TEACHER EXPERIENCE AS DETERMINANTS OF STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SCIENCE SUBJECTS IN UGANDA CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATIONS IN BUIKWE DISTRICT, UGANDA

This study investigated Teacher Experience as determinants of students’ academic performance in science subjects in Uganda certificate of education examinations in Buikwe district, Uganda. The overall performance of science subjects in Buikwe district has been below average (Uganda National Examination Board, 2018). The low achievement and dismal performance of students in the UC.E Science examinations has been a concern to stakeholders. The study was guided by Convergent parallel mixed methods design specifically a cross-sectional survey and phenomenological survey. The target population included all head teachers, head of departments, science teachers, students in public and private secondary schools, and all Secondary Science and Mathematics regional trainers in Buikwe district. Both Probability and non-probability sampling were used. Simple random sampling was used to select 110 Science teachers, 375 students were selected using cluster random sampling while 28 head teachers were selected through census purposive sampling and expert sampling was used to select regional trainers. Data was collected using questionnaires, interview, focused group discussions and document analysis guide and were subjected to both content and face validity. Cronbach alpha technique determined reliability of quantitative instruments. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 for descriptive and inferential statistics. Frequencies and percentages were used to summarize data while Chi-square Test for associations was used to test hypotheses. The qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis and findings presented in narrative form. The key findings indicated that there was a significant relationship between teacher experience and students’ academic performance in science subjects. The study found that science teachers who do part timing have little time for students, the infectiveness, poor teaching methodologies, negative attitude among students, and lack of text books and well equipped laboratories in some schools contributed to poor performance. The study recommended that MOES needs to organize seminars and equip science teachers with the required skills to teach science subjects. The government needs to abolish part time teaching and invest in building a robust school inspection system and improve teacher quality through staff development.  Article visualizations

Resilient but Overwhelmed: How do Students in South Sudan Public Universities Cope with the Rising Net Cost?

South Sudan is facing the challenges of transition from a liberation movement to democratic state. The protracted political civil war has increased the country’s fragility, dwindling public allocations to education and other sectors. Should education in fragile states wait for the return of peace? The purpose of this study was to interrogate the influence of net cost on out-of-state students’ access in South Sudan public universities. A total of 378 students were selected through random sampling procedure. Six members of the National Council for Higher Education, four university administrators, four parents and two universities were chosen through purposive sampling. The data collection instruments were questionnaires, interview guide, observation and document analysis guide, Descriptive statistics were presented in form of frequencies, percentages and tables. A one-sample t-test was used to establish whether there was a significant difference in the influence of net cost on students’ decision to access and attend South Sudan public universities between in-state and out-of-state students. Qualitative data was collected and analyzed simultaneously, coded, categorized into themes. The results indicate that although public universities have demonstrated resilience, they are overwhelmed and struggling to provide quality education services to all citizens. Students’ net cost was growing faster than their family income due to the rise in inflation adversely affecting out-ofstate students from low-income families’ access to public universities compared to in-state students. The study recommends that the government fast-track peace and re-engineer its education system to make it more accessible, affordable and equitable to all, particularly those from the marginalized groups. It hopes to contribute to improving policy and practice in educational administration and planning

TEACHERS’ USE OF VISUAL AIDS IN ENHANCING TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESS IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN BARKIN-LADI, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

The study investigated teachers’ use of visual aids in enhancing the teaching and learning process in the public primary schools Barkin-Ladi, Plateau State in Nigeria. The researchers employed a combination of both quantitative and qualitative approaches: survey and phenomenology. The study targeted public primary school teachers, pupils, head teachers, heads of sections, and supervisors. The researcher used stratified random sampling technique, and non-probability purposive random sampling method. The sample size of the study was: 254 teachers, 391 pupils, 90 head teachers, 3 heads of sections and 13 supervisors. Descriptive statistics: frequencies, percentages, and inferential statistics were used. The findings revealed that the use of different types of visual aids like real objects, diagrams, charts, flashcards, maps and drawings was appropriate to all subjects and relevant to the teaching and learning process. The study recommended that: The study recommended that: there is need for refresher courses, workshops, and conferences for the teachers to improve their skill of using different types of visual aids to the needs of the public primary school pupils, the government should help the public primary schools’ teachers by providing enough visual aids to use during the teaching and learning process, the education office should ensure that close supervision and monitoring of teachers is done promptly to ensure that the teachers use right materials to facilitate the teaching and learning process, and the head of department quality assurance, personnel manager, head of primary education section, supervisors, can also liaise with the head teachers to ensure that teachers are using different types of visual aids and redirect more resources for them, to improve teachers’ utilization and improvisation of different types of visual aids head teachers should monitor and ensure that teachers are using different types of visual aids. Article visualizations

Classification and influence of agricultural information on striga and stemborer control in Suba and Vihiga Districts, Kenya

This paper reports on findings of a study to examine the sources used by farmers in search of agricultural information on striga and/or stemborers control technologies and factors that influence acquisition of such information in Western Kenya region. A random sample of 476 households in Suba and Vihiga districts were interviewed and 15 information pathways were identified. Using principle component analysis (PCA) to derive few latent variables that encapsulate maximum variance in the pathways, two components (latent variables) proxying for ‘agricultural knowledge’ were extracted. Type I-knowledge (first component) loaded heavily with sources that had ‘group’ information searching. Type II-knowledge (second component) loaded heavily with sources requiring individual farmer search. Both types of knowledge positively and significantly influenced the likelihood of households using improved technology to control stemborer, while only Type-II knowledge and social economic factors were important in influencing the farmers’ likelihood of using an improved technology to control striga. This study shows that information is an important factor in the households’ likelihood of using improved technologies in the control of striga and stem borer in Vihiga and Suba, Kenya. Methods of individual interaction are important to striga control.Agricultural information, improved technology, striga, stemborers, control technologies, Kenya, Agricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Demand and Price Analysis, Farm Management, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, International Relations/Trade, Marketing, Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Farmer Perception of Technology and its Impact on Technology Uptake: The Case of Fodder Legume in Central Kenya Highlands.

Technology adoption by farmers is crucial to increasing agricultural productivity hence meeting food and nutrition challenges in Africa. Economists investigating consumer demand have accumulated considerable evidence showing that consumers generally have subjective preferences for product attributes. However, when investigating adoption of new agricultural technologies, economists have lagged behind in analysing how farmers' (the consumer of agricultural technologies) subjective perceptions of technology characteristics affect their adoption decisions. Focusing on farmer perceptions of technologies may provide a better understanding of technology adoption since they deal with the technologies and probably perceive technologies differently from researchers and extension agents. The objective of this paper is to investigate farmers' perception of technology and its impact on adoption using a case study of legume forages in central Kenya highlands. Data from a random sample of 131 farm households in four districts in central Kenya was used. Using participatory techniques, four most important fodder legume attributes to farmers in their adoption decision were identified. These were then used in conjoint analysis. An ordered probit model was estimated to assess relative importance of each attribute to the farmer. A tobit model was also estimated to show the effect of farmers' perception of calliandra and desmodium on probability and intensity of adoption. Results showed that dry season tolerance and economy on land are most important characteristics of fodder legumes to the farmers. It was also found that Calliandra and desmodium were more relevant to the farmers in the area than other fodders. Farmers' perception of the two fodders had a significant impact on their adoption. Consequently, it was recommended that before introducing a technology in an area, it is necessary that the farmers' perception of the technology be analysed Conjoint analysis, ordered probit and tobit estimates, fodder legume adoption.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Improving the Productivity of the Sewing Section through Line Balancing Techniques: A Case Study of Almeda Garment Factory

Nowadays, business manufacturers must have the ability to respond rapidly to customer demands. In order to have this power, the organization generally produces mass volumes of specific products. In mass production systems of specified products, assembly lines are generally used. In assembly production, imbalances are well-known problems. Line balancing (LB) is the leveling of the workload across all processes in a line or value stream to remove bottlenecks and excess capacity. Poor balance causes an increase in the production cycle time as well as idle time. This leads to lower efficiency and subsequently lowers productivity in the organization. Furthermore, this research addresses the implementation of line balancing concepts in Almeda Garment Industry (AGI). The existing operating Garment Industries are facing problems in fulfilling targets demanded by customers, resulting in the use of overtime, to overcome the problem, thus, increasing production cost. At an earlier stage, a review of the literature on productivity and different line balancing models was conducted, from the creation of the concept of productivity to its main tools and techniques. After understanding the concepts of line balancing, a description and critical analysis of the existing system in Almeda Garment Industry was made and the problem diagnosed. Improvement scenarios were suggested relating to resources, method change, and layout arrangement.After implementation of some of the solutions, results observed were highly encouraging. Some of the key benefits included, increased balance efficiency (by 25.74%), reduced production cost by (-2.41 birr/pcs), a 35.5% increase in productivity and a production rate increase from 49 to 68 pieces per hour. In the last part of this thesis, results before and after balancing were compared.

Effectiveness of a global education module on the knowledge and attitudes of home economics university students

The purposes of this study were to develop a global perspectives module to be incorporated into an existing course and to test the effectiveness of the unit in terms of changes in knowledge and attitudes of home economics university students. Knowledge and attitude scores of two groups of students, one of which had been exposed to the module and another which had not, were compared. Relationships among posttest knowledge scores of students and G.P.A., extent of foreign travel, discussion of world issues in other college classes, and number of classes attended during the experimental unit were examined. Other relationships examined were among posttest attitude scores of students and extent of foreign travel; discussion of world problems in other college classrooms; frequency of reading magazines and newspapers and of viewing T.V. news and documentaries; reading the international section of the newspaper; and number of classes attended