Department of Teacher Education
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Item Spatial distribution, accumulation and human health risk assessment of heavy metals in soil and groundwater of the Tano Basin, Ghana(Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2018-12) Doyi, I.; Essumang, D.; Gbeddy, G.; Dampare, S.; Kumassah, E.; Saka, D.Soil serves as a vast matrix for heavy metal accumulation and subsequent redistribution to critical aspects of the environment such as groundwater. Soil pollution study is essential for sustainable human health and ecosystem protection. This study provides vital insight into the fate, accumulation, interactions, and health risk posed by heavy metals in soil and groundwater by employing geochemical accumulation index (Igeo), risk assessment models and multivariate data analysis techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA), preference ranking organisation method for enrichment evaluation (PROMETHEE) and geometrical analysis for interactive aid (GAIA). The median Igeo estimates show moderate to strong Pb accumulation levels whilst all the other metals indicate uncontaminated to moderate levels. The PCA output point to anthropogenic origin of Pb and Cd in the Tano Basin and surrounding communities. PROMETHEE-GAIA results indicate that Pb, Cd, Zn and Fe accumulated in the soil matrix may potentially leach into the groundwater resources. The carcinogenic lifetime risks posed by Pb, Cd, and Ni metals to adults are within the tolerable acceptable risk and thus do not present an immediate danger in the study area. Due to the significant toxicity, bioaccumulation and biomagnification properties of Pb and Cd in the environment, areas associated with significant anthropogenic activities require regular monitoring and evaluation in order to ensure that these metals are consistently below the regulatory limits. This study has further elucidated the subject of heavy metal pollution and is therefore expected to enhance sustainable protection of the environment and human health.Item Corporal punishment in the schools of Ghana: Does inclusive education suffer?(Australian Educational Researcher, 2006-12) Agbenyega, J.S.This paper reports on a study that compared the practice of corporal punishment in ten basic schools in the Greater Accra District in Ghana. Five of the ten schools were designated as inclusive project schools (IPS) and the other five as non-inclusive project schools (NIS). The primary purpose was to find out if the inclusive project schools were more effective in eradicating corporal punishment from their schools than were the non-project schools. One hundred teachers responded to a six-item questionnaire. A further 22 participants comprising ten teachers from the survey group, ten pupils and two directors of education were interviewed. Observation of the classroom practices, where these teachers work, substantiated the questionnaire and interview findings. The overall results indicated that corporal punishment still persists in both school sites at relatively the same scale. Three themes were found to underpin the administration of corporal punishment to students in these schools. (1) Punishment as an effective learning imperative (2) Punishment as a moral imperative (3) Punishment as religious imperative. The implications of these findings pertaining to inclusive education are discussed.Item An investigation into senior high school (shs3) physics students understanding of data processing of length and time of scientific measurement in the Volta region of Ghana(International Journal of Research Studies in Educational Technology, 2014-04) Kumassah, E.; Ampiah, J.; Adjei, E.Serious doubt have been raised in the Physics Chief Examiner’s report of the West African Examination Council of Ghana of both physics-1 (theory) and physics-2 (practical) as to whether science students really understand measurement of physical quantities. In view of this, the researcher use a mixed designed method to gather data from SHS3 physics students’ on their understanding of data processing of length and time. A population of 422 SHS3 physics students were sampled and a three item questionnaire on distance and time administered in order to find out whether the problem enumerated by the Chief Examiners’ of Physics concerning physics students exist and were either with the set paradigm or the point paradigm concept. Also twenty SHS3 physics were purposively selected and interviewed in order to validate students’ written responses. The study revealed that students do not have an understanding of using repeat in data set, anomaly in data set and straight line graph of data by the set paradigm concept i.e. all the three items on data processing of students (i.e. UR, AN, and SLG) were in line with the point paradigm concept of measurement. Also students seemed to have difficulty in plotting straight line graph by the use of lines of best fit.Item Multilevel Modeling of Factors that Influence Mathematics Achievement in Ghana: A Secondary Analysis of TIMSS 2007 and 2011(2015-11) Butakor, P.K.The purpose of this study was to examine which student, teacher, and principal variables best explained the performance of the population of Grade 8 students in Ghana. This study was necessitated by the consistent low performance of Ghana's grade eight students in TIMSS since 2003. Ghana, as a country, ranked second last, second last, and last for the 2003, 2007, and 2011 TIMSS assessments. A probability sample of Grade 8 students in a probability sample of schools participated in the TIMSS 2007 (5,294 students nested within 162 schools) and 2011 (7,323 students nested within 160 schools). The students responded to the mathematics achievement test for which a matrix item and student matrix sampling design was used. The students, teachers, and principals responded to their respective questionnaires. Since the students were selected from classes that were nested within schools, HLM analyses were used to analyze the data. However, only one class was selected from each school in each year. Consequently, 2-level HLM analyses were conducted. Prior to the analyses, the maximum likelihood with expectation maximization (EM) algorithm was employed to replace all the missing values at both the student level and teacher/principal level for both 2007 and 2011,and exploratory factor analyses conducted for clusters of similar items in the three questionnaires to reduce the number of predictor variables. The final numbers of variables were 40 student and 40 teacher/principal variables in 2007, and 15 student and 37 teacher/principal variables in 2011. The final parsimonious HLM model contained 20 student variables and five teacher/principal variables which accounted for 27% of the student variance and 51 % of the teacher/principal variance in 2007; the corresponding numbers for 2011 were nine, seven, 20%, and 54%. The change in the number of variables in the final models for the two years is due to changes made in the questionnaires. These changes precluded comparing the 2007 and 2011 results other than to say the variance explained at the student level and at the teacher/principal level were similar in each year (approximately 20% at the student level and 54% at the teacher/principal level). Taken together, it was concluded that lack of proper preparation of teachers in rural areas, questionable school climate and safety, emphasis on lower rather than higher thinking skills, inconsistent use of homework, failure to engage students in their learning, lack of progress of girls, lack of students' interest and confidence in mathematics, and students' lower educational aspiration contributed to Ghana's low performance on the TIMSS 2007 and 2011 assessments. Implications for practice and recommendations for research are provided.Item A comparison of DIF detection and effect size measures among Mantel-Haenzel, SIBTEST, and Logistic regression using a science test data(frican Journal of Science and Research, 2015-02) Butakor, P.K.The Differential item functioning (DIF) occurs when individuals of the same a bility level from separate groups have different probability of answering an item correctly. This study was conducted in two parts: in the first part a real science test data was analyzed and the consistencies among the three DIF detection procedures were examined and in the second part, simulated data for a short test was used in comparing the consistencies among the procedures. In the first part, students’ response data from a large-scale science achievement test were analyzed for gender DIF. A sample of 2600 (1500 males and 1100 females) was randomly selected for this study. The Science test consisted of 49 items. DIF statistical analyses were conducted on the data using MH, SIBTEST, and LR. All test statistics were interpreted at an alpha-level of 0.05. For SIBTEST, the guideline developed by Roussos and Stout (1996) was employed. The study suggests that the different procedures provided consistent estimates on the magnitude and direction of DIF and thus supports the recommendation that multiple DIF detec tion procedures should be used in real testing situation to reduce the uncertainty associated with the analysis interpretation of empirical testing data.Item Ghanaian Students in TIMSS 2011: Relationship between Contextual Factors and Mathematics Performance(African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 2017-09) Butakor, P.K.; Ampadu, E.; Cole, Y.Educational effectiveness research has witnessed some growth in the last three decades because the current era of global competitiveness compels each country to train and equip its citizens with knowledge and skills that would make them successful. Researchers from different countries are investigating factors across various levels within the school system that affect students’ learning outcomes and social development. This study applies a multilevel modelling technique (Hierarchical Linear Modeling) on the TIMSS 2011 mathematics data of the Ghanaian Grade 8 students to examine which student-, classroom/teacher- and school-level variables contributed significantly to the performance of Ghanaian students in mathematics. The results indicated that the education system in Ghana is similar to other education systems where the students’ academic achievement is correlated with a set of students, classroom/teacher and school characteristics. However, unlike other educational systems, the findings of the current study suggested that the difference in students’ achievement in mathematics is mainly due to school factors. It was concluded that the poor performance of Ghanaian students in mathematics is at least partially attributable to inadequate preparation of teachers, emphasis on lower rather than higher thinking skills, inconsistent use of homework, failure to engage students in their learning, lack of progress of girls, lack of students’ interest and confidence in mathematics and students’ lower educational aspiration.Item The home environment as a predictor of mathematics achievement in Ghana(International Journal, 2017-01) Butakor, P.K.; Nyarko, K.This paper examined the significant role of the learner’s home environment in Ghanaian grade 8 students’ performance in mathematics in the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Applying multiple linear regression analyses on the TIMSS 2007 data from Ghana revealed a positive association between father’s educational level, watching of TV or videos regularly at home, reading books for enjoyment at home regularly, and doing homework regularly at home and mathematics achievement. On the contrary, a negative relationship was found between mathematics achievement and the number of books at home, home possessions, and the playing of computer games at home regularly. The paper concluded with the recommendation that the learner’s home background should be considered when designing policies and interventions aimed at improving students’ mathematics performance.Item The influence of peer and parent relationships on adolescents’ self-esteem(IFE PsychologIA, 2012-09) Nyarko, K.The study was conducted to find out how parental relationship with their adolecent children and adolescent-peer relationship affect the self-esteem of adolescents. The study was drawn on a sample of 100 adolescent students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. The results did indicate contrary to expectation, a negative relationship between adolescent-peer relationship and their self-esteem. Surprisingly, no link was found between parent-adolescent relationship and the self-esteem of the adolescents. The implications of the study are discussed.Item The effect of corporal punishment and math anxiety on math performance among junior high school students in Ghana(IFE PsychologIA: An International Journal, 2013-09) Nyarko, K.; Kwarteng, A.B.; Akakpo, G.M.; Boateng, R.; Adjekum, N.The study investigates the effect of corporal punishment and math anxiety on math performance at the Virgo Preparatory School in Adabraka, Ghana. Thirty four (34) participants were pre-tested and post-tested using the Mathematics Anxiety Scale for elementary school students. Analysis of the results shows that there is no difference in math performance between students who receive corporal punishment and those who are reinforced as well as those who receive neither reinforcement nor corporal punishment. Finally, no significant negative correlation was found between math anxiety and math performance; however, females were found to be more anxious of maths than males. The implications of the findings are discussed.Item Parenting Styles and Children’s Academic Performance(Parenting Across Cultures, 2014-09) Nyarko, K.This study examines the effect of parenting styles on the academic performance of children. It looks at parenting styles and children’s outcome, ethnic groups and parenting styles, family structure and parenting styles, and parenting styles and academic performance. However, the findings suggest inconsistencies regarding the effects of parenting styles on children’s academic performance. Whereas some studies show a positive and significant effect between authoritative parenting and children’s school achievement, others show that there is no effect of parenting styles on the academic achievement of children. Again, it further indicates that single mothers use the permissive parenting style, which might be the reason for the poor academic performance of their children as compared with those from families with both parents. The study therefore underscores the significance of analyzing parenting styles within one’s cultural milieu. While this chapter focuses on Ghana, it can be generalized to other cultures as well.