ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Assessment of supervision of teaching and learning in basic schools in Wa west district

The main objective of the study was to assess the nature of supervision of teaching and learning in public basic schools in the Wa West District. The study focuses on types of supervision, role of supervision and challenges of supervision as practised in the district. Using a simple random sampling, 248 respondents comprising 137 teachers, 103 headteachers and 8 circuit supervisors were selected to respond to questionnaire. The design used was descriptive survey. Questionnaires were the main instrument used. The findings of the study indicated that both internal and external supervision are practiced in the district. Majority of teachers (96%) and headteachers (97%) were of the opinion that supervision enhances instruction in the teaching and learning process. The study revealed that supervision also enhances teacher’s career development. Some challenges indicated by the study includes: inadequate means of transport for supervisors, inadequate teaching and learning materials, indiscipline among some teachers and inadequate professional teachers. It is recommended that the state takes critical interest in training teachers; the GES should enforce the code of conduct on indiscipline among teachers and the District Assembly should improve the road network, more especially those leading to schools in the remote areas.

Source: UCC
Assessment of surface water quality status of the Aby Lagoon System in the Western Region of Ghana

The pollution status of the Tendo Lagoon, the upstream section of the Aby Lagoon System, was investigated. The water temperature, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity (EC), nitrates (NO-3), and phosphate (PO3-4 ) levels were evaluated using samples taken during the wet and dry seasons to assess the variabilities in water quality in the area. The water quality data was subjected to paired t-test, One-way ANOVA, Factor Analysis, Cluster analysis (CA) as well as a Water Quality Index (WQI) evaluation using the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) model. The paired sample t-test confirmed that the surface water quality varies significantly between the wet and dry season samples (p < 0.05) except for phosphate loads which may be contributed largely by year-round municipal waste discharges. The results of the ANOVA showed that the variation of the water quality parameters among sampling stations was not statistically significant except for turbidity which was relatively higher in the upstream sections where the Tano River enters the lagoon. The results of FA indicated that three significant factors–relating to the degradation of organic materials, suspended solids (turbidity) and nutrients- accounted for 73.65% of spatio-temporal variations in the water quality. The CA showed that the eight sampling stations can be grouped into four distinct clusters based on their water quality. The source of pollution in the demarcated sections of the Aby Lagoon was concluded to be largely due to the result of localized anthropogenic inputs of domestic waste and sediments carried from the upstream in the Tano River. An evaluation of the CCME WQI for the sampling stations revealed that all the sampling stations showed marginal water quality relative to the target water quality range recommended by the Water Resources Commission (WRC) of Ghana for domestic use and protection of aquatic life. Monitoring programs were recommended with effective management measures instituted and implemented for the sustainability of the lagoon and the Tano River Basin

Source: UCC
Assessment of surface water quality status of the Aby Lagoon System in the Western Region of Ghana

The pollution status of the Tendo Lagoon, the upstream section of the Aby Lagoon System, was investigated. The water temperature, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity (EC), nitrates (NO3 ), and phosphate (PO4 -) levels were evaluated using samples taken during the wet and dry seasons to assess the variability’s in water quality in the area. The water quality data was subjected to paired t-test, One-way ANOVA, Factor Analysis, Cluster analysis (CA) as well as a Water Quality Index (WQI) evaluation using the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) model. The paired sample t-test confirmed that the surface water quality varies significantly between the wet and dry season samples (p < 0.05) except for phosphate loads which may be contributed largely by year-round municipal waste discharges. The results of the ANOVA showed that the variation of the water quality parameters among sampling stations was not statistically significant except for turbidity which was relatively higher in the upstream sections where the Tano River enters the lagoon. The results of FA indicated that three significant factors–relating to the degradation of organic materials, suspended solids (turbidity) and nutrients- accounted for 73.65% of spatio-temporal variations in the water quality. The CA showed that the eight sampling stations can be grouped into four distinct clusters based on their water quality. The sourceof pollution in the demarcated sections of the Aby Lagoon was concluded to be largely due to the result of localized anthropogenic inputs of domestic waste and sediments carried from the upstream in the Tano River. An evaluation of the CCME WQI for the sampling stations revealed that all the sampling stations showed marginal water quality relative to the target water quality range recommended by the Water Resources Commission (WRC) of Ghana for domestic use and protection of aquatic life. Monitoring programs were recommended with effective management measures instituted and implemented for the sustainability of the lagoon and the Tano River Basin

Source: UCC
Assessment Of Tax Compliance Among The Self-Employed In The Cape Coast Metropolis

Dwelling on the issues of taxation in Ghana, this study focused on selfemployed in the Cape Coast Metropolis to assess their knowledge of taxation and tax laws in Ghana. The study explored the various factors that influence compliance and determined plausible measures that promotes tax compliance among self-employed in the Cape Coast Metropolis. A cross-sectional survey of 334 self-employed was carried out and the data were processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. The study found that self-employed in the Cape Coast Metropolis have adequate knowledge about taxation and tax laws in Ghana. The study concluded that all the three key factors, namely economic, non-economic, and demographic, which influence compliance among self-employed in the Cape Coast Metropolis were found equally important. Therefore, equal attention must be paid to all these factors and be improved from time to time to improve compliance among self-employed. Given the importance of tax education in compliance with tax laws, tax authorities should continually educate self-employed in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Tax authorities must ensure that they keep taxpayers updated on any form of changes in the tax system to ensure compliance at all times.

Source: UCC
An assessment of teacher effectiveness in the public basic schools in the twifo-hemang lower denkyira district of the central region

Parents, practitioners and policymakers agree that the key to improving public basic education in Ghana is placing highly skilled and effective teachers in all classrooms. So for more than two decades, policymakers have undertaken many and varied reforms to improve education in the Ghanaian public basic schools. The instruments used for the study is the questionnaire which was mostly the Likert scale type, an interview guide, study of relevant documents and an observation guide. In all, ten schools were selected from the ten circuits in the Twifo- Hemang- Lower Denkyira District. The Assistant Director Supervision and Monitoring, Circuit Supervisors, Headteachers, the English, Mathematics and Science teachers and JHS 2 students were selected for the study. One important lesson from the study is the repeated finding that teachers are the fulcrum determining whether any school initiative tips toward success or failure. The findings on teacher characteristics showed that some characteristics of teachers influence teacher effectiveness. Findings on teacher attitude revealed that teachers’ attitudes have an influence on their effectiveness. Among the recommendations from the findings are that, teachers should make themselves available at in-service training programmes and be guided by good morals. Also there must be an integration of training programmes on the strategies that promote teaching and learning.

Source: UCC
Assessment of Teachers’ Pedagogical Techniques in Addressing Students’ Learning Difficulties in Mathematics

The purpose of this study was to find out pedagogical techniques junior high school mathematics teachers use to identify and address the learning difficulties of their students. Descriptive design was used to survey 72 mathematics teachers in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Questionnaire was used to sample the views of the respondents whilst descriptive statistics were employed to analyse the resulting data. The outcome of the study revealed that mathematics students commit minor errors and careless mistakes; large class size also poses difficulties to students’ learning. Strictly adhering to mathematics laws and principles was the major intervention measure mathematics teachers used to address their students’ learning difficulties. It is recommended that mathematics teachers become extra careful and methodical in presenting facts in class. Teachers are entreated to spend quality time with students so as to diagnose their problems early enough to address them in time.

Source: UCC
An Assessment of Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Christian Religious Studies

The study sought to assess the technological pedagogical content knowledge of teachers of Christian Religious Studies in some selected Senior High Schools in the Central Region of Ghana. The convergent mixed method research design was adopted for the study. Using the census method, 72 final year CRS teachers were involved in the study. Questionnaire and observation guide were used to gather the requisite data for the study. The data was analysed using frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviation. The study found out that the CRS teachers had a good content knowledge in the teaching of Christian Religious Studies. However, the CRS teachers were unfamiliar with a few of the contents of the Old Testament as well as the aims of teaching Christian Religious Studies. Also, although CRS teachers indicated that they used a number of pedagogies in teaching the subject, they did not have knowledge about various contemporary pedagogies for teaching Christian Religious Studies such as: life themes pedagogy, existential pedagogy, and the concept cracking pedagogy for the teaching of CRS. Again, the CRS teachers indicated that they had adequate technological knowledge but it was observed that they did not make use of the technological knowledge they claimed they possessed. The study recommended that, the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) should organise workshops for teachers to be abreast with some of these contemporary pedagogies for the teaching of CRS in Senior High Schools. Again, CRS teachers should teach lessons that appropriately combine CRS content, technologies, and the teaching approaches in their classroom.

Source: UCC
Assessment Of Teaching Strategies In Reading Comprehension In Cascade Technical Academy In Ghana

The study explored the teaching strategies for reading comprehension and their effect on students‘ academic performance at Cascade Technical Academy (pseudonym). Cascade Technical Academy represents a technical institute in Ghana. The study assessed teaching strategies that English teachers use to teach reading comprehension, perceived factors that influence the choice of teaching strategies, the perceived efficacy of the teaching strategies, and the effects of teaching strategies on students‘ academic performance in reading comprehension. The study was underpinned by the constructivist theory. A mixed-methods approach, questionnaires and observation checklists were used for data collection. The study relied on simple random sampling to select 80 Form Three students and five teachers of English were purposefully selected. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) were used for the quantitative analysis, while the qualitative data were grouped into themes. The study found from teachers‘ experiences that students had an average reading level, teaching strategies, duration, and the number of times teachers have reading activities to teach reading comprehension were average. Again, the study established that inadequate textbooks, time allocation, and absenteeism were some challenges teachers encountered in teaching English comprehension. Finally, it was observed that difficulty in pronunciation and the use of idiomatic expressions were sources of worry for students. Most students believe that reading comprehension directly impacts a student‘s academic performance, which influences other subjects of study. The study recommends that teachers help develop students‘ reading skills and comprehension of text on a daily basis to help improve students‘ performance.

Source: UCC
Assessment of technological, pedagogical and content Knowledge (tpack) of business teachers in senior high Schools in the central region of ghana

The study explored business teachers' level of Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TP ACK) in Senior High Schools in the Central Region of Ghana and examined the differences in teachers' level of TPACK on the basis of some demographic variables using the mixed methods approach. The study employed sequential explanatory mixed methods design. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 248 business teachers and proprtionate sampling technique was also used to select the participants for the interview session. Questionnaire was used to gather quantitative data whilst interview guide was used to gather qualitative data. Mean and standard deviation was used to examine business teachers' level of TP ACK. Moreover, Independent samples t-test was used to examine whether differences exist in teachers' TPACK and gender. One-way (ANOV A) was used to examme whether differences exist in teachers' TPACK based on age, teaching experience and academic qualification. The thematic analyses of the qualitative data were done to explain the business teachers' moderate level of TP ACK. The finding showed that teachers possessed higher Content, Pedagogical and Pedagogical Content Knowledge and The moderate Technological Knowledge, Technological Content Knowledge, Technological Pedagogical Knowledge and TP ACK. The study found that there were satistically significant difference in teachers' TK, TCK and gender in favour of the male teachers. The study concluded that teachers moderate Technological Knowledge did not reflects in teachingand had negative toads the use of emerging technologies. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education through GES and government should organise refresher courses for in-service teachers on technology integration in teaching.

Source: UCC
An assessment of the adequacy and utilization of information and technology in the University of Cape Coast

Information and Communication Technology (lCT) has the 'tools' to facilitate the core tasks of a higher educational institution like a University in the areas of teaching, learning, research, management/administration and for library services. However not much can be gained from the technology in that respect if an assessment is not made into how the technology is currently being used, its adequacy and accessibility, as well identifying the problems hampering the development and use of ICT in the University of Cape Coast and offering recommendations to offset the challenges. This therefore was what the study sought out to achieve. To carry out such a study necessarily required a detailed evaluation of what pertained on the ground. To achieve this, three different types of questionnaires were used to solicit information from the three categories of target groups, namely; lecturers, senior administrators and students. Random sampling was used to select 100 and 500 respectively of lecturers and students respondent groups. However the census method was employed for the senior administrators because their population size was only 66. Further information were also gathered through interviews from some senior officers. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 14 was employed in analyzing the data, and frequencies, percentages and cross tabulations were used in the presentations of the results. It was established from the study that all the stakeholders in the University vouched for the indispensability of ICT in the educational enterprise and highly advocated for ICT deployment in all the facets of the University. However, ICT use or penetration in the University of Cape Coast as a whole was inadequate or low and needs to be improved extensively, although there were isolated cases where the use of ICT was encouraging. Also, inadequate ICT facilities and infrastructure hampered ICT use in the performance of the University's core functions of teaching, learning, research and management. Furthermore, the ICT knowledge-based for staff and students was at a low level to enable them adopt and harness the mass of academic resources that ICT avails. Based on the findings it was recommended that the management of the University should as a matter of urgency inject the necessary resources such as hardware, software, communication equipment and not overlooking tailored training for lectures, senior administrators, IT staff and students that would radically transform the development and use of lCT in the University.

Source: UCC
The assessment of the appraisal system of Takoradi branch of Provident Life Assurance Company Limited

This study was aimed at assessing the performance appraisal system of Provident Life Assurance Company Limited (PLAC). It therefore looked at the reasons for performance appraisals in the Company. In addition the study examined employees’ level of understanding of the performance appraisal system of the company and whether appraisal reports are used for their intended purposes. The last objective of the study was to measure the frequency of appraisals in a year within the company. Fifty-one (51) respondents made up of forty (43) appraisees and eight (8) appraisers were used as the sample unit for the study. Simple random sampling was used in selecting the respondents from the staff of Takoradi branch of PLAC. The lottery method was used for the selection. Findings from the study revealed that training, salary increases, managing employees and rewarding hard work were identified as the four most important reasons for performance appraisals in the company. It was also observed that, both appraisers and appraisees understand the performance appraisal system of the company. Findings also indicated that, appraisal reports are used for their intended purposes. It was also observed that, performance appraisal exercises are conducted two times in a year. It is therefore recommended that, the human resource department should organize periodic training on performance appraisal for all staffs to reinforce the understanding of employees. Additionally, employees should be allowed to undertake self-review of their performance before appraisal meetings. Again, management of PLAC should strongly link promotion with performance.

Source: UCC
Assessment of the challenges of off-campus teaching practice in the University of Cape Coast: Management education pre-service teachers’ perspective

The study sought to assess the challenges of the off campus teaching practice as perceived by the pre-service teacher.The descriptive survey adopted a quantitative and qualitative approach to the study with the use of questionnaires and focus group discussion as the main means for collecting data. The proportionate random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 146 out of a total population of 188 from which 24 respondents were also engaged in a focus group discussionData obtained was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Narratives were also derived to support the quantitative data.The study revealed that pre-service teachers faceda number of challenges related to staff unreceptiveness, role ambiguity, supervision issues, lesson plan issues, assessment issues, poor trainee disposition, trainee unpreparedness and inappropriate teaching method. In addition, a significant relationship was found between the challenges of staff unreceptiveness, poor trainee disposition, inappropriate teaching methods and pre-service teachers’ performance. Again, the challenges relating to staff unreceptiveness and inappropriate teaching method were statistically identified as negative predictors of pre-service teachers’ perception of the teaching profession.Moreover, there were significant differences between male and female pre-service teachers in relation to some of the challenges. However no significant differences were found in terms of challenges faced against the type of practicing school.It was recommended that the Teaching Practice Unit collaborate with supervisors and partner schools to help provide adequate experiences free from the challenges faced by pre-service teachers

Source: UCC
An assessment of the corporate social responsibility policies and activities of Golden Star (Wassa) Limited

Mining companies in Ghana receive criticism from inter alia the media, civil society organizations, Governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for not properly responding to the challenge of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to compensate for the negative effects of their activities in host communities. Although some mining companies plan and prosecute CSR policies and projects to improve their public image and increase economic opportunities and improve social welfare of people living in mining communities, these are perceived to be inadequate. This study examined CSR activities undertaken by Golden Star (Wassa) Limited. Using a purposive sampling technique, the researcher sampled 100 respondents and used mixed research methods including observations, administration of questionnaires and conduct of interviews, data on GSWL’s CSR activities in its catchment communities were gathered and analysed. The results were discussed and the study findings were arrived at. It was found that GSWL has CSR policies that shape its social responsibility activities and serve as workable set of criteria for assessing and benchmarking its CSR achievement in its catchment communities. GSWL maintains good relations with the communities it operates in by its CSR activities. However challenges were found to impede the implementation of CSR policies. It is recommended that GSWL’s implementation of CSR policies and projects with the catchment communities should take a wider participatory approach of involving local associations, chiefs, and opinion heads. CSR projects should be carried out by GSWL with the local community to promote collaboration and increase local learning and knowledge transfer.

Source: UCC