Learning Transfer: The Missing Link to Learning Among School Leaders in Burkina Faso and Ghana

Every year, billions of dollars are spent on development aid and training around the world. However, only 10% of this training results in the transfer of knowledge, skills, or behaviors learned in the training to the work place. Ideally, learning transfer produces effective and continued application by learners of the knowledge and skills they gained through their learning activities. Currently, there is a limited body of research examining the factors that hinder and promote learning transfer in professional development, particularly the professional development of school leaders in developing countries. This qualitative exploratory study sought to address the gap in the literature by examining six schools: three in Burkina Faso and three in Ghana, West Africa. This investigation explored what promoted and hindered learning transfer in both countries. The sample consisted of 13 West-African school leaders (6 in Burkina Faso and 7 in Ghana) who attended a 3-day leadership training workshop. Data collection included in-depth interviews, document analysis, post-training site visits, and text messages to ascertain whether this mobile technology intervention enhanced learning transfer. The findings demonstrated that learning transfer occurred in both countries in all six schools. Data indicated that most of the transfer of learning happened in areas not requiring mindset and behavioral changes. Data suggested that the facilities in which the trainings took place, the facilitators’ dispositions and knowledge, the adequacy of the materials as well as the testimonials and certificate of completions enhanced the transfer of learning. Participants also indicated some inhibitors to the transfer of learning, such as financial, cultural, and human behavior constraints. This study helps increase our understanding of what promotes and inhibits learning transfer in educational settings in Burkina Faso and Ghana and provides suggestions for trainers and teachers who facilitate trainings

Voices of Ghanaian Head-Teachers Working in Low-Fee Private Schools

The year 2000 was pivotal for the developing nations of the world. During the Millennium Summit, 189 member nations of the United Nations and 23 international organizations came together to adopt the United Nations Millennium Declaration and to commit to help achieve eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Those goals were to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership for development. These ambitious goals had specific targets to be achieved by 2015 (United Nations, 2016). Although some progress between 2000 and 2015 was made, the second Millennium Development Goal—Achieving Universal Primary Education by 2015—was particularly challenging for most developing countries. Due to weak public-school systems, lack of infrastructure, a dearth of student data, and a paucity of trained teachers, many countries have not been able to provide universal primary education for all. In order to build upon the Millennium Development Goals, 193 countries came together and created the Sustainable Millennium Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030. With 17 goals and 169 targets, The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to eradicate poverty in all its forms by 2030.  The SDGs are universal goals involving all stakeholders in developed and developing nations equally. These goals promote and leverage interconnections for an integrated approach of development by focusing on the social, economic, and environmental well-being of the planet and its people. In education, Goal # 4 reads: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all. This article describes the findings of a study conducted in Ghana exploring Goal 4 target 4 c. Target 4 c aims to achieve the following: By 2030, increase by X% the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially Least Developed Countries (LDCs) (United Nations, 2016)

Lessons Learned from a Training-of-Trainers Model in Africa

The international community has pledged to provide a quality education for all by 2030. School leaders play a key role in improving student learning outcomes yet oftentimes educational leaders do not have opportunities to attend professional development events. The purpose of this study was to examine a Training of Trainers Model (TOT) used to build the capacity of school leaders in five countries in Africa. This qualitative research study used a longitudinal design. Findings revealed that there were both strengths and weaknesses to the TOT model. The authors discuss the significance of these findings for policymakers and practitioners worldwide

Women School Leaders: Entrepreneurs in Low-Fee Private Schools in Three West African Nations

This study explores the opportunities and challenges of women who own low-fee private schools in three West African nations. With the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000 and the Sustainable Development Goals in 2016, it has become obvious to policymakers that school leadership needs to be a policy priority around the world. Increased school autonomy and a greater focus on schooling and school results have made it essential to understand and support the role of school leaders. Few countries however have strong and systematic initiatives to professionalize school leadership and to nurture and support current school leaders. This becomes even more complex for governments given the rise of private schooling in low and middle-income countries worldwide; thus, it is crucial for governments to understand the importance of leadership at the school level and how to nurture and professionalize it. In this study, the authors examine the roles of women school leaders in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Liberia within the context of MDG 3: promote gender equality and empower women. Because of the many challenges in the public sector in education in low and middle-income countries, the private sector has responded by creating thousands of small businesses. Since a large and growing number of women are leading these private schools, this study presents the findings on the nature of the leadership of these women entrepreneurs. Fourteen school proprietors participated in face-to face interviews about their reasons for founding a school as well as the supports and challenges they face. Findings discuss the limited professional learning opportunities for school leaders in these nations. The study describes the school leaders’ desires to help build their nations, and the unique cultural and contextual factors in each country. Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it. -Akan Prover

Separate and combined effects of cyclic fasting and l-carnitine supplementation in red porgy (Pagrus pagrus, L. 1758)

We examined the e¡ects of cyclic fasting in red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) fed di¡erent dietary carnitine levels. Ju venile ¢sh (23.58 3.49 g) were divided into eight groups ^ four groups were fed every day to apparent sa tiation, while the other four were fasted for 7 days every 2 weeks. In each feeding regime, two replicates were fed an L-carnitine non-supplemented diet (46 mg kg 1 ) and the other two groups were fed an L-carnitine sup plemented diet (630 mg kg 1 ). Fish fed 630 mg L-carni tine accumulated two times more L-carnitine in muscle than ¢sh fed 46 mg L-carnitine. Cyclic fasting reduced the growth performance and lipid content in the liver. Carnitine supplementation did not a¡ect performance and body composition, but decreased the n-6 PUFA content. Moreover, the combined e¡ects of fasting and carnitine supplementation were observed on reducing the n-3 fatty acid content. Areas of steatosis were found in the livers of red porgy, but the results revealed that supplementation of L-carnitine in cyclic fasted ¢sh con tributed towards a lower degree of vacuolization than in ¢sh fed to apparent satiation. Regardless of the feed ing regime applied, the spleen of ¢sh fed the L-carni tine-supplemented diet was haemorrhagic and hyper activation of melanomacrophage cells was observed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Vortex and gap generation in gauge models of graphene

Effective quantum field theoretical continuum models for graphene are investigated. The models include a complex scalar field and a vector gauge field. Different gauge theories are considered and their gap patterns for the scalar, vector, and fermion excitations are investigated. Different gauge groups lead to different relations between the gaps, which can be used to experimentally distinguish the gauge theories. In this class of models the fermionic gap is a dynamic quantity. The finite-energy vortex solutions of the gauge models have the flux of the "magnetic field" quantized, making the Bohm-Aharonov effect active even when external electromagnetic fields are absent. The flux comes proportional to the scalar field angular momentum quantum number. The zero modes of the Dirac equation show that the gauge models considered here are compatible with fractionalization

Multifunctional bacterial cellulose-chitosan tape: an innovative substitute for PVC

Synthetic polymers, generically named plastics, are manufactured from non-renewable sources, such as fossil fuels [1]. In 2020, 367 million metric tons of plastic were produced worldwide, and, only in 2018, global plastic waste volume reached 342.6 million metric tons [2,3]. One of the most used plastics is polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is not environmentally friendly. The goal of this study was to achieve an eco-friendly substitute for PVC tapes while mimicking their properties and applications. In this way, bacterial cellulose (BC) and chitosan (CH) tapes in different concentrations, 1% and 2%, were developed. Mechanical properties, thickness, bonds between BC and CH and degradation tests were assessed in water and under different temperatures. Mechanical testing showed that the combination of the two polymers resulted in better mechanical performances when compared to BC tape (8.52 ± 1.11 MPa); this may be related to the stronger chemical bonds created between the BC and CH. In addition, BC–CH at 1% revealed closer values of strength compared to PVC tapes (703.19 ± 16.18 MPa and 516.92 ± 22.0 MPa, respectively). Moreover, with the present study we were able to conclude that the incorporation of CH increases tape porosity. Interestingly, higher porosities (BC and CH at 2%) resulted in better mechanical properties upon tensile testing (1344 ± 52.87 MPa). Upon contact with water, the BC–CH mixture at 1% proved to be more resistant and not mechanically affected over time, like PCV tape. Thermally, both tapes with CH revealed to be more resistant than the PVC tape. However, the BC–CH tape at 1% was the most stable over time at all temperatures tested. This preliminary study opens new possibilities to the use of these tapes in sport areas, packaging and pharmaceutical or biomedical fields.This research was funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) and Centro2020 through the following Projects: UIDB/04044/2020; UIDP/04044/2020; Associate Laboratory ARISE LA/P/0112/2020; PAMI-ROTEIRO/0328/2013 (Nº 022158).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fish larvae quality descriptors: an appraisal of methods for red porgy Pagrus pagrus and grouper Epinephelus marginatus produced under different rearing conditions

Quality control in fish hatcheries is of paramount importance to achieve the desired characteristics of larvae and fry, either for the market or release to the wild. Quality programmes are applied in a day to day basis having direct implications for production management and final costs of product. Most common criteria used for larval quality assessment are morphometrics, condition factor, histometrical indices, lipid analysis, nucleic acid ratios, enzyme activity and stress tests