Problems of Improvising Physics Instructional Materials as Perceived by Serving Teachers in Cross River State, Nigeria

This study is a descriptive survey study carried out in Cross River State, Nigeria. Cross River State is one of the states in the south-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The sample for the study consisted of one hundred and sixty (160) physics teachers randomly drawn from the two hundred and forty three (243) secondary schools in the state. The instrument for data collection was the Physics Teachers Perceived Problems of Improvisation Questionnaire (PTPPIQ). The instrument was trial tested using thirty physics teachers in schools not used for the study. The results of the trial-test was analysed and a reliability index of 0.81 obtained using Cronbach Alpha. The instrument was then administered on the one hundred and sixty respondents and the results showed that factors such as inability to identify local materials needed for improvisation, lack of tools, excess workload on the teachers and voluminous nature of the syllabus among others, were identified as factors perceived by physics teachers as militating against improvisation. The study also revealed that these problems were not gender bias. The paper recommended among others, the motivation of physics teachers and that improvisation should be included in the pre-service physics teachers training programmes. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-5-1

Mechanisms for Enhancing Teachers’ Effectiveness in the Implementation of Agricultural Science Programme in Secondary Schools in Afikpo Education Zone of Ebonyi State

Poor performance of students in agricultural science at the internal and external examinations has been attributed to ineffectiveness of the agricultural science teachers at the secondary schools in Afikpo education zone of Ebonyi State, therefore, this research determined the mechanisms for enhancing the teachers’ effectiveness in the implementation of secondary school agricultural science programme. The study adopted survey research design. The population of the study was 117 and there was no sampling, rather the whole population was studied. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The instrument had 4 points modified likert scale. The instrument was validated by using Cronbach alpha which yielded reliability co-efficient of 0.96. Data were collected by the researcher administering the questionnaire to the respondents. Data analyzes involved both descriptive and inferential statistics. Based on the analysis of the data, it was revealed among others that provision of incentives, regular training and retraining of the teachers enhance the effectiveness of the teachers in the implementation of the secondary school agricultural science programme. Based on the findings, it was recommended, among others, that the Ebonyi State Ministry of education in collaboration with the school principals should try to provide incentives to the teachers and organize conferences, seminars and workshops to update the teachers’ knowledge. Keywords:  Mechanism; teachers effectiveness; implementation; agricultural science programm

Management Skills in Fish Farming Needed by Retired Civil and Public Servants for Sustainable Income in Ebonyi State

This study identified the management skills in fish farming needed by retired civil and public servants for sustainable income in Ebonyi State of Nigeria. The study was a survey research design. The population of the study was 33. It comprised of 10 lecturers and 2 technologists in the department of fisheries, 4 lecturers and 2 technologists in the Agricultural Education unit, Technology and Vocational Education, Ebonyi State University and 15 registered fish farmers in Ebonyi State. There was no sampling; the whole population was used for the study. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire which has four points rating scales of Highly Needed (HN), Averagely Needed (AV), Little Needed (LN), and Not Needed (NN). The instrument contained 32 items and was validated by 3 experts from the department of Fisheries in Ebonyi State University. The reliability of the instrument was determined by using Cronbach alpha technique to determine the internal consistency of the instruments which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.84. The data for the study was collected by the researcher personally visiting the respondents. The data collected were analyzed using weighted mean and standard deviation while the t-test was used to test the hypotheses formulated at 0.05 level of significant. Based on the analysis of the data, the following results emanated; the retired civil and public servants need the management skills in pond construction, management skills in breeding of fish and maintenance of fish pond, management skills in preservation and storage of fish and fish products; and management skills in marketing and distribution of fish and fish products. It was discovered that there was no significant difference between the mean ratings of the registered fish farmers and the lecturers on management skills in breeding of fish, maintenance of fish pond, and management skills in marketing and distribution of fish and fish products. It was recommended among others that the Government of Ebonyi State should incorporate the identified skills into the training modules of the skills acquisition centre of the State and be used to train retired civil and public servants. Keywords: Management: Skill: Fish Farming: Civil and Public Servants and Sustainable Income

Relating customer satisfaction to customer profitability: an empirical analysis of the association between attitudes and behaviour

This paper explores relationships between customer satisfactions; repurchase intentions, purchase behavior, and customer profitability with empirical data on attitudes, behavior, and profitability at the customer level of analysis. Purchase behavior and profitability data derived from the accounting system of a firm, are matched with the responses of the firm’s customers to survey questions distributed prior to the behavior and profitability outcomes. The analysis reveals a strong relationship between customer behavior and customer profitability, while modest links exist between repurchase intentions and subsequent behavior. Only a weak and non-significant direct link can be observed between customer satisfaction and customer profitability. This paper, then, questions customer satisfaction’s commonly assumed role as an agent for profitability.KEYWORDS: Customer satisfaction; customer profitability; purchase behaviour; repurchase intensions; attitudes

Equity: a cornerstone in designing national education policies

DT 2014-02, avril 2014This paper aims to cover some at least of the most significant dimensions that can help document, based on a sampling of countries, the issues surrounding equity and children's right to attend school, to stay in school long enough and to receive appropriate education services to ensure access to adult life with the basic knowledge and skills that will give them a chance at a decent economic and social life. Above and beyond its quantitative observations, this analysis identifies connections with various active or passive education policies found in national education systems. Additionally,to the extent that they provide a better understanding of the situation and point out stumbling blocks in the various sample countries used, these analyses can also be used to identify avenues for action

Mushroom Production for Food Security in Nigeria

This paper focused on mushroom production for food security in Nigeria. Mushroom cultivation has found a niche among small scale famers. Previously there were picked from wild forest, but now, many farmers are growing mushroom for their nutritional value as well as for medicinal purposes. The requirement for mushroom production which are spawn, substrate, and compost are identify and the categories of edible mushroom, the button mushroom (Agaricu Bisporus) and oyster mushroom (Pleurotus Sp.) were also identified. Constraints to production include lack of quality spawn, problem of pest and disease, complex process of obtaining loan and lack of proper skills in production. Recommendations were made around the aspects of training on mushroom cultivation, financial institutions should make loans flexible to farmers, government should encourage the use of laboratories to produce and distribute spawn and government should consider mushroom productions as an agricultural activities. It concluded that, mushroom farming may flourish like mushroom growth in the coming years; if the problems identified and attended urgently and remedial measures are undertaken at the earliest. Keywords: Mushroom: Production: Food: Security: Food security

La dimension rurale des scolarisations dans les pays d'Afrique au Sud du Sahara : situation actuelle et défis pour le développement de la couverture scolaire au niveau du premier cycle secondaire

Dans cette étude, nous avons examiné sous divers aspects la situation de l'éducation en milieu rural, et cela dans un nombre aussi grand que possible de pays d'Afrique sub-saharienne à faible revenu. Les domaines analysés ont été de façon principale i) la scolarisation des ruraux (quelle est l'ampleur de leur retard par rapport aux urbains, et dans quels processus se construit ce retard le long du système éducatif ?) ii) l'organisation et le coût des services éducatifs en milieu rural, notamment au niveau du premier cycle de l'enseignement secondaire, et iii) la question de la valorisation des investissements éducatifs en milieu rural.Ces trois aspects sont certes bien différents et il est clair qu'il soit pertinent de les examiner de façon spécifique; mais ils entretiennent aussi des liens pour la compréhension de la situation du monde rural en relation avec la sphère éducative dans les pays africains. Nous présentons les résultats saillants de chacun d'entre eux.Scolarisation ; Afrique subsaharienne ; Secondaire premier cycle ; Milieu rural