Teachers Social Feedback on Test Performance of Primary School Pupils

This study investigated the effect of teachers’ social feedback on test performance of pupils. The study adopted the between-subject experimental design. Social feedback perception scale (SFPS) was designed and employed to measure the effect of teacher’s social feedback on the participants. Participants age ranges between 7 and 10 years (average age = 8.17 years). There were eight male and ten female pupils randomly selected from a private primary school in Ota, Ogun State. The odd-even number separation method was employed to place the participants into either the experimental or control groups. Two hypotheses were formulated for the study. The study found a significant effect of teachers social feedback on students’ perception (U = 33.500, N1 = 9, N2 = 9, p< 0.05, one-tailed) and a significant difference in perception of teachers social feedback among pupils based on gender (U = 27.571, N1 = 8, N2 = 10, p< 0.05, one-tailed). Both hypotheses were accepted. Consequent upon these findings, teachers are encouraged to use social feedback as it has a positive effect on pupil’s test performanc

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN A SEMI-URBAN NEIGHBOURHOOD

There are no published studies on impact of neighbourhood on domestic violence in Sango-Ota. This is the first study to examine formal and informal control method and the influence of family structure and socio-economic status on the occurrence of domestic violence in Sango-Ota. A closed-ended questionnaire with two open –ended questions was administered to married couples and other consenting adults at three selected neighbourhoods in Sango-Ota. A research question and one hypothesis were tested. The study tried to find out whether formal and informal control methods are effective. The research hypothesis states that there is a significant combined contribution of socio-economic conditions, family structure and years of marriage to incidences/occurrences of domestic violence in Sango-Ota. Of the 84 participants that reported cases of domestic violence, about two-thirds (61%) reported to their family members while 17 (21%) reported to close family friends. Only 4 (5%) participants had the courage to report to the law enforcement agency, in this case, the police. Risk factors identified to precipitate domestic violence are years of marriage (β= -.205; t = -2.792; p< 0.05) and the prevailing socio-economic status of the family (β= .437; t = 6.052; p< .0005). The findings show a low level reportage of cases of domestic violence. Higher socioeconomic status was found to be protective against domestic violence. Our findings also highlight the potential role of broader contextual or community-level interventions in reducing domestic violence in settings such as Sango-Ota which is a semi-urban area. We found evidence that improvements in the socioeconomic status of the participants will lead to significant reductions in the incidence of domestic violence. Keywords: Domestic Violence, Sango-Ota, Neighbourhood, Socioeconomic status, Polic

Proximate Determinants of Women's Use of Birth Control Methods in Ota,Ogun State

Fertility regulation and pregnancy prevention are among the major health challenges of the 21st century in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Nigeria. Contraception has been identified as an effective means of combating the problem of unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion and it is equally an effective means of family planning and fertility control and therefore very important in promoting maternal and child health. Women between ages 18 and 47 (n=143, mean=30.4 years) were sampled. A survey research questionnaire made up of four trajectories and consisting of sixteen (16) items was used in this study. The study made use of frequency counts, percentage, t-test analysis and regression analysis. The SPSS software was used to analyze the data. Results indicate a good knowledge of types of contraception with more than a third (83%) aware of condom as a contraceptive method. However, very few women were aware of modern contraceptive methods such as implants (9%) and spermicides (5%). The study indicates that knowledge of contraception (β = 2.244; t = 2.356; p < .05), employment status (β = 1.955; t = 2.257;p < .05) and age (β = 1.530; t = 2.203; p < .05) were good predictors of women’s contraceptive use. There was also a significant difference in women’s use of contraceptives based on contraceptive selfefficacy (t = 3.387, p < .05). Based on these findings, the study shows the need for strong advocacy,enlightenment and community mobilization for improved awareness and use of contraceptives in fertility control and preventing unwanted pregnancie

Strength Characteristics of Concrete Beams Reinforced with Steel Bars of Equivalent Area but Different Diameters

Contractors occasionally substitute reinforcement bars during construction works, perhaps as a result of unavailability of the design-specified bars. As a result, this study have explored the basis, extent and the conditions for the mutual substitution of reinforcing bar groups of equivalent area but different bar diameters in reinforced concrete beams. A total of (20) concrete beams including the control beams were cast. These comprise (2) each of 100 mm×100 mm×500 mm and 150 mm×150 mm×750 mm beams as plain concrete (control beams) and (2) each of 100 mm×100 mm×500 mm and 150 mm×150 mm×750 mm beams were reinforced in turn with 20 mm, 16 mm, 12 mm and 10 mm bar diameters. The beams were subjected to centre-point loading using bending testing machine, in accordance with BS 1881-118 and with the load and compressive strain recorded to the point of failure. The results of the test beams showed that the greatest difference in the area of reinforcement between beams reinforced with 9Y12 bars (bar area = 1020 mm2) and 3Y20 bars (bar area = 943 mm2) is 7.5%. The results also showed that given the same area of steel in a cross section, the section with the greater number of bars has higher bending strength. It was also deduced that an increase in the area of reinforcement would cause a disproportionate increase in the strength of the beam

Soil Geochemical Survey of Eruku and Environs

The study area, Eruku and its environs, is located approximately 124km east of Ilorin and lies within Osi migmatite gneiss complex to the west and Egbe schist belt in the east. The area falls within longitudes 5023’E and 5030’E and latitudes 8005’N and 8013’N represented in Osi sheet 224SE . Detailed mapping and sampling of rocks and soils were carried out in this area. The soil samples were collected from the B horizon at a depth of 20cm-25cm. Twenty-five selected soil samples were analyzed for trace and rare earth elemental concentration using ICP, INAA, MS and ICP-MS analytical methods. The result of the geochemical analysis was thereafter subjected to statistical analysis and isograde plotting. The multivariate statistical analysis shows a total of eleven factor groups. Seven of the factor groups are of importance in the study area with five related to mineralization. The correlation coefficients of some selected elements show that Be is strongly correlated with Rb, Ga, Sn and Ta while Nb is strongly correlated with Ta. The area and bar charts show that the highest concentrations of Be, Nb, Sn and Ta are in the northeastern part of the study area. The isograde plots show that almost all the elements have their peaks in the northeastern part of the study area. From the integration of geochemical and multivariate analyses, and isograde plotting, the study area has anomalous concentration of cassiterite-tantalite-columbite minerals. These mineralizations are hosted by pegmatites that intrude the country rocks in the study area. This establishes similarity in terms of host rocks and mineralization type of the Eruku area compared to Egbe. Keywords: Mineralization, soils, geochemical data, cluster groups, isograde plotting, Eruku