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Training factors as predictors of students’ self-efficacy beliefs for online journalism practice
By Njuguna, J.
The advent of Internet technologies has heralded new skill demands in the media industry. Since journalism education mainly takes its cue from industry trends, media training institutions are now forced to adjust their curricula and teaching styles to produce online-ready graduates. Drawing on aspects of self-efficacy theory, this correlation study employs a questionnaire to explore how different training factors influence students’ self-efficacy beliefs for online journalism work. A sample of 182 mass communication students from five Rwandan universities participated in the study. Results showed that the training factors explained 29.7% of the variance in the respondents’ self-efficacy beliefs for online journalism work, with positive correlations between all the training factors and the students’ self-efficacy. In particular, the types of online skills (? =.069) and availability of teaching facilities (?=.076) contributed a larger part of the online self-efficacy beliefs than teaching styles (?=.018). These results showed that training factors have a role in boosting students’ beliefs in their capacity to execute online journalism tasks in the industry. Results suggested that journalism educators especially need to enhance different online journalism teaching approaches in order to better develop future professionals who are online-confident for the workplace. © 2020, The International Academic Forum (IAFOR). All rights reserved.
The impact of alcohol misuse on fathering in Northern Uganda: An ethnographic study of fathers
By Oloya, Okot Thomas
The Acholi people of northern Uganda experienced decades of conflict. Alcohol misuse is high among northern Ugandan men. This is common in displaced or post-war communities. Because parents are often the most significant and proximal influence in a child's development, it is important to understand the relationships between parental behavioral health and parenting. The purpose of this ethnographic study was to understand the impact of alcohol misuse on fathering, from fathers' perspectives. We collected qualitative data from several sources, including in-depth interviews with 19 fathers. Informants identified three ways in which a father can "overdrink": drinking to drunkenness, spending too much money on alcohol, or spending too much time drinking alcohol. Fathers described the specific ways in which overdrinking impacted each of the three primary roles of a father, which were identified as providing, educating, and creating a stable home. Of the negative effects of overdrinking, a compromised ability to provide for basic needs was described as the most salient. The findings suggest that support for families in this region should include support for father's substance misuse, as a father's overdrinking is widely understood to be problematic for the entire family.
Underlying strategies for improving entrepreneurial skills development of technical and vocational students in developing countries: using Ghana as a case study
By Ernest Kissi
Purpose: In Ghana, graduates often have limited entrepreneurial skills and rarely undertake entrepreneur initiatives as they are persistently in search of non-existing jobs in the formal sector. On this basis, this study was conducted to identify underlying strategies for improving entrepreneurial skill requirement of technical and vocational students in developing countries using Ghana as a case study. Design/methodology/approach: The study approach was largely mixed, as the study aimed at testing existing theories on the entrepreneurial development of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates and tutors using a quantitative approach. The findings of the study were further validated qualitatively by interviewing TVET experts and tutors. The analysis of the quantitative data gathered was done using relative importance index (RII) and factor analysis (FA). The thematic analysis was employed in analyzing the qualitative data gathered. Findings: The study revealed that four key strategies needed in improving the entrepreneurial skills and entrepreneurial education among TVE students in Ghana: comprised learner/student centred education; problem-based learning (PBL); classrooms that encourage development of intellectual aptitudes and activity-based learning (ABL). However, the leading reasons for non-usage of the underlying strategies were the lack of capacity of the tutors in the adoption of the strategies, lack of availability of human resources at TVET and the poor perception of TVET tutors and students. Some challenges included faced in adopting the strategies encompassed inadequate training resources, tutors’ training not tailored to the emerging technological advancement, insufficient resources and infrastructure, lack of industrial collaboration and readiness of the job market to absolve graduate from TVET. Research limitations/implications: The results of the study showed the mode of instruction delivery of entrepreneurial education should be improved by adopting the key strategies identified in this study in comparison to the conventional mode of education. The findings of this study would stir the policy debate on entrepreneurial education in Ghana. Similarly, further studies could develop relevant hypothesis for testing the identified strategies and its impact on entrepreneurial skill development in Ghana. Originality/value: Various studies on entrepreneurial education has been developed all over the world. This study focused on how the skills of TVE students can be improved. The study further identified reasons for non-usage of these strategies in improving the entrepreneurial skills and entrepreneurial education by TVET tutors and other challenges faced by tutors who adopted the underlying strategies. A study of this nature in Ghana is novel and cogent findings were elicited from this study that could form the basis for policymaking and curriculum development in developing countries. © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Undergraduate students and time spent on social networking sites: A study of the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria
By Aduloju E.T.
Social media sites allow students particularly in tertiary institutions to adopt different types of social networking sites to interact; keep in touch with their families and friends and keep up with their academic assignments. Conversely, there has been a growing concern that students at the tertiary level in Nigeria have devoted much of their time to communication through social networking sites at the expense of serious academic work. Thus, the study investigated how the undergraduate students of the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria make use of social media sites for academic purposes. It also examined how much time the students allotted to socialisation and academic work in the use of online media. Anchored on the Uses and Gratification Theory, the survey research design was adopted while questionnaire was used as the instrument of data collections. Data were generated from a sample of 600 respondents randomly selected from six faculties from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Findings showed that most undergraduate students devoted more time to social networking sites mainly for socialisation and only used the sites for academic purposes when they were given assignments or when researching on a particular topic. The findings also revealed that the length of time spent on social networking sites socialising reduced the respondents’ ability to concentrate on academic work and eventually led to poor performance of undergraduate students. Based on the findings and conclusion, it was recommended among others, that media literacy education as a course should be introduced and integrated into the tertiary institutions’ progammes, especially at the undergraduate level. © 2020, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Journalism. All rights reserved.
Undergraduate business education students’ perception on information and communication technology use in teaching and learning
By Patrick Uzo Osadebe
The study was carried out to assess the undergraduate Business Education Students’ Perception on the use of Information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning in the University. Thus, to achieve the purpose, two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. A sample of 100 students was randomly drawn using balloting and proportionate stratified random sampling techniques. A questionnaire of 4-point scale was used to collect data. It has face validity determined through expert judgement, and construct validity verified through factor analysis. The reliability of the instrument was obtained through Cronbach Alpha. A reliability coefficient of 0.82 was obtained as a measure of internal consistency. The data collected were analyzed with mean and Z-test. Mean was used to answer the research questions while Z-test was used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The result showed that there was high perception of students to use ICT in teaching and learning in the university. There was no significant difference between male and female students as well as 300 level and 400 level students on the use of ICT in teaching and learning. Therefore, it was recommended that ICT should be used in teaching and learning Business Education in the University. © 2020, Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science. All rights reserved.
Undaunted Souls: The Experiences of Blind Students at Bahir Dar University
By Wudmatas, D.
To the knowledge of the present researcher, studies on the experience of blind students in the Ethiopian higher education institutions are very limited, and thus this study is meant to make some contribution on the subject. The study focused on the experiences of 22 blind students, randomly picked from two campuses of Bahir Dar University. To that end, using a case study design, data were generated through in-depth interview, key-informant interview, and focus group discussions on the availability of support services, challenges participants experienced, and their coping mechanisms. Results of the study revealed that, though the university provided participants with some financial support on an annual and a monthly basis, several challenges were still affecting the participants’ academic and social experiences. The study has implicated the inclusion of blind students cannot be complete unless equal emphasis is given to ensure accessible instructional materials (in Braille or audio files), pedagogy, and facilities. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Twin-track approach to teacher training in Ghana: exploring the moderation effect of demographic variables on pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education
By Joslin Alexei Dogbe
The government of Ghana has demonstrated commitment towards implementing inclusive education in selected schools. However, a major concern has been the lack of teachers’ skills in addressing diverse needs of students in classrooms. While there are parallel institutions training teachers, the perceptions and level of acceptance among pre-service teachers in terms of practicing inclusive education across these institutions is hitherto unresearched. The Sentiments, Attitudes and Concerns about Inclusive Education Revised scale was used to collect data from the participants (n = 855), who were recruited from two campuses of a public university (n = 331) and three colleges of education (n = 524). We found an interaction effect of the demographic variables of school type, contact with students with disabilities and familiarity with inclusive education policy on pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education. The implications of these findings for initial teacher preparation for the implementation of inclusive education are discussed. © 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Troubled spaces: negotiating school–community boundaries in northern Nigeria
By Salihu Bakari
Community participation is a vital component of the educational decentralisation policies that are now widespread in Nigeria. In this paper, we explore school–community relations in different localities in northern Nigeria, where there is both very little inter-generational experience of schooling and minimal engagement by local communities in social and political management processes. Drawing on ethnographic data in and around six primary schools in Adamawa State, northern Nigeria, we problematise school–community relations and highlight the complexities and tensions in their social interactions. This we do by focusing on the school boundary that both connects and distinguishes it from the surrounding community. In particular, we explore the agonistic spatial and temporal regulation that operates at the school boundary, with specific attention to the different ways that students, teachers and the community comply or resist such strategies of governmentality. In concluding, we argue that it is imperative to think through the implications for/of international education and development policies as they are launched in diverse localities. This would help to avoid accounts of local deficit that are so readily invoked when top-down policies reach communities. © 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Trends and determinants of contraceptive use among female adolescents in Ghana: Analysis of 2003–2014 Demographic and Health Surveys
By Francis Appiah
Introduction: Thirty percent (30%) of all deliveries in 2014 were recorded among adolescents in Ghana, whom contraceptive use has been found to be low. Our study, therefore, aimed to retrospectively look at the trends and determinants of contraceptive use (modern and traditional) among female adolescents in Ghana. Materials and methods: We used data from the 2003, 2008 and 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys. The sample for this study comprised sexually active female adolescents aged 15–19 for each of the rounds thereby resulting in a sample of 426 in 2003, 389 in 2008 and 726 in 2014. We calculated the proportion of adolescents using contraceptives (either traditional or modern) for each of the three surveys. We computed the use of contraceptives among adolescents and the type of contraceptives used with respect to their socio-demographic characteristics. Multinomial Logistic Regression was used to assess the determinants of contraceptive use at 95% confidence interval and Odds Ratios (OR) and p-values were reported. Results: Contraceptive use declined from 22.1% in 2003 to 20.4% in 2014. Adolescents who were married had lower odds [OR = 0.09, 95% CI = 0.03–0.96] of using traditional methods of contraception compared to those who were not married. Those who read newspapers at least once a week were more likely to utilize modern contraceptives [OR=1.84, CI = 1.05–4.78] compared to adolescents who did not read newspapers at all. Similarly, those who watched television at least once a week were more likely to use modern contraceptives than those who did not watch television at all [OR = 2.25, CI = 1.06–4.78]. Conclusion: These findings imply that intensifying educational messages on contraceptive use among adolescents using various newspapers and television stations to convey the messages and emphasizing the importance of using modern contraceptive is worthwhile. © 2020 The Authors
Transportation barriers to formal healthcare utilisation and associated factors among poor older people under a social protection programme in Ghana
By Williams Agyemang-Duah
Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme are meant to improve access to services including formal healthcare and enhance quality of life of beneficiaries. However, beneficiaries are still faced with various barriers to services such as formal healthcare. Objective: In this study, with the aid of socio-economic and demographic factors, we predict the likelihood of transportation barriers to formal healthcare utilisation among poor older people under the LEAP programme in Ghana. Results: The study finds that females are significantly more likely to encounter transportation barriers to formal healthcare utilisation compared with their male counterparts (AOR = 2.22; C1 = 0.869–5.673; P = 0.006). Also, we find that respondents aged 85 years or above are significantly more likely to encounter transportation barriers to formal healthcare utilisation than the other age groups (AOR = 1.66; C1 = 0.860–3.710; P = 0.003). Furthermore, we reveal that participants who receive a monthly income of GHS 201 or more are significantly less likely to encounter transportation barriers to formal healthcare utilisation (AOR = 0.784; CI = 0.313–1.962; P = 0.003). Implications and conclusion: The results suggest that gender-based development programmes (education and skills training) at the early stages of life would be needed to ensure economic empowerment, adequate preparation towards old age, and reduce transportation barriers to formal healthcare utilisation among poor older people especially the females. Based on the findings, we conclude that a genuine commitment on the part of social programme implementers to improve cash transfer amounts and ensure regular transfers is likely to lessen transportation barriers among the poor older people in formal healthcare utilisation. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd
Transnational mobility of academics: Some academic impacts [Transnacionalna mobilnost akademikov: Nekateri akademski u?inki]
By Sintayehu Kassaye Alemu
This paper deals with the short-and long-term transnational mobility of academics and some of its impacts, an issue not well addressed in the literature. Through a qualitative literature review, the paper aims to answer the question: What are some of the academic impacts of the transnational mobility of academics? Transnational academic mobility is academic travel across borders of states and is one aspect of the new internationalisation of higher education. It is presented in terms of the roles of academics in teaching-learning experiences as well as knowledge production and transfer. The discussion extends to unpacking the impacts of the transnational mobility of academics in relation to insti-tutional affiliation and academic status and profile. These issues are emphasised because they are major academic issues of transnational academics. From these perspectives, mobile academics have gained benefits but sometimes also faced challenges. © 2020, University of Ljubljana. All rights reserved.
Transition of adolescents with intellectual disability from schools for learners with special educational needs: Parents views for the preparedness
By Yohana Mashalla
Background: Studies on preparedness of parents of adolescents living with intellectual disabilities transitioning from school to adulthood are scarce in sub-Saharan Africa. This study explored views of parents on their preparedness to handle adolescents transitioning from special schools to adulthood. Methods: Descriptive qualitative method was used to collect views of parents of adolescents with intellectual disability on their preparedness to handle transition of their children from school into community life. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings: Twelve female and two male participants expressed concerns on lack of transition plans, adolescent's future, culture and beliefs and inadequate community support. Views of parents of younger children and those of parents of older children were similar. Conclusion: Parents were unprepared for transition of their children from school to community life. Multidisciplinary approach including family involvement and community support is necessary to enhance the transition of adolescents with intellectual disability. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
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