Experiences Of Beginning Teachers In A Resident Teacher Program: A Phenomenological Study

There has been considerable attention and focus, in the field of education, on development support for beginning teachers. Beginning teachers are very important to the success and future of education. Their success in the classroom is very critical. The Resident Teacher Program or a teacher residency is a comprehensive means of providing beginning teachers with developmental support. This initiative is usually organized through the concerted efforts of a college of education and school district. Within this dissertation, attention is given to the potential or real benefits and to the successes and challenges of an existing Resident Teacher Program. In a review of the current literature, the voice of the resident teachers has not been heard. Therefore, lived experience in such a program has not been known. The purpose statement of this phenomenological study was to explore the perspectives of beginning teachers regarding their experiences in a Resident Teacher Program. This was to help in understanding what is meant to be a resident teacher. Six beginning teachers enrolled in a Resident Teacher Program were selected as participants and interviewed on two different occasions. The outcome of the study shows that resident teachers\u27 experiences is characterized by double commitment with a lot of responsibilities but double support; ability to bring what\u27s learned in graduate courses into classroom teaching; and confidence to transition into regular classroom teaching. Minor issues of concern to participants are discussed and future recommendations are offered

Determinants of Household Water Quality in the Tamale Metropolis, Ghana

Improved water source is essential for the health of both urban and rural dwellers. However, Over 1 billion people globally are without access to clean water and adequate sanitation facilities. The purpose of this study was to assess the factors that influence water quality in the Tamale metropolis, Ghana. The study was conducted with 250 respondents who were randomly sampled and interviewed. Data was analyzed with STATA 11 software. Chi-square and multivariate regression analysis were used to investigate the relationships between socio-demographic characteristics, water source, and water collection and storage methods and household water quality. Two assays of water quality were used: heterotrophic plate count (HPC) for total coliform and feacal counts and the multiple tube method for Escherichia Coli (E coli). The study results shows that majority of samples tested had feacal coliforms. Water from 83% of studied samples tested positive for the presence of E coli in household water. Source of water, distance to water source, place and duration of water storage influenced household water quality. Households with water source outside homes were less likely to have quality water (OR=0.19; p<0.01). On-the-point household treatment strategies should be adopted to make water safe for household consumption. Keywords: Household, Quality, Storage, Tamale, Water, Ghan

IS WORKING CAPITAL MANAGEMENT IMPORTANT? EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM MANUFACTURING COMPANIES IN GHANA

The objective of the study is to empirically examine the effect of working capital management on performance of manufacturing firms in Ghana. The study used six listed manufacturing companies on the Ghana Stock Exchange for the period 2008-2014. Correlation and regression analyses were used to analyze the effect of working capital management on manufacturing firms’ performance. The study examines the effect of different components of working capital management on firm’s performance. The study finds that the current ratio, average collection period and the accounts payable period have positive effect on profitability. However, only the current ratio has statistical significance. Also, while inventory conversion period as well as the cash conversion cycle have negative effect on performance, they are all statistically insignificant. It is recommended that finance managers should implement efficient and effective ways of managing working capital management. Emphasis should be placed on average payment period, improving sales growth and maintaining higher current ratio

Determinants of moonlighting in Ghana: an empirical investigation

The desire of workers to engage in moonlighting, a phenomenon of multiple job-holding is a reflection of some of the changing labour market outcomes. Public sector workers who suffered loss of jobs through public sector retrenchment and privatisation as part of Ghana’s economic reform resorted to holding more than one job to earn enough to avert any substantial drop in their living conditions. Despite the seemingly conspicuous existence of multiple job-holding in Ghana, much remains to be learnt about its determinants and characteristics of the phenomenon. This article employs the probit regression estimation technique based on the two most recent nationwide household surveys conducted in 1998/99 and 2005/06 to investigate the main determinants of moonlighting in Ghana. It provides empirical evidence to suggest that personal and household characteristics as well as location and labour market characteristics such as individual earnings and hours spent in the main job significantly influence an individual’s desire to engage in more than one job. The study concludes that apart from the financial motive that drives an individual’s decision to moonlight, the engagement of moonlighting on account of lower working hours in the individual’s main job could be a symptom of visible or time-related underemployment. Keywords: Moonlighting, Multiple job-holding, Employment, Earnings, Underemployment, Ghan

PARENTING STYLES: A SPRINGBOARD IN REALIZING IMPROVED ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN GHANAIAN CLASSROOMS

While substantial literature exists on the parenting styles and students’ academic performance around the world, little is known about these variables in the Ghanaian context and much less in Asokore-Mampong Municipality. In view of this dearth of literature, this study investigated the parenting styles and academic performance of public Junior High Schools students in Asokore-Mampong Municipality, Ghana, within the context of Baumrind’s (1971) theory on parenting styles. In line with the pragmatist paradigm, this study utilized the sequential explanatory mixed methods research design where 545 students and 545 parents were sampled using a proportionate stratified random sampling technique for the quantitative phase of the study, while the convenience sampling technique was used to select 12 students and 12 parents for the qualitative phase of the study. After meeting validity and reliability requirements, a structured questionnaire and semi-structured interview guide were used to collect data for the study which was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation and inferential (independent samples t-test, One-way between group ANOVA, Pearson Moment Correlation) statistics and thematic analysis. The study revealed that the authoritative parenting style was most experienced among the students, followed by authoritarian, and permissive while the uninvolved parenting style was least experienced. It was further observed that generally, there was a moderate and statistically significant positive relationship between parenting styles and students’ academic performance. Besides, findings from the study’s hypotheses showed that sex, age, class, and parental marital status of students did not affect their perception of parenting styles they experienced. In line with these findings, it was concluded that parenting styles are vital in enhancing students’ academic performance, hence, it was recommended that the Ghana Education Service through the Asokore-Mampong Education Directorate and Parents Teachers Association (PTA) should constantly educate parents, reorient them to adopt appropriate parenting styles that are needed in specific situations so as to enhance the academic performance of students.  Article visualizations

Effects of bamboo substrate and supplementary feed on growth and production of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus

The effects of bamboo poles as substrate for periphyton development on the growth and production of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus , was evaluated over a period of 90 days. Three treatments, namely manure application as control (C), control and substrate installation (C + S) and, control and substrate with supplementary feeding (C + S + F) were randomly allotted to six earthen ponds each with an area of 100m2. Catfish fingerlings of mean weight 27.5g \ub1 1.25 were stocked at the rate of 80 fish per 100m2. Water temperature, pH, Total Alkalinity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), ammonia and nitrites were monitored during the study. The results obtained after a 90- day culture period indicated no significant variations in water quality between treatments. Similarly, there were no significant difference in survival between the treatments which ranged from 81.3%, 96.8% and 86.3% for the C, C+S and C+S+F respectively. The mean gross fish yield (kg/100m2) varied from 16.0kg for C + S, 9.5kg for C + S + F and 6.0kg for C. the study indicated bamboo poles as substrate for periphyton was a superior alternative to improve catfish production under pond conditions

Assessing The Occurrence Of Maternal Mortality And Some Related Factors At Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital

Abstract: Maternal Mortality in Ghana continues to be a major public health problem despite many strategies devised by the international community to reduce it. The United Nations (UN, 2009) reports indicates that more than 1500 women die each day from pregnancy related causes resulting in an estimated figure of 550,000 maternal deaths annually. This paper applies logistic regression model to determine the key factors that have significant effect to predicting the occurrence or non-occurrence of maternal mortality incidence. An annual maternal mortality data from 2007 to 2012 from Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) was analyzed. The results showed that AGE, PARITY and GRAVIDA contributes significantly to the occurrence of maternal mortality

Estimating Passenger Demand Using Machine Learning Models: A Systematic Review

This article investigated machine learning models used to estimate passenger demand. These models have the potential to provide valuable insights into passenger trip behaviour and other inferences. The estimate of passenger demand using machine learning model research and the methodologies used are fragmented. To synchronise these studies, this paper conducts a systematic review of machine learning models to estimate passenger demand. The review investigates how passenger demand is estimated using machine learning models. A comprehensive search strategy is conducted across the three main online publishing databases to locate 911 unique records. Relevant record titles, abstracts, and publication information are extracted, leaving 102 articles. Furthermore, articles are evaluated according to eligibility requirements. This procedure yields 21 full-text papers for data extraction. 3 research thematic questions covering passenger data collection techniques, passenger demand interventions, and intervention performance are reviewed in detail. The results of this study suggest that mobility records, LSTM-based models, and performance metrics play a critical role in conducting passenger demand prediction studies. The model evaluation was mostly restricted to 3 performance metrics which needs improved metric for evaluation. Furthermore, the review determined an overreliance on the longand short-term memory model to estimate passenger demand. Therefore, minimising the limitation of the LSTM model will generally improve the estimation models. Furthermore, having an acceptable trainset to avoid overfitting is crucial. In addition, it is advisable to consider multiple metrics to have a more comprehensive evaluation