Development and Validation of Scientific Literacy Achievement Test to Assess Senior Secondary School Students’ Literacy Acquisition in Physics

Physics literacy plays a crucial part in global technological development as several aspects of science and technology apply concepts and principles of physics in their operations. However, the acquisition of scientific literacy in physics in our society today is not encouraging enough to the desirable standard. Therefore, this study focuses on development and validation of scientific literacy achievement test to assess senior secondary school students’ literacy acquisition in physics. The study adopted descriptive survey research design in which a total of two hundred and six (206) students from 8 secondary schools in Ibadan North and Oorelope local government areas of Oyo state were assessed. The schools were selected using proportional random sampling techniques. The achievement test titled, Physics-Scientific Literacy Achievement Test (P-SLAT) that had been validated by experts and tested to have Cronbach’s alpha and Split-half reliability coefficient of 0.82 and 0.80 respectively. The result of the administered test was collated and coded for analysis, which was carried out with the aid of SPSS 17 package and Microsoft word excel while both descriptive, such as simple percentage and charts were adopted. The result of the research findings shows that. The overall acquisition of scientific literacy in physics among the students is average. The achievement test used has an average reliability coefficient of 0.70 based on Cronbach’s alpha, Kuder-Richardson (KR20) and Split-Half method. Based on the three psychometric properties (reliability, item difficulty and discrimination) considered in item analysis of the achievement test developed in the study, eighteen (18) items which is equivalent to 72% of the total items form the validated achievement test.These findings provide vivid evidence for recommendations for various examining bodies by subjecting multiple choice items to psychometric tests to ascertain and improve items’ quality in order to obtain a reliable and valid test result. It was also suggested for prospective researchers in the same or related field of study that this research should be carried out in all secondary schools in Oyo state in order to have a more generalised result on the level of secondary school students’ acquisition of scientific literacy in physics. Keywords: Scientific literacy, Item analysis, difficulty index, discrimination index, reliability coefficient

Evaluation of The Existing State of Geothermal Exploration and Development in Nigeria

Relatively little expenditure for hydroelectricity and fossil fuels have had a restraining influence on levels of exploration and development for geothermal energy resources in Nigeria for the past several years. The focus of development has been in the areas of low temperature geothermal energy involving the exploration and assessment of hot spring resources primarily for recreational applications – although possibly for other direct uses depending on local infrastructure and access to appropriate energy markets. The geological structure of Nigeria influences geothermal exploration extent within each geological province. Sedimentary basins in Nigeria have been explored for hydrocarbons for several decades, thus the oil companies collected large subsurface temperature data basis. But not much is known about geothermal conditions within Nigerian Precambrian crystalline province. On the basis of BHT data from oil wells it has been found that geothermal gradient in Niger Delta ranges from 1.5 to 4.9°C/100m and in Anambra Basin (directly to the north) it can reach 5.7°C/100m. Exploration for geothermal energy in northern Nigeria based on shallow water wells (down to 600 m deep) was carried out over 20 years ago. The other aspect of geothermal exploration in Nigeria is investigating of the thermal springs and seepages, which occur mainly within sediments of the Middle and Upper Benue Trough. The water of the warmest springs in that area: Akiri and Ruwan Zafi have the temperature about 56°C and it suggests the occurrence of some geothermal anomalies. So far, there are probably only three (direct) geothermal energy utilisation sites in Nigeria. The Ikogosi warm spring (37°C) located in south-western part of the country, in Ekiti state, the Wikki warm spring (39°C) located in Bauchi (North-eastern) part of Nigeria and the Rafin Rewa spring (42°C) located in Plateau (North-central) state of Nigeria. Hence this paper reviews the current status of the geothermal industry (both high and low temperature) in Nigeria

GEOPHYSICAL AND GEOTECHNICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A RECLAIMED LAND FOR CONSTRUCTION PURPOSES IN LAGOS NIGERIA(A CASE STUDY)

Near-surface seismic refraction and electrical resistivity methods were used to characterise the subsurface condition of a site reclaimed from water bodies in order to determine its competence for construction purposes. Nine seismic refraction profiles were acquired and the results were interpreted using SeisIma ger software. Also, twelve vertical electrical soundings were conducted and the acquired data were interpreted using WinResist computer package. Four-five geoelectric layers were delineated and the resistivity values obtained ranges between 23.3 and 1705.1 m . The result of the resistivity method showed that the third layer is the most competent layer in the study area. The depth of this layer is between 7.5 m and 51 m in the subsurface. In a related development, three layers were delineated by the seismic refraction method and the third layer which is between 7 m and 18 m, may be the most competent because it had the highest engineering parameters. The Young modulus of the competent layer at this site ranges between 1.558 and 25.106 GPa and bulk modulus ranges from 0.999 to 16.093 GPa , it was also noted that the shear modulus ranges between 0.638 and 10.123 GPa . There is an agreement in the results of the two methods of investigation. Therefore, it was recommended that some form of arrangement must be made to transfer the load from the civil engineering construction to the most competent layer underneath so as to avoid building failure

Extraction of lineaments and faults using gravity second horizontal derivative data obtained using Fourier transform

Linear anomalies are important in the interpretation of gravity data because they indicate some important structural features. Gravity anomalies obtained from horizontal derivatives generally reflect lineaments and faults or compositional changes which can describe structural trends of a region. This study involves the delineation of the Gongola basin structural trend based on the convolution between the Fourier kernel obtained from the second horizontal derivative (SHD) of the truncated horizontal plate model (THPM) and the gravity anomaly.Линейные аномалии важны для интерпретации гравитационных данных, поскольку они являются индикаторами некоторых важных структурных особенностей. Крутые градиенты горизонтальных производных гравитационного поля обычно отражают линеаменты и разломы или изменения состава, позволяет описывать структурные тенденции региона. Это исследование направлено на выяснение структурного тренда бассейна Гонгола и основывается на конволюции ядра Фурье второй горизонтальной производной (ДГП) усеченной модели горизонтального слоя и аномалии гравитационного поля.Лінійні аномалії важливі для інтерпретації гравітаційних даних, оскільки вони є індикаторами деяких важливих структурних особливостей. Круті градієнти горизонтальних похідних гравітаційного поля зазвичай відображають лінеаменти і розломи або зміни складу, що дає змогу описувати структурні тенденції регіону. Це дослідження спрямоване на з’ясування структурного тренду басейну Гонгола і ґрунтується на конволюції ядра Фур’є другої горизонтальної похідної (ДГП) усіченої моделі горизонтального шару і аномалії гравітаційного поля

Ground magnetic survey for the investigation of magnetic minerals at Iboro Village, Abeokuta, south-western Nigeria

The geological map of the old western region of Nigeria indicates the presence of iron ore deposit at Iboro village Ogun state (7.9983o - 7.99933o N, 3.5790o - 3.5890o E). Hence a ground magnetic survey was carried out at a location at Iboro village so as to delineate the subsurface magnetic anomalies and to know whether the anomalies favour accumulation of magnetic minerals. The survey was carried out using high resolution proton precession magnetometer model G-856X. Eight traverses were run at 5m separations and earth magnetic intensity values were measured at 10m intervals along each traverse; the acquired data were corrected for drift. The residual anomalies obtained by removal of regional gradient from observed data using trend analysis were presented as profiles and maps. The treated data were qualitatively and quantitatively interpreted and the results gave values for the total ground magnetic anomalies that varied between a minimum and maximum peak values of about -33.0 and 30.6nT respectively. Depth to the basement rock was estimated using Peter’s half slope method which gave a maximum depth of about 13m. The contour maps and the total relative graphs present the subsurface picture of the geological structure that is assumed to harbour the metallic minerals through the action of the field towards the concentration of anomalies. It was suspected that the overburden was relatively thin in the study area and the minerals were at a shallow depth

Conservation of indigenous medicinal botanicals in Ekiti State, Nigeria

The rapid appraisal method was used to identify the botanicals used ethnomedicinally from a total of 300 randomly selected respondents drawn from the existing three geo-political zones of Ekiti State, Nigeria. The results obtained revealed that about 40% of the 71 botanicals identified presently rare. Most of the presently abundant botanicals are species primarily cultivated for other purpose other than medicine. Most of the identified species are valued for their curative effects on malaria and fever, the predominant diseases in the study area. The need for the conservation of the rare species cannot be over emphasised as most rural dwellers in the study area depend mostly on herbs from these species. Strategies towards the attainment of this goal are proposed