FRIENDSHIP FORMATION BETWEEN VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND NON-VISUALLY IMPAIRED PUPILS IN SELECTED INCLUSIVE BASIC SCHOOLS IN GHANA

The purpose of the study was to describe the nature of friendships formations that exists between pupils with visual impairment and their non-visually impaired peers in 3 inclusive schools in Ghana. I adopted a phenomenology research design in recruiting 14 pupils with visual impairment in this study. One-on-one interviews were used to collect data for the study. Using thematic analysis, data from the one-on-one interviews were manually analyzed via themes that emerged from the data. Results from the study showed that there existed some levels of friendships between the non-visually impaired and non-non-visually impaired pupils in the schools and this friendship formations centred on assistance provided by the non-visually impaired. While some of the pupils noted that they mutually engaged in positive relationship with non-visually impaired, some thought otherwise and yet others described it as only perfunctory. I recommended that educational authorities in Ghana should put in place, a policy in schools that will solely focus on the formation of friendship between pupils who are visually impaired and the non-visually impaired. Teachers should help develop the capacity of both pupils with and without visual impairments to make and maintain stable and satisfying friendships through play and group activities.  Article visualizations

COLLEGES OF EDUCATION TUTORS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE ADAPTATION AND MODIFICATION APPROACHES FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES IN GHANA

The article sought to determine perceptions of Colleges of Education tutors on how the current Colleges of Education curriculum equips pre-service teachers to adapt and modify the general school curriculum to accommodate the needs of all children with special educational needs and disabilities for effective inclusive education in Ghana. A descriptive survey design was adopted using a sample of 235 tutors from 13 Colleges of Education in Ghana. The lottery method was used to select four regions out of the sixteen regions of the country and the purposive sampling technique was used to select all the colleges within the four regions, while convenience sampling technique was used to select the actual respondents for the study. Questionnaires with closed ended items were developed for the data collection. It was evident from the study that majority of the tutors believed that the curriculum prepares pre-service teachers to adapt the general school curriculum to accommodate the needs of all children with special educational needs and disabilities in an inclusive classroom. Recommendations were made based on the findings and conclusions were drawn.  Article visualizations

Assessing Employees’ Perception of Conflict Management in the Banking Industry-A Survey of Selected Banks in Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana

Conflict is an inevitable part of organizational life. Its outcomes could either energize and improve the performance and productivity of individuals and organizations or create frustrations and impediments to the pursuit of individual and corporate objectives. Opinions of employees of banks about conflict management would be diverse in view of their perceptual differences which might influence their judgement and attitudes towards the phenomenon. This study investigated employees’ perceptions of conflict management in relation to the causes, types, effects and strategies for managing conflict among staff of selected banks in Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana. Data was collected through content validated questionnaires from 60 employees who had worked in the selected banks for at least one year. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the data in order to address the research questions. The results of the study indicate that staff of the selected banks perceive that conflict is real and occurs at their workplaces. The findings have significant implications for individual employees and management of the banks with respect to training, motivation, task assignment, and provision of resources for effective performance. A major recommendation is that staff of the banks concerned be provided with training opportunities to enable them acquire useful communication and diversity skills to improve on their ability to ameliorate the negative effects of conflict. Keywords: Conflict, perception, employees, banks, strategie

AN APPRAISAL OF THE COMPUTING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA, GHANA

The study examined the knowledge and skills in using computers by students with disabilities at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW). The study employed the descriptive survey design which used a questionnaire to solicit information from forty-six (46) students who were randomly sampled. The study found out that majority of the students had some knowledge and skills in the use of computers. However, it was established from the results, that many of the students’ knowledge and skills about computers were inadequate for higher education level academic work. Finally, the study found out that the type of disability a person has, does not have any significant influence on their knowledge and skills for computer usage. It was recommended that students with disabilities should have access to specialized Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre where adaptive services would be organized and delivered to enhance their skills. This ICT centre should be manned by competent ICT personnel who understand the needs of students with disabilities, and whose main responsibilities should be to attend to the technological needs of students with disabilities.  Article visualizations

Significance of Ear Wax Impaction in School Children: A Case of Winneba West Circuit, Ghana

Cerumen or earwax is a mixture of secretions that is sebum together with secretions from modified apocrine glands and sloughed epithelial cells present in the external auditory canals of humans. Earwax impaction is one of the most common reasons patients seek medical care for ear-related problems such as blockage and conductive hearing impairment. However, in Ghana there is virtually no literature on earwax impaction among school children. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of school children with wax impaction in Government assisted basic schools in the Winneba West circuit of the Effutu Municipal. This cross-sectional study included 4407 children between the ages of 5 to 16 years from 11 government assisted basic schools in the Winneba West circuit, of the Effutu municipal, Ghana. The instruments used were otoscopy and interview of randomly selected children on the use of cotton-tipped ear swabs for cleaning their ears. Out of the 4407 children, earwax impaction was found in 988 (22.4%). There was a marginal difference in the prevalence of earwax impaction in females compared to males; that is, of the 988 with earwax impaction 522 (53%) were females and 466 (47%) were males. However, the use of cotton-tipped swab could not be directly associated with earwax impaction. Earwax impaction and its attendant challenges is a problem amongst Ghanaian basic school children. The high prevalence of earwax impaction among basic school children in Winneba (Ghana) can lead to conductive hearing impairment which can affect the academic performance of the children negatively. Regular hearing screening involving processes such as otoscopy at the entry point and at regular intervals is being recommended for early identification and remediation. Keywords: Ear wax (cerumen) impaction, Cotton-tipped swa

EDUCATING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: A POLICY OR REALITY? THE GHANAIAN EXPERIENCE

Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are in every community in Ghana. They are often marginalized in many spheres of life including education, families and access to public places, due to the misconceptions held about their capabilities. Even though policies and documents on the education of PWDs exist, certain considerations such as access, participation, and recognition which are fundamental, are often overlooked. This paper critically examines the nuances of the above factors by identifying some problems PWDs encounter in their quest for education. Data for this study were solicited from policy documents and fieldwork. Content analysis of policies and documents on the education of PWDs in Ghana and their experiences in Educational Institutions were discussed. Interviews and focused group discussions on the experiences of PWDs were the instruments for the study. Participants were sampled based on a simple random technique. Thirteen (13) respondents including 10 students and 3 teachers participated in the study. The study revealed that despite the various policies on the education of PWDs, they are not reflective of the situation in the schools and institutions. Some PWDs are being discriminated against and not given much recognition in their schools. Also, the environment in their institutions is not disability friendly. The paper suggests a standardized implementation plan and much advocacy on the policies for the education of PWDs. Finally, more teachers should be given the training to acquire the requisite skills needed for supporting PWDs’ education.  Article visualizations

PEER ACCEPTANCE, AND PERCEPTION OF ACCEPTANCE OF STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS IN AN INCLUSIVE SETTING IN GHANA / ACCEPTATION PAR LES PAIRS, ET PERCEPTION DE L'ACCEPTATION DES ÉLÈVES DÉFICIENTS VISUELS DANS UN ENVIRONNEMENT INCLUSIF AU GHANA

This study explored the level of peer acceptance of students with visual impairments and their perception of acceptance by their sighted peers in an inclusive setting in Ghana using the case study design. Twenty students with visual impairments and two resource teachers were sampled based on census sampling for the study. Interview data were coded and analysed using the thematic approach. The study indicated that students with visual impairments were accepted by their sighted peers, more especially, based on their social skills and academic prowess. The study further revealed that students with visual impairments have a positive perception about their social participation in the school. Although the students were fairly satisfied about their participation, they expressed their frustration on how some teachers’ instructions excluded them in class. It was recommended among others in the study that teachers in inclusive schools should organise more counselling or sensitisation programmes for all students to educate them on issues of disabilities and how to ensure friendly relationships between students with and those without disabilities. This would promote better acceptance of the disabled by those without disabilities. Resource persons who are special educators are also encouraged to periodically sensitize teachers on classroom instructions. Cette étude a exploré le niveau d'acceptation par les pairs des étudiants ayant de déficiences visuelles et leur perception de l'acceptation par leurs pairs voyants dans un environnement inclusif au Ghana, en utilisant la conception d'étude de cas. Vingt étudiants ayant de déficiences visuelles et deux enseignants-ressources ont été sélectionnés sur la base d'un échantillonnage de recensement pour l'étude. Les données issues de l’entretien ont été codées et analysées à l'aide de l'approche thématique. L'étude indique que les étudiants malvoyants sont acceptés par leurs pairs voyants, plus particulièrement en raison de leurs compétences sociales et de leurs prouesses scolaires. L'étude a également révélé que les étudiants ayant de déficiences visuelles ont une perception positive par rapport à leur participation sociale à l'école. Bien que les étudiants soient assez satisfaits de leur participation, ils ont exprimé leur frustration sur la façon dont certains enseignants les excluent au cours de l’enseignement en classe. L'étude recommande, entre autres, que les enseignants des écoles inclusives organisent davantage de programmes de conseil ou de sensibilisation pour tous les élèves afin de les éduquer sur les questions de handicap et sur la manière d'assurer des relations amicales entre les élèves handicapés et non handicapés. Cela favoriserait l'acceptation des personnes handicapées par les personnes non handicapées. Les personnes ressources qui sont des éducateurs spécialisés sont également encouragées à sensibiliser périodiquement les enseignants sur l’enseignement en classe.  Article visualizations

Basic Computing Knowledge of Students with Visual Impairments

This study investigated the computing knowledge of students with visual impairments in a Ghanaian university. Using the case study research design, 103 students were randomly sampled from a population of 118 students with visual impairments. A test instrument was used to collect data for the study. Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyze the data. The results of the study indicated that the participants were knowledgeable in some aspects of basic computer operations, while they were not competent in the use of software. The study concluded that students with visual impairments can gain knowledge and competence in basic computer operations and the use of software and applications if the necessary steps are taken. It was recommended that students with visual impairments should be given access to computers and training by competent ICT professionals who understand the technological needs of students with visual impairments

Teachers' experiences of classroom behaviour problems and mitigation strategies among students with visual disabilities in Ghana

Behaviour problems among students with visual disabilities are mentioned as a challenge confronting teachers. This study explores teachers’ experiences of behaviour problems and strategies used to mitigate such problems among students with visual disabilities in Ghana. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 purposively selected teachers. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings are discussed using a psychological theory, namely the biological theories and psychodynamic theories. The study shows that students exhibit several classroom behaviour problems, categorised into physiological (emotional problems, noncompliance and aggression) and physical and social problems (verbal abuse, sleeping, talking, habitual lateness and teasing). Factors causing behaviour problems are negative attitudes of teachers, unfavourable teaching methods, the nature of the family, and classroom environment. The study concludes that behavioural (rewards and motivation, punishment, and classroom rules and regulations), humanistic (positive student-teacher relationship) and systemic (participatory teaching strategy and resource persons) approaches can be employed as mitigation strategies

Replication Data for: Feasibility, safety, and impact of the RTS,S/AS01E malaria vaccine when implemented through national immunisation programmes: evaluation of cluster-randomised introduction of the vaccine in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi

This is a replication dataset for the research publication titled: "Feasibility, safety, and impact of the RTS,S/AS01E malaria vaccine when implemented through national immunisation programmes: evaluation of cluster-randomised introduction of the vaccine in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi ." The RTS,S/AS01E malaria vaccine (RTS,S) was introduced by national immunisation programmes in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi in 2019 in large-scale pilot schemes. The study aimed to address questions about feasibility and impact, and to assess safety signals that had been observed in the phase 3 trial that included an excess of meningitis and cerebral malaria cases in RTS,S recipients, and the possibility of an excess of deaths among girls who received RTS,S than in controls, to inform decisions about wider use. This data comes from a study that tested a new malaria vaccine (RTS,S) in 3 African countries: Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi. The prospective evaluation involved 158 geographical clusters randomly assigned for early or delayed RTS,S vaccine doses, given between 5 months to around 2 years of age. Primary outcomes included mortality, hospital admissions for severe malaria, meningitis, cerebral malaria, gender-specific mortality, and vaccination coverage. Surveillance took place in multiple hospitals, with vaccine uptake assessed via surveys. Further study details on the methodology and results can be found in the related publication