Challenges facing african sexual minorities in Helsinki

The purpose of this study was to chroniclise the life situations and challenges faced by African sexual minorities living within Helsinki with a bias of lesbians, gays and bisexuals (LGB). This study utilized qualitative research approach with semistructured focus group interviews as the method of data collection incorporating discussion with 7 participants and transcription of the tape recorded data to identify key themes. It involved two group discussions to cater for both orientation and consistency. The data was analyzed through concept analysis to search answers to the question: what challenges do black LGB individuals face while living in Helsinki? The study found common emergent themes of racism, abuse and violence were evident leading to discrimination. The subjects faced difficulties in interacting with authorities hence their reluctance to come out to express their plight. Due to such underlying issues the study found that psychological stress was experienced by this group owing to their marginalization. The study was limited to a small group in Helsinki due to unavailability of a large sample and was carried out with the incorporation of the largest rights watch body in Finland (SETA) relating LGB individuals, through their litigation and advocacy activities, legal support, training and rehabilitation, this findings will play an important role in designation of improved policy that governs such sexual minorities

Wage Cutting in Kenya Will Expand Poverty, Not Decent Jobs

Wage Cutting in Kenya Will Expand Poverty, Not Decent Jobs

FIDELITY TO CLINICAL MODEL CYCLES; A STUDY OF INSTRUCTIONAL SUPERVISION PHASES AND ACTIVITIES AS EXERCISED BY FIELD OFFICER IN EDUCATION

Classroom instruction is subject to rational analysis by both the supervisor and teacher, during which, and to maximize positive outcomes, adherence to a model of instruction supervision is crucial. Of the many such models, clinical supervision has gained prominence in literature and use. However, the instructional supervisions practitioner may deemphasize the model’s cycle of phases and activities. This study used a non-experimental descriptive quantitative research design to find the extent to which field officers in education adhere to the cycles of phases and activities in their instruction supervision practices when guided by the clinical supervision model. Data was collected through questionnaires and interview schedule administered on secondary school teachers and education officers selected from Kiambu county, Kenya using simple random sampling. Qualitative data was organized into thymes and together with the quantitative data tallied, presented in tables and then analyzed in percentages and averages. The study found that field officers in education were low in fidelity when using the clinical model in their instructional supervision exercises. The study recommends in-servicing of serving teachers and field officers, intensifying training on instructional supervision and applicable of models among teacher trainees.  Article visualizations

Analysis of designed and emergent consequences of mobile banking usage by SME’s in Kenya using ethnographic decision tree modeling

Includes bibliographical references.Evaluating the impact of Information and Communications Technologies for Development (ICT4D) has been a challenge both in terms of theoretical and methodological approaches. It has been pointed out in extant literature that ICT4D impact studies are few compared to those that investigate determinants of adoption. Knowledge of this scarcity and the theoretical and methodological limitations led to the conception of this study. This study set out to investigate the decision criteria evaluated by Kenyan micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) when making the initial mobile banking adoption and usage decisions with a view to unearth the designed and emergent consequences. Ethnographic decision tree modelling (EDTM) which is a cognitive research methodology was feasibly employed to obtain the adoption and usage decision criteria from which quantifiable and non-quantifiable consequences were then inferred. Structuration theory was used as a theoretical lens to view the complex context in which mobile banking is embedded and adopted by MSMEs. The analysis of the empirical data obtained from the MSMEs led to the construction and testing of three decision models from which the study’s theory was developed. The derived theory demonstrates the existence of structurational interactions among decision criteria, antecedents of technology adoption, behavioural intention to adopt, and the designed and emergent consequences of actual usage. The study further reveals that contrary to popular belief and argument that adoption of mobile banking technology lowers financial services cost, Kenyan MSMEs adopt the technology not because of its affordability but because of other factors such as perceived usefulness, accessibility, safe custody of daily income, limited organizational capabilities, perceived ease of use, social capital and trust structures. The derived explanatory-predictive theory provides findings that may have significant implications for fiscal and monetary policymakers, development experts and mobile banking technology designers

Incorporating Constructability in the Design of Masonry Structures

The International Building Code (IBC) has now been adopted as the model design code for most states and territories of the United States of America. For Masonry design, the IBC references the Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures (MSJC) for material properties, design procedures, specifications and quality control. Individual state codes then amend the two documents (IBC and MSJC) appropriately. In high seismic regions of the United States, hollow block of concrete masonry units (CMU) are the material of choice in masonry construction. The CMU’s are built using sand, pea gravel, cement and water. CMU is typically delivered to the job site as a individual units usually sixteen inches long, eight inches high and of thickness varying between six inches to twelve inches nominal dimensions as required. Building of a masonry system requires the use of mortar applied at the bed and head of the CMU blocks and grout to fill in the hollow voids in the CMU where steel reinforcement is used. The mortar and the grout are made by proportioning amounts of cement, sand, pea gravel and water as specified by design codes. This paper presents teaching methods used to teach undergraduate architectural (with emphasis in structural) engineering masonry design courses. The format used exposes the students to instructors that are current consulting engineers and with vast practical knowledge with masonry. The design using masonry at element level is taught in a lecture format. In this format, factors influencing design of the built masonry unit are investigated by building wall units. This hands on “learn by doing” exposes the students to constructability and quality control requirements. Prism tests are also conducted to familiarize the students to the possibility of debonding of the masonry from the mortar. Design using the materials at a system (building) level is then taught in a laboratory format. In this later format, the students prepare complete construction documents (structural calculations, structural plans and structural specifications) for real masonry structures using architectural plans. Understanding of the construction process of masonry structures is highly emphasized in the process of preparing the construction documents. As a result of this two tier coverage of design of masonry structures, graduates from this program have earned a reputation in California of “being ready on day one” after graduation on designing these types of projects

The Effectiveness of SMASSE Teacher Training Programme on KCSE Performance in Mathematics and Chemistry Subjects in Kikuyu District, Kenya

The changeover of the Kenyan system of education from the 7-4-2-3 to the current 8-4-4 in 1984 made science subjects (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) compulsory to all students up to form two at the secondary school level. This meant increased numbers of students in one class at a time attending the science subjects, which may compromise quality. The quality of secondary teachers and teaching is, however, influenced by many small factors rather than a few large ones. This paper is an investigation into the effectiveness of Strengthening Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education (SMASSE) training of mathematics and chemistry teachers on the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) performance in Kikuyu District. The study used sixteen schools selected by stratified random sampling method. This study gathered both qualitative and quantitative data. Data analysis was done using Statistic Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, Registered R and Excel. Findings are presented using percentages, trend lines, frequency distribution and means.  The study findings indicate that SMASSE In- service and Education Training (INSET) has no impact on the performance of mathematics and chemistry, the Activity, Student-centered, Experiment, Improvisation (ASEI) and Plan, Do See Improve (PDSI) approaches are in use and have improved the teachers’ confidence and ability to deliver, and the skills learnt are effective. Thus this study concludes that though SMASSE INSET does not show impact on the performance of mathematics and chemistry, it has influenced the teachers’ ability to deliver in their teaching amidst various challenges. The research recommends that future SMASSE programmes should have a bottom up approach to enable full ownership and participation by key stakeholders. Keywords: Teacher training, SMASSE, INSET, Student performance, Effectivenes

The Influence of Fraud Risk Management on Fraud Occurrence in Kenyan listed Companies

This study sought to establish the influence of fraud risk management practices in regard to preventive, detective and corrective controls on the level of fraud occurrence on listed firms in Kenya. This is because limited research had been conducted in the context of listed firms in Kenya and limited attention paid on how corrective controls influences fraud occurrence. A causal research design was applied. Data was obtained from a sample of 275 senior managers by using structured questionnaires. The findings revealed that only preventive and corrective controls had a profound negative effect on the degree of fraud occurrence on listed companies in Kenya. Conversely, detective controls did not considerably reduce fraud occurrence on listed companies in Kenya. The key implication of the findings noted by this study is that the proper implication of the most effectual anti-fraud measures can only be realized when the management are committed to do so. Additionally, corrective controls must be seriously looked into as an effective strategy of curbing fraud since they indeed are instrumental in curbing fraud. Future studies should be extended to the public sector in regard to the government ministries and the distinctive partitions of the private sector such as the insurance, real estate, manufacturing, automobile sectors among others respectively. Moreover, future studies can explore how firm size in terms of asset size or employee size moderates the relationship between fraud risk management practices and the level of fraud occurrence

Preparing Students for the Environment of the Practice of Consulting Engineer

In the United States of America, the body of knowledge required for an individual to be allowed to take the engineering licensing examination, which on passing allows the individual to be in responsible charge of engineering projects, is usually defined by laws and regulations of each state. In California, the shortest path taken by most individuals is one where the individual graduates from an ABET accredited undergraduate program; passes the Engineer in Training (EIT) examination and works under the supervision of a licensed engineer for two years (one year if the individual has a Masters degree in relevant field). In order to better prepare the student to enter the practice of engineering, and thus give the student an immediate level of comfort with the real world environment, practical design needs to be directly incorporated into the teaching of design. This paper presents teaching methods used to teach undergraduate architectural engineering design courses, where the discipline of concentration is structural engineering. The format used exposes the students to instructors that are current consulting engineers and to courses that are modeled in line with the structural engineering profession. The theory, of construction materials (concrete, steel, masonry and timber) is covered for each material at element level in a lecture format. Design using the materials at a system level (building) is then taught in a laboratory format. In this later format, the students prepare complete construction documents (structural calculations, structural plans and structural specifications) for real projects using architectural plans. This “learn by doing” format has proven-over time-to prepare the students to the same environment that the students face after graduation. It is generally an accepted fact in the structural profession in California that, graduates from Architectural Engineering program (ARCE) at California Polytechnic State University (CAL POLY) “hit the ground running from day one”. This is attributed to the familiarity, of the design office environment, obtained during their undergraduate education. The familiarity is acquired through the design laboratories taught by design professionals

Macroscopic, Radiographic and Histopathologic Changes of Claws with Laminitis and Laminitis-Related Disorders in Zero-Grazed Dairy Cows

Laminitis and laminitis-related claw disorders are prevalent in zero-grazed dairy cows. Confinement and limited movement influences claw size and shape. Abnormal claw size and shape causes imbalanced body weight distribution on the claws. Claw horn growth and wear is impaired, further aggravating laminitis disorders. The objective of this study was to determine: macroscopic disorders on the claws, as well as radiographic features and histopathologic changes on the claws with laminitis/laminitis-related disorders. A total of 159 dairy cow forelimb and hind limb feet (318 claws) were collected from an abattoir and a slaughter slab around Nairobi, Kenya. The claws were examined for macroscopic abnormalities, dorso-palmar or dorso-plantar radiography done, sagittal claw sections done, corium gross changes observed and corium tissues harvested for histopathology. Macroscopic disorders observed were: sole bruising, claw deformities, heel erosion, subclinical laminitis sole haemorrhages, double soles, chronic laminitis and white line separation. Radiographic changes observed mainly on distal phalanges were dilated vascular channels, irregular margins, exostoses/periostitis, distal phalangeal narrowing and lysis. Histopathologic changes in the corium included arterio-venous shunts, vascular wall rupture and thickening, vascular proliferation and thrombosis, corium and connective tissue oedema, degeneration, haemorrhages and spongiosis. Hence macroscopic, radiographic and histopathologic changes in laminitis claws affect locomotion

Effects of Animations on Students’ Achievement in Kiswahili Reading Comprehension in Public Secondary Schools in Njoro Sub -County, Kenya

The study aimed at investigating the effects of using animations in teaching Kiswahili reading comprehension on students achievement among secondary school students’ in Njoro Sub- County Kenya. Solomon Four Non-Equivalent control group design was used in the study. Target Population comprised all 14,292 students in the public co-educational secondary schools in Njoro Sub County. The accessible population included the 4,745 Form Two students from public co-educational secondary schools in the Sub-county. Purposive sampling technique was used to select one form two class from each of the four co-educational secondary schools which provided the sample size for the study 160 students. The four schools were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. For the experimental group, animations were used during the lessons while conventional methods were used for the control groups. Data was collected using Kiswahili Reading comprehension achievement test, whose reliability coefficient of 0.76 was attained using Kuder -Richardson 20 (KR-20). The null hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data was analysed using t-test, ANOVA and ANCOVA. Before the treatment, a pre-test was administered then after four weeks a post-test. The findings proved that after the treatment, the students in the experimental groups attained higher scores compared to the ones in the control groups. This signifies that the use of animations in teaching had an effect on students’ achievement in Kiswahili reading comprehension. Therefore, teachers are encouraged to incorporate the use of animations in teaching Kiswahili reading comprehension in attempt to improve achievement in Kiswahili subject. Key words: Animation, Achievement, Kiswahili DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-23-03 Publication date:August 31st 202