ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Towards sustainable utilisation of water resources: A comprehensive analysis of Ghana's National Water Policy

In the years ahead, meeting the challenges of food security in a water scarce world will require drastic changes in the way water resources are managed. Accordingly, Ghana's water sector has seen tremendous changes over the years culminating in the 2007 National Water Policy. This paper evaluates the policy to highlight its strengths and weaknesses, to inform possible future review and guide new policy development in developing countries or troubleshoot existing policies. It draws on a framework based on three thematic areas distilled from global water policy development guidelines. Using a 3-point Likert scale, sub-thematic components are ranked and used to quantitatively compute the theme-specific scores (TSS) and the overall performance (OP) of the policy. Per the study findings, cross-cutting water policy issues including integrated water resources management, climate change adaptation and gender mainstreaming are more highlighted (TSS = 67%) than country-specific water management issues (TSS = 50%). Specifically, the policy neglects key national issues including protection of coastal regions from the onslaught of sea waves, and water resource protection against oil spills, and its institutional framework for implementation excludes key sector institutions. Generally, the policy addresses most pertinent issues in the water sector (OP = 64%) and areas for improvement are further discussed in the paper. � 2017 The Authors.

Source: UEW
Towards the solution of abysmal performance in mathematics in junior high schools: Comparing the pedagogical potential Of two

Introduction: In this study, the effectiveness of two different interventions was investigated. The effects of a concrete abstract intervention and a regular method of teaching intervention were compared. Both interventions were designed in line with the specifications of classical principles of instructional design for learning mathematics in the traditional classroom of junior high school (JHS) in Ghana. The purpose was to contribute to the solution of abysmal performance of mathematics in the JHS. Method: Eighty students randomly selected from JHS, were randomly assigned to the two treatments. The content for the treatments were selected from the JHS syllabus. A teacher was trained to implement the treatments. The main study, consisting of six sessions, was conducted in a regular classroom of the school. Descriptive statistics, paired-samples t test, and t independent test were used to analyze the data. Results: Generally, the general performance of students in both groups improved significantly after they had experienced the designed treatments. Comparatively, t independent test revealed that the designed concrete representational abstract intervention (DCRAI) is more effective for improving students' general performance in geometry and algebra than the designed regular method of teaching intervention (DRMTI). Discussion and conclusion: The results of the study imply that instructional design principles are relevant, effective and needed in the design of classroom teaching, to address the poor performance in mathematics in JHSs (in Ghana). � Education & Psychology I+D+i and Ilustre Colegio Oficial de la Psicolog�a de Andaluc�a Oriental.

Source: UEW
Towards the Solution of Abysmal Performance in Mathematics in Junior High Schools: Comparing the Pedagogical Potential of two Designed Interventions [Hacia la Mejora del Rendimiento Matem�tico P�simo en el Primer Ciclo de Ense�anza Secundaria: una Comparaci�n del Potencial Pedag�gico de dos Intervenciones]

Introduction. In this study, the effectiveness of two different interventions was investigated. The effects of a concrete abstract intervention and a regular method of teaching intervention were compared. Both interventions were designed in line with the specifications of classical principles of instructional design for learning mathematics in the traditional classroom of jun-ior high school (JHS) in Ghana. The purpose was to contribute to the solution of abysmal performance of mathematics in the JHS. Method. Eighty students randomly selected from JHS, were randomly assigned to the two treatments. The content for the treatments were selected from the JHS syllabus. A teacher was trained to implement the treatments. The main study, consisting of six sessions, was conducted in a regular classroom of the school. Descriptive statistics, paired-samples t test, and t independent test were used to analyze the data. Results. Generally, the general performance of students in both groups improved significantly after they had experienced the designed treatments. Comparatively, t independent test revealed that the designed concrete representational abstract intervention (DCRAI) is more effective for improving students� general performance in geometry and algebra than the de-signed regular method of teaching intervention (DRMTI). Discussion and conclusion. The results of the study imply that instructional design principles are relevant, effective and needed in the design of classroom teaching, to address the poor performance in mathematics in JHSs (in Ghana) � 2014. Education & Psychology I+D+i and Ilustre Colegio Oficial de la Psicolog�a de Andaluc�a Oriental

Source: UEW
Traced metals and nutrients in mosquito breeding sites at the Obuasi Municipality Of Ashanti region in Ghana

A survey was conducted in the Obuasi Municipality to assess the impact of some trace metals and nutrients on mosquito breeding sites from 15 randomly selected communities. The water samples, collected fortnightly for eight months, were analyzed using spectrophotometry and other standard laboratory protocols at the AngloGold Ashanti Environmental Quality Assurance Laboratory. The results on trace metals, and nutrients did not reveal any significant pattern of attendant pollution that would influence the breeding patterns of mosquitoes. However, the trace metals ranged from 0.12±0.01mg/L - 13.42±0.01mg/L and 0.01±0.01mg/L - 0.30±0.01mg/L for Fe and Pb respectively in the waters whilst As and Zn were not detected. For the nutrients - nitrate values which were > 1 ranged from 2mg/L – > 40mg/L. Sulphate levels varied between < 20mg/L and > 200mg/L and were above the EPA Maximun Permissible Limit of 1.5 mg/L for polluted natural water bodies. There was no definite pattern in the concentrations of phosphates which varied between 0.1mg/L and 1.5mg/L in the waters. It is apparent that under rising temperature conditions of climate change, the mosquito’s habitat may be highly favoured for adaptation and prolific breeding in the tropics and this further creates the opportunity for research partners to get actively involved in finding integrated control measures to counteract the life cycle of the pest. Keywords: Anglogold Ashanti, Obuasi Municipality, Traced Metal Analysis, Mosquito Breeding Waters

Source: UEW
A tracer study of visual skills-trained diploma graduates from Komenda College of Education.

One of the major challenges facing Ghana is the provision of a pool of well-trained skilled artisans and technicians to meet the requirements of the country’s socio economic development activities. In the last three decades, the Ghanaian government developed vocational and skills training programmes as integral parts of broader strategies to promote development and employment. The emphasis is on training people for self-employment and the policy framework to promote science and technology and its curriculum design and delivery to meet the labour market. Despite efforts to revamp vocational training, challenges persist, including inadequate funding, outdated curricula, and lack of industrial partnership. Furthermore, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes suffer from infrastrastructure, inadequate instructor training, and limited access to apprenticeships.Additionally, the prevalence of informal, unstandardized training programmes hinders the development of a competent workforce. This study is a tracer study that was undertaken at the Komenda College of Education, Komenda. It evaluates the outcomes or results of the education and training provided in the institution and gouges out information concerning experiences and the correspondence between educational qualification and required teaching skills. The study gathered that student-teachers encountered numerous challenges during their training at the school. It also identified that the experiences of student-teachers at the Komenda College of Education significantly influenced their social and cooperate life after completion of their programme at the above named institution. The training gained at the college of education made most of the Diploma Graduates fully employed by the government. On the other hand, the study recommends that Komenda College of Education (KMCE) and Teacher Education Division (TED) should pay attention to the Visual Arts programme under the Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET). Since TVET comprises Visual Arts, Technical and Home Economics. Again, much attention is on the Home Economics and Technical. If you take the Basic Design and Technology (BDT) curriculum, little is found on Visual Arts.

Source: UEW
A tracer study on the Bachelor of Arts education graduates of uew 2010 cohorts of graduates

Graduates feedback is relevant in assessing the effectiveness or other wise of the services rendered by universities. As a result, the University together with its stakeholders share the view that there must be a continuous process of assessing the progress made by its graduates in the world of work in order to improve upon its programmes and services. This study therefore sought to explore the perceptions of the graduates about their satisfaction with the quality and relevance of the BA Art Education Programme. The study employed the sequential mixed methods approach using qualitative and quantitative methods as the primary means of data collection. Graduates of the 2010 batch of the BA Art Education programme were used for the study. Furthermore, the descriptive survey, tracer study and exploratory designs were adopted for the study. In all, sixty respondents were selected for the study. The objectives of the study were to find out the current occupational fields of the 2010 Art Education graduates of UEW and its relations to their respective areas of specialization, to explore the views of the 2010 Art Education graduates on the relevance of the undergraduate Art Education program at UEW and to investigate the views of the 2010 Art Education graduates on the quality of the undergraduate Art Education program at UEW. The study revealed graduates of the Art Education programme are mostly employed as Art teachers within various educational institution. It was further revealed that in relation graduates work experiences as wells as competencies required of their jobs the Art education programme was perceived as relevant. The study further showed that, graduates were satisfied with the Art Education programme and viewed it as quality in terms of the knowledge and competencies it provided. Lastly, the Art Education was perceived to be lagging behind in terms of the provision of opportunities for practical knowledge. It has been recommended that the Art Education programme must: provide more opportunities for practical work, incorporate of modern tools and equipment including ICT and properly linking what is taught to the world of work.

Source: UEW
Trade financing and economic growth nexus in Ghana.

This is a research work that have been conducted to ascertain the relationship between trade finance and economic growth in Ghana. Data was taken from the worlds bank world integrated trade solution. The study has an introduction that is made up of the evolution of money and various trade finance instruments, the geographical information and economic history of Ghana. The study captures three objectives which includes ascertaining the value of Ghana’s trade balance and gross domestic product. Examining the relationship between Ghana’s trade finance and economic growth. Lastly, exploring the impact of Ghana’s trade finance on its economy. Theories of trade finance and it’s linkage to economic growth are being reviewed in the study. A number of empirical studies was also scrutinized to give a clear reason for this studies, conceptual framework has been organised to give a clear picture of relationships between variables of study in the work. Quantitative method of study and correlation study approach has been used in the research. The data collected from the world banks world integrated trade solution was fed into stata software version 14. After testing for linearity, autocorrelation, heteroscedasticity, normality, stationarity and multicollinearity. An ordinary least square regression was run by the software and it was realized that trade finance has a negative relationship with economic growth after several theorist and empirical studies proved otherwise in the western world. The paper concluded that high demand for foreign exchanged was recorded in these periods causing major foreign exchange rates to rise and fluctuate pushing up prices of imports and since the country imports more consumables, the general price of consumables rise to cause inflation. The study recommended that government and other stakeholders should invest in human capital, research and innovation, provide subventions and infrastructure to promote exportation and institutional framework to support high productivity and exportation.Further studies is recommended for institutional theory of trade finance and growth in Ghana

Source: UEW
Trade, consumption and safety of second-hand clothing in the Cape Coast metropolis

This survey explored the second-hand clothing trade, consumption and safety in the Cape Coast Metropolis in the Central Region of Ghana. The objectives of the study were to identify the kinds of second-hand clothing sold on the markets; identify the most patronized second-hand clothing by consumers in Cape Coast, explain why second-hand clothing trade and consumption were booming, and assess the effectiveness of safety treatments given to second-hand clothing before sale and usage in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Views were sampled from 110 respondents (100 consumers and 10 traders) selected by purposive and convenience sampling techniques. Data were collected through the use of questionnaire and observation checklist. The quantitative data generated frequencies and percentages using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 and presented in charts and tables. The qualitative data gathered from interview and observation checklist were analyzed in themes that reflected the objectives of the study. In-text quotations and direct quotes from the respondents were used to present the qualitative data. The study revealed that 90% each of brassieres, boxer shorts, dresses, blouses and towels were the most commonly sold followed by 80% each for shirts, T-shirts, footwear and bags, bedsheets (70%) and jackets (60%). Shirts (89%), dresses (81%), towels (77%), T shirts (76%) and footwear (71%) were the most patronized second-hand clothing. Durability (100%) and price (100%) were main factors that guided consumer purchases while traders were mainly motivated by profitability (100%); ease of entry in the business (100%); affordability of taxes (90%); and lack of government regulatory restrictions (90%). Washing (89%), pressing/ironing (76%) and removal of stain (73%) were the main treatment practices performed by consumers before use, while traders sorted out the second-hand clothing items into categories before sale (90%) and repaired/altered second-hand clothing (50%) often than washing (20%) and ironing (10%). Use of gloves and nose and mouth masks were not observed. Both consumers and traders expressed that washing, removal of stains, sun drying and ironing were enough to ensure safety in handling and use of second-hand clothing. The trade was lucrative and the consumers found the products satisfactory, hence the need to focus more attention on issues of second-hand clothing trade regulations and monitoring while encouraging both traders and consumers to observe safety measures in the handling and usage of second-hand clothing.

Source: UEW
Traditional authorities’ role in the management of shared dams in the Builsa North Municipality, Ghana.

Traditional leaders are crucial to the management of shared dam water, particularly in rural communities of developing countries. Their roles are meant to ensure equitable use and sustenance of the dam water shared among their subjects. This knowledge prompted this research to investigate traditional authorities’ role in the management of shared dams in the Wiaga Traditional Area of Builsa North Municipality, Ghana. This study sought to investigate the involvement of the traditional authorities in the management of shared dams, challenges and resolution of traditional authorities’ role in the management of shared dams, and the coordination between the indigenous leaders and state agencies. Informed by the constructivism philosophy, case study design was employed to purposively select three communities for the study. This qualitative study solicited data from twelve participants who were selected for interviews. They included traditional rulers, assembly members and other state agencies responsible for water provision. Field observations were also made in collecting data. With thematic analysis of the primary data, the study found dams at Yimonsa, Guuta and Longsa communities as the main shared water resources. These dams were constructed by the Water Resources Commission, Ghana Irrigation Development Authority and Municipal Assembly for domestic and agricultural purposes. Regarding the management of the dams, traditional leaders, in partnership with assembly members used indigenous approaches to ensure equitable use and management of the resources. Where there were tensions, they were largely resolved using similar means. They collaborated with the state agencies for high-level management decisions with regards to the dams. The study therefore recommends the construction of more dams and expansion of older ones by the WRC, GIDA and Municipal Assembly due to the multiple benefits derived from them. Also, communities should be educated on the need to appreciate the important roles of traditional leaders in ensuring sustainable management of shared dams. More so, formidable laws of both indigenous and modern should be framed as policy to avoid future dangers.

Source: UEW
Traditional mourning dress of the akans of Ghana

A diachronic/synchronic study was conducted to identify the typical traditional mourning dress of Akans of Ghana and their symbolic meanings. Nine old men and women were interviewed for primary data. Sources of secondary data were books, students' research reports, journals, and information from the internet. The findings revealed that typical Akan mourning dress included kuntunkuni, kobene, brisi, adinkra, koogyan, nkrawo abotire, a yellow or red loincloth, necklaces of seeds, tiny snail shells, hide, ayisaado, wreaths of leaves, straw bands, native or rubber sandals, and black and red body painting. The nature of death, age, character, and status of the deceased or the bereaved and physical and mental characteristics of the deceased prior to death determined what to wear at funerals. Conclusions drawn were that mourning dress was used to honour the dead, control the behaviour of the living, and direct support to the right people. � African Cultures and Literatures: A Miscellany.

Source: UEW
Traduction et analyse des elements socioculturels dans les six premiers chapitres de The Kaya Girl de Mamle Wolo.

This research entitled “Translation and Analysis of Socio-cultural Elements in the first six chapters of The Kaya Girl by Mamle Wolo”, focuses on the translation and the analysis of socio-cultural and stylistic elements in the first six chapters of the novel. Our research also aims to complement Mamle Wolo’s effort by translating this particular novel from English to French to make the novel accessible to French speakers. The methodology used is a combination of semantic and communicative translation, making it possible to respect the style and tone of the author while guaranteeing the accessibility and comprehension of the text in the target language. The theories underpinning this research are Newmark’s semantic translation, descriptive theory of translation by Oseki-Dépré (1999) and domestication and foreignization by Venuti (2017). The study confirms the idea that translating a novel often reveals challenges in conveying cultural references, idioms, and social norms from the source language into the target language as certain expressions or cultural phenomena may have no direct equivalent in the target language, but with the appropriate techniques, these challenges can be overcome. Finally, the study acknowledges some limitations, such as the limited corpus and time constraints, while proposing perspectives for future research. This thesis thus contributes to the understanding of the challenges and practices of literary translation in an intercultural context.

Source: UEW
Training and development and its impact on employee performance in hospitals a case study of Abrafi memorial hospital

The success of every organization depends largely on the competence of their workforce. Training and development for employees has been identified as a major strategic tool adopted by organizations to enhance and achieve their goals and objectives. The study sought to examine the impact of training and development on the performance of employees using Abrafi Memorial Hospital as the case study. The target population involves employees (50) of the hospital. The study adopted census approach to select participants for the study. Questionnaire served as the main data collection tool for the study. It was established that training programmes were frequently organized for the employees of the hospital and the respondent felt it has had enormous impact on their work. It was further found that training and development leads to efficiency and improved the performance of employees. There was a strong positive correlation between training and development and the performance of employees through enhancement of skills, talents and capabilities. However, training and development were challenged with institutional, situational, lack of team work and poor communication among stakeholders. It is expected that management of Abrafi Memorial Hospital invest more resources into the provision of training and development programmes for their workforce to enhance their performance.

Source: UEW