Effect of Concept Cartoons on Kindergarten Pupils’ Numeracy and Science Performance in Sagnarigu-Tamale, Ghana

This study sought to establish the effect of Concept Cartoons on Kindergarten Pupils’ Numeracy and Science Performance at a demonstration primary school in Sagnarigu-Tamale, Ghana using the experimental research design. The population of the study was 100 KG-2 A and B Pupils in the school. A purposive sampling technique was used to select an intact class of 58 pupils that had difficulty in participation and performance in natural science and numeracy. A pre-test was conducted to determine the initial performance of pupils before the intervention that was done through teaching with the support of the concept cartoons. The analysis of the first two objectives involved mean scores and standard deviation. Pre-test and post-test scores were analysed to address the two objectives. The study established that the use of concept cartoons significantly improved the pupils’ achievement in natural science and numeracy lessons. Therefore, the use of concept cartoons as a teaching aid is a powerful approach to improve the performance of pupils in sciences and numeracy. The study recommended that teachers of sciences and numeracy in early primary education ought to use the concept cartoon approach in order to improve the performance of pupils in the s

Analyzing Gender Differences in Misconception in Linear Momentum Using Two-tier Diagnostic Test Instrument

Misconceptions that occur can vary between male and female students, therefore, the study analyzed gender difference in misconceptions in linear momentum. The diagnostic- descriptive research method was used in this study. A total of 70 (35 males and 35 females) first-year Senior High School students in the La-Nkwantanan Municipality were used for this study. Identification of misconceptions was conducted using the Two-tier multiple-choice diagnostic test instrument that was equipped with the Certainty of the Response Index method. The study showed both males' level of understanding and misconception (56.88%; 42.88%) and females (28.51%; 50.24%), respectively. Three research questions were raised and two research hypotheses were formulated and tested in this study. The data were analyzed using an independent sample t-test and the hypothesis were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that male’s students understanding of concept was statistically more [(18) = 0.003, p < .05] than females and misconception was found not be statistically significantly different [(18) = 0.285, p > .05]. The researchers recommend that physics teachers use cutting-edge pedagogical instructional techniques such as the use of two-tier diagnostic test instrument to maximize students' prior knowledge and uncover misconceptions. Keywords: linear momentum, misconception, gender, tier-two, test, instrument DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-1-10 Publication date: January 31st 202

The influence of interfacial interactions on the conductivity and phase behaviour of organic ionic plastic crystal/polymer nanoparticle composite electrolytes

Unformatted postprintOrganic ionic plastic crystals (OIPCs) have been recognised as promising solid-state electrolyte materials for next-generation energy storage devices. Recently, the addition of polymer nanofillers to OIPCs has led to the design of OIPC-based solid-state electrolytes with enhanced mechanical stability and ion conductivity. However, the mechanisms of enhancement and the influence of different polymer surface chemistries on the ion dynamics are not yet well understood, which has hindered the further development of high-performance OIPC-based electrolytes. In this work, we selected two different polymer nanoparticles, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and polystyrene (PS), and investigated the effects of the polymer surfaces on the thermal behaviour and ion transport properties of the OIPC, N-ethyl N-methyl pyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide ([C2mpyr][FSI]). We found significantly different thermal behaviours, as well as ion transport properties in the OIPC/nanoparticle composites. Specifically, compared with pure [C2mpyr][FSI], the addition of PVDF nanoparticles effectively enhanced the ion conductivity of the OIPC composite, with the optimum achieved near the percolation threshold of PVDF nanoparticles. In contrast, the addition of PS nanoparticles to the OIPC led to a slight enhancement at low concentrations and then a significant decrease in conductivity at higher concentrations. DSC, FTIR and EIS confirm that the interaction between the PVDF nanoparticles and the OIPC induces the formation of less ordered OIPC layers on the PVDF surfaces, leading to the conductivity enhancement. Finally, different structure models based on the results of this work are proposed, which provide principle guidelines for the design of future OIPC-based highly conductive electrolyte materials.The authors would like to thank Dr Wesley A. Henderson for his valuable discussion and the US Army Research Office (ARO) for financial support (W911NF1710560). The Australian Research Council (ARC) is acknowledged for support through the Australian Postgraduate Awards and Deakin University postgraduate research scholarships. L. P. received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska–Curie grant agreement No. 797295. Dr Ruhamah Yunis is also acknowledged for her help with plastic crystal synthesis

Impact of Successful Weight Loss Maintenance on Serum Lipids and Glucose Concentrations of Previous Participants of a Weight Loss Programme in Accra, Ghana

Background and Aim. There is a need to investigate the long-term impact of successful weight loss maintenance on blood lipids and glucose concentrations in populations within Africa, where obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) rates are increasingly becoming a public health threat. The aim of this study was to compare the serum lipid and glucose concentrations of successful and unsuccessful weight loss maintainers who previously participated in the Nutriline Weight Loss Programme (NWLP) in Accra, Ghana. Methods. 112 participants were randomly selected to participate in this cross-sectional study. Baseline and end of weight loss programme anthropometric and programmatic data were accessed via the NWLP archival database. On follow-up, anthropometric data, physical activity, dietary behaviour, serum lipid, and glucose indices were taken. Successful weight loss maintainers (SWLM) were defined as those achieving at least 5% weight loss below the baseline weight at follow-up, otherwise unsuccessful (UWLM). Results. The adjusted serum total cholesterol (TC) concentration was significantly lower for SWLM (5.17 ± 0.99 mmol/L) compared to UWLM (5.59 ± 1.06 mmol/L). Serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) concentrations for SWLM versus UWLM did not differ significantly and were as follows: 3.58 ± 0.92 mmol/L versus 3.87 ± 0.99 mmol/L, 1.22 ± 0.38 mmol/L versus 1.17 ± 0.32 mmol/L, 4.48 ± 0.72 mmol/L versus 4.73 ± 1.00 mmol/L, and 5.52 ± 0.39% versus 5.59 ± 0.59%, respectively. Triglyceride (TG) concentration was significantly (P<0.001) lower for SWLM (0.79 ± 0.28 mmol/L) compared to UWLM (1.17 ± 0.51 mmol/L). After adjusting for covariates, it was no longer significant. Additionally, there was no significant association between weight loss maintenance success and having a normal status for selected lipids and glucose parameters. Conclusion. SWLM had a significantly lower serum TC compared to UWLM. In addition, a greater proportion of SWLM had normal values for TC, TG, HbA1c, and LDL out of the six parameters measured although not statistically significant