Development and Validation of Teacher-made Instructional Software Package for Teaching Chemical Bonding in Secondary Schools

Teachers using traditional lecture method find it difficult to communicate the concept of chemical bonding to students; and students find it difficult to learn the concept. The trend in the 21st century learning is the use of computer and software packages to facilitate  teaching-learning process. This study set out to develop and validate a software package for teaching chemical bonding in secondary schools. The study produced chemical bonding instructional software package (CBISP), adopting the procedure suggested in FTCESP-model for teacher-made computer educational software package. It also produced an instrument for validation of the software package. The internal consistency (?) of the Chemical Bonding Instructional Software Package (CBISP) has a value of 0.781, obtained by Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance method used in determining it. The author asserts that the procedure adopted in the development and validation of the CBISP is a veritable way of ensuring sustainable supply of relevant software packages in the school system. Keywords: Development, validation, teacher-made, instructional software package, chemical bondin

Determinants of Entrepreneurship Among Agribusiness Investors In South-East, Nigeria

The determinants of entrepreneurial choice have been widely researched, but the determinants of such in South-east, Nigeria especially in agro-related business has not been fully explored. The study analysed the determinants of entrepreneurship among agribusiness investors in Southeast, Nigeria. A combination of multistage and purposive sampling techniques was adopted in the collection of data from three hundred and sixty (360) agribusiness investors using structured questionnaires.  Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to realise the objectives of the study.  The result shows that majority of agribusiness investors in Southeast Nigeria were mostly males (75.6%) who were within the mean active age of forty-three (43) years and with a mean household size of 7 persons, and earned an average annual income of five hundred and seventy three thousand, seven hundred and seventy nine naira (N573,779.00). The result equally revealed that 50% of farm input supply agribusiness ventures were located within the urban while production component of agribusiness were located within the rural (39%) and peri-urban (38%) respectively. The study identified unemployment, profit motive, quest to be financial independent, population of the investment area, experience in self employment, and proximity to market as the major factors that influence individual’s decision to be an entrepreneur.  The result equally shows that age, educational status, experience, annual income, household size, household entrepreneurial history, and source of investment capital have positive effect on determinants of entrepreneurship.  With the ?2 values of 1152.480 and the Pseudo R2 value of 0.055, the included variables in the model, gave a good impression, regarding the model’s goodness of fit at 0.05 (P=0.05) level of significance.  Based on the findings of the study, the pursuance of a prudent macroeconomic policy such as the imposition of free duties to local agribusiness producers/processors to ensure that entrepreneurs will produce at incentive level was recommended. Key words: Determinants, entrepreneurship, agribusiness, investors, enterprise

A Conceptual Framework for Construction of Teacher-made Computer Educational Software Package for Communicating Chemical Concepts to Secondary School Students

The 21st century society requires special skills and knowledge from individuals to be relevant to the society and participate actively in the economy of nations. To acquire these special skills and knowledge, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) comes to the fore to drive the education system. In Nigeria, the National Policy on Education recognises the importance and place of ICT in ‘advancing knowledge and skills in the modern world’, but serious effort to provide ‘necessary infrastructure and training for the integration of ICT in the school system’ as stated in the policy is yet to be seen. Most public and private primary and secondary schools lack the basic infrastructure, and teachers are yet to be ICT literate. Relevant educational software packages, especially for education in chemistry are scarce. There is need, as part of the chemistry teacher education programme, to include courses in ICT that will enable the chemistry teachers to construct teacher-made educational software packages for teaching specific chemistry concepts. This is necessary in order to fill the gap created by lack of relevant software packages in the school system for teaching and learning of such concepts. This paper proposes a framework for the construction of teacher-made educational software packages for teaching specific chemical concepts

Sustainability of Tertiary Education through Quality Assurance and Development in Nigeria

Tertiary education in Nigeria has witnessed rising and falling within the past three decades with the attendant loss of status both within the sub-Saharan Africa and the world at large. This paper is focused on sustainability of tertiary education through quality assurance and development. It examined the dwindling status and challenges facing higher education in Nigeria. It also identified critical areas for quality assurance and development, and suggested the need for adoption of technology-based teaching and learning as a way of improving the quality of higher education in Nigeria. Keywords: Sustainability, tertiary-education, quality assurance, development

Analysis of Principals’ Motivational Practices for Teachers Effectiveness in Public and Private Secondary Schools in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

There have been a perceived decline in teaching and learning in Nigerian schools which could be attributed to teachers’ ineffectiveness. Teachers’ effectiveness have been adopted in many research works, but scarcely attempted on motivational practices for teachers’ effectiveness. A literature gap exists, thus motivating the researcher to assess principals’ motivational practices for teachers’ effectiveness in public and private secondary schools in Ebonyi State. The study adopted descriptive survey design. The population of the study was 355 principals, comprised of 221 from public schools and 126 from private schools. Purposive sampling technique was used to select all the 355 principals for the study. Questionnaire titled “Principals Motivational Practices for Teachers’ Effectiveness Questionnaire” (PMPTEQ) was used for data collection. The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation while the null hypotheses formulated for the study were tested using t-test of independent sample at 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed that principals’ effective communication pattern motivates teachers for effectiveness in public and private secondary schools, that the extent principals ensuring staff meeting motivate teachers for effectiveness in public and private secondary schools. The study however found that differences exist in the extent the principals ensure teachers’ welfare services in public and private secondary schools. The result further revealed that there is no significant different on the extent principals’ communication pattern motivate teachers for effectiveness in public and private secondary schools in Ebonyi Stat. It showed that there is no significant difference in the extent principals ensure regular meeting with teachers to motivate teachers for effectiveness in public and private secondary schools. The result equally revealed that there is significant difference in the welfare services adopted by public and private school principals for teachers’ effectiveness. This difference was in terms of school management strategies. The study therefore recommended among other things that motivation of teachers by the principals is vital tools for effective secondary school administration whether public or private but the personnel management skills adopted could either make or mar the effectiveness of teachers in teaching and learning process. Key words: Motivation, motivational practices, teachers’ effectiveness

Bank Capitalization and Cost of Equity on Profitability of Nigeria Deposit Money Banks – General Moment Approach

The recapitalization of the capital base of banks in 2005 constituted the first phase of the reform policy in the entire banking sector of the Nigerian economy. The key elements in the agenda included minimum capital base of N25 billion with a deadline of 31st December, 2005. Most of the banks were able to meet the deadline through mergers and acquisitions amongst other alternatives. This paper examines the trend and the effects of bank recapitalization on deposit money banks in Nigeria in terms of performance and more specifically profitability and cost of equity. The data used for this study were processed using Paired Sample test technique for difference between two periods before and after the recapitalization era in addition to the E-view electronic packages. The test of difference of mean helped us to compare the means of the variables before and after recapitalization to see if there is any significant difference between the two periods. The evidence from the study shows that recapitalization is significant to performance of deposit money banks but has not shown increasing impact on their profitability. We therefore recommend that recapitalization should be part of the integrating process to the development of the banking sector and the banks should put in place proactive measures and policies to enable it boost its profitability leve

ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF FIRMS’ CHARACTERISTICS ON EARNINGS MANAGEMENT OF LISTED FIRMS IN NIGERIA

This study assessed the effects of firms’ characteristics on earnings management of listed companies in Nigeria. To achieve the objectives of this study, a total of 20 listed firms in the Nigerian stock exchange market were selected and analyzed for the study using the judgmental sampling technique. The corporate annual reports for the period 2006-2010 were used for the study. In testing the research hypothesis, the study adopted the use of both descriptive statistics and econometric analysis using the pooled ordinary least square regression for the listed sampled firms. Findings from the study revealed that while firm size and firms’ corporate strategy have a significant positive impact on earnings management (proxied by discretionary accruals); on the other hand, the relationship between firms’ financial leverage and discretionary accruals of the sampled firms in Nigeria was not significant. Thus, the study concludes that large firms tend to have higher motivations and more prospects to engage in the manipulation earnings and exaggerate earnings due to the intricacy of their operations and the complexity for users to identify overstatemen

Effect of Blending and Storage Conditions on the Microbial Quality and Sensory Characteristics of Soy-Tiger Nut Milk Beverage

Effect of blending and storage conditions on soy-tigernut milk beverage was carried out. Samples of milk analogue were developed using varying proportions of soymilk and tigernut extracts. Five blends of soy-tigernut milk was formulated using varying proportion of tigernut milk extract (10, 20, 50, 80 and 90%) with soy milk. Two control samples were produced (100% milk of soy bean and tigernut respectively). Soy-tigernut milk beverage blends were subjected to sensory evaluation using 9-point hedonic scale. Two blends of the milk beverage having the highest mean score on general acceptability was subjected to three storage conditions (ambient, refrigeration and freezing conditions) for four weeks. Significant difference (P<0.05) was discovered on the sensory attributes of the soy-tigernut beverage blends evaluated. Samples contained 80% and 90% tigernut milk substitution had mean score of 7.47 and 8.67 respectively were the most preferred blends. The highest value of total aerobic plate count and coliform under a different storage conditions at fourth week of storage was below 106cfu/ml and 10cfu/ml safety limit stipulated by Food and Drug Administration regulation for aerobic plat count and caliform bacteria in food respectively. Keywords: Blending, Storage Conditions, Microbial Quality, Sensory Characteristics, Soy-Tigernut – Milk Beverage

Constraints to Foreign Direct Investment in Nigeria

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is considered as an invaluable tool for achieving economic growth in developing countries. In order to achieve the objective of a higher rate of economic growth and the efficiency in the utilization of resources, developing countries the world over have embarked upon various policy measures at attracting FDI. The study is an empirical investigation (using a time series data between 1980 and 2015) into the factors that constrain the inflow of FDI into the Nigeria economy. The Phillip Perron (PP) unit root test was used to test stationarity of the variables, Johansen Co-integration approach was conducted to test for long run relationship between the variables used, Vector Error Correction Model was used to establish the short run dynamics and the long run relationship as well as ascertain the speed of systemic adjustment in the model. The study found that government external and domestic debts, inflation rate and exchange rate appreciation (in favour of the domestic currency) have significant long run relationship with foreign direct investment in Nigeria. It therefore recommends among others a more prudent management of both domestic and external debt of Nigeria and that our monetary authorities should devise effective ways of fine-tuning and managing such macroeconomic tools and variables as the rate of inflation and exchange rat