The fusion of modern and indigenous science and technology: how should it be done?

Several African intellectuals, especially educators, have realized the need for the overhauling of Africa's educational systems to enable these intellectuals address the needs of Africans. In this paper, we have reechoed the need for this overhauling process, and have argued for an integration of indigenous knowledge systems with the formal school curriculum. In this paper, the benefits of integrating community science and technology with school science and technology and the constraints to the integration have been outlined. It also reports on the attempt at integration by the Centre for School and Community Science and Technology Studies (SACOST), at the University of Education, Winneba in Ghana. SACOST is a centre of excellence established by the African Forum for Children's Literary in Science (AFCLIST), a non-governmental organization. The paper identifies the community as having four major operating areas (the school, indigenous, informal and formal), each of which constitutes a group with shared interests, values and modes of operation. The model proposed for the integration focuses on the school as the central component that should utilize all the existing knowledge in the community in the human resource development. African Journal of Educational Studies in Mathematics and Sciences Vol. 2(1) 2004: 49-5

The Contexts for Learning and Instruction Influencing Ghanaian JSS2 Students\' Dismal Performance in TIMSS-2003

In 2003, Ghana for the first time participated in TIMSS in order to find out how the performance of her eighth graders (JSS2) in science and mathematics compared with those of other countries. This involved a total of 5,114 JSS2 students in 150 schools sampled across the country. The Ghanaian JSS2 students' overall attainment in the TIMSS-2003 in mathematics and science was poor. This dismal performance placed Ghana at the 45th position on the overall mathematics achievement results table in the two subjects. This paper discusses some of the contexts for learning and instruction within and outside the school that had influenced such an abysmal performance. The analysis indicated that science and mathematics, which are key curriculum areas that are fundamental to the development of technologically literate societies, are subjects that are highly valued by Ghanaian students. The analysis also revealed that higher students' achievement in science and mathematics was associated with higher levels of parents' education. Also many of the students who had high expectations for university education were from parent who had university education. The analysis further revealed that homes where students had their own study table, had access to books and had the opportunity to speak English positively affected achievement in science and mathematics. Finally, it revealed that teachers emphasized methods that focus on knowledge and understanding of basic facts and principles and used instructional strategies that gave students little opportunity to design experiments (or investigations) in science and decide procedures for solving problems in mathematics. African Journal of Educational Studies in Mathematics and Sciences Vol. 4 2006: pp.15-3

Quantifying within-city inequalities in child mortality across neighbourhoods in Accra, Ghana: a Bayesian spatial analysis

Objective Countries in sub-Saharan Africa suffer the highest rates of child mortality worldwide. Urban areas tend to have lower mortality than rural areas, but these comparisons likely mask large within-city inequalities. We aimed to estimate rates of under-five mortality (U5M) at the neighbourhood level for Ghana’s Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) and measure the extent of intraurban inequalities. Methods We accessed data on >700 000 women aged 25–49 years living in GAMA using the most recent Ghana census (2010). We summarised counts of child births and deaths by five-year age group of women and neighbourhood (n=406) and applied indirect demographic methods to convert the summaries to yearly probabilities of death before age five years. We fitted a Bayesian spatiotemporal model to the neighbourhood U5M probabilities to obtain estimates for the year 2010 and examined their correlations with indicators of neighbourhood living and socioeconomic conditions. Results U5M varied almost five-fold across neighbourhoods in GAMA in 2010, ranging from 28 (95% credible interval (CrI) 8 to 63) to 138 (95% CrI 111 to 167) deaths per 1000 live births. U5M was highest in neighbourhoods of the central urban core and industrial areas, with an average of 95 deaths per 1000 live births across these neighbourhoods. Peri-urban neighbourhoods performed better, on average, but rates varied more across neighbourhoods compared with neighbourhoods in the central urban areas. U5M was negatively correlated with multiple indicators of improved living and socioeconomic conditions among peri-urban neighbourhoods. Among urban neighbourhoods, correlations with these factors were weaker or, in some cases, reversed, including with median household consumption and women’s schooling. Conclusion Reducing child mortality in high-burden urban neighbourhoods in GAMA, where a substantial portion of the urban population resides, should be prioritised as part of continued efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goal national target of less than 25 deaths per 1000 live births

The LOFAR LBA Sky Survey II. First data release

The Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) is the only existing radio interferometer able to observe at ultra-low frequencies (<100 MHz) with high resolution (<15") and high sensitivity (<1 mJy/beam). To exploit these capabilities, the LOFAR Surveys Key Science Project is using the LOFAR Low Band Antenna (LBA) to carry out a sensitive wide-area survey at 41-66 MHz named the LOFAR LBA Sky Survey (LoLSS). LoLSS is covering the whole northern sky above declination 24 deg with a resolution of 15" and a sensitivity of 1-2 mJy/beam (1 sigma) depending on declination, field properties, and observing conditions. Here we present the first data release. An automated pipeline was used to reduce the 95 fields included in this data release. The data reduction procedures developed for this project have general application and are currently being used to process LOFAR LBA interferometric observations. Compared to the preliminary release, direction-dependent errors have been corrected for during the calibration process. This results in a typical sensitivity of 1.55 mJy/beam at the target resolution of 15". The first data release of the LOFAR LBA Sky Survey covers 650 sqdeg in the HETDEX spring field. The resultant data products released to the community include mosaic images (I and V Stokes) of the region, and a catalogue of 42463 detected sources and related Gaussian components used to describe sources' morphologies. Separate catalogues for 6 in-band frequencies are also released. The first data release of LoLSS shows that, despite the influences of the ionosphere, LOFAR can conduct large-scale surveys in the frequency window 42-66 MHz with unprecedentedly high sensitivity and resolution. The data can be used to derive unique information on the low-frequency spectral properties of many thousands of sources with a wide range of applications in extragalactic and galactic astronomy.Comment: 20 pages, 22 figures, images and catalogues available at https://www.lofar-surveys.org/lolss.htm

Co-movements of REIT indices with structural changes before and during the subprime mortgage crisis: evidence from Euro-Med markets

This paper examines the long-run relationships between the REIT indices of the UK, Turkey and Israel in the Euro-Med zone with that of MSCI US REIT Index by using weekly data over the period 2003Q3 through 2009Q3, which includes the latest US subprime mortgage crisis and its effects on global stock markets. Although our EG test results do not indicate a long-run relationship, after taking account of the structural changes by applying the GH test, we find a long-run interaction between the REIT indices of UK and Israel with that of the US. However, our results indicate the lack of co-movement between REIT index of Turkey with the US. In addition, our dynamic OLS test results indicate a perfect relationship between the UK and the US indices. Our findings show that international investors who make long-term investments can only gain from diversifying into the real estate market of Turkey among the involved markets in the Euro-Med zone

The LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey V. Second data release

In this data release from the ongoing LOw-Frequency ARray (LOFAR) Two-metre Sky Survey we present 120a 168 MHz images covering 27% of the northern sky. Our coverage is split into two regions centred at approximately 12h45m +44 30a and 1h00m +28 00a and spanning 4178 and 1457 square degrees respectively. The images were derived from 3451 h (7.6 PB) of LOFAR High Band Antenna data which were corrected for the direction-independent instrumental properties as well as direction-dependent ionospheric distortions during extensive, but fully automated, data processing. A catalogue of 4 396 228 radio sources is derived from our total intensity (Stokes I) maps, where the majority of these have never been detected at radio wavelengths before. At 6a resolution, our full bandwidth Stokes I continuum maps with a central frequency of 144 MHz have: a median rms sensitivity of 83 μJy beama 1; a flux density scale accuracy of approximately 10%; an astrometric accuracy of 0.2a; and we estimate the point-source completeness to be 90% at a peak brightness of 0.8 mJy beama 1. By creating three 16 MHz bandwidth images across the band we are able to measure the in-band spectral index of many sources, albeit with an error on the derived spectral index of > a ±a 0.2 which is a consequence of our flux-density scale accuracy and small fractional bandwidth. Our circular polarisation (Stokes V) 20a resolution 120a168 MHz continuum images have a median rms sensitivity of 95 μJy beama 1, and we estimate a Stokes I to Stokes V leakage of 0.056%. Our linear polarisation (Stokes Q and Stokes U) image cubes consist of 480a A a 97.6 kHz wide planes and have a median rms sensitivity per plane of 10.8 mJy beama 1 at 4a and 2.2 mJy beama 1 at 20a; we estimate the Stokes I to Stokes Q/U leakage to be approximately 0.2%. Here we characterise and publicly release our Stokes I, Q, U and V images in addition to the calibrated uv-data to facilitate the thorough scientific exploitation of this unique dataset

Aspects of the reproductive biology of the red Pandora Pagellus bellottie (Pisces: Sparidae) in Ghana

The reproductive biology of Pagellus bellottii (Stenidachner, 1882) occurring in Ghana is reported in this paper. Data was collected on monthly samples taken from November 1993 to October 1995. Specimens longer than 18.9 cm TL were predominantly males, but the ratio of males to females was not significantly different in small fishes. Overall, the males were numerically dominant. The smallest mature male and female fish measured 13.6 cm TL, and 13.5cm TL, respectively. These sizes correspond to maturity age of 0.65 yr. The length at which 50% of the fish are matured was estimated at 21.0 and 20.0cm TL which corresponded to 1.5 and 1.3 yr, respectively, for males and females. Changes in the gonadosomatic index (GSI) suggested a minor spawning activity in January and February, and a major spawning from June to September. Spawning in the species, therefore, occurred during the upwelling seasons in Ghanaian waters. The occurrence of two distinct groups of ova representing mature and immature stocks indicated possible discontinuous breeding in the species. JOURNAL OF THE GHANA SCIENCE ASSOCIATION Volume 2 No. 1 (2000) pp. 23-3

Observations on the reproductive biology and recruitment of the bigeye grunt, Brachydeuterus auritus (Pisces: Haemulidae), in Ghana

Aspects of the reproductive biology and recruitment pattern of the bigeye grunt, Brachydeuterus auritus (Valenciennes, 1831), are presented in this paper. Data were collected on monthly samples obtained from the artisanal commercial fishery occurring off Cape Coast, Ghana, between November 1993 and October 1995. Both male and female B. auritus appeared to be in better condition just before the minor upwelling (January/February) in Ghanaian coastal waters. In the samples collected, the females outnumbered the males. The length at first maturity was observed as 10.1 cm for both sexes, a size that corresponded to an age of 4 months. The length at massive maturation (L50%) was, however, estimated at 14.8 (= 9.1 months) and 15.1 cm (= 9.5 months), for the males and females, respectively. The oocyte diameter distributions suggested restricted spawning in the species. The occurrence of ripe fish in all the samples, however, is an indication of protracted spawning. Although individuals were ready for spawning throughout the year they probably spawned during the upwelling seasons. In the species, recruitment occurred throughout the year, but with two pulses of unequal strength, with the major recruitment occurring just before the upwelling periods. (Journal of the Ghana Science Association: 2001 3(3): 14-21

Comparative analysis of performance of eighth graders from six African countries

School science and mathematics play a critical role in the development of scientists, engineers and technologists required for development. Although many African countries recognize this, the teaching and learning of science and mathematics have not received the necessary support and attention as foundational subjects in the school curriculum. In 2003, six African countries - Ghana Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Botswana and South Africa - participated in an international assessment programme in science and mathematics, called the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS-2003). The study examined the performance of eighth graders in mathematics and science as well as the contextual factors that could have influenced the performance. This paper draws on the results of the TIMSS-2003 which indicated that the African countries performed poorly. The paper presents a comparative analysis of the performance of the eighth graders from the six African countries and discusses the contexts for learning science and mathematics that might have influenced the performance. Recommendations are made for African governments to pay attention to the teaching of science and mathematics in the primary and secondary schools.Keywords: international assessment, TIMSS, contexts for learning, school science and mathematic