ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Economics of Cocoa Extension Service Quality, Climate Smart Adaptation, and Efficiency of Production Nexus: Implication for Food Security Among Cocoa Farmers in Ghana

The increasing consequences of climate change and persistent low farm-level productivity on the livelihood security of cocoa farmers have become a growing concern, thereby calling for empirical research findings to support appropriate policy direction. Given this, the current study examined the food security implication of the economics of cocoa extension service quality, climate-smart adaptation, and efficiency of production nexus. A multistage sampling approach was used to randomly select seven hundred and twenty cocoa farmers from across the cocoa regions. In analysing the empirical data collected from the sampled farmers, the study utilised a mixture of descriptive statistics and econometrics models including service quality measurement model, mixed logit model, multivariate probit model, stochastic frontier model, the Heckit treatment effect model and the structural equation model. The result of the analysis showed that perceived increase in extension service quality positively influences farmers’ willingness to pay for climate smart cocoa extension service. It was additionally observed that farmers’ choice of climate smart adaptation practices was significantly explained by their perception of climate variability and change effect. The study noted that most farmers exhibited significant levels of inefficiencies and were also marginally food secured. It was empirically confirmed that improvement in the quality of extension service delivery to farmers significantly increases their adoptions of climate smart adaptations choices which was also found to positively influence the production efficiencies of farmers. In addition, the study empirically found out that farmers' food security situation can significantly be improved as their efficiencies in production increases. Thus, improving cocoa extension service quality by making its climate smart is critical and must be given serious attention in national policy directions by policymakers seeking to improve cocoa productivity/production and for that matter livelihood security of cocoa farmers.

Source: UCC
Economics Of Cocoa Extension Service Quality, Climate Smart Adaptation, And Efficiency Of Production Nexus: Implication For Food Security Among Cocoa Farmers In Ghana

The increasing consequences of climate change and persistent low farm-level productivity on the livelihood security of cocoa farmers have become a growing concern, thereby calling for empirical research findings to support appropriate policy direction. Given this, the current study examined the food security implication of the economics of cocoa extension service quality, climate-smart adaptation, and efficiency of production nexus. A multistage sampling approach was used to randomly select seven hundred and twenty cocoa farmers from across the cocoa regions. In analysing the empirical data collected from the sampled farmers, the study utilised a mixture of descriptive statistics and econometrics models including service quality measurement model, mixed logit model, multivariate probit model, stochastic fi'ontier model, the I-Ieckit treatment effect model and the structural equation model. The result of the analysis showed that perceived increase in extension service quality positively influences farmers ' willingness to pay for climate smart cocoa extension service. It was additionally observed that farmers ' choice of climate smart adaptation practices was significantly explained by their perception of cl imate variability and change effect. The study noted that most farmers exhibited significant levels of inefficiencies and were also marginally food secured. It was empirically confirmed that improvement in the quality of extension service delivery to farmers significantly increases their adoptions of climate smart adaptations choices which was also found to positively influence the production efficiencies of fanners. In addition, the study empirically found out that farmers' food security situation can significantly be improved as their efficiencies in production increases. Thus. improving cocoa extension service quality by making its climate smart is critical and must be given serious attention in national policy directions by policymakers seeking to improve cocoa productivity/production and for that matter livelihood security of cocoa farmers .

Source: UCC
Economics Students‘ Motivational Orientations, Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Engagement in Higher Education: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

In the dynamic landscape of higher education, understanding the factors that influence Economics students' self-regulated learning and academic engagement is paramount. This study delves into the intricate interplay between Economics students' motivational orientations, self-regulated learning strategies, and their academic engagement using a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach. The study was quantitative research that adopted a descriptive cross-sectional census design. In all, 452 undergraduate Economics students were involved in the study. Motivational orientations, self-regulated learning, academic engagement and academic support scales were adapted as the data collection instruments. Both descriptive (frequency and percentages, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data that were obtained. The study found that the Economics students had high motivational orientations, self-regulated learning and academic engagement. The study also revealed no statistically significant differences in self-regulated learning and academic engagement based on gender and academic level. Again, it was found that academic self-efficacy, task value orientation, mastery approach and performance-avoidance goal orientations had significant influence on Economics students‘ self-regulated learning. Finally, it was revealed that the lecturer‘s academic support negatively moderated the positive relationship between self-regulated learning and academic engagement. It was recommended that curriculum developers and Economics educators should design Economics curricula that challenge higher education students intellectually while providing opportunities for independent learning and problem solving.

Source: UCC
Economics students’ rating of economics teachers’ effectiveness: a survey of selected senior high schools in the central region of Ghana

The thrust of this study was to ascertain the influence of certain factors on Economics students’ rating of Economics teachers’ effectiveness. A total of 781 Economics students, randomly selected, were involved in the study. A questionnaire, (which was a students’ rating form) was used for data collection. Data obtained on students’ background information as well as other data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics to describe the characteristics of respondents. An independent samples t-test suggested that students’ rating was dependent on location of school and class size. The test however indicated that students’ rating was independent of students’ gender, students’ level, students’ intention towards further studies of the subject, as well as students’ perceived difficulty of Economics. It was recommended that students’ ratings should not be employed as a sole criterion for assessing teacher effectiveness, but should be combined with other assessment measures such as teaching portfolios and classroom observation

Source: UCC
Economics Teachers’ Conceptions of Classroom Assessment: A Study of Senior High Schools in the Central and Ashanti Regions of Ghana

Assessment literacy is part of the Economics teachers’ professional competence, yet little attention in the form of research has been undertaken in this area of study in Ghana. This study therefore explored Senior High School (SHS) Economics teachers’ conceptions of the purposes for undertaking classroom assessment. In specific terms, the study investigated Economics teachers’ understanding of the various motives that inform their assessment practices. The study also examined the influence of the Economics teachers’ demographic variables such as age, gender, and teaching experience on their conceptions of classroom assessment. It further assessed the influence of formal training in assessment on the teachers’ conceptions of the construct. The study was a descriptive type which employed the survey method. Respondents of this study comprised 301 Senior High School Economics teachers drawn from the Central and Ashanti Regions of Ghana. The participants were made up of 213 male and 88 female teachers. A 56-item version of Brown’s Teachers’ Conceptions of Assessment (TCoA) inventory scale was adopted as the questionnaire for this study. Using a test-retest procedure of two-week interval, the TCoA which also made provisions for the demographic data of respondents on a different section, was administered on 36 Economics teachers. A reliability index of .813 was obtained. The data were analyzed using mean, t-test, and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical techniques. The findings of the study showed that a majority of the Economics teachers (mean score = 3.01) consented to the idea that classroom assessment leads to improvement in teaching and learning, as well as ensuring school accountability (mean score = 3.27). The study also found that gender and age did not influence teachers’ conception of assessment. It was recommended among other issues that professional learning communities be organized for experienced and less experienced Economics teachers to enable them exchange ideas on the various purposes of classroom assessment.

Source: UCC
Ecosystem Restoration: Evaluating Local Knowledge and Management Systems of Fishermen in Fosu Lagoon, Ghana

This article evaluates fishermen’s knowledge about the value of mangrove to fish stock and discusses possible management practices to help restore fish stock within the Fosu Lagoon, Ghana. The lagoon was recently added to the list of water bodies with dead zones, raising concern for the people who depend on it for both sustenance and livelihood. The methodology includes in-depth interviews and surveys. Feedback was collected from 120 fishermen representing the different communities that fish the lagoon. Findings did include that fishermen indicated they have some knowledge about mangroves in general and specifically their value to fishing. However, they lack knowledge about the scientific information to manage these mangroves properly to derive the complete benefits that mangroves provide. With its importance to the livelihood of the fishermen and the traditional heritage of the Cape Coast (Ghana) community as a whole, Fosu Lagoon should be the object of more in-depth studies to help restore the fishery resources. This article provides baseline information for developing educational programs to educate the people about the economic, ecological value, and functions of mangroves. The report analyzes one of the obstacles— depletion of mangroves—leading to decline in fish resources in the lagoon. Based on the knowledge of the fishermen, the article provides some recommendations for better management of the lagoon to help reverse fish decline. This work is original, as no such analysis has been carried out before for this region.

Source: UCC
Ecotourism experiences of international visitors to the Owabi wildlife sanctuary, Ghana

This article examines the ecotourism experiences of international visitors to the Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary in Ghana for the period 2003-2008. Through the content analysis method, written comments and observations made by the visitors upon the completion of their tours of the sanctuary were analyzed. The results revealed seven different experiences ranging from excitement, learning, escape, solitude, relaxation and being close to nature, to dissatisfaction. It was concluded that the experiences expressed by visitors regarding the park could have both positive and negative implications for the image of the sanctuary

Source: UCC
Edta, water-extractable arsenic and bioavailability of arsenic in soil/tailings: the effects of zeolite and beringite amendments

The effects of zeolite and beringite ( 0, 30 and 60 kg ha-1 w/w) on EDTA-extractable Arsenic (As), water soluble As, and bioavailability of arsenic (As) in non-mined agricultural soil and tailings of a mined site(capped and uncapped) were studied in a pot experiment. Un-amended non-mined agricultural soil was included as a control. EDTA-extractable and water extractable forms of As were monitored for 0-12-weeks after amendments and bioavailability of As was evaluated by growing lettuce (Lactuca sativa) on amended tailings/soil for 4-12 weeks after incubation. For EDTA-extractable As at week 12, beringite amendment (60 kg ha-1 (w/w) was 29 %, 8.6 % and 26 % more efficient over zeolite for soil/capped and uncapped tailings respectively. For water-extractable As at week 12, beringite amendment 60 kg ha-1 (w/w) again recorded 84 %, 54.5 % and 72 % less extractable As over zeolite in soil/capped and uncapped tailings respectively. Analysis for bioavailable-As in edible leafy aerial parts of lettuce, indicated 52.5 %, 82.0 % and 39.0 % less extractable As for beringte over zeolite in capped and uncapped tailings (week 12, 60 kg ha-1 (w/w)... Beringite (week 12, 60 kg ha-1 w/w) reduced As of capped tailing (0.3 mg kg-1) below the FAO & WHO recommended maximum limit of 1.0 mg kg-1 for human consumption

Source: UCC
EDTA, water-extractable lead and bioavailability of lead in non-mined soil, capped and uncapped tailings: the effect of biochar amendment

A study was undertaken to determine the effects of corn cob biochar application on Pb-water and Pb-EDTA extractable, pH and bioavailability of Pb in non-mined soil and mine tailings. Biochar was applied to soil/tailings at a rate of 0–8 t ha-1) and incubated at room temperature for 4 – 12 weeks. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) was planted on biochar-amended soil/tailings for 12 weeks. The levels of Pb in amended soil/tailings and lettuce were monitored after 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks from incubation. The application of biochar decreased significantly the levels of EDTA-extractable Pb by 13–14%, 7–16% and 9 – 11% in non-mined soil, capped and uncapped tailings respectively after 12 weeks biochar application. Water extractable Pb concentrations also decreased by 30 – 33% in non-mined soil, 33 – 37% in capped tailings and 13 – 18% in uncapped tailings. The concentration of Pb in lettuce cropped on biochar-amended non-mined soil (0.2 mg kg-1) and capped tailings (0.2 mg kg-1) were within the maximum limit (0.3 mg kg-1) in vegetable, while the amended uncapped tailings recorded Pb level (0.85 mg kg-1) which is well above the permissible limit

Source: UCC
EDUCATING USERS ON THE LIMITATIONS OF FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDITS: A PROPOSAL FOR BRIDGING THE AUDIT EXPECTATION GAP

The indispensability of the role of education in the incessant calls for attempts at addressing the Audit Expectation Gap (AEG) problem in extant literature seems unquestionable. Interestingly however, these calls for responding to the AEG problem through education appear to have been skewed towards one mode. Educating users with the view to reconciling their views on financial statement audits to the views of the accounting profession regarding the work and role of auditors seems dominant. However, notwithstanding the litany of evidence of prior attempts to address AEG problem through this mode of education, the problem seems to be persisting, and in some cases and contexts, appears to be escalating. Thus exploring different approaches regarding the nature and type of education to adopt could be interesting. This conceptual paper attempts to address this fundamental question by proposing a circumscribed mode of education; educating users on the principal areas of expectations that financial statements audits are incapable of achieving. A type of education aimed at explicating the areas of illegitimate and unreasonable expectations on the part of users of financial statements is proposed. This, it is posited, could contribute to fundamentally curtailing the range of unreasonable expectations on the part of stakeholders.

Source: UCC
Education and Tax Compliance Among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs Tax) in Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly

This study investigated the relationship between tax education and tax compliance among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly. To achieve this goal, the study set three specific objectives: to analyze the impact of tax education on tax compliance; to examine the effect of tax education on business taxes and tax compliance; and to investigate the relationship between tax education and tax compliance among SMEs. The study employed the theory of planned behavior as its theoretical framework and adopted a causal design to investigate how the variables relate to one another. A total of 342 respondents took part in the survey, which employed a quantitative research methodology. A questionnaire was used to gather data, and structural equation modelling was used to analyze the results. The study found a positive and significant relationship between tax education and tax compliance. Based on these findings, the study recommends that governments and educational institutions invest in comprehensive tax education programs for individuals, businesses, and professionals.

Source: UCC
Education of women and poverty reduction in Navrongo

The study discussed how education of women could lead to poverty reduction among women. Data was collected on variables as age, educational level, dependency, income, access to healthcare; microcredit, water and sanitation, land and labour market. In all, 190 women from 10 different communities were interviewed. The selection was done using the lottery method in unbiased manner. Evidence of the problems relating to access to healthcare, microcredit, water and sanitation, land and labour market were explored and their relationship established. The study revealed that women with lower level of education and training tend to have lower incomes. This equally affected their ability to access healthcare, microcredit, land and employment. Also women with lower level of education were associated with large family size. This certainly drained economic resources for business, education and political participation. Efforts should be made conscientiously to encourage young girls to avail themselves for education and older women for training in trade or vocations of their choice. By this, younger girls would not rush to the towns and cities to be engaged as porters where the majority get pregnant and drop out of school. Efforts should be made by the Kassena/Nankana East District Assembly, Churches and Traditional leaders at discouraging early marriages in Navrongo. Also encouraging the illiterate mothers to practice family planning methods could help reduce the size of families which are reasonably large in Navrongo through public education to stop the incidence of large family size.

Source: UCC
Educational Aspirations And Socio-Economic Background Aspredictors Of Academic Dishonesty

The purpose of this study was to identify the educational aspirations of and the predictors of academic dishonesty practices among postgraduate master of philosophy students. This study adopts a positivist research paradigm employed a descriptive survey design with a quantitative approach to investigate the predictors of academic dishonesty among postgraduate MPhil students at UCC College of Education. Using a convenience sampling technique, data were collected from 105 respondents. The study revealed that University of Cape Coast master of philosophy students harbor elevated educational aspirations, associating higher studies with personal growth, financial upliftment, and societal contribution. A concerning trend of academic dishonesty was observed among these students. The study identified a modest but noteworthy positive relationship between the intensity of educational aspiration and tendencies of academic dishonesty. Gender had a significant influence on academic dishonesty although income did not predict academic dishonesty. The study recommended offering specialized courses, workshops, or mentorship programs to support students in their quest for advanced skills and knowledge. Programs or counseling services can be implemented to enlighten students about the potential benefits of continuous learning, even after securing a job. The data paves the way for exploring deeper nuances. Educational institutions should consider adopting more stringent measures that deter students from engaging in such activities.

Source: UCC
Educational Attainment Modifies the Association of Wealth Status with Elevated Blood Pressure in the Ghanaian Population

The relationship between wealth and blood pressure (BP) in developing countries is unclear and it is important to understand how the socioeconomic environment influences BP in an African setting. Our objective was to determine the wealth differences in BP in the Ghanaian population and to clarify whether the relationship is modified by education level. Data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey was analyzed. A total of 9396 women and 4388 men were sampled nationwide and interviewed for the survey. Prevalence of hypertension in the population was low (10.4%). Systolic BP, diastolic BP, and odds of elevated BP increased with increasing wealth status. A linear trend was noted. Richest respondents recorded a 2.65 mmHg (95% CI: 1.09, 4.21) and 3.14 mmHg (95% CI: 1.97, 4.31) excess in systolic BP and diastolic BP, respectively and also, a 151% (AOR ¼ 2.51, 95% CI: 1.80, 3.48) increased odds of elevated BP compared with the poorest. The wealth trend in BP was strongest among primary educated respondents (Interaction p ¼ 0.0007). We found evidence of a consistent increase in elevated BP with increasing wealth status in this African population, a trend that is contrary to what is seen in high income countries.

Source: UCC
Educational attainment modiﬁes the association of wealth status with elevated blood pressure in the Ghanaian population

The relationship between wealth and blood pressure (BP) in developing countries is unclear and it is important to understand how the socioeconomic environment inﬂuences BP in an African setting. Our objective was to determine the wealth diﬀerences in BP in the Ghanaian population and to clarify whether the relationship is modiﬁed by education level. Data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey was analyzed. A total of 9396 women and 4388 men were sampled nationwide and interviewed for the survey. Prevalence of hypertension in the population was low (10.4%). Systolic BP, diastolic BP, and odds of elevated BP increased with increasing wealth status. A linear trend was noted. Richest respondents recorded a 2.65 mmHg (95% CI: 1.09, 4.21) and 3.14 mmHg (95% CI: 1.97, 4.31) excess in systolic BP and diastolic BP, respectively and also, a 151% (AOR ¼ 2.51, 95% CI: 1.80, 3.48) increased odds of elevated BP compared with the poorest. The wealth trend in BP was strongest among primary educated respondents (Interaction p ¼ 0.0007). We found evidence of a consistent increase in elevated BP with increasing wealth status in this African population, a trend that is contrary to what is seen in high income countries.

Source: UCC