Assessing Induction and Retention of Teachers in Biakoye District in the Volta Region, Ghana

The study assessed the induction of teachers in basic schools and the effects of the induction course on teacher retention in the Biakoye District. To achieve this, a sequential mixed approach was chosen with the use of survey and case study designs. A simple random sampling procedure was used to select 220 teachers from ten (10) basic schools in the Biakoye District for the quantitative phase. Questionnaire was used to collect data from the 220 teachers. In terms of the qualitative phase on the other hand, the convenience sampling procedure was used to select three (3) Head Teachers in addition to the District Director of Education for the study. With this, the semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data. Both data sets were analysed using the thematic analysis and regression. The study revealed that the induction programme helped teachers to develop skills in technological orientation and improved performances. It was therefore, recommended that the Colleges of Education should institutionalise induction policy, introduction of mentor-mentee relationship, training and capacity building of Head Teachers in induction programmes, investment in induction training programmes for new teachers and coordinating and alignment of induction programmes among providers. Keywords: Teachers, Induction, Retention, Human Resource, Job Performance DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-26-03 Publication date:September 30th 202

Occupational Stress and Coping Strategies among Colleges of Education Tutors’ in the Volta Region, Ghana

This study investigates the causes and strategies used by tutors to cope with stress. To achieve this, a qualitative approach was chosen with the use of case study design. Stratified sampling procedure was used to select 14 tutors from seven (7) Colleges of Education in the Volta Region. Semi-structure interview guide was used to collect data and it was analysed using thematic analysis. The study revealed that generally, excessive workload, discrimination at work place, working condition, large class size and inadequate resources causes stress for tutors. The study revealed that respondents cope with stress through counselling and sharing jokes and experience with friends and colleagues. It was therefore, recommended that the colleges should employ more tutors to lessen the workload of the existing tutors. Keywords: Stress, Tutors, Counselling, Excessive Workload, Working Conditio

Fintech Use, Digital Divide and Financial Inclusion

FinTech innovations enable the provision of financial services to many unbanked across the world by increasing access. The key role of FinTech to drive financial inclusion however suffers significant impediments including the digital divide. Nevertheless, there is paucity of elaborate theories on financial inclusion while extant literature on FinTech only identify factors that drive its acceptance and use with little attention to inhibitors such as the digital divide. Employing the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) and the model of digital inequality, this study investigates the impact of FinTech usage on financial inclusion amidst the digital divide. A structural equation modelling technique is applied to data collected from 282 respondents in a survey. The findings confirm the influence of performance expectancy and facilitating conditions on behavioural intentions as well as a positive influence of FinTech use on financial inclusion. The results also show that digital divide measured with access, resource and force moderate the use of FinTech. Significant theoretical contributions are made by the study and practical and policy implications are offered for deepening financial inclusion

Modelling and simulation of car following driving behaviour

Driver behaviour has become an important aspect of transport research and over the years a considerable number of car following models have been developed. However, many of these models do not accurately simulate actual driving behaviour due to a lack of suitable qualitative and quantitative data. Moreover, the inclusion of socioeconomic variables in the existing models to ascertain the effect on car following behaviour is lacking. This research underlines the need to further investigate driving behaviour and car following models and to develop techniques to provide a better understanding of driver-vehicle interactions during car following. It investigates data collection techniques and develop better techniques to enhance and improve the collection of microscopic driver behaviour and traffic flow data. This study developed a novel data collection technique which involved instrumenting a private vehicle with front and rear advanced radar sensors, both forward and rear facing video-audio recorders connected to GPS based time series speed and distance measurement devices, an in-vehicle computer logging vehicle speed and a CAN monitoring interface user program to provide real time monitoring and display of data. This system has been utilised to collect a more enhanced and reliable microscopic driver behaviour data in three consecutive vehicles movements which represents an improvement from previously used systems.Three different versions of the GHR car following model were produced for: car following car, truck following car and car following truck. Further analysis of the GHR model showed that in the case of car following car, car drivers responses to the lead car are more obviously stronger than in the case of truck following a car. A distance-based car following model and distance-based two-leader car following model that predict the safe following distance of following vehicles were developed to provide a better understanding of driver behaviour. An extension of these models to include gender, corridor (road) type and vehicle occupancy showed evidence of statistical significance of these variables on driver behaviour. A bus following model that predicts the “following distance” also has been calibrated to describe the interactions between a bus and a car within urban-rural driving conditions. In addition, data analysis showed that drivers were inconsistent with their driving behaviour and that there was variability in driving behaviour across the drivers observed in keeping a safe or desired following distance.This study provides a platform for a number of future research agendas including data collection techniques for collection of driver behaviour data; evaluation of different ITS technologies; impact assessment of ACC on driver safety and improvement of traffic microscopic simulation tools in order to strengthen their ability to simulate realistic transport problems for efficient and effective transportation systems

Organizational Architecture, Resilience, and Cyberattacks

This study develops a unique model of organizational resilience architecture with an emphasis on the ways in which organizations respond to cyber-attacks. The model elucidates the dynamics and approaches through which organizations mobilize and utilize expertise and resources to combat the effects of cyber-attackson normal business operations. Drawing on recent cases of cyber-attacks against organizations, the study identifies a host of strategic and tactical responses victims usedto aid recoveryand return to daily activities. The responses are grouped into three stages to demonstrate the steps that organizations can take to enhance their resilience: Stage 1 focuses on proactive environmental scanning and locating potential threatsand attacks, Stage 2 emphasizes neutralizing threats and attacks,and Stage 3 focuses on re-designing, upgrading and updating human, technological and financial resources. On this basis, the study sheds light on levels of organizational resilience and strategies for organizational design in withstanding cyber-attacks and security breaches. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed

Effects of mining activities on access to potable water: households’ perception and practices at Konongo and Odumasi communities in Ghana.

This research work adds to the knowledge the academic community and policy makers have about mining activities as not only contributing to socioeconomic development but also capable of causing problems. Specifically, it looks at how mining activities affect water resources and hence water access in the mining communities of Konongo and Odumasi based on the perception, opinions and practices of selected households. Through the use of the fish bowl probability sampling, a total of 107 households were selected from the mining communities of Konongo and Odumasi to respond to interviews. Institutions such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Owere Mines Limited (OML) and Asante Akyem North Municipal Assembly (AANMA) were purposively sampled for relevant information for the study. The study revealed that people’s perception and opinion about the state of the Owere and Agogowa streams as being made dirty by mining activities has caused less utilisation of such streams. Households have coped with mining related problems by resorting to the use of pipe borne and hand dug well waters. With these mechanisms households have coped well with mining activities and mining related problems. It is recommended that the OML and AANMA provide alternative sources of drinking water in the form of bore holes and pipe borne water in abundance. These sources should be made accessible and affordable especially to the poor who cannot afford to dig their own wells and also buy pipe borne water. Keywords: Mining activities, households’ perceptions, practices, water access, and coping strategies

Physical and Fuel Properties of Bambusa vulgaris of Different Age Groups and Their Effect on Producing Biofuel

Bamboo can be used to produce solid, gaseous, and liquid fuels, as well as to generate heat and biofuels for transport and electricity. The main objective of this study was to investigate the physical and fuel properties of Bambusa vulgaris in three ecological zones for their utilization potential for the production of biofuels. Thirty-six samples of Bambusa vulgaris culms from 3 ecological zones in Ghana were milled to powder to assess the physical and fuel properties. The physical properties; moisture content, high heating values, bulk density, density, and ash content were investigated. The fuel properties were based on ultimate analysis, carbon, hydrogen nitrogen, and oxygen. The mean moisture content (MC) for the green bamboo ranged from 68.8% (dead culm) to 148% (mature culm) and 168% (juvenile culm). The MC for dried samples ranged from 9.09 to 13.06%. The results showed that the % MC of the samples increased with decreasing values of high heating and ash content. The mean density of the matured bamboo culms varied from 616.84 to 641.68 kg·m–3 and dead bamboo culms from 609.01 to 632.72 kg·m–3. Marginal reduction in density was observed in dead bamboo culms across the three ecological zones as compared to the mature bamboo culms. This implies that when B. vulgaris overgrows, its density decreases. High heating values ranged from 16.12 to 18.14 MJ·kg–1. Bulk density determines the transportation and storage of biomass; it ranged from 0.12 to 0.52 g·m–3. The ash contents were within the threshold (≥3%) of European standard. The mean values for the ultimate analysis of carbon (48.46 to 53.31%), hydrogen (5.60 to 6.56%), nitrogen (0.58 to 0.61%), and oxygen (39.73 to 41.35) were higher. Fuel properties of Bambusa vulgaris are comparable to some wood types, lower to denser wood types, but higher than most of the herbaceous energy crops and agricultural residues. This means that Bambusa vulgaris may be a good feedstock for the production of bioenergy in terms of heat, charcoal, biogas, bio-power, and transportation fuel

Challenges of Forest Reserve Management in Ghana: Evidence from Tain Tributary Block I Forest Reserve

In spite of their immeasurable benefits to life sustenance, the sustainable management of forest and forest resources in Ghana is flooded with innumerable challenges such as the conflicting roles of the various stakeholders involved in forest management. This study sought to lay bare the peculiar challenges bedevilling the management of the Tain Tributary Block I forest reserve in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana from an institutional and communities’ perspective. Using the simple random sampling technique, Ninety-five (95) heads of households were selected from five (5) communities surrounding the Tain Tributary Block I forest reserve, whilst the purposive sampling was used in selecting the heads of institutions such as the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), the Sunyani West District Assembly, the Fire Service Department and the Forest Service Division (FSD) which have been tasked with the management of forest resources in Ghana.  The study revealed that, though the communities around the forest reserve play an indispensable role in forest management, only a minority of the populations of such communities are actively involved or have knowledge in relation to the sustainable management of forest resources. It was also observed that, intentionally sparked bushfires, illegal farming and conflict between the major institutions in forest resource management are major challenges confronting forest management in the Tain Tributary Block I forest reserve. It is recommended that clear cut modalities on the roles of forest management institutions be put in place to avoid conflict and also facilitate collaboration. Keywords: forest management, stakeholders, challenges, sustainability