A Case Study on Pre-Service Teacher Students’ Interaction with Graphical Artefacts

This study reports from a pre-service teacher’s online learning and assessment activity on determining variability of two graphical artefacts. Using a critical-analytical perspective to data, the present study indicate that the prospective teachers surveyed showed awareness of relevant subject specific operators and methods however, these seem not be well coordinated and were submerged in forms of expressions characterized by intuitive methods and everyday language. Significantly the prospective teachers seemed to substitute statistical and mathematical methods with explanatory metaphors which while providing room for deeper subject specific engagement were however, only used superficially. Their reliance on everyday forms of expression and visual perception is perceive as a factor that might have hampered their effective choice and application of relevant subject specific tools and forms of expression. This observation puts to task the role of informal methods in statistics education

A Critical Review of D.A. Masolo’s Self and Community in a Changing World

No Abstrac

Pediatric Burns at The Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital, Nakuru, Kenya

Aim To determine the etiology and outcome of pediatric burns (0-12 years). Design A retrospective study of burn victims hospitalized at the Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital, Nakuru, Kenya from April 2004 to March 2007 Method Charts of all children hospitalized for burn injury were reviewed for patient demographics, burn etiology, anatomical sites involved, extent of burn and outcome of treatment. Results The mean age was 2.6 years, with a male to female ratio of 1.4:1. 90.2% of the burns were due to scalds. The upper limbs and trunk were the most commonly affected. The mortality was 11.9% with flame burns resulting in a higher mortality than scalds. Conclusion The management of burns in the Nakuru region is challenging. The morbidity and associated mortality is high. Prevention of burn injuries should be advocated. The Annals of African Surgery, Volume 6, 201

Research Methodology in Philosophy within an Interdisciplinary and Commercialised African Context: Guarding Against Undue Influence from the Social Sciences

This paper argues that despite pressures to conform to the research methodology of the social sciences, African philosophers must diligently work for the preservation of the distinct character of philosophy as a discipline. To do this, they will have to move away from the debate on the existence and nature of African philosophy, and focus their efforts on the quest for a criterion by which to distinguish philosophical works from non-philosophical ones, regardless of where the works hail from. They will also have to be busy engaging in other aspects of philosophical reflection, so that their discipline may grow in an all-rounded manner, and so that the research methodology of philosophy may be manifest to scholars from other disciplines. Only then will philosophy make its unique contribution to interdisciplinary research in Africa and beyond

Open versus closed sandwich wound dressing method in burn children

Background: Open method of dressing burn wounds has been the accepted mode of burn wound care in most of our hospitals. Closed dressing has been shunned because of the belief that it is costly and labour intensive.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 170 children under 12years admitted to the Pediatric surgical/female burn ward between the months of June 2006 to March 2007. A comparison was made between the open and closed sandwich method of burn wound dressing. The sandwich method entailed using 17 by 17cm square pieces of gauze with a layer of cotton in between. The dressing was left on for between 3 and 4 days. The open method was used on 92 patients (Group A) admitted between the months of June 2006 to October 2006, while the closed method was applied on 78 patients (Group B) admitted during the months of November 2006 to March 2007.The demographic data of the two groups were analyzed. The duration of hospital stay, fatalities and proportion of patients discharged were used as outcome indicators for the two groups. Results: The male to female ratio was found to be 1.4:1 for Group A and 1.5:1 for the Group B. The majority of burn wounds were caused by scalds with children under five being the most affected in both groups (81.5% and 85.9% respectively). Most of the burns in the two groups were less than 10% of the body. The results of outcome indicators showed no statistical differences between the two groups.Conclusion: Sandwich closed dressing changed every after three to four days does not adversely affect outcome of burn patients. This type of dressing is recommended for health facilities with limited resources since it reduces the burden on the nurse and also the cost of dressing materials while providing the benefits of closed dressing

Distally based ulnar artery perforator flap for hand reconstruction and wrist defect closure

Background: Reconstruction of soft tissue defects of the hand and wrist with exposed tendons, joints, and neurovascular structures challenging for plastic surgeons. Such defects require a flap for coverage to preserve hand and wrist function. We used the distally based ulnar artery perforator flap for reconstruction in patients with soft tissue deformities and defects of the wrist and hand. Methods: Between June 2015 and August 2017, 8 patients were operated upon to correct deformities of the hand and wrist using the distally based ulnar artery perforator flap. Their ages ranged from 1.5 to 32 years, and the male-to-female ratio was 1:1. Five of the patients had post-burn contractures, and the remaining were post-trauma, with 1 gunshot wound and the other 2 resulting from road traffic accidents. The flap was islanded in 3 patients and pedicled in 5. Results: All of the flaps survived, and donor site defects in all patients were covered with split-thickness skin grafts. There was minimal donor site morbidity. Conclusions: The distally based ulnar artery perforator flap is a convenient and reliable flap for reconstruction of soft tissue defects and post-burn contractures of the hand and wrist. Its main advantages are that it is a single-stage procedure with no sacrificing of major vessels. Keywords: ulnar artery; perforators; hand and wrist; Kenya

Eternal Damnation: A Reply to Karori Mbugua’s “Gentler Theology of Hell”

This article is a reply to Karori Mbugua’s article titled “The Problem of Hell Revisited: Towards a Gentler Theology of Hell” (Thought and Practice: A Journal of the Philosophical Association of Kenya, New Series, Vol.3 No.2, December 2011, pp.93-103). The present article does not in any way seek to argue for or against the existence of eternal damnation. Instead, it advances the view that while Mbugua raises important philosophical issues around the question of eternal damnation, those questions deserve a more incisive treatment than Mbugua accorded them. The article further argues that as with all other matters touching on the way things are rather than the way they ought to be, the answer to the question as to whether or not eternal damnation exists cannot be determined by our opinions - its existence or non-existence is an objective fact. Consequently, philosophers cannot revise the fact to their liking; what they can do is to accept or reject the doctrine of eternal damnation altogether on rational grounds, but with no assurance that the objective fact is on their chosen side. KeywordsEternal damnation, hell, attributes of God, biblical doctrin

Exploring science teachers\u27 preparedness for the Implementation of the competency-based curriculum in Secondary schools in Rachuonyo South sub-county, Kenya

The purpose of the study was to find out how well prepared science teachers are for the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) at the Secondary Education Level (SEL) in Rachuonyo South Sub-County. The study also looked at science teachers\u27 training, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, technological skills, and attitudes toward CBC implementation. A descriptive survey design was used in the study, with a target population of 344 people, including 43 secondary school deputy head teachers, 43 science department heads, and 258 science teachers from all 43 secondary schools in the study area. Questionnaires were administered to science teachers and interview guides used to get data from science department heads and deputy head teachers. Quantitative data was analyzed using the mean and standard deviation to determine measures of central tendency. On the other hand, qualitative data was processed by first sorting and discussing responses for each item based on the objectives before editing, coding, and reporting through the descriptive narrative of the study participants\u27 views, experiences, and opinions. According to the study\u27s findings, the majority of respondents had not received in-service training in preparation for the CBC\u27s implementation. Furthermore, the majority of science teachers expressed uncertainty about their level of preparedness in terms of CBC subject content knowledge and pedagogical preparedness. Nonetheless, when it came to technological skills, most teachers were confident in their digital literacy abilities. They were concerned, however, that their schools lacked basic ICT infrastructure and equipment such as computers, projectors, whiteboards, or smartboards, which could impede curriculum implementation. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the majority of teachers had a favorable attitude toward the CBC. As a result, it was decided that teachers should receive in-service training to equip them with technological skills, CBC content, and pedagogy to facilitate curriculum delivery. Furthermore, pre-service teacher education should be prioritized in order to sustain the program. To ensure a smooth curricular transition, the study recommended collaboration among key stakeholders, including teachers through their unions, parents through the Parents\u27 Association (PA), and other public and private sector agencies