ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
University branding on social media analysing the identity and image of University of Education, Winneba

This study sought to analyze the role Facebook branding plays in promoting the identity and image of University of Education, Winneba (UEW).The study made use of the social identity theory and employed the qualitative method of research which was guided by the research objectives and questions. The study examined University of Education, Winneba’s brand on Facebook and how Facebook help promote the brand of UEW. That is, the effect of Facebook branding on their enrolment decisions. In total, the researcher sampled 5 UEW social media managers and 100 students. The data collection methods were interviews, qualitative survey and observation. The study revealed that Facebook aids the UEW to gain a competitive edge in the highly competitive higher education market thereby, making UEW a keenly sought-after teacher education university in Africa. The study also revealed that some students’ decision to enroll in UEW was influenced by the Facebook page. The study therefore recommends constant and consistent efforts at branding on Facebook by UEW and other educational institutions in order to gain a positive identity and image among target audience and the general public.

Source: UEW
University Students� Reasons and Attitudes Towards Online Gambling and its Implication on Their Lives

Despite the fact that online gambling is increasing among students in low- and middle-income countries, studies on the reasons and attitudes of university students toward gambling and its associated social, economic, and academic implications on their lives have not been adequately explored in the Ghanaian setting. This study employed an exploratory research design to investigate the reasons and attitudes of students toward online gambling and how online gambling has affected their social, economic, and academic lives on campus. An interview guide was used in soliciting data from fifteen participants. The thematic analytical framework was used to analyze the data. The analysis of the empirical data revealed that the ease of making quick money, the anonymous nature of online gambling and a source of entertainment were the main reasons why participants engaged in online gambling. Again, concerning participants� attitudes towards gambling, most of them were frequent gamblers and gambled four to seven times a week while a few were occasional gamblers who gambled one to three times a month. The study also found that participants who gambled online ended up becoming depressed, had difficulties with sleeping, and barely concentrated in class because of their addictive attitudes towards online gambling. The study further revealed that the academic lives of participants were negatively affected as a result of excessive gambling. The study recommends that the university management should introduce university gambling policies and programmes to regulate gambling among university students and its associated socio-economic and academic implications. � 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

Source: UEW
University teachers' perception of inclusion of visually impaired in Ghanaian universities

This study was undertaken to examine the university teachers' perception of including students with Visual Impairment (VI) in the public universities of Ghana. The sample consisted of 110 teachers from the University of Cape Coast (UCC), the University of Education, Winneba, (UEW), and the University of Ghana (UG). Data were collected through questionnaire developed by the researchers (Chronbach's coefficient Alpha of.76). One research question and two hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The data were analyzed employing descriptive statistics, t-tests and ANOVA. The results showed that teachers perception toward inclusion of students with VI were favorable. Gender differences were noted showing that female teachers' perceptions were more positive than the males'. Teachers in the three universities also differed in their perception toward the inclusion of students with VI.

Source: UEW
University�community relations in Ghana: Traditional authority as a stakeholder

This article examines the levels and forms of engagement between universities in Ghana and traditional authority. The article is based on an in-depth study of five public universities and their neighbouring communities. Stakeholder theory was used for analysis. Findings from the study indicate that there is a growing awareness among public universities in Ghana of the need to engage the traditional authority of their immediate surrounding communities to enhance university�community relations and coexistence, in order to address the socio-economic and developmental aspirations of the communities and to help achieve the institutional goals of the universities. However, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) appears to have a more comprehensive engagement model than the others. � Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa, 2021.

Source: UEW
Unmasking covid-19 vaccine �infodemic� in the social media

The activities of the anti-vaccine crusaders and conspiracy theorists on social media platforms have influenced billions of people across the globe on the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines currently been used for immunizations. The increased social media mis/disinformation on the efficacies and safety of these vaccines developed have raised a global concern among all stakeholders. This study adopted a convenience sampling through an online survey to collect data from N=1800 participants (students) from five (5) public universities in Accra the national capital of Ghana, which is also the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic to examine their perceptions on the overabundance COVID-19 pandemic information on social media and how these pieces information consumption impacts their trust/mistrust/distrust in the COVID-19 vaccines. The findings of our study indicate that there exist vital levels of COVID-19 vaccines �infodemic� on social media and these overabundances of COVID-19 vaccine information on social media has caused great levels of fear and panic among the students and the public. We also found that, the high exposure to COVID-19 vaccine information on social media are associated with negative perceptions and higher levels of mistrust/distrust among the population. This study recommends that stakeholders such as WHO, policymakers, and accredited health institutions must embark on public health communication campaigns to educate the public on the credible sources of COVID-19 pandemic information on social media. � 2021 by authors; licensee OJCMT.

Source: UEW
Unpacking activities-based learning in kindergarten classrooms: Insights from teachers’ perspectives

Even though previous research points to the significance of kindergarten teachers’ practices which consider the nature of children and how they learn, there is still limited research regarding how learning activities impact children’s development. To address this gap in literature, a qualitative multi-case study into teachers’ perceptions of classrooms practices of four kindergarten teachers’ in two Ghanaian schools, Tata and Kariba, were carried out over a six-months period. One research question guided the study, namely, ‘what kinds of learning activities do teachers engage kindergarten children. The sources of data comprised transcripts of audiotaped semi-structured individual interviews, pair-based interviews and field notes of classroom observations. Both within the case and across case interpretive analyses were constructed. The study revealed that teachers in both rural and urban settings described child-initiated and teacher-initiated activities they believed impacted children’s development in diverse ways. Key words: Learning activities, cognitive constructivist theory, development, children, Piaget, spirituality.

Source: UEW
Upper Primary School Teachers’ use of constructivist approach in teaching mathematics in Effutu Municipality

This study investigated the use of constructivist approach in teaching Mathematics by Upper Primary School teachers in the Effutu Municipality. The study was guided by four research questions. By employing a quantitative approach, a survey involving 82 teachers was conducted using a census frame. Data were collected through observation checklists and structured questionnaires. Descriptive data analysis techniques, including simple frequency counts, percentages, mean, and standard deviation, were utilized to analyze the collected responses, to address the research questions. Four key findings emerged from the study. Firstly, Upper Primary Mathematics teachers in the Effutu Municipality perceived the principles of constructivism in teaching Mathematics as the use of familiar examples, creating a positive mathematics classroom environment, teachers serving as guides, incorporating hands-on activities, promoting critical thinking, and integrating technology resources into mathematics lessons. Also, Upper Primary mathematics teachers in the Effutu Municipality practice the constructivist approach to a higher extent, employing most of its strategies “Always,” while strategies like technology integration, reflection, and context-based assessment are occasionally used. Again, the challenges faced by Upper Primary mathematics teachers in the Effutu Municipality while employing constructivism in their mathematics lessons included a scarcity of instructional resources needed for hands-on and constructivist lessons and a heavy workload. Lastly, upper primary mathematics teachers in Effutu highly supported various strategies to enhance the use of constructivist approaches in teaching mathematics, including ongoing mentorship and coaching, advocating for additional funds, teachers‟ collaboration, conducting regular assessments with timely feedback, and providing regular in-service and CPD trainings. Based on these findings, recommendations, including investing in professional development programmes, exploring technology integration, addressing resource scarcity, and heavy workloads, were offered to teachers and the Effutu Municipal education directorate to further support teachers in the use of the constructivist approach in their lessons.

Source: UEW
Upper primary science teachers’ knowledge, perception and use of improvised instructional materials in the Okaikwe North Municipality

This study investigated the knowledge, perception, and utilization of improvised instructional materials among Upper Primary science teachers in the Okaikwei North Municipality. Grounded in instructional material theory and the theory of multiple intelligences, the research adopted a pragmatic paradigm, utilizing a mixed methods approach with an embedded mixed method design. The entire population of 81 Upper Primary science teachers participated in the study, selected through census sampling. Data were collected through closed-ended questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and observation checklists. Qualitative data underwent thematic analysis and frequency counts, while quantitative analysis involved frequency, percentages, mean, standard deviation, independent samples t-test, and Pearson’s correlation. Results indicated that Upper Primary science teachers possess adequate knowledge for improvising instructional materials, with a significant portion demonstrating an average level of proficiency. Teachers acknowledged the practicality of improvised materials, their role in addressing material shortages, and their potential to raise awareness of alternative teaching resources. It was recommended that continuous support from primary school headteachers through professional development opportunities, workshops, and resource access to enhance teachers’ improvisation skills. Tailored training programmes addressing variability in teachers’ perceptions are also advised.

Source: UEW
Urinary arsenic and mercury levels in artisanal miners in some communities in the Obuasi Municipality of Ghana

There are a large number of small-scale artisan gold miners who use mercury in the extraction of gold in Ghana. The extraction process releases arsenic and mercury into the environment with its associated risk to human health. Human exposure to arsenic and mercury was assessed in artisanal miners involved in illegal mining activities in five communities at Obuasi municipality, a historic mining area in Ghana. Subjects completed an exposure assessment questionnaire and also provided the first urine voided upon waking up in the morning. Total urine-As and urine-Hg were simultaneously determined using neutron activation analysis. The highest mean urine-As value recorded at the high risk level (> 35 µg/L) was 53.57 ± 5.58 µg/L. Seventeen percent of the miners recorded urinary-As levels above the biological exposure index of 35 µg/L; 38% were found in the moderate risk level (20-35 µg/L) while 45% were in the low risk bracket (< 20 µg/L). The highest mean urine-Hg concentration at the high risk level was 38.55 ± 3.83 µg/L, recorded by 2% of the miners. Five percent of the miners had urine-Hg concentrations in the moderate risk bracket while 93% were at the low risk level. Fifty five percent of the artisanal miners recorded values above the WHO recommended range of 5 to 20 µg/L for urine-As. Key words: Mercury, arsenic, urine, neutron activation analysis.

Source: UEW
Usage of instructional materials and its challenges in lesson delivery in the Akropong circuit of the Atwima Nwabiagya District

The purpose of the study was to explore the usage of instructional materials and the associate challenges with the usage in lesson delivery in basic schools in the Akropong circuit of the Atwima Nwabiagya District in the Ashanti Region. The objectives of the study were to determine the instructional materials available, find out the effect of instructional materials usage on lesson delivery, and to ascertain the challenges on the use of instructional material in lesson delivery in Basic Schools in the Akropong Circuit of the Atwima Nwabiagya District. Descriptive cross-sectional survey design using the quantitative approach was used for the study. The target population of the study consists of all the 95 headteachers and teachers in the seven public Junior High Schools in the Akropong Circuit. Purposive sampling technique was used to select all the seven head teachers. Simple random sampling technique was also used to select 10 teachers from each of the seven Junior High Schools making a sample size of 77 for the study. The study found among others that charts, text books, library books, laboratories for practical work, pictures were kinds of instructional materials available in basic schools. Also, the effects of the use of instructional materials were that it improves pupils participation in lesson delivery, promotes retention, and also helps to remove dullness during lesson delivery. Again, lack of finance to acquire or improvise needed instructional materials, lack of electricity to be used for instructional materials that uses electrical power and inadequate in-service training to upgrade the knowledge of teachers towards the proper use of modern instructional materials were some of the challenges in the use of instructional materials. It is recommended based on the findings that the Atwima Nwabiagya District Education Service should make available adequate teaching and learning materials to enhance teaching and learning in basic schools under the supervision of the Atwima Nwabiagya District Education Service.

Source: UEW
The usage of nominal groups among students of Don Bosco Technical and Vocational Institute, Sunyani

The complexities and technicalities in the usage of the nominal group has been a matter of concern to English users especially in countries that have adopted English as their official language. In such countries English is only taught in school but students generally speak their native language and seldom speak the English language. The situation is no different in Ghana where students will generally use their native language as medium of communication and only use the English language at school, thus there is less practise of the English language. However, the extensive use of English language in the formal sector and as a means of teaching and learning requires that students have a firm grip on sentence construction for which the nominal group is an integral part. The study sought to investigate the use of nominal groups in Ghanaian schools using Don Bosco Technical and Vocational Institute, Sunyani as a case study, dwelling on the premise of Systemic Functional Grammar Theory by Halliday (1985). Adopting a descriptive survey method for the study as described by Ary et al (2002), findings revealed that the philosophy of the school which is geared towards excelling in technical pursuits of students’ choice of subjects has influenced their attitude towards the use of the English language. Factors including insufficient learning materials, class size, poor library facilities, lack of modern study resources, poor use of instructional time, among others, have contributed to poor fluency, vocabulary and grammar usage in the use of nominal groups among students. The study recommended that the existing philosophy in the school be altered to make students have a renewed interest in enhancing their use of the English language. Moreover, the School’s management should endeavour to make available all that is required in the school to provide students with a unique learning experience.

Source: UEW
The use of aspect in English language focus on first year students in Sankore Senior High School.

This study investigated the problems of the use of aspect in English Language among first year students at Sankore Senior High School in Asunafo South District in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. The study was conducted using descriptive survey design. A sample size of 70 students was selected for the study using lottery method of simple random sampling procedure. Questionnaire was developed and used to collect data from the respondents. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics in a form of frequencies, and percentages. The computed results were presented in tabular form for discussion in chapter four. The results of the study showed that students have several challenges with the use the progressive types of aspect. Most of the students agreed to have problems with combining ‘WILL BE’ with the ‘–ing’ form of the verb and ‘WILL + HAVE + BEEN’ with the -ing form of the verb.Most of the students are aware of the negative effects of their inability to use the English aspect correctly and hence adopt strategies (both direct which are prescribed by their teachers and indirect which are developed by students themselves) to overcome this challenge. Based on the findings, it was concluded among others, that teachers should expose students to the various forms of the aspect of the verb in different contexts. This will enhance their use of this area of English grammar.

Source: UEW
The use of basic education comprehensive assessment systemschool education assessment (BECASSEA) mathematics tests and its results in enhancing mathematics teaching and learning at Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem Municipality

This study examined the use of Basic Education Comprehensive Assessment System/School Education Assessment (BECAS/SEA) mathematics tests and its results in promoting learning of Mathematics in our basic schools. It also ascertained whether or not educational workers make use of the SEA results in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) municipality to improve teaching and learning in the municipality. The researcher administered questionnaires to fifty-two (52) teachers, ten (10) head teachers and all the six (6) circuit supervisors in the KEEA municipality. Head teachers in the District were also interviewed to solicit more about SPAM and SEA. The study revealed that most schools did organize SPAM in every two years (68.9% of the teachers said that their schools organized SPAM every two years). 40% of the 10 head teachers and two of the circuit supervisors confirmed this revelation in this finding. Most teachers participated in administration SEA test in their various schools, that is, as many as 61.5% of teachers. All head teachers and circuit supervisors have participated in organizing SEA in their schools. Almost all educationists in the municipalities had little to no knowledge of the minimum competency level (MCL) and the proficiency level at which the SEA test is measured. Since its inception SEA had been organized on three occasions, 2006, 2008 and 2009. The average scores in mathematics and English of the SEA results rose from 65.28% to 67.63% in mathematics and 59.03% to 66.03% for basic stage (BS) 2 pupils showing an improvement in their performance. In conclusion, it was recommended that to improve teaching and learning in our schools, SPAM which is a forum for all stakeholders in our educational institutions, should be organized regularly with its importance echoed into the ears of all. In conclusion, non-availability or insufficiency of required text books and ineffective supervision of supervisors in GES are some factors militating against effective teaching and learning in most of our schools.

Source: UEW
The use of bauxite mining waste as fine aggregate replacement for concrete production

Conventional construction materials require the extraction of large quantities, causing depletion of natural resources and environmental damage. This work investigates the possibility of using bauxite mining waste as fine aggregate replacement for concrete production. The experimental works were conducted by varying sand and bauxite mining waste to mix ratio of 1:2:4 with five different replacement levels namely: 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% by weight and water cement ratio of 0.60. A total of sixty (60) cubes of size 150mm x 150mm x150mm, sixty (60) cylinders having diameter of 150mm and height of 300mm and sixty (60) beams of size 150 mm x 150 mm x 450 mm were cast and tested in 7days, 14 days, 21 days and 28 days respectively. Tests conducted include workability, density, compressive strength, tensile strength and flexural strength. It was found that the bauxite mining waste composite mix was less workable to control mix. It was found that the density of the bauxite mining waste produce achieved slightly higher results as the quantity of bauxite mining waste increased, there was no statistical significant difference among concrete produced. It was also found that the compressive strength, tensile strength and flexural strength achieved good results as the quantity of bauxite mining waste increased, there was statistical significant difference in the various mix proportions as the quantity of bauxite mining waste increased. It was also found that there was positive correlation between the density of the concrete produced and the compressive strength, tensile strength and flexural strength. It is recommended that bauxite mining wastes are suitable to use as fine aggregate replacement for concrete production in the areas where the bauxite residues are deposited.

Source: UEW