ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Quality determination of groundwater for drinking at Nkawkaw in the eastern region of Ghana

The physical, trace element and microbiology of groundwater randomly collected from four boreholes namely (BH3, BH5, BH103 and BH105) at Nkawkaw in the Eastern Region of Ghana were examined by comparing it to the Ghana standards for drinking water using various standard methods of analysis and the results were compared to the Ghana standards in 2011. The microbiological data indicated that the water from all the boreholes surveyed was safe for drinking since no thermotolerant colifom bacteria were detected in them. Although the results revealed evidence of minimum physical variations in terms of colour (0.67 Pt. Co - 61.0 Pt. Co), conductivity (819µs/cm - 1052µs/cm) and turbidity (0.59 NTU - 23.5 NTU), as well as relatively higher manganese (0.038mg/L - 0.638mg/L) and aluminum (0.064 - 0.479mg/L) concentrations in some boreholes, the values obtained were generally acceptable when compared to the Ghana water Company’s Standards and WHO Guideline values. The boreholes with high levels of manganese were all located in the same area which signified a possible rock mineral and groundwater interaction. Additionally, nitrogen concentration was found to be within the acceptable limits according to Ghana Water Company’s Standard even though at p<0.05, both forms of nitrogen (ammonium and nitrate), showed significant difference (p<0.00094) among their corresponding means (0.058, 0.054, 0.072 and 0.060) mg/L in BH3, BH5, BH103 and BH105 respectively. Frequent monitoring programmes and education are recommended to ensure implementation of safe water plans for the Nkawkaw area where tapping of groundwater from richer aquifer reserves appears unavoidable. Keywords: Groundwater, Nkawkaw, Borehole, Ghana Water Company, Bacteria, Physico-chemical, Traced Metal.

Source: UEW
Quality evaluation of pastries (cake, pie and bread) produced with composite fat (margarine and sheabutter)

A study was conducted to determine the substitution potential of sheabutter in pastry making. Cake, bread and pie were prepared using different proportions of sheabutter to margarine. Sensory analysis was conducted using a scale of one (1) to five (5). Cakes prepared with equal proportions of sheabutter and margarine were most preferred and recommended for patronage. Bread and cake prepared with equal proportions of sheabutter and margarine were very sensitive to raising agents and heat. Pastries containing high proportion sheabutter were soggy and had poor aftertaste. At room temperature, pastries prepared with 100% sheabutter had longer shelf lives. Cling film packaged pastries had longer shelf life. Aluminum foil packaged pastries deteriorated faster at room temperature. The quantity of flour used in the preparation of 100% sheabutter cakes and 75% sheabutter to 25% margarine cakes had to be reduced so as to obtain a firm texture. It is recommended that catering and teaching institutions must be encouraged to use and introduce students to the use of sheabutter in pastry making. Aftertaste and aroma of the sheabutter pastries need to be improved as these were the major characteristics that deterred most assessors from liking high proportion based sheabutter pastries.

Source: UEW
Quality evaluation of used frying oils from selected hotels and restaurants in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana

The study focused on the quality assessment of used frying oils in some selected hotels and restaurants in Sekondi-Takoradi. Specifically, knowledge and usage of oils among kitchen staff; determination of how often the same oil is used in cooking; ascertaining the physical properties kitchen staff look at to discard oil and assessing the physicochemical qualities of oils used by hotel/restaurant kitchen staff were sought. The study adopted a mixed method approach (quantitative and qualitative) in evaluating the quality of oils after repeated frying. Samples of used frying oils were collected from selected hotels and restaurants from the metropolis. The target population (45 respondents) were aged eighteen (18) years and above. Data was obtained by means of a self-administered questionnaire and analysis was conducted using both descriptive and inferential statistics. From the study, the FFA of the oils ranged between 0.35% and 1.4% for the oil sampled. The acid value of the oils sampled was within the range of 0.67mg KOH/g to 2.79mgKOH/ whilst The peroxide values obtained for the oil samples were within the range from 0.99 meq/kg to 12.85 meq/kg. The study revealed that respondents had a fair idea or knowledge on what to look for when selecting a good cooking oil on the markets. Most consumers of cooks believe that it is easy to dispose used oils by using them for preparing ‘shito’ and other sauces regardless of the health implication. The study therefore recommends that cooks should not continue reusing cooking oils over and over again since reusing over a period of time produces reactions that are harmful or injurious to the health of the human consumptions.

Source: UEW
Quality management for improved performance in the hospitality industry a case study at promising stars hotel in Kumasi

The quality of service in the hotel industry is an important factor for an organization to remain competitive and profitable. This study set out to investigate how management of Promising Stars Hotel Ltd. located in the Kumasi Metropolis is ensuring efficient and effective quality assurance to provide satisfaction to their customers. The objectives of the research were to establish the quality management practices of Promising Stars Hotel, to find out the extent to which these quality management practices impact on the hotel’s performance and to identify the link between quality and customer satisfaction in the hotel. A sample of 60 respondents was selected, 20 from the management and staff of the hotel and 40 customers of the hotel using random and stratified sampling techniques. Data was collected using questionnaire and semi structured interview. The data analysis was done using descriptive statistics such as simple frequencies, means and percentages. The study revealed that the hotel implemented several quality management approaches such as ISO 9000, SERVQual and TQM with TQM being the dominant quality management approach. It was also seen that the adherence to quality management had a positive performance on the hotel’s performance with 50% of respondents indicating that the quality management approach adopted by the hotel led to an increased growth rate amongst earning a positive word of mouth from customers and gaining international recognition. It was further revealed that guest satisfaction was impacted in a positive way to a very large extent through the adherence to quality management practices. The research concluded that the long-term benefits of implementing quality management far outweighs the initial high cost of quality making it worth the while for management of hospitality organisations. The study recommended that management should improve the customer-employee relations since it was observed that the relationship was there but not so strong.

Source: UEW
Quality of early childhood education in Ghana perspectives of stakeholders in the bono east region

This study investigates the perspectives of stakeholders on quality early childhood education in the Bono East Region, Ghana. The study employed the cross-sectional survey design. The convenience sampling techniques was used to sample hundred (100) parents, fifty (50) teachers and four (4) head teachers. Data collection was carried out using structured questionnaires and observation checklist. The data obtained from the structured questionnaire was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (SPSS version 21.0) to generate frequency and percentage distributions. The study results indicated that, both parents and teachers had similar views with regard to the indicators of quality ECE. Also, both teachers and head teachers had similar level of knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices. The study results imply that with regards to the dissemination of research-based findings to practitioners, there is a knowledge gap and much needs to be done within the fields of developmental and educational psychology. It is therefore recommended that there should also be continuous in-service training for early childhood teachers. Again, some stakeholders were not too satisfied with the services being rendered therefore the service providers should provide the necessary resources to enhance quality service delivery.

Source: UEW
Quality of life of caregivers of children with cerebral palsy at hearts, hands and voice foundation, winneba

This qualitative study aimed at the quality of life of caregivers of children with cerebral palsy. This research involved engaging in semi structured interview with caregivers of children with cerebral palsy who shared their personal experiences, concerns and perspectives on their quality of life. Through thematic analysis, common themes emerged, shedding light on the four domains of these caregivers’ quality of life. Physical health status, psychological well being, social relationships and environmental experiences of caregivers’ of children with cerebral palsy. Physical strain under the physical well being and chronic pain were frequently mentioned, leading to fatigue and limitations in participating in daily activities. Emotional well-being was significantly impacted, with caregivers expressing feelings of stress, anxiety, and isolation. The demands of caring for a child with cerebral palsy, coupled with societal stigma and limited social support, contributed to these emotional struggles. Financial difficulties were also evident, with caregivers often living in precarious financial situations and struggling to meet the needs of their children. Access to adequate healthcare and specialized services for their child was a common concern, with some caregivers relying on foundations and support organizations for assistance and information. Support networks, such as Hearts, Hands and Voice Foundation, Ghana Federation of Disabilities, and local community groups, played a vital role in providing information, training, and social support to the caregivers. These resources helped caregivers acquire knowledge, connect with others in similar situations, and receive assistance in their caregiving responsibilities. The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of the quality of life of caregivers of children with cerebral palsy. The research highlights the need for increased awareness and support for caregivers, including access to comprehensive healthcare services, financial assistance, and social support programme. The recommendations derived from this study can inform the development of interventions aimed at improving the quality of life of caregivers of children with cerebral palsy.

Source: UEW
Quality of life, economic growth, and income inequality among West African states

Most West African countries have experienced economic growth in recent years, yet the effect on quality of life of the citizens is not being felt. The study therefore seeks to examine the effect of economic growth on quality of life and the role income inequality plays in this relationship. To achieve this, the study aims at examining the linkage between economic growth and quality of life among West Africa countries. It also seeks to determine the role income inequality plays in the linkage between quality of life and economic growth and finally, examine other macroeconomic variables that significantly affect quality of life in West Africa. A panel data of all the 15 West African countries were obtained from International Financial Statistics and World Development Indicators. Using Auto Regressive Distributed Lag model, the study finds that economic growth has a significant positive effect on quality of life. Also, income inequality does not moderate the linkage between economic growth and quality of life. However, variables such as interest rate and exchange rate have significant negative effect on quality of life whiles Foreign Direct Investment significantly influence quality of life positively. The study recommends that, government should invest in the productive sectors of the economy to boost economic growth. Also, government should strike a balance between limiting inflation, supporting economic growth, and maintaining access to affordable credit to help vulnerable people.

Source: UEW
Quality of teaching mathematics and opportunity to learn standards provided for Junior High School pupils on their performance in Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the Kadjebi district of the Volta region

Performance in mathematics by students has persistently been poor. This study sought to investigate the impact of quality of teaching mathematics and opportunity to learn standards provided for Junior High School pupils on their performance in Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). The study also sought to establish the strategies that could be adopted to improve performance in the subject by students in Kadjebi District of the Volta Region. The population for the study was two-hundred respondents which comprised of third year students from ten(10) randomly selected Junior High Schools, 10 Mathematics teachers and twenty (20) parents or guardians. The data for the research was collected by the use of questionnaires, test items, interviews and observation guides. The design used in the study was mixed method research design which emphasized qualitative and quantitative methods. Simple random sampling was used to select the sample for the study. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were used to analyse the data. It was found that the major factors that contributes to poor performance are, inadequacy of teaching and learning materials, lack of textbooks and resources such as computers, projectors, chalk, and others, parents or guardians socio-economic status, methods employed by mathematics teachers and inadequate opportunity to learn standards provided to pupils. It was recommended that mathematics teaching and learning should be based on student-centred and discussion approaches coupled with problem solving techniques.

Source: UEW
A quantitative methodology for assessing sustainable tourism potentials

Sustainable tourism potential is the measure of the ability and opportunity of material and nonmaterial elements to attract tourists to a destination that takes full account of its current and future socioeconomic and environmental impacts, while addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and the host communities. Thus, an effective way to developing sustainable tourism is a better identification of tourism potentials of different areas for accurate planning. Using a quantitative approach, this study identified the pull and push factors in assessing tourism potentials in Ghana, normalized the factors using scaled-item model and weight system assigned by tourists. It also acquired availability scores for each factor in five Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) in Ghana and used this to show the application of the model. The final output is the tourism potential index (TPI), which could be used for assessing sustainable tourism development at the micro and the macrolevels. The article concludes with a ranking of the selected MDAs according to their tourism potentials and substantiation of the scaled-item model to be implemented to ensure a sustainable tourism development of the MDAs. For the pull factors, the Effutu municipality with an index of 4.44 is ranked highest, followed in that order by Gomoa West district (4.26), Agona West municipality (4.00), Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam district (3.98), and Gomoa East district (3.9). For the TPI, which included the pull and the push factors, the Effutu municipality is still ranked highest with an index of 3.20. This is followed, in that order, by Gomoa West district (2.99), Ajumako-Enyan- Essiam (2.63), Gomoa East (2.59), and Agona West municipality (2.02), which lost the third position for the least position. Effutu municipality (3.20) with the highest TPI is 1.18 higher than the Agona West municipality (2.02) with the least TPI. It is suggested that examining the tourism potentials of areas based on the pull factors or attraction sites/facilities alone is inadequate as the tourism industry involves other sectors and push factors such as security and safety, socioeconomic, environment, and natural resources. � 2017 Cognizant, LLC.

Source: UEW
Question markers in Sisaali

This thesis examines question formation in Sɩsaalɩ, a member of the Grusi sub-group of the Gur languages (Naden 1988) spoken in the Upper West Region of Ghana and some parts of Burkina Faso. I discuss the syntax of polar, alternative and content questions. Two strategies for the formation of polar questions are identified which are the phonological and syntactic strategies. While the former involves the phonological strategy of falling intonation, the latter uses the question particles occurring either at clause initially or clause finally. The question particles are kóó and dúη which are added to declarative sentences to make them polar interrogatives. Syntactically, while kóó can occur either sentence initially or finally, dúη occurs only sentence finally. These question particles analyzed as question operators never co-occur with the intonation strategy of falling intonation. Alternative questions are also formed using the disjunctive kóó which occurs in-between the alternative in question. I thus propose that polar questions are truncated alternative questions. The formation of content questions involves both in-situ and ex-situ strategies. In the former the question words are in their base positions while in the latter, they are moved to the pre-sentential position together with the introduction of focus markers nέ, and rέ suggesting that movement of question words is really a case of focus movement. Using the Minimalist Theory I propose that in-situ strategy literally means that the uninterpretable features are weak while the ex-situ indicates that they are strong. Data was gathered from five speech communities of Paasaal. Key words: questions, focus markers, feature checking, Gur, Sɩsaalɩ

Source: UEW
The Question of Indigenous Science and Science Education: A Look at the Current Literature

The possibilities of Indigenous science and the incorporation into school science and technology education are tremendous. We assert that educators can further the cause of schooling and education by helping the youth to engage the self, group and community in the responsibilities of national development, and together with our diverse communities of learners, develop an in-depth understanding of what it is we are teaching, learning and why. So we ask what is educating about science? This is not an easy question. � 2012 Sense Publishers. All Rights Reserved.

Source: UEW
The question of teacher background and quality early childhood education. A look at some selected schools in the Winneba Municipality, Ghana

The study examined the current educational and professional background of early childhood educators involved in early childhood development in some selected schools in Winneba, Ghana; and how that affects quality of work in the classroom. The study adopted the descriptive survey type, using a sample of 127 early childhood educators randomly selected from early childhood centers and schools in the Winneba municipality. A questionnaire was administered to respondents based on 16 items within four domains: Background of educators, participation and organization of instruction, approach to growth and development, and organization of curriculum. Key findings indicated that most educators did not have the professional training in early childhood education. Based on the findings, a number of recommendations were made to address this important shortfall. Keywords: Early Childhood Education, Teacher Background, Quality Teaching, Winneba, Ghana.

Source: UEW
Radiative MHD thin film flow of Williamson fluid over an unsteady permeable stretching sheet

In this research work we have examined the flow of Williamson liquid film fluid with heat transmission and having the impact of thermal radiation embedded in a permeable medium over a time dependent stretching surface. The fluid flow of liquid films is assumed in two dimensions. By using suitable similarity transformation the governing non-linear partial differential equations have been transformed into non-linear differential equations. An optimal approach has been used to acquire the solution of the modelled problem. The convergence of the technique has been shown numerically. The impact of the Skin friction and Nusslet number and their influence on thin film flow are shown numerically. Thermal radiation, unsteadiness effect and porosity have mainly focused in this paper. Furthermore, for conception and physical demonstration the entrenched parameters, like porosity parameter k, Prandtl number Pr, unsteadiness parameter S, Radiation parameter Rd, Magnetic parameter M, and Williamson fluid parameter have been discussed graphically in detail with their effect on liquid film flow. � 2018 The Authors

Source: UEW
Radio listening habits at the workplace a study of Agona Swedru business community

This study investigated the workplace radio listening habits of AgonaSwedru Business Community.This was aimed at assessing how radio supports the business needs of members of AgonaSwedru Business Community. The uses and gratifications theory and dependency theory guided the study. The study employed a qualitative survey method and adopted a purposive sampling technique.Questionnaires, with both closed and open ended items, were administered to 100 selected respondents.The findings indicate that the fundamental purpose of radio listening among the business community was to gain information in order to make good business decisions. Businessmen and women mostly listened to radio throughout the day and derived the gratifications of monitoring business news and events. These findings of the study affirm the Dependency Theory of DeFleur and Ball-Rokeach (1976) that society becomes dependent on the media for its „outside‟ resources. The research also revealed that respondents‟ role, whether as shop attendant or as shop owners, influenced their reasons for radio listening, hence programme preference. Shop attendants with no decision-making role sought less business-based programmes while all shop owners with managerial role consciously sought business-based programmes. Consequently, radio has emerged as an important resource in business management.

Source: UEW