ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Inflation Rate and Interest Rate on Financial Sector Development in Ghana; Time Series Approach

The development of the financial sector of an economy has been empirically established as an important component of economic growth. The study in using bank private credit to the private sector as a proxy of financial sector development seeks to use causal research design to examine the impact of inflation rate and interest rate on financial sector development in Ghana from 1980-2015. The study also employed time series data and secondary data obtained from the World Bank development indicators and Dynamic OLS regression technique in analyzing the data. Theories existing are divided on the relationship existing between inflation-finance and interest rate-finance. Whilst certain theories are with the opinion of a negative relationship between inflation and financial sector development, others say otherwise. However, generally most theories assert that inflation has a negative impact on FSD. The contrasting opinions are not different with interest rate. Three theories were reviewed under this study; they are the finance-inflation theory, McKinnon-Shaw hypothesis and credit rationing theory. The study established that inflation has a negative and statistically insignificant relationship with financial sector development. Interest rate on the other hand also yielded a negative statistically significant relationship with financial sector development. As part of policy recommendation, this study maintains that, efforts should be made by the government and other monetary institutions to keep inflation rates low and stable. Finally, interest rates should also be low and stable to induce deposit at the banks.

Source: UCC
The Impact of Information Literacy Skills on the Performance of Past Students at their Workplaces: The Case of University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Purpose: The study focused on the impact of information literacy studied at the University of Cape Coast on the work people do at their workplaces. Specifically it points out how lecturers may be involved in developing the skills of students to enable them maximise the use of informational resources to meet the requirements of the work they do. Methodology: The study embraced old students of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, and Head of ten Departments at where the majority of the respondents worked. Survey method was used for the study with questionnaires and interview as the instruments of data collection for the past students and Head of Departments of old students respectively. Findings The study revealed that the benefits of information literacy are enormous; thus information literacy is a contributory factor to performance of workers and employability of job seekers. Employers are now embanking on numerous trainings to make employees information literates. Implication: More need to be done by lecturers of the Information Literacy Skills Unit of the University of Cape Coast to make the course more transferrable Originality: UNESCO’s assertion that information literacy is a process for lifelong learning and an attribute of employability is a cause for concern, hence looking at how the transition from academic work to workplace calls for study.

Source: UCC
The impact of Innovation on the activities of SMEs in the United Kingdom

Innovation is widely recognised in business literature and research as a fundamental source of organisational growth. This is more important in small and medium enterprises, which must find a product or service which is differentiated from their competitors to attract and retain customers and generate business growth. Capturing the opinions of 146 small businesses across the UK operating in a variety of industry sectors, the findings reveal that small businesses in the UK actively engage in innovation. The study further revealed that contrary to previous literature, SMEs favour an incremental approach to innovation over the radical approach. The reason for this is that the majority of their customers prefer consistency and stability in products and services, and therefore there are understandable for adopting an incremental approach. The study also emphasised the need for an innovative culture within their organisations which is considered to be fundamental to business success. The main significant of the study, given the critical value of SMEs to the UK economy, it will help to identify how innovation and the associated knowledge can impact on business growth in this sector.

Source: UCC
The Impact of Inquiry Method of Learning Science on the Academic Achievement of Bs8 Students in the Ejisu Juaben Municipality of Ashanti Region of Ghana

The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of using inquiry-based, curriculum in a Basic school on students’ academic achievement. The study was developed to determine the impact of inquiry method of learning on the academic achievement of JHS 2 students of Juaben Anglican Basic School in the Ejusu Juaben Municipality. Questionnaire and test items were used to elicit information from a sample of 100 students and 15 teachers obtained through the census technique. The results obtained were analysed using simple percentages. The conclusion drawn from the study was that inquiry-based learning is a panacea to discoveries and inventions and thus impact positively on students’ academic achievement. Thus, teachers who use inquiry-based learning approach in their science lessons open the door of discoveries and inventions to their students are liked by their students. In the light of the conclusion drawn it was recommended among other things that regular in-service training should be given to teachers on the use of the inquiry learning approach to help minimize the use of the traditional approach to the teaching and learning of science and other subjects.

Source: UCC
Impact of insecticide treated nets on malaria incidence – the case of north dayi district

One disease that has ravaged the tropical environment for centuries and claimed many lives is malaria. Malaria has been with man since prehistoric times (WHO, 2004). It is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in the North Dayi district of Ghana. The study relied only on existing data on morbidity for malaria from the district health directorate information unit. Data available from the Kpando DHMT had shown that malaria consistently had topped all diseases from 2000 to date. The study was aimed at assessing the impact of the distribution of ITNs in the North Dayi district. Research objectives were to analyze incidence among children under-five and women in reproductive age. It also aimed to assess the relationship between ITNs and malaria morbidity. The result from the study indicated that despite the ITN distribution, malaria cases reported at the various facilities increased. This finding did not conform to other studies which suggested that ITNs could reduce the incidence of malaria within the first six months. This is a worrying outcome and could be as a result of the relaxation in education of the other preventive measures that were in place prior to the introduction of the ITNs. To reverse this worrying situation, it is recommended that sensitization of the other preventive measures should be employed to prevent Anopheles mosquitoes from biting in the night. It was also evident that the quantity of ITNs distributed was not adequate and must be deployed on a mass scale.

Source: UCC
The impact of institutional technology on student comprehension and retention levels:a study of traditional and non traditional student populations in the Kumasi metropolis

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of instructional technology on student comprehension and retention levels for traditional and non-traditional student populations. The subjects in this study consisted of two teacher colleges of education and three senior high school students who had been exposed to instructional technology during at least one of the courses taken at their secondary/postsecondary institution. The sample consisted of 90 males and 56 females. The sample contained 50 male and 30 female traditional students, as well as 40 male and 26 female non-traditional students. Respondents responded to a single research instrument, divided into two parts; a demographic data collection portion, and a portion which measured the subject's impressions of the impact that instructional technology they had been exposed to had on their comprehension and retention levels. Additional data captured in Section B of the instrument included anecdotal content and observations of apparent instructor comfort and ability to use the technology. Results of the data from the two groups indicated that while there was little difference between the two studied groups in terms of impact on their learning and retention, a difference did clearly define the separation in the areas of past computer use and exposure in education.

Source: UCC
Impact Of Instructional Scaffolding and Students’ Psychological Capital on Senior High School Students’ Self-Regulated Learning and Need Satisfaction

The study examined teachers’ instructional scaffolding and students’ psychological capital on self-regulated learning and need satisfaction of students in in 15 selected Senior High Schools in the Bono Region of Ghana. The positivist philosophy was employed. A set of structured self-administered questionnaires were used for data collection. Multi-stage sampling techniques were adopted to sample 510, of which 455 were complete for analysis. The analysis of data was done using the partial least squared structural equation modelling (Hair et al., 2014) The study found that instructional scaffolding and students’ psychological capital has a significant positive impact on students’ self-regulated learning and need satisfaction. Also, it was found that need satisfaction positively impacts students’ self-regulated learning. The study also revealed that psychological capital and need satisfaction mediate the relationship between instructional scaffolding and students’ self-regulated learning. Finally, it was found that need satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between psychological capital and students’ self-regulated learning. The study recommended that, stake holders, more importantly school management should create an ambiance to facilitate implementation of instructional scaffolding in teaching, activation of students’ psychological capital and satisfaction of students’ psychological needs to pave way for self-regulated learning.

Source: UCC
Impact of Integrated Financial Management Information Systems on Public Services Delivery in Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA)

The study explored the effect of GIFMIS on the delivery of public service at the Metropolitan Assembly of Cape Coast (CCMA). Specifically, the study sought to examine the impact of GIFMIS’ automated revenue collection, automated budgeting and planning, perceived fraud reduction level and cash management automation on public service delivery. The census approach was employed to include all the 80 administrative staff of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly. Structured questionnaire was used to collect the primary data used for the analyses. In the analysis, both descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential (multiple regression by partial least squares) statistics were used to estimate the result of the study. The results show that the automated budgeting and preparation, cash management, and fraud prevention level of GIFMIS has a positive and significant impact on the delivery of the public service. However, automated revenue collection exhibited positive impact on the delivery public service but it was insignificant. The study recommended that government should introduce steps to reduce the cost of adoption of technical equipment to the minimum barest.

Source: UCC
Impact Of Internal Control Systems On The Bookkeeping Practices Of Small Business In The Nsawam Municipality

Proper bookkeeping practices is highly dependent on the control systems available in the organisation. Small business are enterprises that mostly do not keep proper records of their operations. This study therefore analyse the effect internal control system on book keeping practices of Small business in Nsawam Municipality. The first objective of the study was to examine the internal control system utilized by small business in Nsawam Municipality. The second objective of the study was to examine the effect of internal control system on bookkeeping practices of small business. The third and final objective of the study to analyse the challenges affecting internal control system among small business. Questionnaires were the data collection instruments. The required sample size was chosen using the cluster sampling technique. A sample size of 362 were considered in the study. Exploratory Factor Analysis, Multiple regression and descriptive analysis were employed to achieve the study’s objectives. The study found that control activities was the system most of the small business s have employed in their operations. The study also found that there was a significant relationship between control environment, risk assessment, information and communication and monitoring activities and book keeping practices. There was no significant relationship between control activities and book keeping practices. The study found that, inadequate policies and procedures, lack of segregation of duties, too much politics were the challenges affecting the internal control system of small business. The study recommends that management must be effective and to guarantee continual and separately supervising internal control to assess if controls are there and operates well.

Source: UCC
Impact of IPSAS adoption on transparency and accountability in managing public funds in developing countries: Evidence from Liberia

International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) has become one of the popular tools implemented by governments to ensure greater transparency and accountability globally. This research assesses the impact of IPSAS adoption on transparency and accountability in the use of public funds in Liberia. A survey design using five-point Likert scale questionnaire was employed for collecting the data. Questionnaires were administered to accountants, auditors (private and state-owned), government departments and related public sector bodies within the Montserrado County of Liberia. The valid questionnaires were then analysed using descriptive statistics. The hypotheses were formulated and tested by means of analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a 5% significant level with the aid of Microsoft Excel 2013. The study finds that IPSAS adoption increases the level of transparency and accountability in the use of government funds. It further establishes that revenue leakage and inadequate disclosure of public expenditure impedes government commitment to ensure a transparent and accountable management of public funds in the country. Hence, the paper recommends that governments in developing counties should hasten in their transition to the accrual basis IPSAS.

Source: UCC
The impact of item position in multiple-choice test on student performance at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) Level

The study investigated the impact of item position in multiple-choice test on student performance at the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) level. The sample consisted of 810 JSS 3 students selected from 12 different schools. A quasi-experimental design was used. Students for the project were drawn from schools representing public and private schools in urban and rural areas. The instrument for the project was a multiple-choice test consisting of 40 items in each of English Language, Mathematics and Science. The items were arranged using the difficulty order to obtain the three treatments i.e. Random (RDM), Easy-to-Hard (ETH) and Hard-to-Easy (HTE). The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using ANOVA at p ≤ 0.05. The results of the analysis indicate that for English Language,Mathematics and Science at the BECE level, when item order was altered, the difference in performance was generally significant. However, there was no significant difference in performance between the ETH and HTE treatments of English Language. Similarly, there was no significant difference in performance between the RDM and ETH, and RDM and HTE of Science. The results for Mathematics were consistent, in that significant difference in performance was observed between all the three treatments for the subject. The study led to the conclusion that the proposition of using reordering of format of an objective test to curb examination malpractice may not be the best after all especially in English Language, Mathematics and Science at the BECE level. It was therefore recommended that other methods should be investigated for the purpose.

Source: UCC
Impact of key soap with laundry blue and new omo on Ghanaian cotton printed fabric

In the process of cleaning garments, various agents or additives are used such as fabric softeners, spray starch and bluing. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of key soap with laundry blue as a colour enhancer; and Omo on selected performance properties of „black and white Ghanaian cotton printed fabrics. With the aid of experimental procedures, the study was carried out using two different types of „black and white‟ Ghanaian cotton printed fabrics. The total number of specimens used for the study was 132. The parameters investigated included tensile strength properties, colourfastness to washing and dimensional stability (shrinkage) to washing. The data was analysed using stastistical test tool i.e. multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used for assessing the interaction effect of factors such as colour, strength, elongation and dimensional stability. Differences were observed with specimens washed with new omo detergent and rinsed in normal water; those that were washed with „key‟ soap and rinsed with laundry blue and those that were just washed with laundry blue in terms of strength, elongation, shrinkage, and colourfastness.

Source: UCC
Impact of Leap on Beneficiaries at the Weija Community in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region

This paper examined Impact of Leap on Beneficiaries at The Weija Community in The Ga South Municipality of The Greater Accra Region. Despite significant progress in the implementation of the programmes have faced substantial operational problems, and allegations of ‘resource leakages’, political manipulation of resource allocation (for electoral or intra-party factional purposes) are common. The impact of these programmes have also been disappointing in many respects: the LEAP programme reaches a small proportion of the extremely poor, and even those households that it reaches have only seen modest improvements in health and other socio-economic outcomes as cost of living and utility bills keeps increasing. All of these questions can only be addressed by means of a careful analysis of political dynamics in Ghana’s ‘Fourth Republic’. Ghana’s polity has been described as one characterised by a ‘competitive clientelistic political settlement’ in which competitive elections and neopatrimonialist elements coexist. There is also significant debate about electoral dynamics in Ghana’s fourth republic and party political ‘branding’ and campaign strategy.

Source: UCC
IMPACT OF LEARNER BEHAVIOURS ON JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

The study examined the impact effective learner behaviours had on learner academic performance among Junior High School students in urban, peri-urban and rural schools in the Central Region of Ghana. In a cross sectional survey, multistage sampling procedure was used to select 355 students from a population of 6115. Academic performance was measured with performance in English Language and Mathematics tests which were developed from students’ textbooks in the respective subject areas. The results showed that dependence, curiosity and verbal intelligence learner behaviours had impact on and significantly predicted performance in English Language, while consideration, dependence and curiosity were significant in predicting performance in Mathematics. The locations of schools were also found to have had significant impact on learner behaviour. Based on the findings, it was recommended that learner characteristics should be carefully considered if schools expect their learners to excel in their academic endeavours. More important, gaps should be identified and bridged among rural-urban and peri-urban communities with regards to supplies of educational infrastructure and facilities.

Source: UCC
Impact of liquidity on Rural and Community Banks profitability in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Despite the major role played by rural and community banks in economic development and in the financial climate, their performance over a decade now have not been up to expectations. They continue to experience huge challenges due to innovations in technology as well as globalization which create opportunities for growth. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of liquidity on rural and community banks in the Eastern Region of Ghana selected from eleven (11) banks for the period of ten years from 2007 – 2016. The study used panel data and secondary data was used to collate the ratios from all the selected rural and community banks. A regression model was developed with Return on Asset as the dependent variable accompanied with other six explanatory variables. Findings from the study revealed that quality of loan portfolio ratio; capital ratio and loan to total assets had significant and positive relationship with profitability. It was also revealed that shocks in all the liquidity variables had one or other implications on profitability. Finally, based on finding seven, which states that cost to income has negative and significant effect on profitability, the study recommended that management must adopt information and communication technology to reduce cost and easy access to banks’ product in the form of Automated Teller Machine.

Source: UCC