faced a range of challenge such as lack of teachers guide/manual, no textboks for students, heavy workload on teachers, lack of command over cetain topics, and a scarcity of instructional materials, in implementing the new Social Studies curriculum. In view of the challenges, the teachers strongly called for diverse forms of support to be provided in the form of teachers’ involvement in curriculum development, regular training workshops, college/university training based on the new curriculum, assignment of resource persons to schools, and the supply of needed instructional resources, as a way of enhancing the implementation of the new Social Studies curriculum. Lastly, the study found no statistically significant influence of teachers’ in-service training attended on their extent of implementation of the contents of the new Social Studies curriculum in the Hohoe Municipality. It was therefore recommended for tailored professional development workshops, adequate supply of resources as well as regular refresher courses, be provided for these teachers by the Hohoe Municipal Education Directorate

Source: UEW