Modelling the impact of the ‘Fast Track’ land reform policy on Zimbabwe’s maize sector

This paper attempts to analyze the impacts of the ‘fast track’ land reform policy on maize production in Zimbabwe through the construction of a partial equilibrium model that depicts what could have happened if no further policy shifts had taken place after 2000. The resimulated baseline model was used to make projections based on the various trends of exogenous variables in 2000. This means that the model generated an artificial data set based on what the maize market would have looked like under a set of the pre-2000 existent policy conditions. The ‘fast track’ land reform policy was thus assessed based on the performance of the baseline model using a range of “what if” assumptions. Commercial area harvested was 39 % less than what could have been harvested in 2001, and declining by negative 80.57 % in 2007. Results showed total maize production was 61.85 % and 43.88 % less than what could have been produced in the 2002 and 2005 droughts, respectively. This may imply that droughts would have been less severe if the ‘fast track’ land reform was not implemented. Therefore, the ‘fast track’ land reform had a negative effect on maize production. Thus, the econometric model system developed provided a basis through which the effects of the FTLRP on the maize market may be analyzed and understood.‘fast track’ land reform programme, partial equilibrium model, maize, Zimbabwe, Crop Production/Industries, Land Economics/Use,

The Development and Administration of a Modified Community College-Type Program for Caribbean Union College

Problem. Throughout the Caribbean Union College (CUC) constituency thousands of youth are unemployed and unemployable. They do not possess marketable skills. At present no church-operated educational institutions exist in the constituency to provide relevant education for 50%-60% of its young people. Methods. The survey method of research was used to compare the self-perceived educational needs of non-college-bound youth with the perceptions of board members/administrators, faculty/staff, alumni, students, parents/guardians, and other-adult SDAs of those needs in the CUC constituency. The population and sample were 93,140 and 1,903 respectively. A 56-item questionnaire was used. Chi-square was applied. The confidence level was set at.05. Community colleges catalogs were perused. Site-visits were made to community colleges in the U.S.A. and the Caribbean Union. Results. Findings from the survey revealed that there was the widespread perception that a comprehensive curricula at CUC which included diploma programs of a technical/vocational nature would help to meet the educational needs of the non-college-bound youth. A flexible admissions policy was advocated. Findings from community colleges catalogs and site-visits corroborated. They revealed that the community college can best be summed up as a program for all --designed to serve diverse populations of youth and adults. The occupational function, however, receives most attention from administrators. The focus is theassociate degree. Given its unique function, the community college has its own complex administrative structure. Conclusions. A community college-type program will facilitate CUC\u27s extending educational opportunity to the non-college-bound youth of its constituency. The focus of development must shift from the liberal arts to one which includes the technical/vocational. A flexible admissions policy must be introduced. Thus, the hitherto unemployed and unemployable youth would be fitted with marketable skills. Such transformed youth could provide for their own and their families\u27 well-being, and also assist in the advancement of their churches, societies, and nations

Zero-bias molecular electronics: Exchange-correlation corrections to Landauer's formula

Standard first principles calculations of transport through single molecules miss exchange-correlation corrections to the Landauer formula. From Kubo response theory, both the Landauer formula and these corrections in the limit of zero bias are derived and calculations are presented.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, final version to appear in Phys. Rev. B, Rapid Communication

Nonlinear dynamics of cyclone waves, The

June 1970.Includes bibliographical references.Sponsored by the National Science Foundation GA-11637

Computational stability and time truncation of coupled nonlinear equations with exact solutions

August 1968.Includes bibliographical references.Sponsored by the National Science Foundation GA-761

EFFECTIVENESS OF DESCRIPTIVE PRAISE ON THE ENGLISH COMPOSITION SKILL OF BRIDGING STUDENTS

This study determined the effectiveness of teacher’s descriptive praise on the English composition skill of bridging students in a privately run secondary education institution in Lapu-lapu City, Cebu, Philippines. It was carried out though a quasi-experimental research design with crossover. This research made use of two groups; one receiving detailed feedback through descriptive praise on a previously written essay, and another not receiving any. The first phase made use of one intact section acting as the control group and another intact section as the experimental group. The second phase was completed by crossing over the two groups. The intact section assigned to the control group during the first phase was assigned to the experimental group in the second phase, and the reverse for the other intact section group. The researchers employed descriptive and inferential statistics analyses of data collected from the students’ outputs. Analyses were focused on the pre-test and post-test English composition skill level of bridging students, the significant difference in the English composition skill levels in the pre-test and post-test and the significant improvement in the English composition skill levels of the students from pre-test to the post-test. This study was anchored on Feedback Intervention Theory advocated by Kluger and DeNisi and from the Law of Recency by Thorndike. Findings revealed that a bridging student may improve his English composition skill even without the use of descriptive praise as this type of feedback intervention improved the bridging student’s English compositions skill only as far as the basic level. It is concluded that the use of descriptive praise alone in effecting improvement on the students’ English composition skill is not adequate. The authors hereby suggest the application of other forms of feedback interventions such as mediated learning opportunities, careful scaffolding, corrective information or even computer-provided feedback mechanism

LESSON PLANNING COMPETENCY OF ENGLISH MAJOR UNIVERSITY SOPHOMORE STUDENTS

This study examined the lesson planning competency of English major sophomore university students enrolled in a government higher education institution in Cebu City, Philippines. We employed a descriptive survey research design utilizing primary and secondary data gathered from the study respondents and from online peer reviewed research journals. Data analysis included assessing the strength, weakness and extent of lesson planning competencies as well as lesson planning outcomes. The study is anchored on the experiential learning theory (ELT) which contends that experience plays a central role during the holistic adaptive process of learning. ELT merges experience, perception, cognition and behaviour. As a process, ELT considers learning as knowledge creation through the transformation of experience. Findings revealed that common lesson planning pitfalls include limited teacher experience and access to instructional materials, poor students’ interests; less spontaneity in the classroom, limited freedom, teacher’s struggle upon starting a lesson, and assessment not matching the learning objectives which often confuses the pre-service teachers. University sophomore students manifested strength towards lesson planning competency with very high capability to construct an effective lesson plan. The study also found out that lesson planning competencies are highly useful for pre-service teachers in developing their potentials. In conclusion, exposure towards improving instructional planning helps sophomore students recognise opportunities towards developing strategies which enable to overcome challenging situations in the teaching practice. Moreover, becoming aware of the challenges toward lesson planning allows sophomore students to be prepared of their tasks in the actual setting. Well-executed lesson plan brings about competent teachers who become effective and efficient educators. We recommend that lesson planning activity should partake through a series of analysis commencing from instructional planning.  Article visualizations