Exploring public health intervention strategies to address barriers and challenges in the prevention of avoidable blindness due to glaucoma in Anambra State, Nigeria

Renewed emphasis by World Health Organisation in recent times has heightened the need for countries to address the issue of eye health with increased effort. However, due to scarcity of both human and material resources in Nigeria and many other developing countries health care is often marginalised; especially eye health. This contributes to the rise in prevalence of avoidable blindness. Glaucoma has been identified as one of the major causes of avoidable blindness globally, yet many people still lack the awareness of this disease. Most often the disease attacks without any obvious symptoms, and by the time the person becomes aware of the problem, probably more than 50% of the vision has been lost. Public health strategy such as health promotion when properly coordinated proves to be a cost-effective approach in tackling the incidence of avoidable blindness. This study assessed the population’s health seeking behaviour and examined the factors and barriers which hampered the people in Anambra State, Nigeria from accessing knowledge and eye health services in order to prevent avoidable blindness due to glaucoma. It also explored how the policy makers and service providers could be prompted for positive actions. This is a qualitative study that utilised face-to-face semi-structured interviews to investigate the level of glaucoma awareness and perception of its risk factors in the state. Purposive, non-random sampling technique was used to recruit 39 participants, [aged 21-73] for interviews. Three main stakeholders in eye health comprising of a sample of 28 key informants (the target population), 8 service providers (the eye doctors) and 3 policy makers were identified and recruited for this study. The resulting data were analysed using Nvivo 10 software and Interpretative phenomenological analysis framework. Eye health seminar was also delivered to the target population at two different venues in the state. The reason for the eye health seminar was to teach the attendees some good eye care practices that could contribute positively to blindness prevention. Of the 28 key informants, 53.6% live in urban areas and 46.4% live in the rural areas; 39.3% of the participants were male and 60.7% were females. Glaucoma awareness appeared to be higher among people in the urban areas 39.3% than people in the rural areas 35.7%. People with higher education appeared to have better awareness than people with less education; 42.9% for people with university degree and above, 3.6% for diploma, 17.9% for people with secondary education and 10.7% for primary. Glaucoma was perceived as “a dangerous eye disease that can cause blindness if not treated early; a serious eye problem; an incurable eye problem that can eventually result to blindness, and a dangerous eye problem that can easily render a person blind”. Poverty and inability to pay for eye care services has been the most prominent barrier among this population. Other barriers include distance of eye care service centres from the rural dwellers, fear of financial exploitation from the service providers, fear of negative treatment outcomes and the availability of other cheaper but unsafe treatment options. Other barriers identified were: the lack of awareness of eye diseases and the related risk factors, the inability to cope with eye disease, and the seriousness of the symptoms. Five apriori themes and fourteen emergent themes were identified in the analysis of the data. The implication of these findings is that the incidence of glaucoma-induced blindness will continue to rise unless a robust public health policy and adequate resources are put in place to address the challenges and problems identified by this study. The result of the present study confirms that there is low awareness of the causes and consequences of glaucoma in the state. This, as well as the associated factors listed above have huge impact on economy and well-being of the population

CLASSROOM TRANSLANGUAGING AS A LEARNING STRATEGY: THAI SECONDARY SCHOOL EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS

In Thai schools today, English language teaching has evolved from a traditional to an interactive approach. Translanguaging pedagogical practices are becoming more prevalent in Thai schools. There have been extensive debates among teachers and educators in Thai secondary schools regarding translanguaging pedagogy. As a result, little empirical research has been conducted on how Thai students perceive this issue. This study contributes to the existing literature by examining Thai secondary school EFL students' perceptions on the use of classroom translanguaging as a teaching/learning strategy. Data was collected from 36 Thai EFL students via questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed using quantitative descriptive data analysis, and the qualitative data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The results showed that in Thai (EMI) classrooms it is difficult to ignore the learners' L1 (Thai) when learning a foreign language, and students had overall positive perceptions of classroom translanguaging. Limitations and implications are also highlighted.  Article visualizations

Relationship between Self-Esteem, Academic Procrastination and Test Anxiety with Academic Achievement of Post Graduate Diploma In Education (PGDE) Students in Delta State University, Abraka.

In order execute this study, three research questions were raised and three null hypotheses were tested at .05 level of significance. Correlational-descriptive research design was adopted for the study. The entire population of 43 PGDE students were studied without sampling. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Abu-Ghazal’s Academic ProcrastinationQuestionnaire and Suinn’sTest Anxiety Questionnaire with reliability coefficients of .92, .83 and .86 were used as instruments for the study.Achievement scores obtained in Educational Statistics and Introduction to Special Educationwith permission of the Head of the Department, Educational Foundations, Delta State University, Abraka,were collected and used to determine the academic achievement of PGDE students.Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient were used for data analysis. Findings of the study revealed a positive and significant relationshipbetween self-esteem and academic achievement among PGDE students. The study discovered a negative and significant relationship between academic procrastination and academic achievement. Also, the study disclosed a negative and significant relationship between test anxiety and academic achievement. The study concluded that, PGDE students must design time management strategies in order to create a balance between their professional life and postgraduate studies in order to attain optimal academic performance. It was recommended among others that management of universitiesrunning post-graduate programmes should implement flexible assessment and evaluation techniques in measuring the academic success of PGDE students in order to reduce the negative effects of test anxiety and academic procrastination on their academic engagements

ATTITUDE AND SELF-EFFICACY AS CORRELATES OF JOB PERFORMANCE AND SATISFACTION OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATORS IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA

This study assessed attitude and self-efficacy as correlates of job performance and satisfaction of technical and vocational educators in North-east Nigeria. Four research questions guided the study. Four null hypotheses were tested at .05 level of significance. Correlational survey research design was adopted for the study. The study was carried out in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe States tertiary institutions in North-east, Nigeria. The population for the study consisted of 163 technical and vocational educators from 22 federal and state-owned universities and colleges of education in North-east Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach’s alpha formular which yielded reliability coefficient values of 0.88, 0.72, 0.85 and 0.77. Data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficient. The results showed that there is negligible and low positive relationship between attitude and job performance and satisfaction of technical and vocational educators in North-east Nigeria. There is moderate and substantial positive relationship between self-efficacy and job performance and satisfaction of technical and vocational educators. The study further revealed that there is significant relationship between attitude, self-efficacy and job performance and satisfaction of technical and vocational educators in tertiary institutions North-east Nigeria. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that educational agencies and professional associations should collaborate with tertiary institutions to organize workshops and seminars for technical and vocational educators at regular interval to strengthen abilities to ensure effective performance by educators to achieve the objectives of tertiary education as entrenched in the National Policy on Education. Article visualizations

Relationship between Leadership Styles and Productivity of Vocational and Technical Lecturers in Tertiary Institutions in Anambra State, Nigeria

The study was designed to determine the relationship between leadership styles and productivity of vocational and technical lecturers in tertiary institutions in Anambra State, Nigeria. Four research questions were raised and four hypotheses were tested for the study at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted correlational research design. The entire population of 132 vocational and technical educators in public tertiary institutions in Anambra State, Nigeria was studied without sampling. Leadership Style Questionnaire (LSQ) and Lecturers’ Productivity Questionnaire (LPQ) were used for data collection. Cronbach Alpha method was used to establish the reliability of the instrument which yielded coefficient of 0.89 for LSQ and 0.76 for LPQ.  The researchers administered the instrument with the help of four research assistants using direct method to the respondents. Data collected were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correction statistics with SPSS version 23.0. Findings of the study revealed that there is a negative and significant relationship between autocratic leadership style and VTE lecturers’ productivity. Findings also revealed that there is a positive and significant relationship between democratic, transactional and transformational leadership styles and VTE lecturers’ productivity. The null hypotheses raised for the study were rejected. The study concluded that Deans and Heads of Department must switch from one leadership style to another in order to monitor the academic leadership function of lecturers in line with the academic performance of students in vocational and technical education. The study recommended among others that vocational and technical education lecturers should not abuse the conducive working environment created by Deans and Heads of VTE Department as that may lead to organizational breakdown and swift application of rigid style of leadership &nbsp

Influence of College Clubs in Increasing Students’ Interest and Achievement in Nigerian Post-Primary Schools as Perceived by Science Students.

The perceived influence of college club in increasing students’ interest and achievement in Nigerian post-primary schools in Anambra State was studied using a survey research design. The population of the study comprised all senior secondary school science students in Anambra State totaling 9322 as at 2007. From this population, a sample of 140 senior secondary two (SS 11) science students was purposively drawn from those that participated at the Anambra State branch of Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) 2007 science quiz and exhibition competition. A 31-item validated researcher-developed questionnaire arranged in 3 clusters of 14, 10 & 7 was used to collect data. A reliability coefficient of 0.81 was established for the instrument using crombach-alpha. The result of the study revealed that senior secondary students in Anambra State testified that science clubs exist and is functional in most secondary schools in the state and has positive influence in increasing students’ interest and achievement in science subjects as well as science and technology related careers. It was therefore recommended among others that every effort on the part of government, school head and students should be made to establish and sustain a functional science club in secondary schools in Anambra state. Keywords: Influence, College, Clubs, Interest, Achievement, Post-Primary Schools, Student

Barriers to Accessing Good Eye Care Services in Nigeria: A Focus on Anambra State.

Certain forms of blindness can be prevented if the right steps and treatments are applied at the right times, but this is not always possible due to the challenges patients face in accessing eye care services. The aim of this study was to explore and identify the barriers in accessing good eye care services in Anambra State Nigeria, and suggest how the three major stakeholders could work in harmony to minimise these barriers and facilitate easier access. Three main stakeholders in eye health comprising of 28 key informants (the target population), 8 service providers (the eye doctors) and 3 policy makers were identified and recruited for this study through purposive sampling method. Data was collected from all consenting participants through semi-structured interviews. The resulting transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis framework. Poverty and inability to pay for eye care services has been the most prominent barrier among this population. Other barriers include: distance of eye care service centres from the rural dwellers, fear of financial exploitation from the service providers, fear of treatment outcome and the availability of other cheaper treatment options. Also other barriers identified were: the ability to cope with eye disease, seriousness of the symptoms and lack of awareness of eye diseases and the related risk factors. Poverty remains a major determinant of health in Nigeria. Therefore to reduce the barriers to accessing eye care services in Nigeria, the three stakeholders must work in harmony.Keywords: eye care services, barriers, challenges, Anambra State, accessing services

Vocationalisation of Secondary Education in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Prospects

It is highly indisputable that, the ever-escalating level of chronic unemployment among youths in many countries across the globe coupled with the resulting high level of social unrest among the youth’s accounts for the increased emphasis on acquisition of vocational skills for self-reliance. The paper discusses vocationalisation of secondary education in Nigeria and also examined Nigeria’s policy initiatives at vocationalisation of secondary education. It also discusses the fundamental issues in vocationalisation of secondary education, as well as some of the pressing challenges hampering effective vocationalisation of education in Nigeria. The paper suggests, among others, that a model secondary school should be established in each local government area in the country. Such schools should be fully equipped with the necessary facilities, equipment and staff for effective training of students in vocational areas. In addition, provision of infrastructures such as classrooms and workshops across all levels would ease overcrowding, increase access and reduce student/teacher ratio. Keywords: Vocationalisation, secondary education, issues, challenges and prospect

Application of microsatellite markers for hybrid verification and genetic analysis of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)

The legitimacy of parents and progenies used in crop improvement programmes is vital for any meaningful progress in selection. While acknowledging the shortcomings of controlled pollination in oil palm breeding and commercial seed production, the legitimacy of 20 oil palm progenies from the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) breeding programme was determined using 16 fluorescently-labeled microsatellite markers. The genotyping of parents and progenies was conducted by capillary electrophoresis using the ABI 3730 DNA Genetic Analyzer (Applied Biosystems, USA). Results revealed a complementary expression of the parents’ alleles in 18 out of the 20 individual progenies screened, confirming their hybridity and genetic identity. The two illegitimate progenies detected could be attributed to pollination and planting errors, respectively. A subset of three sufficiently informative loci (sMg00016, sMg00179 and sMo00102) was identified for routine quality control genotyping. The detection of illegitimate progenies provided ample evidence to substantiate the importance of assessing hybrid fidelity in breeding programmes. Furthermore, the usefulness of microsatellite markers as a reliable technique for routine assessment and unambiguous identification of oil palm crosses was established. The implications of microsatellite- based hybrid identification in oil palm varietal improvement programmes have been adequately discussed. Key words: Contamination, Genetic identity, Illegitimacy, NIFOR, Parent-Progeny relationships, seed productio

INFLUENCE OF HEAD-TEACHERS CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLE ON TEACHERS’ JOB SATISFACTION IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The study focused on influence of head-teachers conflict management style on teachers’ job satisfaction in public secondary schools in Awka education zone of Anambra State, Nigeria. Two research questions guided the study and two null hypotheses were tested. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population of the study consisted 122 head-teachers in 61 public secondary schools in Awka education zone. No sample was taken, as the population size was manageable. A 16-items structured questionnaire validated by three experts was used for the study. The reliability of the instrument was ascertained using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient to determine its degree of reliability which obtained overall reliability coefficient values of 0.95. Data related to the research questions were analyzed using mean and standard deviation while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that respondents disagreed that head teachers use integrating conflict management style while they agreed in using obliging conflict management style for their job satisfaction. The study revealed that head teachers’ years of teaching experience does not affect the uses of integrating and obliging conflict management style in their job satisfaction. It was concluded that integrating conflict management style are rarely used by the head teacher. It was recommended, among others, that Head teachers should strive at minimizing conflicts and use appropriate methods to manage them such integrating either than obliging conflict management style.  Article visualizations