ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Reactive Attachment Disorder in Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Affected by HIV/AIDS: Implications for Clinical Practice, Education and Health Service Delivery

Orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) affected by HIV/AIDS frequently experience placement/ residential changes, inconsistent caregivers, abuse, neglect, disruptions in their lives and several mental health problems. This may lead to a disorder of emotional functioning, reactive attachment disorder (RAD), where the child exhibits wary, watchful, and emotionally withdrawn. Despite its clinical importance, nothing is known about RAD among OVC. This study investigated: (1) whether RAD symptoms can occur in children affected by HIV/AIDS; (2) association between RAD and other psychiatric symptoms; (3) possible aetiological or contextual factors for high RAD symptom; and (4) any interactive, cumulative effects between the aetiological or contextual factors (both risks and protective) for higher RAD symptoms. Method: In a cross-sectional survey, caregivers of 191 OVC and 100 non-OVC completed questionnaires on mental health problems including RAD and contextual variables. Results: The results demonstrated that RAD is present in OVC and that RAD symptoms may be as a result of environmental factors. The study also found high levels of RAD comorbidity with other disorders including depression, conduct problems and hyperactivity. Finally, the results indicate that experiencing more neglect and psychological abuse among OVC increases their likelihood of exhibiting RAD symptoms five-fold. Conclusion: The paper discusses the clinical implications of these findings for service development for this vulnerable group in the community and concluded that among children affected by HIV/AIDS, RAD was not rare.

Source: UCC
Reactive Attachment Disorder in Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Affected by HIV/AIDS: Implications for Clinical Practice, Education and Health Service Delivery

Background: Orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) affected by HIV/AIDS frequently experience placement/ residential changes, inconsistent caregivers, abuse, neglect, disruptions in their lives and several mental health problems. This may lead to a disorder of emotional functioning, reactive attachment disorder (RAD), where the child exhibits wary, watchful, and emotionally withdrawn. Despite its clinical importance, nothing is known about RAD among OVC. This study investigated: (1) whether RAD symptoms can occur in children affected by HIV/AIDS; (2) association between RAD and other psychiatric symptoms; (3) possible aetiological or contextual factors for high RAD symptom; and (4) any interactive, cumulative effects between the aetiological or contextual factors (both risks and protective) for higher RAD symptoms. Method: In a cross-sectional survey, caregivers of 191 OVC and 100 non-OVC completed questionnaires on mental health problems including RAD and contextual variables. Results: The results demonstrated that RAD is present in OVC and that RAD symptoms may be as a result of environmental factors. The study also found high levels of RAD comorbidity with other disorders including depression, conduct problems and hyperactivity. Finally, the results indicate that experiencing more neglect and psychological abuse among OVC increases their likelihood of exhibiting RAD symptoms five-fold. Conclusion: The paper discusses the clinical implications of these findings for service development for this vulnerable group in the community and concluded that among children affected by HIV/AIDS, RAD was not rare.

Source: UCC
Readability and academic communication: The case of the humanities research articles in University of Cape Coast

Research articles (RA) constitute the most important means of communicating research findings in the academic community. Despite the crucial role played by RAs within the academic community, numerous studies across the world have shown that RAs are difficult to read and understand. In Ghana, there has not been any earlier works to evaluate the readability of RAs. The objective of this study was to explore the level of readability of RAs produced by lecturers in the Faculty of Arts in the University of Cape Coast. The descriptive research design was used and the stratified random sampling technique was employed to collect 100 RAs across the eight (8) departments of the Faculty of Arts. Readability scores were computed using Flesch reading ease (FRE) and Flesch Kincaid – grade level (FKGL) indexes. With the help of SPSS (version 23.0) measures of central tendencies and dispersions, frequencies and percentage distributions, Wilcoxon signed ranked test, Kruskal – Wallis H test, Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman rho and phi correlation coefficient were used to analyse the data. The results showed that a majority (63%) of the research articles were graded as ‘difficult’ to read; that is, above the ‘standard’ readability level of 60 when measured on the FRE scale. In addition, Mann-Whitney U test showed that males and female researchers write RAs with equal readability level. The study further revealed a positive relationship between readability and text comprehension. To improve the readability of RAs in the Faculty Arts, the study recommended among others, that, researchers in the faculty should cut down on the excessive use of polysyllabic words and complex grammatical structures especially in the Departments of Music and Dance, and English.

Source: UCC
The Readability and Comprehensibility of Patient Information Leaflets for Over-the-counter Drugs for Some Common Illnesses

ABSTRACT Patient Information Leaflets (PILs) are key communication tools in healthcare delivery. Even though readable PILs can enhance effective communication between pharmaceutical companies and the patients who use their products, there are limited number of studies on the readability and comprehensibility of PILs in Ghana. This study investigated the readability and comprehensibility of PILs of over-the-counter drugs for seven common illnesses in Ghana. Using non-experimental descriptive design, the researcher conveniently selected 68 PILs and measured their readability using SMOG and Flesch Kincaid Grade Level readability metrices. The researcher measured the lexical density and syntactic complexity of the selected leaflets using Coh-Metrix. From the scores of the readability formulae, the researcher discovered that the PILs were difficult to read and readers required at least fourteen years of formal education in order to find the leaflets comprehensible. Also, the lexical density and syntactic complexity of the selected leaflets were beyond average, suggesting that readers would have difficulty reading and understanding the leaflets. Moreover, there were no statistically significant differences among the PILS in terms of lexical density and syntactic complexity, suggesting that all the leaflets were of similar difficulty. Also, the researcher discovered through an interview with twenty consumers of these over-the-counter drugs that they found the leaflets difficult to read due to the unfamiliar words used in the leaflets. There is the need for information leaflets to be written at an easy-to-read level so that users of the leaflets can read and understand them

Source: UCC
Readability and political discourse: An analysis of press releases of Ghanaian political parties

Press releases have enormous influence on public opinion since the media sets agenda for public discussion. Thus, press releases are essential communication tool for political parties. For press releases to be effective, however, they must be readable. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the readability of news releases of the two major political parties (National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP)) in Ghana. Seventy press releases (32 were NDC releases while 38 were from the NPP) from the NDC and NPP were selected by convenience sampling. Flesch readability indexes were used to compute readability scores. Frequencies, measures of central tendencies, and one sample T-test using bootstrapping, were used to describe readability of the press releases. In addition, independent sample T-test was used to compare differences in readability between NPP and NDC news releases. The results revealed that news releases by the two political parties were generally ‘difficult’ to read, compared to standard readability of public documents. This was the case since a person must have attained, on the average, over 13 years of formal education in order to be able to read and understand the news releases of the NDC ( ̅ ) while it required about 12 years of formal education, on the average, to read and understand the news releases from the NPP ( ̅ ). In addition, the results showed that there was no significant difference in readability between NPP and NDC news releases. It is recommended that the political parties consider the readability of the news releases before disseminating them to the public

Source: UCC
Readability of HIV/AIDS information manuals in Ghana

This paper examined the readability of some medical information documents for HIV/AIDS patients in Ghana. The SMOG readability formula was used to determine the reading levels of the documents which were obtained through convenience sampling technique. One sample T test was used to determine whether there were statistically significant differences in the readability of the sampled HIV/AIDS literature compared to a standard 8th grade recommended for public documents. The bootstrapping technique was employed in this evaluation to ensure robust estimates of significant or p-value, standard errors and the confident intervals. The study revealed that the leaflets were generally difficult to comprehend when compared to the standard readability score of public reading materials. The study concluded that it is prudent such documents are written in plane language in order that the target readers would benefit from the information carried by these documents

Source: UCC
Readiness and Self-Efficacy of Pre-Service Teachers to Teach Learners with Special Educational needs

This study examines Readiness and Self-efficacy of Pre-service Teachers (PST) to teach Learners with Special Educational Needs (SEN). The study used the Convergent mixed methods design. Semi-structured interview and questionnaire were the data collection instruments. Eighty-two PST who have gone through practicum in special education from the Department of Basic Education, at the University of Cape Coast were purposively selected to participate in the study. Ten of the PSTs were conveniently interviewed. Mean and Standard Deviations, Pearson Correlation coefficient, and independent t-test were used to analyse the quantitative data. While the qualitative data was analysed thematically. The study found that PSTs have high readiness levels and high self-efficacy levels in teaching children with SEN. Furthermore, there was a strong significant relationship between pre-service teachers‘ readiness levels and their self-efficacy levels to teach children with SEN. Additionally, the study revealed that there was no statistically significant gender difference in pre-service teachers‘ self-efficacy levels in teaching children with SEN. It was therefore recommended that the Ministry of Education (MoE), and Ghana Education Service (GES) should ensure that all PSTs are made to go through practicum in special education, and the government should ensure that all necessary teaching and learning materials needed to prepare PSTs for the teaching of children with SEN are made available. Furthermore, both genders should be encouraged to enrol to be prepared to teach learners with SEN

Source: UCC
Readiness for Data-Driven Decision Making in Education in Ghana

The study examined the technological readiness of school district educational administrators in Ghana to carry out data-based decisions for school improvement. A descriptive study was conducted to gather data from the study population (n=169) comprised of district education directors. Random sampling technique was used to select 120 participants. Data collected were analysed using Data Use Continuum and means and standard deviations. The findings showed that data-based decision making for school improvement is not pervasive in the school districts. There is limited use of data and these data cover only a small fraction of school activities and student performance. Also, the respondents indicated that there is more room for improvement in their technological readiness, in terms of both trained personnel and equipment, to embark on system-wide data-based decisions. Policy recommendations included the training of personnel in the utilization of data for decision making.

Source: UCC
Readiness of Electronic Health Records for the Cloud Network

Electronic Health Record (EHR) can be defined as the electronic record that stores patient’s medical history information in a health record system, accessible and managed by both care providers and patients [1]. EHR has been in existence for over twenty (20) years now but its use has been restricted to few healthcare institutions due to high implementation cost and an unknown return on investment. The benefits of electronic health records (EHR) far outweighs that of paper records and thus makes it the obvious option for storing patient records. The high cost of EHRs and the little financial rewards are mentioned as the leading obstacle to adoption [2,3].

Source: UCC
Readiness of Ghanaian University Libraries Towards the Adoption and Implementation of Resource Description and Access (RDA)

This research paper, which is part of a broader study, seeks to contribute to knowledge on the Resource Description and Access standard by exploring the state of readiness of Ghanaian university libraries to implement the standard, as well as highlighting the myriad of activities and initiatives that libraries should undertake in preparation for RDA implementation. This convergent parallel mixed methods study engaged 62 cataloguing practitioners, across nine university libraries, through questionnaires and interviews as data collection instruments. The analysis of data revealed the importance of planning and an overwhelming state of unpreparedness among Ghanaian university libraries to implement the standard. The study also contributes various appropriate activities and initiatives for readying libraries for RDA implementation to RDA literature. It is recommended among others, that university library management and leaders of professional library organisations designate RDA preparatory periods and forge collaborations and partnerships with libraries that have implemented the RDA standard

Source: UCC
Reading and comprehension in Ghanaian secondary schools: A review

Studems may learn how (0 read in primary school, but as they progress through school. they continue to learn how to learn from texts. Programmes in Secondary reading education have produced a reading methodology which incorporates many instructional practices from the primary school. In the past two decades. reading researchers have focused on undemanding the reading process. Research projects have undertaken to better understand how readers comprehend texts. Comprehension instruction has increased as research has discovered how people comprehend printed materials. This paper reviews the most common practices of secondary reading method against the background of common classroom practices in our schools. It traces how people comprehend printed materials through two definitions of reading and draws out their implication for teaching comprehension. It concludes with strategies for developing comprehension at the secondary school level of instruction.

Source: UCC
Reading Comprehension Strategies of College Students: Bridging the Gap

Reading comprehension is central to student learning and to their learning outcome. Apart from the process of decoding information, reading comprehension depends on the construction of a coherent meaning-based mental representation of the situation described in a text. It is therefore necessary to activate a set of reading comprehension strategies that facilitate the representational construction of a text. Based on a self-reported study of a stratified sample of 400 students drawn from three colleges of education in Ghana, this paper explored teacher trainees’ awareness and use of reading comprehension strategies Teacher trainees displayed an awareness of their cognitive processes during reading and claimed the ability to utilize a multitude of reading strategies to achieve comprehension. The result however contradicts an earlier study which suggests that students have difficulty understanding academic texts. The gap between awareness of and use of comprehension strategies need to be bridged. It is recommended that explicit explanation and modelling will help students to think about their reading processes and make clear what they should be doing, what they were not doing before, or what they are doing wrong. This will build their confidence to use their reported strategic knowledge to enhance their reading efficacy.

Source: UCC
Reading Galatians 4:21-31 as a covenantal discourse with Ricoeur’s eyes: implication for the Ghanaian context

The study examined Galatians 4:21-31 as a covenantal discourse. The research used the Hermeneutical theory of Ricoeur, which is a double dialectic movement from understanding to explanation to comprehension and then appropriation. The study also adapted Ricoeur’s theory to African biblical interpretation by creating an encounter between Ricoeur and West (2001) at the pre-understanding stage. The study considered covenantal discourse as that which appraised existing covenant event, in order to re-enact it for new members of the covenant community. The work also explored biblical covenants and discovered they were influenced by ancient covenant forms in a modified way. Similarly, covenant forms in Ghana shared some similarities with Ancient Near Eastern as well as biblical covenants where covenant oath is indissoluble. The study then advice Ghanaians to refrain from entering into covenant relationships for which they are not aware of its implications. The work recommended more dialogue between Christianity and cultural practices like traditional festivals.

Source: UCC
A reading of Galatians 5 and its impact on Christians in the Anlo traditional area

The study concerns a reading of Galatians 5 and practices and its appropriation for Christians in the Anlo Traditional Area. The chosen text deals with a situation of intra-religious debate between two religious beliefs and practices -Judaism and the Christian faith. The text is appropriated to the context of Anlo Christians who usually clash with the traditional rulers during the ban on drumming and general noise making. The Tri-Polar Exegetical Model as developed by Draper (2001) was employed for the study. The Contextual Bible Study Methodology by West (1993) was adopted for the contextualization of the text. The literary critical tool was used for the Distantiation (exegesis) of the text which has a structure of six divisions. The Distantiation of the text under the six divisions brought about six ideas: freedom from ethnic or religious laws (verses 1 t 6), legalism and freedom (verses 1 to 6), lawful and lawless people (verses 7 to 12), love for humanity and freedom (verses 13-15), freedom in Christ abhors fleshly desires (verses 19-21) and fruit of the spirit and freedom (verses 22-26). These ideas were used for the Contextual Bible Study (C.B.S) involving participants from seven different denominations of the Anlo local council of churches. The study group came up with the resolution that although the ban contravenes their religious beliefs and practices, its observance will not negatively affect their Christian worship. This birthed action plans for both individual and social transformation as a way of resolving the annual clashes in the period of the ban during the „Hogbetsotso‟ Festival of the Anlo people.

Source: UCC
A reading of Galatians 5 and its impact on Christians in the Anlo traditional area.

The study concerns a reading of Galatians 5 and practices and its appropriation for Christians in the Anlo Traditional Area. The chosen text deals with a situation of intra-religious debate between two religious beliefs and practices - Judaism and the Christian faith. The text is appropriated to the context of Anlo Christians who usually clash with the traditional rulers during the ban on drumming and general noise making. The Tri-Polar Exegetical Model as developed by Draper (2001) was employed for the study. The Contextual Bible Study Methodology by West (1993) was adopted for the contextualization of the text. The literary critical tool was used for the Distantiation (exegesis) of the text which has a structure of six divisions. The Distantiation of the text under the six divisions brought about six ideas: freedom from ethnic or religious laws (verses 1 t 6), legalism and freedom (verses 1 to 6), lawful and lawless people (verses 7 to 12), love for humanity and freedom (verses 13-15), freedom in Christ abhors fleshly desires (verses 19-21) and fruit of the spirit and freedom (verses 22-26). These ideas were used for the Contextual Bible Study (C.B.S) involving participants from seven different denominations of the Anloga local council of churches. The study group came up with the resolution that although the ban contravenes their religious beliefs and practices, its observance will not negatively affect their Christian worship. This birthed action plans for both individual and social transformation as a way of resolving the annual clashes in the period of the ban during the ‘Hogbetsotso’ Festival of the Anlo people.

Source: UCC
A reading of Mathew 20:20-28 and implications for local governments in Ghana

This study examined the functions of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the 1992 Constitutions of the Republic of Ghana in the light of Mt. 20:20-28 in an attempt to throw light on their duties from a Christian perspective. The researcher is interested to examine why many of the people nominated for the position of MMDCEs are later sacked by their respective government for unsatisfactory work done and what account for the protest and agitations against them from the assembly people who elected them. The philosophy behind the research is that public officers are to be selected on merit not on any political affiliations. Moreover, the Ghanaian is very religious and religion is said to permeate every facet of their life. Consequently, any Ghanaian of good will, irrespective of their religious denominations, their belief in God and their conscience should impact on their civic duty of contributing to the development of Ghana. The research concludes that MMDCEs appointed on partisan basis without the requisite qualification and working experience are among the possible results of their rejection. Among other things, their orientation and preparation for duty once appointed should include their religious responsibilities to the people

Source: UCC