ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Factors influencing parental decisions on the choice of early childhood education facility for their wards a case study of parents in Zabzugu

The purpose of the study is to examine the factors that influence parental decisions on the choice of early childhood facilities for their wards facilities in Zabzugu. The study adopted a quantitative research approach. In the study, objectives findings validated the results of the study because it was based on the actual findings from the field as the researcher remained distanced from the participants. The study also used the descriptive survey design, as it sought to establish and describe prevailing factors which influence parents to select early childhood facility. The design was suitable for this study given that it was able to identify key factors which influence parents to choose early childhood facility. Apart from reporting the current status, the collected data were used to determine whether and to what extent relationships exist between and among the variables considered in the study. The population of the study was fifty (50). This targeted population for the study comprised both parents and their wards. The results from a survey where there is a carefully selected sample will reflect very closely to the entire population. The sample for this study was fifty (50) participants. A stratified sampling technique was used to select the sample unit for the study. Parents were selected at their homes, sitting places/ work places, offices and school premises to answer the designed questionnaires distributed by the researcher and teachers. In all the population 50 parents in Zabzugu town were involved in the study. The purpose of validation is to find out the degree to which the measure is accurate for a specific purpose. Concerning the content validity of the questionnaire, the instrument was given to other experts in the area of the study, including the supervisor of this study for their perusal. Reliability of an instrument has to do with its consistency of measurement. Through a pilot study, a measure of item consistency was obtained. The instrument was self-administered to the targeted respondents. It was believed that the administration of the instrument by the researcher in person would result in more co-operation than if others were asked to collect the data. On the average, it took five minutes for a participant to fill the questionnaire. The questionnaires were collected on the spot after they had been filled. As a result, there was a hundred percent (100%) return rate.

Source: UEW
Factors influencing parental decisions on the choice of early childhood education facility for their wards a survey of parents in Atomic hills ‘1’ basic schools

The study investigated the factors that influence parental decisions on the choice of early childhood facilities for their wards at Atomic Hills Basic Schools. The positivist paradigm is informed by the philosophical position of the study. In line with philosophical position, a quantitative approach and descriptive survey research design were used. A sample of one hundred and fifty (150) parents were considered for the study. Questionnaires were used in data collection. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that personal/ideological factors that influence parental decisions on the choice of early childhood facilities were schools’ environment, school’s proximity, school’s high enrolments, fewer children in each class, academic performance of pupils, schools’ focus on skill development, availability of transportation and security of the facility. It also emerged from the study that economic factors influencing parental decisions on the choice of early childhood facilities were level of fees, affordability of fees, fee payment structure (flexibility of payment terms, mode of payment) and value-for-money services. Finally, the study established that there is statistically significant correlation between parents’ socio-economic status and their choice of early childhood facilities. Inherent factors to parental choice of ward’s preschool are multi-faceted. It is recommended that the school authorities should consider parents’ whose wards enrol in Atomic Hills schools view in all important management decisions concerning the school and the well-being of the pupils.

Source: UEW
Factors influencing parents’ decisions on the choice of early childhood facilities for their children A survey of parents within the Suame Municipality of Ghana

Parents all over the world make a lot choices on behalf of their children, including the first school they attend. The purpose of the study, therefore, was to examine and rank the factors that influence parental decisions on the choice of early childhood facilities for their children. It also sought to establish relationships between parents educational, economic and gender status and their early childhood facilities choice within the Suame Municipality in Ghana. The study was grounded through the lenses of the Migration, Rational Choice Theories by building on the Push-Pull Model for Parent Choice. Using a descriptive survey design within the quantitative approach in the positivism paradigm, the study addressed three main research questions. A multi stage simple random sampling technique was employed to survey 80 respondents. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was employed to determine validity and reliability, whilst using the relative importance index to rank the overall factors influencing parents school choice. Pearson Correlation Test was also performed to explore the relationship between parents’ educational, economic and gender status regarding their choice of early childhood facilities for the children. The result suggested that parents place high premium on financial factors, which recorded RII of 0.800 than the personal reasons with RII value of 0.72 when deciding on early childhood facilities for their children to attend. The results also indicate that security and safety were ranked as top-most priorities among the personal factors, whilst the environment of school and children bringing food from home were also ranked as the second and third high important personal factors parents consider. Similarly, flexibility of fee payment structure was ranked as the top-most financial factor that influences parents’ early childhood facilities choice for their children. This was followed by convenient mode of payment, affordability of fees, and value for money. The results further revealed that parents’ gender, educational, and economic status had the strongest significant positive effect on their early childhood facilities choice, recording (β=0.510, p-value =0.000; β=0.089, p-value =0.010 and β =0.035, p-value =0.036) respectively. The study, therefore, concludes that the parents have the sense of appreciating the value for money consideration in line with the school choice for their wards. The study recommends that early childhood entrepreneurs ought to provide value for money service to the parents, with specific concentration on safety and secured environmental conditions, whilst offering flexible school payment options for the parents. Again, Ghana Education Service ought to sensitize parents and school owners on quality issues in early childhood education to inform policy, practice, and theory.

Source: UEW
Factors influencing parents’ selection of private and public junior high schools in the Bosomtwe district of the Ashanti Region

The study examined the factor influencing parent’s selection of private and public junior high schools in the Bosomtwe District in the Ashanti Region, Ghana. The study used quantitative study approached with a descriptive survey design. Stratified sampling was used in selection ten junior high schools (five private and five public) out of 101 junior high schools while convenient sampling was employed in selection 100 parents for the study. Questionnaires was the instruments used to gather data for the study. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. The study showed that parent’ perceive of quality education as one that the school has excellent academic records, discipline, the quality of curriculum run by the school and good facility for extra curriculum activities. Also the study showed that the academic performance in the private junior high school in the Bosomtwe District is better than the public junior high schools. Some of the factors that influenced parent’s in the selection of private junior high school for their wards were that the school regularly keeps parents informed about how their wards are performing academically, the class size and hygienic conditions of the environment. The study recommended that the schools should constantly informed parents about both the academic a progress of the ward, also, the schools and its environment should be kept tidy and the government should employ more teaches in other to control the class size in the public schools.

Source: UEW
Factors influencing performance in chemistry practical work a case study in selected schools in Greater Accra, Central, Eastern and Volta Regions

This study concerned itself with practical work conducted in chemistry in senior high schools. It examined whether the way practical experiences were presented to the students and students’ engagement in it enhanced the attainment of goals of practical work. The study also examined the teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards practical work in chemistry. The study was conducted in four selected schools in four regions of Ghana, using a descriptive survey design.. It involved four (4) chemistry teachers and 100 Form Three chemistry students comprising 60 boys and 40 girls. The study utilised questionnaires, lesson observation schedules and document analysis guide to collect data. The main findings of the study indicated that science laboratories in senior high schools in the selected regions were fairly equipped with basic apparatus, chemicals and materials and students were indeed involved in a variety of practical activities in chemistry.

Source: UEW
Factors influencing performance in chemistry practical work_ a case study in selected schools in greater Accra, central, eastern and volta regions

This study concerned itself with practical work conducted in chemistry in senior high schools. It examined whether the way practical experiences were presented to the students and students’ engagement in it enhanced the attainment of goals of practical work. The study also examined the teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards practical work in chemistry. The study was conducted in four selected schools in four regions of Ghana, using a descriptive survey design.. It involved four (4) chemistry teachers and 100 Form Three chemistry students comprising 60 boys and 40 girls. The study utilised questionnaires, lesson observation schedules and document analysis guide to collect data. The main findings of the study indicated that science laboratories in senior high schools in the selected regions were fairly equipped with basic apparatus, chemicals and materials and students were indeed involved in a variety of practical activities in chemistry.

Source: UEW
Factors influencing poor performance of students of junior high schools in Brosankro Circuit in Tano South Municipality

The study was undertaken to investigate home, school, and teacher factors that account for poor academic performance of students in the Junior High Schools in the Brosankro Circuit in the Tano South Municipality. The target population consisted school children, teachers and parents. The study employed a descriptive survey design. Also, simple random sampling technique was used to select students, teachers and parents who participated in the study. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire. Questionnaires were respectively designed for all three categories of participants on factors that were perceived to be affecting academic performance in the schools. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution and percentages. The study found that school factors such as inadequate teaching and learning materials, absence of reference materials such as textbooks, unavailability of libraries were major cause of low academic performance. Again, teachers’ failure to offer remediation exercise for pupils and inaccessibility of in-service training contribute to poor academic achievement of pupils in the circuit. Parents’ inability to provide their wards the needed basic materials and engaging their wards in petty trading after school are contributing factors of pupils’ low performance. Base on the findings and the conclusions of the research work, the researcher recommends that Ghana Education Service in the Tano-South Municipality should help provide adequate teaching and learning materials (Textbooks, reference materials, teaching aids) to facilitate smooth teaching and learning in the Circuit.

Source: UEW
Factors influencing retention and attrition of teachers in Twifo Hemang Lower Dankyira District.

This study focuses on factors that influence retention and attrition of teachers in Twifo Hemang Lower Dankyira District and to explore teachers’ satisfaction with other factors which may lead teachers to decide to make teaching in the district their longtime career or leave to teach in another district. Both Quantitative and Qualitative method were utilized to explore and understand teachers’ challenges and experiences in the district convergent parallel mixed method design was used. The sample for this study consisted of 66 teachers and 10 headteachers. The organizational category was associated with school administrators’ leadership style, expectation, support, workload and professional development courses, which were the main reason for leaving the Twifo Hemang Lower Dankyira District. Personal related to accommodation problems was one of the reasons teachers were leaving the district. Finally, system, related to non-implementation teacher condition of service, was also mentioned as one of the reasons for leaving the district. The results of this study have implications for the school organization seeking to retain teachers in the district. The major contributions of this study are related to teachers’ job satisfaction associated with leaving the district and greater insight into practical implications and consideration necessary for the retention in the district.

Source: UEW
Factors influencing senior high school students’ performance in core mathematics s in the Greater Accra region of Ghana

This study aimed to examine the factors that influence students‘ performance in Core Mathematics in Senior High Schools in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. The areas examined included school environment, teacher effectiveness qualities, student attitude, and parental involvement. A mixed method approach was employed, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The study involved a survey administered to a randomly selected sample of students after purposive sampling and stratification; interviews with school principals and focus group discussions with parents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data collected. The findings revealed several key factors influencing students‘ performance in Core Mathematics, that is the school environment, availability of resources, teacher effectiveness, student attitude, and parental involvement. The most significant determinant of students' performance in Core Mathematics among these factors was their attitude. It was discovered that having a positive attitude toward learning mathematics improved achievement while having a negative attitude hampered learning. Collaboration between parents and schools was highlighted as crucial for improving mathematics education. Effective partnerships between parents and schools contributed to increased student motivation, self-worth, and socialemotional learning abilities. However, challenges such as diverse family structures, language barriers, and limited communication channels need to be addressed to promote parental involvement. The findings also concluded that strategies and interventions to improve students‘ mathematical learning and achievement included creating a positive classroom atmosphere, ensuring sufficient school resources, promoting effective teacher-student interaction and communication, providing supportive guidance, fostering self-confidence and developing positive attitude towards Mathematics, and encouraging regular practice and this will improve students‘ mathematical learning outcomes in schools in the Greater Accra region. The most important determinant of students' performance in Core Mathematics among these variables was their attitude. It was discovered that having a positive attitude toward learning mathematics improved achievement while having a negative attitude hampered learning.

Source: UEW
Factors influencing share price volatility of listed firms and low patronage of the Ghana stock exchange.

This research thesis sought to find out the factors influencing the stock prices in the Ghana Stock Exchange. The independent variables were gross domestic product, inflation, dividend policy, and trading volume. A descriptive survey method was used in this study. The target population was the 61 firms that are listed at the GSE. The study used secondary data obtained from annual reports and financial statements of the firms listed in GSE found at the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) library for the period January 2010 to December 2016. A data collection form was designed to record stock prices, gross domestic product, inflation, dividend policy, and trading volume. The data collected was analyzed using the statistical package for social science (SPSS). To determine the factors influencing share price volatility of firms listed at the Nairobi securities exchange, regression and correlation analysis was carried. The study concludes that GDP, inflation rate, Dividend policy, and trading volume, influenced share price volatility. All of the variables influenced it positively. The study found out that the intercept was 1.103 for all years. The four independent variables that were studied (GDP, inflation rate, dividend policy, and trading volume) explain a substantial 80.7% of share price volatility among firms listed at the Ghana Stock Exchange as represented by adjusted R2 (0.807). The study concludes that the coefficient for GDP was 0.852, meaning that GDP positively and significantly influenced the share price volatility among firms listed at the Nairobi Securities exchange. The study also concludes that the coefficient for inflation rate was 0.654, meaning that inflation rate positively and significantly influenced the share price volatility among firms listed at the Ghana Stock Exchange. The study concludes that the coefficient of dividend policy was 0.231, meaning that dividend policy positively and significantly influenced the share price volatility among firms listed at the Ghana Stock Exchange. Finally the coefficient of trading volume was found to be 0.489, this means that trading volume positively and significantly influence the share price volatility among firms listed at the Ghana Stock Exchange

Source: UEW
Factors influencing Teachers’ use of assessment in the implementation of the standards-based curriculum

The purpose of the study was to look at factors influencing teachers‘ use of assessment in the implementation of the Standards- based Curriculum in the Ayensuano District, Ghana. The study adopted the cross-sectional survey design located in the quantitative research approach. The study was underpinned by the positivist research paradigm. Data was gathered through a questionnaire. The simple random sampling technique was used to aid in selecting 216 respondents for the data collection. The data were analyzed through the computation of descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviation and the Chi-square statistics using Stata. It emerged from the findings that public primary school teachers hold a nuanced perspective on assessment, emphasizing its role beyond simply improving learning outcomes. The study also found out that public primary school teachers in the Ayensuano District possess a strong understanding of the concept of assessment; yet, they face challenges when attempting to incorporate it into the Standards-based curriculum. Furthermore, the study revealed that public primary school teachers predominantly employ a variety of assessment strategies to enhance their assessment practices. These strategies encompass the principles of Assessment of Learning (AoL), Assessment for Learning (AfL), and Assessment as Learning (AaL), aligning with the guidelines established in the standards-based curriculum. The study again found that teachers use of assessment was impeded by curriculum content overload, heightened pressure to cover the entire curriculum in preparation for end-of-term and year examinations, insufficient support from policymakers, and a lack of essential learning and teaching resources. Lastly, the study revealed that male and female public primary school teachers hold distinct views or experiences in their use of assessment and both male and female teachers consistently use assessment strategies, with gender not significantly influencing them in the standards-based curriculum implementation. The study recommended that the district assembly and educational directorate adopt a collaborative approach to assessment practices, provide support and resources for teachers, ensure alignment with the Standards-based curriculum, and conduct regular training programmes for educators, emphasizing the need for integrated assessment approaches.

Source: UEW
Factors influencing the academic performance of music students in senior high schools in the Ho-West district in the Volta region of Ghana

The study interrogated factors that influenced academic performance in Music at the senior high school among General Arts and Visual Arts students in the Ho West District of Volta Region, Ghana. The objectives of the study were to examine attitudes of music teachers and students towards the subject, analyse methods and materials used in teaching music and how prospective students were selected to study music at these schools. The work was done using descriptive method of qualitative research with interview and observation as the main tools. Using the purposive sampling techniques, a sample of three schools and six teachers were selected for in-depth study while I sampled students randomly. Out of the three schools, the study found that, reasons for underperformance were as a result of the unavailability of teaching learning resources, the admission of low grade applicants into the General Arts and Visual Arts departments and negative attitudinal problems towards the subject. It came out of the study that the environment of a school also influenced its academic output. Adequate resourcing, infrastructure, good BECE entry grades, and teachers using different methods and materials in teaching are recommended as remedies towards addressing these problems.

Source: UEW