ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Reading Freire’s pedagogy of the oppressed phenomenological study of 2018 postgraduate sandwich students of Communication and Media Studies Department

Pedagogy of the Oppressed was written decades ago to expose unequal power relationships which result in oppression among humanity. It further introduces critical pedagogy as the antidote to deconstructing oppression. Using the qualitative approach to inquiry, the study employed the phenomenological design to solicit the views and ideas of the 2018 Postgraduate Sandwich Students of the Communication and Media Studies Department and investigated how their behaviours have been transformed after reading the book. The study adopted the criterion sampling technique where three respondents were selected for the collection of data through in-depth semistructured, open-ended telephone interview. Analysis from the collected data indicated that readers found it difficult grasping the subject matter of the book after reading it for the first time. Thus, the participants read the book more than once before they understood its concepts. It was also identified that the behaviours of the participants have been transformed positively after reading the book. The research therefore recommended for the inclusion of the book as a reading material in all the other departments of the university. It was also recommended that policy makers also consider critical pedagogy when designing or modifying curricula.

Source: UEW
Reading habits among students and its effect on academic performance: A study of students of Koforidua Polytechnic

The study sought to assess the reading habits among students and their effects on their academic performance. The study was conducted in Koforidua Polytechnic situated in the Eastern Region of Ghana. A questionnaire was used for the data collection. The data collected were analyzed quantitatively with the use of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Figures and tables were used to present the results of findings. From the total of 1052 copies of questionnaire distributed, 1000 copies, representing 95.0% were filled and returned. The findings showed that majority of the respondents acknowledge the importance of reading, 81.9% of the respondents neither read novel nor fiction within the last two semesters while 62.0% of the respondents only read for the purpose of passing examination. The study confirmed that reading habit has influence on academic performance and there is a relationship between reading habit and academic performance. The study recommended among others that lecturers should be advised to stop providing handouts to students but rather encourage them to use the library for research and also, the current system of assessing students should be given a second thought with respect to the formulae of assessment.

Source: UEW
Realisation de L’enchainement Consonantique et Vocalique en Français Aupres des Apprenants de Ghana

This research aims at finding out the difficulties encountered by SHS3A&B learners of Ghana Senior High School in Tamale Municipality regarding the use of « enchainement vocalique/consonantique dans l’apprentissage du Français » in oral French. The research was conducted in two different classes namely: General Arts A & B of SHS3 with total number of 20 students and 4 teachers. Data were collected through questionnaire for teachers and learners and a written test for learners on the «enchainement consonantique et vocalique en français». The researcher adopted mixed method of analysis. The analysis has revealed that most of the errors committed by learners were as a result of interferences of the learners with other languages they have already acquired. The findings revealed that learners’ difficulties came from lack of knowing the rules governing “l’enchainement et les techniques d’enseignement ». The findings revealed that the complex nature of the French language made teaching and learning difficult. The findings also showed that learners faced with two distinct problems. Thus, the problems related to linking words in French and the complex nature of French in general. Based on these findings, it was recommended that the ministry of education and the authority of Ghana Senior High School should continue with exchange programme with francophone countries to enable the students to learn faster. It was also recommended that teachers should engage students in the activities of pronunciation of linking words to give them a better way of pronouncing words in French. It was recommended that teachers should organize extra classes in reading practices (reading aloud).

Source: UEW
Realisation graphique du son vocalique nasal mi-ouvert ɛ en fle. Le cas des apprenants d’academy of Christ the king et Ghana National College, Cape Coast.

Our main focus of the study was to identify strategies et methods to help us overcome the difficulties related to realizing different graphemes of the nasal sound /ɛ̃/ . The design used for the research was action research. The sampling technique used was purposeful sampling. Due to the large class population, a random sample of sixty-three (63) students comprising forty-eight (48) girls and fifteen (15) boys was used for the study. To ascertain or confirm if the difficulties of graphical realization exist only or not in my school of teaching, we have used two SHS, namely Academy of Christ the King and Ghana National College all in the central region of Ghana. Also, six (6) teachers were used, three from each school named above. Analyses of the data collected through reading text and dictation for students and questionnaires for both students and the teachers confirmed that learners have difficulty of realizing graphemes of the sound /ɛ̃/ in French language. Also, learners make a negative transfer from their linguistic competence from L1 and mostly L2 into the French language when pronouncing words containing the different graphemes of the sound /ɛ̃/ during reading. Moreover, the research added that owing to multiple acquisitions of the local language and English before the study of the French language, learners get confused about how to identify those varieties of graphemes and which sound to pronounce. During our interventions, we used different methods like: the approach communicative, logiciel de reconnaissance, l’échafaudage etc. to overcome these difficulties. Also, we used teaching strategies and modern technologies in teaching modern languages to achieve our objective of the research. After our intervention, learners have improved significantly in recognizing different graphemes and pronouncing words containing those graphemes as well. Finally, we recommended measures that could help students to overcome their difficulties through pedagogical activities such as virlangue, dictation, role play, and regular reading. Also, the organization of the spelling bee of words containing those sounds enables them to identify such words to solve their difficulties. In addition, teaching materials should be provided, especially the phonetic and orthograph materials to all schools from primary to SHS

Source: UEW
Reality shows as catalyst for celebrification an analysis of the ‘Big Brother Naija’ (BBN) on social media.

This study discusses the phenomenon of reality shows as shared by audiences on social media shows in Africa and explores the rewards for participants. Through a qualitative content analysis of a popular reality show in Africa, ‘Big Brother Naija’ the paper interrogates the celebrification processes used and thereby highlights how the elevation of the ordinary person is closely connected to the steady rise of reality TV as a contemporary television genre. The rising popularity of ‘Big Brother Nigeria’ and its social influence has motivated deep public interest especially, on social media platforms. This study, anchored on Parasocial Relationship, Symbolic Interactionism and The Concept of Micro-Celebrity, analyses the influence of ‘Big Brother Naija’ as a reality show on audiences. The results indicate that posts on twitter by audiences of the show on social media include text tweets, videos, polls, links and pictures. Findings also showed that not only do contestants of the reality show gain instant fame, also lucrative offers including endorsement deals, tours, and enormous social media following. These have become the motivating factors for participating in the show. Audiences of the show lend their voice and participate through posts and engagements such as fan wars, discussions and following contestants of the show on the various social media platforms. Again, findings showed that, closely knitted to fame are consequences such as cyberbullying, invasion of privacy and loss of authenticity and control. To address these issues, social media platforms should implement and enforce robust policies that explicitly prohibit harassment, hate speech, and cyberbullying. These policies should be clearly communicated to users, outlining the consequences for violating the guidelines. The study concludes that reality shows such as ‘Big Brother Naija’ have become agents of celebrification for several participants.

Source: UEW
A Reconceptualization of Entrepreneurial Orientation in an Emerging Market Insurance Company

The authors examine how entrepreneurial firms gain competitive advantage and hence entrepreneurial success by optimizing their dynamic capabilities. Using a single case design, incorporating in-depth interviews with key informants within an insurance company in Ghana, the authors attempt to highlight the limitations of an existing model. Their key proposition is that the growth and profitability exhibited in the case study are largely attributable to its ability to leverage its entrepreneurial orientation. They argue, therefore, that despite the ability of the resource-based view to translate into competitive advantage at the firm level, it falls short of longer-term competitive advantages and entrepreneurial success-especially in the financial services sector with homogeneous product offerings. � 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Source: UEW
Reconceptualization of entrepreneurial orientation in an emerging market insurance company

The authors examine how entrepreneurial firms gain competitive advantage and hence entrepreneurial success by optimizing their dynamic capabilities. Using a single case design, incorporating in-depth interviews with key informants within an insurance company inGhana, the authors attempt to highlight the limitations of an existing model. Their key proposition is that the growth and profitability exhibited in the case study are largely attributable to its ability to leverage its entrepreneurial orientation. They argue, therefore, that despite the ability of the resource-based view to translate into competitive advantage at the firm level, it falls short of longer-term competitive advantages and entrepreneurial success—especially in the financial services sector with homogeneous product offerings

Source: UEW
Record keeping practices of primary school teachers in Sagnarigu district of northern region of Ghana

This study was designed to investigate the record keeping practices of primary school teachers in selected local government schools in the Sagnarigu district in the Northern region of Ghana. Descriptive survey design was used which employed a questionnaire to collect field data . A total of 200 primary school teachers selected through the random sample technique were used for the study. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings showed that although the teachers were familiar with some principles of record keeping they were not proficient in most of the operational procedures and did not demonstrate the knowledge of using record keeping to further the development of teaching and learning activities. Equipment that could be used for safe keeping of records were not available. Recognizing the importance of record keeping towards the successful implementation of the educational programmes, the researcher recommends that teachers should be given regular in-service training in record keeping and retrieval. Development of record keeping skills should also be included in teacher preparation programmes.

Source: UEW
Records management practices, computer literacy skills and job performance of Senior High Schools registry staff in Ghana a case study at West Mamprusi District

Best records management practices and computer literacy skills promote job performance of senior high school registry staff through records they create, use and maintain, hence senior high school administration rely much on it for quality decision making. The presence of information technology seems to improve the job performance of registry staff of senior high schools as they upgrade their work from manual to electronic. However, many students had bitter experiences as their records are mismanaged and retrieval of urgent records delayed by registry staff which has great implication to senior high schools at large. It is in light of this that the present study investigated records management practices, computer literacy skills and job performance of senior high school registry staff in West Mamprusi District, Ghana. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study consisted of 100 registry staffs. The sample size of 75 registry staffs was randomly selected. Findings of the study revealed records management practices of high school registry staff in West Mamprusi District include records creation, classification, security, storage, retrieval, tracking and destruction. The study concluded that records management practices contributed immensely to the job performance of registry staff in senior high schools at West Mamprusi District. Computer literacy skills significantly influence registry staff job performance. It is recommended that senior high school registry staff should uphold their job performance, and should be encouraged to improve themselves with computer literacy skills in order to meet-up with technological advancement and also to beat their competitors in the senior high school industry.

Source: UEW
Recounting the Blessings and Curses of Living with a Disability: The Experiences of Persons with Visual and Physical Impairment in Accra

Studies on the living conditions of persons with disability (PWD) in Ghana largely highlight the nonconformity between the physical environment and one�s physical appearance. Even though these studies offer an opportunity to explore the living conditions of PWD�s, they rarely focus on PWD�s interpretation of how their disability influences the enjoyment of various opportunities. Employing an exploratory research design, this study engaged 28 visually impaired and 22 physically challenged persons from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. Audio tapes from interviews were transcribed and coded using MaxQDA. Thematic analysis was used, and findings from the study revealed that onset of disability did not entirely present a challenge as some recorded an increased sensitivity in other sense organs which played a critical role in discovering artistic skills. Consequently, experienced challenges were inclined to their social interactions which are fuelled by the inability of Ghanaian dialects to project PWDs as valuable members of society. A consultative educational framework by the National Council for Persons with Disability (NCPD) will be needed to overhaul society�s impression and status accorded to the disability community. � 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Source: UEW
Recruitment and selection practices of non-professional teachers in Ghana education service in Atwima Mponua district of Ashanti

The main aim of this study was to investigate and analyze the effectiveness of recruitment & selection of non professional teaching staff in the Ghana Education Service, keeping in view procedural fairness, transparency, line manager role, human resource competency in the organization. The study would assist and motivate the HRMD to recruit & select the best potential candidate to fill vacancies that exist in the district education office and other offices in GES. It further assist the non professional teaching staff in GES to also get information before they could apply for specific position in GES. The population of the study was targeted to HRMD, other officials in the district education office and in the senior high schools. The sample size was 96 and main instrument used for the study was the questionnaire. The results of the study indicated that the human resource department should be given in service training on the procedure for recruitment and selection of non-professional teaching staff in GES. Also, generally, all Ghanaian staffs of the GES irrespective of their area of specialization would have to go through lay down procedure in recruitment and selection of non-professional teaching staff by GES. There is also a clear indication in Ghana today, human resource department collect kick-becks before they recruit them. The study recommended that the ministry of education as a short measure should review the procedure that the human resource department followed in the recruitment and selection of non-professional teaching staff in the Ghana Education Service. Notwithstanding, the ministry of education should also assist to develop system that the human resource departments could use to recruit and select qualified potential candidates to fill a vacant position in the service, and make sure that the departments have a strategy and action plan for recruitment and selection process, and research in it.

Source: UEW
Recycling solid waste from local leather footwear production in Ghana through art

Globally, footwear manufacturing is considered a highly polluting industry due to its generation of hazardous solid waste. Nevertheless, there is limited work conducted on footwear related waste in Ghana. The objectives of this study were to investigate the factors that influence the generation of solid waste, the characteristics and the utilisation of solid waste generated by local footwear producers in selected metropolises in Ghana. The study also experimented with recycled art approaches using the solid wastes identified. Qualitative research and practice-led approaches were used for different objectives of the study. Case study and art experimentation designs were employed for the qualitative and practice-led aspect of the work respectively. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and reflective journaling. Data was analysed through data reduction, data display and conclusion drawing. Findings revealed that footwear patterns influenced leather offcut generation the most. Footwear buffing dust generation was also influenced by sole type and work setting. Leather offcuts in Kumasi had less defects and offered more variety in terms of colour, size, shape, and texture than leather offcuts in Tamale. Reuse of leather offcuts and footwear buffing dust was low among respondents with disposal at landfill preferred. Leather offcuts created varied texture effects in 2D artwork. While footwear buffing dust possessed all the material characteristics necessary for casting, the material worked for modelling with limitations. It is concluded that the generation of leather offcuts and footwear buffing dust depend on footwear related factors; and these materials have characteristic features that offer opportunities for recycled art. Nevertheless, their usage is limited among local footwear producers and footwear buffing operators. Therefore, recycled artists should collaborate with art educational institutions to research into new design for waste approaches.

Source: UEW
Reference intervals for selected haematological and biochemical parameters among apparently healthy adults in different eco-geographical zones in Ghana

Background Due to the influence of gender, race/genetics, age, lifestyle habits and geography on the references intervals (RIs), the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommends the determination of population-specific RIs. Ghana continues to depend on pre-established RIs from other countries which poses the risk of misdiagnoses and wrong treatment. This study presents the haemato-biochemical RIs from four eco-geographical zones in Ghana. Methods In this population-based cross-sectional study, a total of 1227 randomly selected healthy voluntary blood donors from the four eco-geographic zones (Coastal Savannah, Rain Forest, Savannah and Transitional) were enrolled and screened. Based on the CLSI Guidance Document C28A2992, the data of eligible participants were used to non-parametrically determine the RIs for the haemato-biochemical parameters at the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles. Comparison of analytes by gender was done by Wilcoxon rank sum test and eco-geographic differences were assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis with the Dunn post hoc multiple comparison tests. Results There were statistically significant differences in most of the haematological parameters (RBC, Hb, HCT, MCV, PLT, WBC; p-values &lt;0.0001 and MCH; p-value = 0.007), and biochemical analytes (Urea, Cr, Trig, HDL-C, AST, ALT, ALP, GGT, BID, BIT, Prot-T and Albumin; p-values &lt;0.0001) based on gender. Significant inter eco-geographic (intra-population) variations and substantial differences between the established RI and the RIs accompanying the analyzers used were also observed. Conclusion This study reports significant inter-sex and inter-geographical differences in haemato-biochemical RIs in Ghana as well as differences in RIs with both the RIs accompanying the analyzers and those of other countries. Determining RIs representative of populations and including them in the report systems of laboratories to ensure effective and efficient healthcare service delivery is thus recommended. Copyright: � 2021 Abbam et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Source: UEW
Reference service evaluation at an African academic library: the user perspective

Purpose � This paper aims to provide a detailed discussion of a large-scale library reference evaluation study conducted at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) in Ghana. The study seeks to evaluate the reference service from the user perspective, focusing on how users use and perceive the service. Design/methodology/approach � Self-administered survey was used as the data collection instrument. One thousand questionnaires were distributed to library users in a three-week period, and the response rate was 63.7 per cent. Findings � The reference service had a high non-use rate of 42.6 per cent, which was primarily attributed to library users� self-sufficiency and lack of awareness of the service. The top three motivations for library users to use the reference service were class assignments, personal interests and using library facilities. Although their overall altitude was positive, users felt that reference librarians were more successful at exhibiting customer service qualities than performing tasks related to identifying users� information needs and searching/locating relevant information to fulfill the needs. Practical implications � The knowledge gained from this study will deepen the understanding of how the reference service is utilised and perceived by library users and offer insights on how to enhance the services to optimise the user experience. Originality/value � This study yields an enriched view of reference service provision in the African context. Its findings will help other academic libraries in Africa successfully plan and implement their own reference evaluation efforts and ultimately encourage more evidence-based library practices in the developing world. � 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Source: UEW