ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Transforming urban idle spaces into green, productive and aesthetic landscapes the case of Cape Coast, Ghana

There are several idle lots and spaces in cities and towns in Ghana due to poor land use and physical planning as well as pressure for privately-built, low density residential houses. This project tested the idea of using idle, unmanaged urban spaces in Cape Coast to produce multiple ecosystem services in the context of multifunctional land use: food, landscape beautification, income, and environmental protection. Two sites which were bushy and seemingly used for nefarious activities were transformed into greenhouse vegetable production. The greenhouse project generated short term jobs for eight young people of equal gender distribution, and one additional person produced vegetables on a portion of vacant, backyard residential lot in an urban residential area. Premium quality tomatoes were harvested from the greenhouse production, while garden eggs and pepper were harvested from the outdoor production. Production outputs were either sold to nearby eateries and residents, or used by the project members as subsistence. The landscaped spaces around the greenhouses attracted families nearby to bring their children to play in the area while curiously learning about the crop production in the greenhouse. Thus, the project provided greenspace and opportunity for active living and learning for children and families in their neighborhood on a lot that was previously unused and inaccessible. The project was also visited by the Agri Corps team (USA) who found it promising and worthy of up- and out-scaling. A highly successful dissemination event brought together stakeholders (local farmers, representatives from the vegetable group of market women association of Cape Coast, Regional and Metropolitan Agricultural Offices, media, academia, local chiefs and opinion leaders, and the general public) who were very impressed by the project. Some were even motivated to start their own production on idle spaces around their homes. The media also showed large interest for the project. Key lessons learned include (i) the need to formalize access to and use of vacant, idle, unmanaged urban spaces for such multifunctional land use purposes, (ii) accurate timing of first production cycle for the dry season to fetch premium price for the produce, (iii) establishing stable markets for the produce, trialling and using different crops to understand what works best and to reduce risks, and (iv) continuous engagement of stakeholders to sustain interest in the projects. Overall, edible urban landscapes could provide food, jobs, beautiful landscapes, environmental protection, and greenspace for active living in cities and towns

Source: UCC
Transition to the Nurse Educator Role; Experiences of Novice Nurse Educators in Central Region of Ghana

Nursing workforce shortage and corresponding scaling up of training leads to increasing numbers in schools and corresponding need for faculty. Faculty are usually recruited from the clinical area and undergo transition into academia which could be challenging affecting both the faculty (educator) and students. Ghanaian ―novice‖ nurse educators undergo additional preparation and undergo transition like colleagues in other jurisdictions, yet their experiences have been less explored and documented. The study sought to explore the transition experiences of these nurse educators in the Central Region of Ghana. The study was a qualitative exploratory case study, and its population were ―novice‖ nurse educators, who were purposively sampled from Nursing and Midwifery Training Colleges in the Central Region. Data was collected using semi-structured interview guide, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Ethical clearance was sought and granted by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Cape Coast. The participants described their transition as stressful stating feelings of anxiety and ambivalence about their new role despite their prior preparation. Overwhelming workload, difficulty in maintaining practice, inadequate orientation and ineffective mentorship were described as main contributory factors to the stressful transition. Establishing and maintaining relationship with colleagues as well as personal reflection were described as the main coping strategies. The study concluded that the transition of novice nurse educators in Ghana are stressful (despite the prior preparation received experience) and there is therefore the need for them to be supported through effective and structured mentorship, orientation, and organizational support.

Source: UCC
Transitional Administrative Changes in the Upgrade of Colleges of Education to Tertiary Status: The Case Study of Ashanti Region, Ghana

This study explored the transitional administrative changes in the upgrade of Colleges of Education to tertiary status, the case of Ashanti region, Ghana. Lewin’s Change Management Model and Kotter’s Change Management Theory were reviewed as the theoretical basis for the study. The study adopted a phenomenological methodology. Four Colleges were purposively selected from eight Colleges of Education in the Ashanti Region. Likewise, twelve participants were also purposively selected and interviewed from the selected colleges. An interview guide was used to collect the data for the study. Data trustworthiness was established through credibility, transferability, dependability, and conformability. Data collected was analysed through phenomenological thematic analysis. The study found that administrators had experienced several changes in terms of leadership relating to decision making as all decisions were formerly made by individual principals but now the Governing Council and NCTE have a part to play in major administrative decision making. Changes also included the presence of distributed leadership, extensive participative management practices, and the individual colleges had introduced new procedures for financial administration. It was recommended to the various representatives in the council to be very supportive during decision-making for the betterment of the colleges. It is further recommended that the individual colleges should engage in more profit-oriented ventures such as farms, printing press, water producing and many others to generate more income internally to support the colleges.

Source: UCC
Transitional challenges facing colleges of education in the Volta region of Ghana

The study was on transitional challenges facing colleges of education in the Volta Region. The purpose of the study was to unveil transitional challenges and how the colleges manage the challenges to achieve their goals. The research was guided by three research questions which were on the kinds of transitional challenges facing the colleges, effects of the challenges on the training of teacher trainees, and coping strategies. The study used descriptive survey. Simple random sampling was used to sample four colleges which were college B, C, D and G. Census sampling was used to select 150 respondents who were in the helm of affairs in the four colleges. The instrument used was questionnaire. The findings revealed inadequate number of qualified staff, inadequate physical and academic facilities, and inadequate funding. The effects of the challenges involved: difficulty in organising practical lessons, and strike actions by academic staff. The coping strategies recommended included: recruitment of more qualified staffs, appealing to GETfund and donor agencies to support infrastructural development in the colleges, and colleges engaging in some activities that could help them generate funds internally. Other recommendations were: colleges should develop comprehensive staff development policies and plans which could take into consideration cooperative education. The colleges should implement dual-track tuition policy.

Source: UCC
Transitional Era Analysis Of Students' Participation In The Governance Of Colleges Of Education In The Ashanti And Brong Ahafo Zone

The trend world over is to include students 111 the governance of tertiary education institutions. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of student leaders, students, and college principals on the relevance and level of students' participation in the governance of Colleges of Education (CoES) in the AshantilBrong Ahafo zone. Guided by the interpretivism framework, I employed a qualitative methodology approach by using a case study design to elicit data from ten purposively sampled participants through interviews. Eighty other student participants with a split of 16 from each of the colleges under study were also engaged in a focus group discussion. This study found that the highest legal decision-making body was the 'Governing council' and students were represented on the council. Also, it became evident that students were disappointed when their grievances channelled through their representative to council were not satisfactorily addressed. Based on the findings, it was concluded that, students were part of the topmost decision-making body of their institutions but experienced lower involvement in decision implementation. Some support systems and services were offered however, a number of students did not utilize the support offered. Notwithstanding the desire to offer the needed support, cost implications made the provision of support a mirage. It is recommended that, students' perspectives and feedback should be included in the process of learning and governance through age-appropriate and multidimensional means that can encompass student for a, academic competitions, and participation in the governing process.

Source: UCC
The Transitional Experiences of Lower Primary Pupils To Upper Primary and Its Effects on Their Mathematics Performance in the Accra Metropolis

This study sought to explore the transitional experiences of pupils when they move from the lower to upper primary and its effects on their mathematics performance in the Accra metropolis of the Greater- Accra region of Ghana. A Sequential explanatory mixed-method design was used to conduct the study. A sub-metro within the Accra metropolis was purposively sampled for the study. Stratified sampling techniques were used to sample the schools and pupils. A total of 275 primary 4 pupils were selected from 12 public primary schools. This was followed by purposive selection of 12 primary 4 teachers. A structured questionnaire survey and semi-structured interview guide were used to obtained information from pupils and teachers on transitional experiences of pupils in mathematics. Secondary data on pupils’ Primary 3 third term and Primary 4 first and second terms mathematics scores were obtained. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse research question one and a follow-up thematic analysis on the qualitative data. Research question two was analysed using Point biserial correlation, Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, follow-up by a post hoc test and linear regressions model were used to analyse the extent to which transitional experiences affect pupils’ mathematics performance. The findings of the study indicated that; there is significant difference between the performance of pupils in primary 3, primary 4 first term And primary 4 second term. The study revealed that the subscales do not have significant effects on performance. This account for 0.3% of the changes in performance. The study recommends that, there should be a gradual shift from the child’s local language to English language in the teaching of mathematics during transition from lower primary to upper primary level as suggested by Davis, Bishop and Seah (2013).

Source: UCC
Transitioning to IPSAS in Africa: An analysis of the benefits and challenges

International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) have gained worldwide acceptance and acclaim as an accounting and reporting framework as far as public sector financial reporting is concerned. IPSAS are therefore of interest to public sector accounting in many jurisdictions and this interest appears to be more and surging in the developing economies of the world, including the African region. As empirical evidence suggest that many countries are desirous of adopting these IPSAS, an in-depth exposition of the benefits and associated challenges of the framework could help the transitioning process in diverse ways. For instance, adopting countries could learn from examples, experiences and best practices as evidenced in extant literature. This concept paper therefore examines the benefits and challenges of IPSAS with particular focus on the African region. It also assesses the mechanisms for addressing the challenges so that the full benefits ascribed to the IPSAS accounting and reporting regime could be realised. The paper first explains the fundamental principles underlying IPSAS, followed by a discussion of the benefits and challenges in transitioning to IPSAS in general, and by African governments in particular. Cash and accrual IPSAS are examined and the status of IPSAS adoption by African countries discussed. It then explains and proposes the approach African governments may use to effectively transition to IPSAS. The paper concludes with recommendations to guide the effective transition to IPSAS.

Source: UCC
Transitivity and Narrative Viewpoint in Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s Weep Not, Child

The linguistic study of African literary texts has become a fertile ground for researchers in both Applied Linguistics and Literary Studies. This study applies transitivity in analysing the narrative style adopted in a key passage in Ngugi’s Weep Not, Child. The study reveals that the transitivity patterns in which the happenings, actions and inactions of characters are inscribed function to determine the psychological viewpoint from which the narrator relates the story. Specifically, it argues that the writer tends to absolve victimisers from the responsibility for their actions in order to focus readers’ attention on the victims of the political conflict presented in the novel. This stylistic strategy foregrounds the universal theme of suffering in the novel. The study has implications for explorations on the interface between language and literature and further research

Source: UCC
Transitivity Shifts/Equivalence and Ideological Representation of Colonial Relations in The English Translation of Ferdinand Oyono’s Une Vie De Boy

The transfer of meaning in literary translation is an arduous task since literary texts are highly cultural-bound and rife with stylistic features. The role of the translator is to ensure that meaning communicated in the source text (ST) is accurately rendered in the target text (TT). This places the translator’s role in a spotlight as his/her choices, mostly backed by certain factors, are significant in shaping the understanding of the TT readers. These choices often lead to a recreation of the original text so that it serves its intended purpose in the target culture. Following insights from Systemic Functional Translation Studies (SFTS) on literary works, coupled with previous attempts, though few, on African literature, there has been recently, growing interest in systemic functional analysis of African narratives. Therefore, there is the need for further extensive research to be carried out in the field of literary translation studies. The present study critically examines the English translation of Ferdinand Oyono’s Une Vie de Boy from a systemic functional perspective. Specifically, it considers transitivity shifts/equivalence and ideological representation of colonial relations. As a post-colonial African novel, Une Vie de Boy recounts the experiences of a young African boy in the midst of French colonists. Data comprises clauses carefully extracted from portions of the novel: episodes that display narrations of events involving the main character, Toundi, and interactions between Cameroonian natives and French colonists. The study reveals levels of transitivity shifts/equivalence occurring in the TT as a result of the translator’s manipulations in his representation of colonial relations depicted in the ST. The findings arrived at, to a large extent, suggest that Reed’s translation of Oyono’s novel is a recreation influenced by ideologies that promote European supremacy and dominance over Black Africans. My findings emphasise the need for further research to be carried out on the translations of other African novels.

Source: UCC
Translation of fundamentals of marketing (english to french) translation of privatisation (french to english)

Cette recherche donne un aperçu de ce que cela implique d'être un traducteur bilingue en mettant en évidence les questions clés telles ce que la traduction implique sue l' échelle mondiale, qui est un traducteur, ce que cela signifie d'être bilingue, la théorie l’ interprétation, la compréhension des significations des mots, des phrases, des textes et leurs contextes, de reformulation pour une juste interprétation, la nécessité de la maîtrise des deux langues à un traducteur expert et l'importance de la connaissance encyclopédique des traductions de qualité. Elle présente l'approche utilisée pour le noyau de ce projet qui a été la traduction de vingt pages chacun d'un texte français et d’un texte anglais et les défis à relever dans le projet et une recommandation sur la façon de mener á bien de tels projets.

Source: UCC
Translation of language and community (English to French) and La francophonie (French to English)

In this study, we translated two documents, one from French into English which is termed as ‘version’and the other from English into French which is termed as ‘thème.’ The translations were followed by an analysis of the two passages. Language and community, the English passage translated into French concerns certain Ghanaian languages. It was written by Prof. M. E Kropp Dakubu of the University of Ghana, Legon and it is his inaugural lecture. The French passage translated into English, entitled La francophonie, talks about the French speaking Communities and its author is Jean Louis Joubert. It is in the form of an essay. The objective of this study is to translate the selected passages and make an analysis of the translations, stating the problems which were faced during the translation, the strategies used to resolve such difficulties, the tools that were used in the translation and how efficient these tools were. These passages were chosen for this study because they contain enough problematic phrases which can be commented on. They therefore provide us with enough points for discussion for the purpose of this study. This document will be very handy for students who are undergoing similar projects and it will also serve as a source of reference for those who are seeking information on French Languages and English Language.

Source: UCC
Transmission of Foodborne Illnesses: The Role of Serving Utensil - Dependent Transmission of Enteric Pathogens from Street - Food Vending Outlets at the University of Cape Coast Community in Ghana

Foodborne illnesses pose serious public health threat globally, but requisite data to inform proper planning and prioritizing food safety interventions especially in developing countries is lacking. This study investigated microbiological quality of serving utensils (serving plates or bowls) for enteric pathogens from food vending and serving outlets within the University of Cape Coast campus and surrounding villages in the Central Region of Ghana. A total of 120 swab samples were collected from serving utensils after they were cleansed by food servers at the food vending outlets. Each swab sample was inoculated in an equal volume of bacteriological peptone water and incubated at 37˚C for 24 hours. Serial dilutions and aerobic colony counting was performed by spread plating on plate count agar (PCA) for each sample. Isolated bacteria colonies from the PCA plates were sub- cultured on blood and MacConkey agars. Subsequently, bacteria species were identified by standard biochemical methods and modified Kirby - Bauer disc diffusion technique was used to investigate antibiotic susceptibility patterns of each bacteria species. All the swab samples produced bacteria counts > 105 CFU/ml at mean count of 1.066 × 1010 CFU/ml. Nine (Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphy- lococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonae, Enterobacter spp, coagulase-negative Staphylococci, Proteus mirabilis, and Micrococcus spp) bacteria species were isolated with Bacillus cereus (21.59%) being the predominant bacteria and Proteus mirabilis and Micrococcus spp (0.85 %) being the least. The Gram - positive bacteria species were susceptible to gentamycin but resistant to ampicillin, while the Gram - negative bacteria species were susceptible to cotrimoxazole and amikacin but resistant to ciprofloxacin and tetracycline. The serving utensils at the vending outlets were highly contaminated with enterotoxigenic bacteria and this poses a serious risk to food consumers within the study area. Importantly, this finding provides a rationale for public health authorities to increase educa- tion of food vendors as well as strictly enforcing sanitation codes

Source: UCC
Transport system and climate change risks: potential adaptation constraints and opportunities in Ghana

This review explored the potential climate risks for transportation and probable institutional constraints and opportunities for adaptation in Ghana. Using documentary research and on the foundation of the Transport Sensitivity Framework and the Action Theory of Adaptation, policy and programme documents on transportation and climate change in Ghana were analyzed. The results indicate that potential consequences will be in two-fold; risks related to direct impacts on infrastructure and operations and risks associated with climate-induced socio-economic changes. There are three critical constraining issues; lack of data-driven information on potential climate impacts on transport systems; misalignment (or overlap) of institutional roles; and the lack of a framework for mainstreaming climate change documentation in transport plans. An opportunity for transport adaptation is that existing institutional and policy arrangements are amenable to review and reforms in the short-term. Thus, in amending these policies there must be concerted efforts towards the long-term integration of potential climate impacts and adaptation options into transport planning, designing, construction, maintenance, and operations

Source: UCC