ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Using biochar and poultry manure to improve the fertility of a highly weathered tropical soil and yield of lettuce

The study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of biochar and poultry manure in improving the fertility of a strongly weathered soil and the yield of lettuce. In two separate experiments. Three rates (0. 39 and 65 t ha-1 per 1 kg soil) of biochar (CCB, CHB and PMR) solely or in combination with poultry manure (0 and 10 t ha-1 ) were incorporated into pots containing 1 kg soil and arranged in completely randomized design. Biochar and or manure effects on SOC, mineral N, AVP, ph, ECEC, MBC, MBN and MBP were evaluated on days (3, 7, 14 28 and 42) and P solubilizing fungi (PSF) and bacteria (PSB) on day 42. All amendments significantly ( P < 0.05) increased SOC, ph ECEC, MBC, MBN and MBP for all sampling periods and PSF and PSB on day 42. Unlike PMB, CCB and CHB amended soils showed no significant differences in mineral N compared with the control by day 42. Available P in CHB and PMB amended soil showed significant (P < 0.05) increase at both rates but only significant (P < 0.05) at 65 t ha- 1 for CCB treatments. In experiment three, significant increase in yield and shoot NPK were realized from PMB amended soils but insignificant in CCB and CHB treatments. In all, biochar combined with manure was superior in increasing the concentrations of SOC, NH/-N, NO3--N, AVP, ph, ECEC, MBC, MBN MBP, PSF, PSB, shoot NPK and yield of lettuce. In experiment two, ten ea11hworms were exposed to CCB, CHB and PMB at respective rates of 0, 13, 26, 39, 52, 65, 78, 91,104,117,130, 143 and 156 t ha-1 Significantly inverse relationship was found between biochar rates and ea1ihw01m survival. It is therefore recommended that combined biochar and manure is adopted for effective restoration of the fertility of strongly weathered soils in Ghana for lettuce production.

Source: UCC
Using bootstrap method to evaluate the power of tests for non-linearity in asymmetric price relationship

This paper introduces and applies the bootstrap method to compare the power of the test for asymmetry in the Granger and Lee (1989) and Von Cramon-Taubadel and Loy (1996) models. The results of the bootstrap simulations indicate that the power of the test for asymmetry depends on various conditions such as the bootstrap sample size, model complexity, difference in adjustment speeds and the amount of noise in the data generating process used in the application. The true model achieves greater power when compared with the complex model. With small bootstrap sample size or large noise, both models display low power in rejecting the (false) null hypothesis of symmetry

Source: UCC
Using chatbot to provide better customer service for the union of industry, finance and commerce workers (unicof)

This dissertation presents the development and deployment of UNIBOT, a chatbot designed to enhance customer service within the Union of Industry, Commerce, and Finance Workers (UNICOF). This work is being done on the backdrop of rapid technological change and its influence on the corporate landscape and also the importance of customer engagement for business success. The research attempts to highlight the use of artificial intelligence and in this specific case chatbot to enhance the customer service experience. The research methodology employed a text-based rule-based approach, utilizing Python and the Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK). A structured database, derived from UNICOF's website and staff input, formed the foundation for the UNIBOT's knowledge. In addition, tokenization, pre-processing, and sentence generation techniques were implemented. The methodology also explains the architecture design and implementation steps, encompassing tokenization, greeting functions, and query responses of the UNIBOT. Results confirm the successful execution and testing of UNIBOT, evidencing its ability to effectively respond to user inquiries. Conversations with UNIBOT reflect informative and accurate responses interactions ranging from greetings to specific questions about UNICOF. However, challenges arising from the lack of specific frequently asked questions (FAQ) data and website integration are acknowledged.

Source: UCC
Using cooperative learning model to enhance academic performance of teacher trainees in some selected topics in integrated science at Saint Monica’s college of education

The study sought to investigate the effects of using cooperative learning on female teacher trainees of the Colleges of Education in learning some selected topics in Integrated Science. The investigation also sought to determine whether the Cooperative Learning Approach enhances the attitude and motivation of the trainees towards learning of Integrated Science. The study was carried out at the St. Monica’s College of Education in the Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region. In all, 80 teacher trainees consisting of 40 each from control and experimental groups were purposively sampled to participate in the study. The teacher trainees in the experimental group were exposed to the Cooperative Learning Approach and the trainees in the control group were lectured during the period of the study. The results of the study showed that the cooperative learning strategy was very relevant and beneficial in helping the teacher trainees of the St. Monica’s College of Education to improve on their performance in, and attitudes towards, the teaching and learning of Integrated Science. It was therefore recommended among other things that the science teachers should endeavor to integrate cooperative learning into their routine methods of instruction in the teaching and learning of Integrated Science.

Source: UCC
Using Cooperative Teaching And Learning Approach To Improve Senior High School Students' Learning Of Trigonometry

The study focused on improving the teaching and learning of trigonol1JPtry with cooperative teaching and learning approach (eTLA) to promote studentcentred approach to learning in Senior High School (SHS) classroom context in Ghana. The research approach for the study was design-based research (DBR), using qualitative and quantitative methods. The DBR consisted of three stages; prototype, implementation and evaluation, and systematic reflection and documentation. At the prototype stage, two exemplary materials with the features of eTLA were designed by the researcher and validated by two experts in mathematics education. Based on the exemplary materials, professional development training was organised for eight . . lIl-serVlce mathematics teachers (lMTs) who were sampled on purpose to develop and enact eTLA-Iessons. Questionnaires, observations, semi -structured interviews, focus group discussions, student tests and designed lesson documents were the data sources employed in this study. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, data reduction technique, paired sample ttest, and document analysis respectively. The results of the study revealed that the IMTs improved their pedagogical strategies as a result of enacting lessons anchored on the eTLA. Further, there was significant improvement in lhe students' achievement test after their participation in the eTLA-Iessons. In addition, design guidelines were delineated to serve as a guide in the future developments of IMTs experiences in using eTLA as a pedagogical approach in the Ghanaian classroom context. Implications of the study for policy, practice and fmiher research have been discussed.

Source: UCC
Using E-governance to unlock corruption and bribery in Ghana. A literature review

Corruption has become a social, political, and economic canker which is wreaking havoc in many countries both advanced and developing. The phenomenon continues to assume many new dimensions in modern times and for this reason, modern strategies have to be found to tackle it head on. The adoption of e-governance has proven to be one of the effective means to curb the menace, especially in developing countries. E-governance involves application of ICT for government with an aim of improving the efficiency with which citizens receive services. E-governance also helps in dealing with corruption through increased accountability, eliminating gatekeepers or minimizing interaction of civil servants and citizens and increased transparency. Corruption reduces foreign direct investment (FDI), diverts government meant for providing development projects to non-beneficial investments and thus rewards development. Thus, corruption leads to increased poverty and with e-governance it is possible to reduce the problem. Use of e-governance in reducing corruption is more beneficial for developing countries than it is for developed countries

Source: UCC
Using information and communication technology for administrative purposes in Colleges of Education in the Volta Region

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools for administrative purposes by administrators in colleges of education in the Volta Region. The descriptive survey design was adopted to achieve the study objectives. A Closed-Ended Questionnaire and observation guide were the instruments employed for the data collection. The individual items were rated on a 4 Likert type scale. A self-made questionnaire was administered to 109 out of 122 respondents of the five sampled colleges of education in the Volta Region. Percentages and frequencies were generated to determine the level of availability of ICTs tools that existed for college administration. Also chi-square was employed to test for the mean differences in usage of ICT tools for administrative purposes between male and female administrators. Finally mean and standard deviation were computed to determine the factors that impacted the use of ICT tools by the college administrators. The results of the study indicated that, ICT tools are moderately available to administrators. It was also revealed that, they mainly use ICT tools for sending SMS messages to communicate with staff, for staff performance appraisal and to communicate academic results to students. The study also depicted that, insufficient number of internet-connected computers, inappropriate on-the-job ICT training for administrators were some of the factors that hindered full utilisation of ICT tools for college administration. In view of this, it is recommended that, periodic workshops and in-service training are organised for administrators on the use of ICT for college administration and provision of bandwidth for internet services is required.

Source: UCC
Using instructional technology tools to teach informational texts in Thailand

This article examines the teaching of English as a Second Language (ESL) to medical personnel (nurses and doctors) in a hospital in Northern Thailand. The study shows that using technological devices like listening and comprehension CDs, tape recorders and the Internet to teach informational texts can help ESL learners overcomesomeoftheirlearningdifficulties.Evidencefromthestudysuggeststhatsuchapedagogicalapproach not only improves the comprehension of informational texts but also students’mastery levels of spoken and written English. The findings also reveal that such a pedagogical approach exposes students to the various nuances and differences associated with Global English awareness and understanding

Source: UCC
Using literature and multiple technologies in esl instruction

Many instructors are using literary texts along with language structure books in English as a Secondary Language (ESL) classrooms. Since literature is often written to portray a particular cultural or authentic experience, the material presented may not be familiar to ESL students. Also, the students may find such texts structurally complex and impossible to understand. To overcome these challenges, instructors need to implement strategies that will make the literary materials relevant and useful to student learning. The current study describes how multiple technologies were successfully employed in the presentation of Chinua Achebe’s 1958 novel, Things Fall Apart. In addition, ESL students’ reactions to the integration of technology in instruction were explored. Findings from this study have pedagogical implications for instructors who plan to incorporate literature and technology into their ESL curricula

Source: UCC
Using Manchester system for the treatment of cervix carcinoma for a selected oncology facility in Ghana

The conventional treatment for carcinoma of the cervix is a combination of both the external Teletherapy and Low Dose Rate (LDR) intracavitary brachytherapy. However, there has been an increasing trend toward the use of High Dose-Rate (HDR) brachytherapy, in combination with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in the treatment of cervix carcinoma.The Manchester system has been used for the treatment modality at the facility. The various cancer stages were diagnosed and found to be from stage I to stage IIIB according to FIGO staging guidlines. There were no stage IV cases who reported at the facility during the period of investigation. It has been argued that, for the unique case of radio-therapeutic treatment of carcinoma of the cervix, the criterion for producing an equivalent treatment should be based on the matching of early, rather than not late effects. In essence, the dose to the normal tissues at risk for late effects is usually significantly smaller than the prescribed dose. For such a treatment modality of treatment, the mode of calculation of the Biologically Effective Dose(BED) has being used during the cervical carcinoma at the facility

Source: UCC
Using meta-heuristic algorithm in spiking neural network for pattern recognition tasks

The Bat Algorithm (BA) is a meta-heuristic algorithm based on echolocation behavior of microbats. The authors propose BA based Spiking Neural Network (SNN) model, where the advantages of BA and efficiency of SNN are exploited for classification tasks using some benchmark datasets. The advantages of the BA have been well exploited in the Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) domain particularly with the adjustment of weights. We therefore, leveraged on the BA as a learning strategy to train an SNN using the Leaky Integrate and Fire (LIF) and Izhikevich models to solve non-linear pattern classification tasks. In order to successfully discriminate between the various classes, the models are trained to fire at the same or similar firing rate for inputs from the same class, and inputs patterns from different classes to also spike or fire at different rate. To justify how efficient and how powerful the proposed model is, only one neuron is used. Finally, the model is tested on different non-linear pattern recognition tasks and comparison is made between our model and other similar existing models and our proposed model outperformed some of the state-of-the-art-models. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to implement BA in SNN

Source: UCC
Using mobile phone texting to support the capacity of school leaders in Ghana to practise Leadership for Learning

Several years into a collaborative professional development programme to build the Leadership for Learning capacity of Basic school headteachers throughout Ghana, the challenge is to sustain commitment, deepen understanding and share learning among the school leaders. Employing ubiquitous mobile phone technology, weekly text messages have been sent to the programme’s 175 initial participants. During the year of the pilot project different forms of messages have been tried, and feedback from recipients suggests their value. The paper reports experience and findings from the pilot, and considers plans for scaling-up to reach all 18,000 Basic schools across the country

Source: UCC
Using quality improvement methods to test and scale up a new national policy on early post-natal care in Ghana

Introduction The first week of life presents the greatest risk of dying for a young infant. Yet, due to the sociocultural, financial, geographical and health system barriers found in many resource-poor settings, infants do not access health care until much later. To reduce neonatal mortality, the Ghana Health Service proposed a new policy that promotes skilled care during the first week of life. We report the results of an initiative that uses quality improvement (QI) methods to test the feasibility and effectiveness of the new early post-natal care (PNC) policy and its subsequent scale-up throughout northern Ghana. Methods Over a 10-month period, 30 networked QI teams from 27 rural health facilities developed and tested both facility-based and community-based changes to their processes of maternal and neonatal care. Coverage and outcome data were analysed using an interrupted time-series design. Results Over 24 months, early PNC increased from a mean of 15% to 71% for visits within the first 48 h, and from 0% to 53% for visits on Day 6 or 7. We observed a slower increase in skilled delivery (mean of 56% to 82%) over a longer period of time (35 months). Facility-based neonatal mortality remained unchanged: mean of 5.1 deaths per 1000 deliveries. Using the most effective change ideas developed in the 27 test facilities, the early PNC policy was scaled up over the subsequent 2 years to 576 health facilities in all 38 districts of northern Ghana. Conclusions This initiative demonstrates the utility of a QI approach in testing, implementing and subsequent scaling up a national policy for early PNC in a resource- constrained setting. This approach provides a model for improving the implementation of other national health policies to accelerate the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Ghana and other resource-poor countries.

Source: UCC
Using Quality Improvement Process to Enhance Health Staff Confidence and Competence in Health Information System Tasks in the Ejisu Juaben Municipal Health Directorate, Ghana

Routine Health Information is faced with huge challenges which reduce its decision making and planning yields. The objective of the study was 1) to undertake competency gap analysis of health staff’s performance in routine health information tasks, 2) implement quality improvement process training module, 3) to measure the improvement in the competency level of health staff in performing RHIS tasks after application of Quality Improvement Process principles. A quasi-experimental, uncontrolled before and after study was conducted in 18 health facilities in the Ejisu Juaben Municipal Health Directorate, Ghana. The study involved assessment of competency level and training of 141 staff using Data Quality Improvement Process (DQIP) training module over a twelve-month period. RHIS task competence was measured by a pencil and paper test that measured the ability of respondents to perform calculations, and to interpret and use RHIS results, based on the same indicators as used dimension of confidence level. The study found huge competency gaps among staff amidst high confidence in undertaking RHIS tasks while their performance of these tasks scored objectively, yielded low average scores of improvements in competency gaps; data analysis (-36.9%: +3.6%), data interpretation (-42.2%: +9.8%) and use of data (-44.6%: +2.6%) in the baseline and endline evaluations respectively. The study concludes that Quality Improvement Process (QIP) centred training drives the effectiveness of staff competency in performing RHIS tasks, but not necessarily their confidence level.

Source: UCC
Using recreation to curb child delinquency among street children: case study at the cape coast football for hope centre

The study was to assess the impact of recreational activities on child delinquency at the Cape Coast Football for Hope Centre. Descriptive survey design and questionnaire was used to collect data from 140 respondents at the Football for Hope Centre. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency and simple percentages based on research questions. Results revealed that neglect, poverty and abuse were the major causes of streetism in Cape Coast. Also, the major reasons for taking part in recreational activities to children at the Football for Hope Centre were for fun, to connect with other children in society and for enjoyment. Additionally, a statistical significant difference was found between males and females on loss of parent as a cause of streetism, however, no statistical significant difference was found between males and females on neglect, abuse, poverty, inadequate housing and parental divorce as causes of streetism. Recommendations were made for parents and guardians to work hard in order to meet all the social, psychological, educational and financial needs of their wards. Also, schools, communities and NGO’s were encouraged to provide enough playing facilities to enable children play for fun and enjoyment at all times.

Source: UCC
Using Technology Pedagogical Content Knowledge Development to Enhance Learning Outcomes

This paper describes an intervention in which pre-service teachers developed their TPACK through multiple data sources. Teachers’ self-reports of their TPACK knowledge were triangulated with performance-based assessment of their instructional practices and artifacts to give a better understanding and nature of preservice teachers’ TPACK development. Although self reported measures did not correlate with pre-service teachers’ actual increased knowledge of technology integration, this study enhances better understanding of the pre-service teachers’ TPACK development through the multiple assessment measures. The learning outcome measures provide specific information and concrete representation of what pre-service teachers can actually do with technology in their TPACK development. The findings suggested multiple concerns about self-reported measures that are discussed in the framework of the TPACK instrument.

Source: UCC
Using the Activity Method to Enhance Students’ Performance in Energy Transformation

The study sought to investigate the effects of Activity Method (AM) on 53 Junior High School students’ performance in energy transformation at the Sekyere South District of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The study investigated the comparative efficiency of the AM and the traditional lecture method in energy transformation in Integrated Science. A pretest-posttest action research design was used as the main design for the study. The students from the experimental group were taught with the AM whereas the students from the control group were taught with the traditional lecture method. Means, standard deviations, and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyze the scores from the pretest and posttest scores of the students. The findings from the study show that the students from the experimental group performed creditably well than the students from the control in the posttest. Hence, the AM enhanced the performance of the students in energy transformation.

Source: UCC
Using Transactional Analysis to Improve the Marital Satisfaction Levels of Christian Couples in Accra Metropolis, Ghana

Using the experimental research design, this study sought to investigate the effect of transactional analysis on improving the satisfaction levels of Christian couples in the Accra Metropolis, Ghana. The sample comprised 10 couples. The intervention took place over a period of eight weeks. The results showed that the transactional analysis techniques used were effective at improving the marital satisfaction levels of participants

Source: UCC