ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
SAVINGS BEHAVIOUR OF HOUSEHOLD HEADS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. A CASE STUDY OF SHAMA DISTRICT IN THE WESTERN REGION OF GHANA.

The research was to examine the savings behaviour of household heads in rural communities, a case study of Shama district. Questionnaire was administered to 120 household heads. The household heads that were studied were both males and females. Logistic regression model was used to analyse the primary data collected to estimate and discuss the factors that influence the savings behaviour of household heads in Shama. The result of the logit regression shows that income, education, and access to financial institutions were significant and had a positive influence on the probability of household heads to save. However, age, transportation cost and household asset were also significant but had a negative influence on probability of household heads to save. Kendall’s coefficient of concordance (W) was also used to establish the extent of agreement among household heads regarding the benefits household heads derive from savings. Eight(8) issues were identified as benefits that household heads in Shama derive from savings, among which accumulation of capital for investment, paying of school fees, pay off debt, meet unexpected emergencies, enjoy at retirement age, buy asset and interest on savings were their major benefits in order of importance. The result of Kendall’s indicates that there is agreement among household heads regarding the benefits household heads derive from savings. Descriptive statistics particularly percentages was also employed to describe the forms in which household heads in Shama save. The result shows that household heads save in either financial or non-financial forms. Financial form of saving identified includes depositing cash with financial institutions as well as buying of treasury bills. The non-financial form identified includes farmland, livestock, poultry, crops, houses and other consumer durables. Recommendations put forward from the research include the deployment of mobile banking services at the rural communities since transportation cost has a negative effect on the probability of household heads in Shama to save.

Source: KNUST
Sawdust - a medium in art programme for teacher education

In recent years, materials for creating works of art in schools are hard to come by. The reason is assigned to the high cost of these materials which are mostly imported into the country. It has therefore been the responsibility of educationists to find a reliable solution to this serious problem. Nevertheless, the only prescribed solution available is to rely more on the local materials which can be used in creating works of art. One local material people lose sight of is sawdust. It is a common material found at sawmills d carpentry shops. As this material seems to be regarded as waste, noone seems to care to utilize it seriously. Experience has shown that sawdust can be of good use in creating art objects. Of course, the use of sawdust in creating some art works is known in schools, but the problem is, few people have the urge to expose it when they have the opportunity to work with sawdust. In view of scarcity of art materials and the need to make use of local materials, it was found very necessary to experiment further with sawdust and to make it a viable art medium in schools. Sawdust will not only be a resource material for art but it will broaden the scope of art products. Consequently, sawdust as a new source of art material will reduce cost because of its availability. Lastly sawdust can be used in creating teaching aids in schools.

Source: KNUST
Savings habit of the small business owner case study: central business district of Kumasi

This research presents an empirical study of the underlying reasons of savings habit of the small business owners. The study focused on only savings habit on small enterprises owners. The problem that called for the study is, for the higher economic growth for any country, marginal propensity to save and invest should be higher than spend which also helps to the multiplier process. To the Small Business owners, the marginal propensity to consume is more rather than the marginal propensity to save which seems to be vice-versa in urban SMEs where the marginal propensity to save is more than that of the marginal propensity to consume. To investigate this, a total of 190 business owners from the central business district of Kumasi, were conveniently sampled for the study. Convenience sampling was necessary to select those respondents who have established their own businesses in the district. The study revealed that,business owners don’t save much because of their spending pattern and some were dissatisfied with some aspects of the services in banks they were saving and the factors that influence respondents to operate savings are people influence, marketing promotions by the banks, financial benefits, lower service charges of some banks,Professionalism of bank staff, Reputation of the bank, Flexible banking hours, Branch Location(proximity), Attractiveness & Interior decor of building and services provision which is the highest factor of influence. The study recommended among other things that, financial institutions should embark on special education on proper saving habits and promotional activities to reach the un-banked population especially those who have been saving through informal means (houses, friends, and farms). Furthermore, management of banks must create relationships with their customers as most customers stay with their banks as a result of strong personal relationships with bank staff.

Source: KNUST
Scale efficiency of maize farmers in four agro ecological zones of Ghana: A parametric approach

The study analyzed scale efficiency parametrically for Ghana’s smallholder maize farms. The data used was obtained through a cross-sectional survey of 576 maize farmers in the Guinea Savannah, Transition, Forest and Coastal Savannah zones of Ghana using structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Ray’s (1998) proposed stochastic frontier analysis approach were the methods of analysis employed. The results showed that the mean scale efficiencies were 86%, 91%, 89% and 86% for the Guinea Savannah, Transition, Forest and Coastal Savannah zones respectively, indicating that generally, scale inefficiencies existed in maize farms in the four agro ecological zones. The results further showed that most maize farmers in each zone exhibit increasing returns to scale, indicating that their outputs fall below efficient levels and therefore their output could be increased for optimal scales to be reached. Finally, the results revealed that scale efficiency is explained by educational level, maize farming experience, access to good roads and ready markets, group membership, extension contact, household size, land fragmentation as well as uses of fertilizer, pesticides and improved seeds. For scale efficiency to be improved, maize farmers in the various agro ecological zones of Ghana are encouraged to employ more of the production inputs available to them. For the farmers to be able to employ more of these inputs, cost of production inputs could be subsidized and credit could be given to them by government.

Source: KNUST
Sawdust Briquetting Plant

There are about seventy three registered sawmills currently in operation in the country which together generated over 220,000 cubic metres (65,000 tonnes) of sawdust in 1986. Currently over ninety percent of the sawdust generated in the country in unutilized. Sawmills in Kumasi account for sixty three percent of the total sawdust produced in the country. Disposal of the large volumes of sawdust produced in Kumasi is a problem to both sawmillers and the city council as well. The situation has lead to a serious environmental problem. The object of this investigation was to find method for profitable disposal of large amounts of sawdust from the sawmills of Kumasi. As a result of this investigation a process has been developed for the manufacture of high grade fuel briquette. The feasibility of the production and marketing of briquette in Kumasi is highlighted. The, optimum conditions of carrying out the various steps in the process have been determined and a study made of cost of plant and operation for fifteen thousand bundles of briquette per day.

Source: KNUST
Schedule Overruns of Construction Projects between Government and Donor Funded Projects in MMDAs in Ghana: A Case Study of Bekwai Municipal Assembly

The research work seeks explore the key causal element which end up in schedule overruns of projects in construction between Government of Ghana (GoG) and Donor funded projects in Ghana. The major stakeholders who participated in survey include; the client, consultants, and contractors. From the literature forty three (43) potential causes were identified to have been the possible causes during the implementation of projects in the Bekwai Municipality. The factors which cause the delays were then ranked and prioritized to ascertain which the major causes were. The questionnaire were also administered to the target population to bring to fore the predominant causes of delays. The case study included respondents (43); 22 were contractors, 15 of them from the client end and 6 consultants. The study also took into cognizance relative importance of the various causes, the impact the delay factors and it also looked at some innovative ways of dealing with those delays. The relative importance index were calculated and ranked to ascertain which the most dominant factor(s) were. The overall results of the study pointed out fifteen (15) most severe and important schedule overrun factors. Which were grouped under three (3) broad category; National Economic Factors, Managerial Factors and finally Enterprise Environmental Factors. Generally, most respondents settled on National Economic Factors were ranked highest in contributing to schedule overruns of construction projects in Ghana. Some of the underlining National Economic Factors were the issues of inflation, financial difficulties of client, delay in payment of certificates of works and fluctuation in prices. Managerial factors and Enterprise Environment Factors were second and third respectively.

Source: KNUST
Scattering of kinks in noncanonical sine-Gor Scattering of kinks in noncanonical sine-Gordon Model don Model

In this paper, we numerically study the scattering of kinks in the noncanonical sine-Gordon model using Fourier spectral methods. The model depends on two free parameters, which control the localized inner structure in the energy density and the characteristics of the scattering potential. It has been conjectured that the kink solutions in the noncanonical model possess inner structures in their energy density, and the presence of these yields bound states and resonance structures for some relative velocities between the kink and the antikink. In the numerical study, we observed that the classical kink mass decreases monotonically as the free parameters vary, and yields bion-formations and long-lived oscillations in the scattering of the kink-antikink system. :

Source: KNUST
Scheduling the construction of Kasoa Government Hospital works using Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

The thesis is aimed at scheduling and controlling the construction of Kasoa Government Hospital in Central Region, Ghana, using the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) as the planning tool. Program (Project) Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) is a project management tool used to schedule, organize, and coordinate tasks within a project. It is basically a method to analyze the tasks involved in completing a given project, especially the time needed to complete each task, and to identify the minimum time needed to complete the total project. PERT planning involves the following steps: • Identify the specific activities and milestones. • Determine the proper sequence of the activities. • Construct a network diagram. • Estimate the time required for each activity. • Determine the critical path. • Update the PERT chart as the project progresses The three time estimates used in this thesis were taken from constructors who have been engaged in such jobs and are abreast with the challenges and skills. The normal days of completion as found from the calculation and analysis with the acquired data is 504 days with a standard deviation of 25.9. The probabilities of project completion times were also found.

Source: KNUST
School children and illegal gold mining (Galamsey): A study at Tutuka Central Circuit in Obuasi Municipality in the Ashanti Region, Ghana.

Illegal gold mining (galamsey) activities contribute tremendously to the local economy of the communities within which the practice is conducted. Key among the menace posed by galamsey is its effect on school children. The study sought to examine school children in illegal gold mining activities at the Tutuka Central Circuit in the Obuasi Municipality. The study assessed the activities of school children at the illegal gold mining, its effect on their school activities and how they are affected by the galamsay activities. The cross sectional mixed-method design was used to 102 participants for quantitative analysis together with purposive recruitment of 20 keyinformants for qualitative analysis. The total sample size was 122. Descriptive statistics guided the analysis of the quantitative data while the qualitative component was analyzed using matched thematic analysis. It was found out that children of school going age were engaged in pounding of stones, digging of holes, carrying gravels etc. It also found out that the dangerous activities they engaged in were detrimental to their health and most of the children were engaged in antisocial activities such prostitution, gambling, smoking among others. The study recommended that social intervention policies such as District Assembly scholarships and bursaries and financial support from Non-governmental Organization should be made known and accessible to all students. This will instill hope in them since they know that these schemes are there to augment their future educational needs most especially the brilliant but needy students. The machine owners, the committees in charge of the galamsey operations and the Unit Committee should also collaborate to stop children of school going age from entering the galamsey site to work. If possible, they can institute a moderate punishment which in effect can discourage other students who have the intentions of engaging in the galamsey business

Source: KNUST
School culture and its implication on the education of pupils: a case of Patasi M/A Junior High School in Kumasi, Ghana

The culture of schools have been widely studied and found to be a powerful force behind the education learners receive. Any attempt to improve learning in schools must take the schools’ culture into consideration. This study aimed at inquiring into school culture and its implication on the education of pupils at Patasi M/A Junior High School. This was done through the use of interviews, questionnaire, observation and document analysis. The relevant data were collected from stratified random sample of 65 pupils, 9 teachers, 5 non- teaching staff, 20 parents/guardians and 1 headmistress. The parents/guardians were conveniently sampled on a PTA meeting day. The study finds out the school’s culture with respect to its management, classroom organization and the handling of issues relating to the school’s environment. The management culture is the all-inclusive approach but the Ghana Education Service interferes with teachers’ decisions. The majority of parents/guardians do not monitor their wards’ learning at home. Teachers attend class on time and are open to all pupils although they (the teachers) do not believe in the academic capabilities of the pupils. The physical conditions of the classrooms (lighting, heat and ventilation) are not conducive for learning. The school compound is not attractive to the pupils and is also not fenced off from the community. There is largely uncontrolled trespassing. Pupils largely patronize authorized food vendors (non-teaching staff) although a few sneak out to buy food from non-authorized food vendors. The pupils’ education are both influenced positively and negatively by the school’s culture. Positive cultures include the all-inclusive management and the good time management. Negative ones include the GES interference, unfavorable classroom physical conditions and the trespassing of the school’s compound. A standard assessment of the school culture shows that the culture operating there is skewed towards the hierarchy type, iv meaning that Patasi M/A JHS is a formalized place of work. The researcher recommends more innovativeness and also a culture that is result-oriented.

Source: KNUST
School children and illegal gold mining (Galamsey): a study at Tutuka Central Circuit in Obuasi Municipality in the Ashanti Region,Ghana

Illegal gold mining (galamsey) activities contribute tremendously to the local economy of the communities within which the practice is conducted. Key among the menace posed by galamsey is its effect on school children. The study sought to examine school children in illegal gold mining activities at the Tutuka Central Circuit in the Obuasi Municipality. The study assessed the activities of school children at the illegal gold mining, its effect on their school activities and how they are affected by the galamsay activities. The cross sectional mixed-method design was used to 102 participants for quantitative analysis together with purposive recruitment of 20 key informants for qualitative analysis. The total sample size was 122. Descriptive statistics guided the analysis of the quantitative data while the qualitative component was analyzed using matched thematic analysis. It was found out that children of school going age were engaged in pounding of stones, digging of holes, carrying gravels etc. It also found out that the dangerous activities they engaged in were detrimental to their health and most of the children were engaged in antisocial activities such prostitution, gambling, smoking among others. The study recommended that social intervention policies such as District Assembly scholarships and bursaries and financial support from Non-governmental Organization should be made known and accessible to all students. This will instill hope in them since they know that these schemes are there to augment their future educational needs most especially the brilliant but needy students. The machine owners, the committees in charge of the galamsey operations and the Unit Committee should also collaborate to stop children of school going age from entering the galamsey site to work. If possible, they can institute a moderate punishment which in effect can discourage other students who have the intentions of engaging in the galamsey business

Source: KNUST
School Feeding Programmes and Physical Nutrition Outcomes of Primary School Children in Developing Countries

Context: School feeding programmes have been widely implemented and particularly in developing countries with the aim to improve school enrolment and attendance especially of girls and to reduce short term hunger to improve children’s performance in school. Beyond the first 1000 days of the lives of children, school feeding programmes remain one of the critical interventions that have used schools as a platform to contribute to the ful¿lment of their nutritional needs though the evidence to this effect is little and mixed. Objective: This review focused on assessing the impact of school feeding programmes on reduction in underweight, thinness, and stunting among primary school children in developing countries. Data sources: Electronic searches were carried out in PUBMED, SCOPUS and Cochrane library. The WHO clinical trials registry as well as reference lists of relevant articles were also hand searched. Data Extraction: Data was extracted from included studies which have been published in the past 10 years (2010 - August 2021) from original research where the main intervention was the provision of school based meals. Data analysis: Meta-analysis was conducted to determine changes in height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-age (WAZ) and BMI-for-age (BAZ) z scores. A random effects model was applied to determine the mean difference in all outcomes of interest which were evaluated as continuous variables. Results: Children aged 3-16 years were enrolled in the included studies and the number of participants ranged between 321 and 2,869 across studies. Of the included studies, the feeding intervention provided for a minimum of 30% RDA for the age group with the intervention lasting up to a maximum of 34 weeks. The impact of school feeding intervention on HAZ, BAZ and WAZ showed statistically non-significant (p>0.05) mean differences of 0.02 (95% CI, -0.06 to 0.10), 0.11 (95% CI, -0.01 to 0.23) and 0.06 (95% CI, -0.04 to 0.16) respectively. Conclusion: School feeding interventions have not shown any significant positive effect on the physical nutrition outcomes of primary school children. Short duration of intervention during the studies, poor compliance to feeding and substitution of school meals could have accounted for the weak effect sizes.

Source: KNUST
Scholarly Communication in Ghana: An assessment of the strength of Journal Publication

This study examines the strength of scholarly communication through journal publication in Ghana. Areas such as the economics, editorial, production, marketing and distribution of scholarly journal publication were examined. The challenges and opportunities in the Ghanaian scholarly publication process are brought to the fore and recommendations made to improve upon them. In all, 232 authors (researchers) and 14 scholarly journal editors drawn from the major research institutions in Ghana have taken part in the study. The mixed research approach which combines the qualitative and the quantitative research methods have been adopted for the study. Questionnaires and structured interview guides have been used to collect primary data from respondents. Content analyses have also been done on some sampled Ghanaian scholarly journals to establish the validity of claims made by the respondents. Lack of funding, difficulty in accessing data, unavailability of journals in varied subject areas, ill-equipped laboratories and high cost of printing are some of the major problems for stakeholders of research activities in Ghana. Editors and reviewers possess a minimum education qualification of Masters’degrees in their respective fields with an average working experience of six years. These editors and reviewers are conscious of quality and the need for credibility of their respective journals hence they put best practices in place to ensure that. Ghanaian journals, though little known domestically, enjoy wide international visibility and acceptance and their quality is also of an appreciable standard. Editors must endeavour to publish more in the electronic domain for two basic reasons, (i) authors prefer it and (ii) it is economical. Institutions in Ghana must also begin to host journals in their training disciplines to provide more options for authors to publish their research findings. Government and organisations should assist research activities in Ghana financially so the desired benefits can be fully derived.

Source: KNUST