Classroom Factors that Affects the Performance of Integrated Science Students at the Junior High School in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana

The purpose of the study was to find out the opinions of public and private Junior High School science teachers on the classroom factors that affect performance of students in integrated science in public and private junior high schools in the Kumasi metropolis. The study used descriptive survey designed. The sampling procedure employed for the study was both random and purposive sampling. While the integrated science teachers were purposively sampled due to their subject they teach, the students were randomly selected. Questionnaire and interview were used for data collection. It was found out that integrated science teachers to be aware that classroom factors such as teacher-student relationship, availability of science resource materials, teaching methods employed by teachers, class size, supervision and physical infrastructure are likely to affect performance of students in integrated science at the J.H.S. level. Again, the findings revealed that the selected public schools within the Kumasi metropolis were well resourced with the following: adequate physical infrastructure, adequate science resource materials, adequate science text books and adequate trained science teachers as against their private school counterparts with inadequate physical infrastructure, inadequate science resource materials, inadequate science text books and few trained science teachers. It was recommended that effective supervision must be performed regularly by heads of schools during integrated science lessons. The heads of the public JHS especially, those in the Kumasi metropolis must be made to regularly ensure that their science teachers teach very well during integrated science lessons. Keywords: Laboratory, Performance, Classroom factor

The Effect of Culture on the Teaching and Learning of Science at the Basic Schools in Ghana

The purpose of the study was to investigate how culture influences the teaching and learning of science at the basic schools in the Agona West Municipality of the Central Region, East Akim Municipality of the Eastern Region and the Kwabre District of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The research design used for this study was descriptive survey. The sampling procedure employed for the study was the purposive sampling. A total of three hundred and thirty (330) subjects were selected, made up of three hundred (300) students and thirty (30) science teachers. The instruments used for collecting data for the study consisted of questionnaire, interview and observation schedules. It was found out that students had cultural knowledge they use in explaining phenomena. Teachers were aware of student’s cultural knowledge especially in explaining concepts. It was recommended that teachers should teach their students bearing in mind their cultural knowledge and incorporate that in their teaching. Keywords: Culture, Cultural knowledge, Scientific concept, Taboos

Assessing College of Education Tutors Readiness to Integrate Hand Held Devices in Teaching and Learning of Science, Mathematics and Ict

The purpose of the study is to understand tutors knowledge, skills and current practices that are considered secured, emerging and aspirational in integrating hand held devices (HHDs) in teaching of science, mathematics and ICT in colleges of education. The convenient sampling technique was used, since the focus was on Science, Mathematics and ICT tutors in the College. Ten (10) Tutors who were available and willing to participate were conveniently sampled for the study. Questionnaires were the major tools used for data collection. It is concluded from the findings of the study that the knowledge and skills of the college of education tutors as far as the use of hand held devices to support learning are concerned is very high (secured). However, majority of the tutors needed knowledge and skills to effectively integrate HHDs in their practices as well as understand how to use YouTube videos as a resource for learning topics that are challenging to them. More so, tutors want to incorporate technological tools to plan sessions carefully to ensure productive use of time and meaningful learning in lesson delivery and to break down difficult concepts to make the subject accessible to pre-service teachers via HHDs. Keywords: Handheld devices, ICT integration. Knowledge, skill, practice

Evaluation of Gaining Cooperation Methods for IVR Surveys in Low- and Middle-income Countries

Interactive voice response (IVR) is gaining popularity as a data collection method for survey research. In low- and middle-income countries, IVR is used as a primary data collection mode. The system places an out-bound dial; when the individual answers, he/she hears a recorded greeting and invitation to begin the survey. This approach has the benefit of reducing labor costs, but without an interviewer, there is no one to help gain cooperation, answer questions, or identify the appropriate language in which to continue, resulting in low production outcome rates (e.g., cooperation rate, response rate). In this paper, we use experiments embedded in four studies in three countries (Ghana, Malawi, and Nigeria) to test how three design choices affect production and representativeness in IVR surveys in low- and middle-income countries. Specifically, (1) should we send an SMS (i.e., text message) prior to the first IVR contact? (2) Where should we place the language selector within the introduction? (3) Should we notify the individual that they are listening to a recording during the introduction? While some of these design choices resulted in different production outcome rates at different points in the survey, there was no clear effect on overall yields nor on the representativeness of the sample

THE NUTRITIONAL CONTENT OF FOODS SERVED IN THE SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM IN BASIC SCHOOLS IN GHANA

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the nutritional content of food served in the school feeding programme in basic schools in Ghana. The research design adopted for this study was a descriptive survey design. A simple random sampling procedure was used to draw a sample of 4 schools out of 19 schools in Birim Central municipality. In all, there were 23 teachers, four head teachers and 15 cooks selected for the study. Questionnaire and chemical analysis processes were used to collect data for the study. The result of the study indicated that the nutritional content of food served to children under the SFP failed to meet at least 50% of the RDI based on 2400 kilocalories. Results showed that the nutritional content of meals served to pupils under the SFP did not meet 50% RDI for school lunches. However, caterers had a high level of nutritional knowledge and the majority of them had a positive attitude towards nutrition education. It was recommended that food commodities that have a high concentration of various nutrients (protein, carbohydrate, fat and oil, vitamins and minerals) should be used instead of using those that have low concentrations.  Article visualizations

Factors That Hinder Teachers’ Use of Constructivism in Teaching and Learning of Science at Junior High School in Ghana

The purpose of the study is to find out the factors hinder the teachers’ use of constructivism in teaching and learning of science in their classroom and extent to which the methodology topics in science for Colleges of Education in Ghana equip basic teachers with the constructivist’s pedagogy so that a strong background for the promotion of constructivist-based teacher training courses could be considered. A descriptive survey design was employed for this study. The sample size for the study was 200 JHS science teachers from Kumasi Metropolis in the Ashanti Region. The main instrument used for the collection of data in this study was the close-ended questionnaire. The study revealed that factors that hinder the teachers’ use of constructivism in teaching and learning of science in their classroom include large class size, inadequate supply of teaching and learning materials, the nature and structure of national examinations and truancy.  The concept of constructivism is less popular if not missing in the curriculum of the Colleges of Education in Ghana. Again, the methodology course as indicated in the results does not adequately discuss the constructivists` epistemology well enough to make prospective teachers well informed about the concept. It was recommended that pre-service teacher education programs should focus more on helping prospective teachers to have an in-depth knowledge about the constructivist pedagogy so that a strong background for the promotion of the constructivist-based teaching courses could be considered. Keywords: Constructivism, methodology, prospective teacher

The Views of Students on the Integration of Indigenous Industrial Activities in the Teaching and Learning of Integrated Science

The main aim for this study is to investigate the views of students exposed to teaching science by integration of indigenous industrial activities in the teaching and learning of selected concepts of matter in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The study concentrated on the second year Junior High School students of Kaneshie Kingsway ‘2’ JHS of Kaneshie Kingsway Cluster of Schools in the Okaikoi South Metro of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.The study employedposttest-only non-equivalent control group design of the quasi-experimental research design. The researcher employed the purposive sampling technique for this study, making up of   43 males and 47 females. The instruments used for collecting data for this research were test, questionnaire and semi-structured interview schedules. The findings from this research indicated that students have positive view about the usage of teaching science by integration of indigenous industrial activities in the teaching and learning of selected concepts of matter. Keywords: Indigenous Industrial Activities, Traditional Approach, Indigenous Knowledge, Enculturation. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-10-06 Publication date: April 30th 202

Gender Difference in the Achievement of JHS Students Taught Selected Concepts on Matter Using Integration of Indigenous Industrial Activities

This study aims at finding out the gender difference in the achievement of JHS students taught selected concepts on matter using integration of indigenous industrial activities in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The study employed posttest-only non-equivalent control group design of the quasi-experimental research design. The researcher employed the purposive sampling technique for this study, making up of   43 males and 47 females. The instruments used for collecting data for this research were test, questionnaire and semi-structured interview schedules. The findings from the study shows that there was no statistically significant difference in achievement between male and female students of the experimental group in post-test. This means that both males and females in the experimental group were at par on their conceptual understanding of the selected concepts on matter before and after the treatment. Therefore, in the context of this study, gender did not seem to have any influence on the achievement of the students. Keywords: Indigenous Industrial Activities, Traditional Approach, Indigenous Knowledge, Enculturation DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-36-17 Publication date: December 31st 201

The Attitudinal Changes Exhibited by Students Exposed to Teaching Science by Integration of Indigenous Industrial Activities in the Teaching and Learning of Selected Concepts of Matter

The main aim for this study is to find out the attitudinal changes exhibited by students exposed to teaching science by integration of indigenous industrial activities in the teaching and learning of selected concepts of matter in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The study concentrated on the second year Junior High School students of Kaneshie Kingsway ‘2’ JHS of Kaneshie Kingsway Cluster of Schools in the Okaikoi South Metro of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.The study employedposttest-only non-equivalent control group design of the quasi-experimental research design. The researcher employed the purposive sampling technique for this study, making up of   43 males and 47 females. The instruments used for collecting data for this research were test, questionnaire and semi-structured interview schedules.The study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis mean, standard deviation,Pearson’s correlation (r) and description or explanation of terms. The study revealed that students exhibited positiveattitudewhen exposed to teaching science by integration of indigenous industrial activities in the teaching and learning of selected concepts of matter. Keywords: Indigenous Industrial Activities, Traditional Approach, Indigenous Knowledge, Enculturation DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-6-10 Publication date: February 29th 2020

Effects of Pretreatment and Drying on the Volatile Compounds of Sliced Solar-Dried Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) Rhizome

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) rhizomes are mostly used as spice and medicine due to their high aroma intensity and medicinal bioactive compounds. However, the volatile compounds of ginger, partly responsible for its aroma and medicinal properties, can be affected by the pretreatment, drying method, and extraction processes employed. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of pretreatment and drying on the volatile compounds of yellow ginger variety at nine months of maturation. The effect of potassium metabisulfite (KMBS) and blanching pretreatment and drying on the volatile compounds of ginger using head space solid-phase microextraction with GCMS/MS identification (HS-SPME/GCMS/MS) was investigated. KMBS of concentrations 0.0 (control), 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, and 1.0% and blanching at 50°C and 100°C were used for pretreatment and dried in a tent-like concrete solar (CSD) dryer and open-sun drying (OSD). The different concentrations of KMBS-treated fresh ginger rhizomes did not result in any particular pattern for volatile compound composition identification. However, the top five compounds were mostly sesquiterpenes. The 0.15% KMBS-treated CSD emerged as the best pretreatment for retaining α-zingiberene, β-cubebene, α-farnesene, and geranial. The presence of β-cedrene, β-carene, and dihydro-α-curcumene makes this study unique. The 0.15% KMBS pretreatment and CSD drying can be adopted as an affordable alternative to preserve ginger