Journal Articles

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  Psychometric Properties of the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire Using Nigerian University Students with Chronic Pain

  This study was set to determine the psychometric properties of the pain self-efficacy questionnaire among Nigerian university students with chronic pain. A sample size of 256 Nigerian university students with chronic pains was used. The construct validation of the PSEQ was done using exploratory factor analysis while the internal consistency and stability reliability indices were estimated using Cronbach Alpha method. The study found that the items of the PSEQ correlated positively with each other (r = 0.72) and PSEQ is a unidimensional instrument with good internal consistency reliability. By implication, the Nigerian version of PSEQ demonstrated good psychometric properties as already indicated in English language, Portuguese and Dutch versions. Thus, usage of the PSEQ on Nigerian university students with chronic pain will help then to find out the level of adjust in their academic pursuit.
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  Motivation and self-efficacy as correlates of secondary school physics students academic achievement in Benue State

  Research has shown that motivation and self-efficacy are related to students’ achievement in academic activities in school. Studies have been conducted with the view of remedying the poor performance of student in physics but not all have been successful.
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  School-Based Strategies And Support Mechanisms That Will Facilitate Fathers’ Involvement In Children’s Early Learning: A Quantitative Research Approach

  This study surveyed school-based strategies that will facilitate the fathers’ involvement in their children’s early learning based on a quantitative research approach. Using a sample of 94 participants, a descriptive survey design was adopted. Data were collected using a questionnaire instrument. Data were analyzed using mean and independent samples t-test. The results showed that the school-based strategies that can facilitate fathers’ involvement in children’s education include organising meetings for the fathers, contacting fathers on several occasions, school rendering counseling services to fathers among others. The result also indicated taking seriously fathers’ suggestions, arranging get together party for fathers, among others are the school-based support mechanisms to encourage fathers’ involvement in the education of children. The researchers recommend that the South African government should ensure that the identified school-based strategies and support mechanisms are fully implemented.
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  Teachers perceptions about engaging fathers in the early education of their children: A Quantitative Research Approach

  This Study explored teachers’ perceptions about engaging fathers in the early education of their children in one education district in the eastern cape province of south africa.
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  Self-Efficacy and Entrepreneurial Intentions of Technical College Electronics Students in South-East Nigeria

  This study explored the relationship between self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intentions of technical college electronics students in South-east Nigeria. The design of this study was correlation survey research. The sample consists of 220 students of RTVE works made up of 187 males and 33 females. Three instruments were adapted by the researchers for this study and these are Self-efficacy Scale (SES), Entrepreneurial Self-efficacy Scale (ESES) and Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire (EIQ). The data collected were analyzed using mean to answer the research questions while multiple regressions were used in testing the hypotheses. The results revealed a low positive relationship between self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intentions of technical college electronics students. There is a moderate positive relationship between entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intentions of technical college electronics students. There is no difference in the perceived level of entrepreneurial intentions of male and female technical college electronics students. Self-efficacy significantly relates to the entrepreneurial intentions of technical college electronics students. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy significantly relates to the entrepreneurial intentions of technical college electronics students. Based on these findings, some educational implications were highlighted and recommendations made.
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  Socio-economic supports available for the education of adolescent girls in child-headed families in the Kingdom of Eswatini: Policy Implication for Educational Evaluators

  The study sought the socio-economic supports available for the high school adolescent girl learners from child-headed families (CHFs). The study used the phenomenological research design using a total of 40 learners from five (5) rural schools which were randomly selected for the study. Data were collected using focus group discussions and individual interviews. Data collected were thematically analyzed by scrutinizing them for commonalities. The findings of the study revealed that the adolescent girls in CHFs receive the majority of their socio-economic supports from the communities and non-governmental organizations while the government does not do much for them in terms of their socio-economic needs for their education. Hence, the participants expected from government full support for them in terms of their educational socio-economic needs. These findings have policy implications for educational evaluators across the globe. This implies that educational evaluators in conjunction with the appropriate government authority need to come up workable policy document to submit the children from CHFs. It was recommended, that the Ministry of education and Training should make frantic efforts to ensure that the educational needs of adolescent girls in CHFs are met.
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  Socio-educational development of pre-school children in Eastern Cape: Factors militating against fathers’ readiness to participate

  Past studies on South African fathers’ less or non-involvement in their children’s development have either approached it qualitatively, with rural dwellers that are less educated than participants, or those that were quantitatively limited in terms of their focus and methodology. There is, therefore, a dearth of quantitative data on factors affecting South African fathers’ readiness to participate in their children’s development. It is precisely this realisation that has prompted this research paper. For this study, a descriptive survey research design with a sample of 300 university students was adopted. A questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.78 was used to collect data, and both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed in the analysis at 0.05 level of significance. Absence of father at home (weighted average = 3.72), relationship with the mother of the child (weighted average = 3.63), and financial factors (weighted average = 3.46) are identified as those factors conspiring against South African fathers’ readiness, while fathering skills (weighted average = 3.41) are not one of these factors. The conclusion drawn, based on the findings of this research, is that counselling service units ought to be established in all communities in South Africa to work with families so as to help facilitate and maintain positive and cordial relationship amongst them.
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  Socio-Psychological Factors As Correlates Of Students' Performance In Chemistry: Implication For Science And Engineering Education

  This study was carried out to determine the relationship between socio-psychological factors and students’ academic performance in chemistry. Three research questions and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The research design was correctional research design. A questionnaire developed by the researchers was used to collect data. The questionnaire was face validated and trial tested. Internal consistency reliability index of 0.75 was obtained using Cronbach alpha method. Data obtained were analyzed using simple linear regression analysis. The major findings revealed among others that there is a significant relationship between attitude and students’ academic performance in chemistry; there is a significant relationship between motivation and students’ academic performance in chemistry and that there is a significant relationship between self-regulation and students’ performance in chemistry. These findings have implications for students’ career choices in science and engineering education in Universities in Nigeria. The significant positive relationship obtained for sociopsychological factors and students’ achievement in Chemistry implies an improved enrolment as well as performance of students in science and engineering education at University level.
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  South African Academics’ P South African Academics’ Perception of the Impact of W ception of the Impact of Work From Home (WFH) on E WFH) on Effective Teaching and Learning in Univ eaching and Learning in Universities

  This study utilized a qualitative research approach using specifically phenomenological case study research design in a sample of 28 university lecturers in Gauteng, Free State, and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa. Qualitative data were collected using a validated interview schedule. Data collected were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study showed that faculty of education academics perceived working from home orchestrated by COVID-19 as a negative development for the fact that it drained them mentally and thus affected negatively their teaching and learning. Besides, the research participants reported that working from home stalled their academic productivity due to distractions arising from home demands. Conclusively, WFH impacted negatively on effective teaching and learning in universities in South Africa. It was thus recommended that an adequate online learning platform should be put in place always to avoid the repeat of this negative impact of WFH in the future.
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  Stakeholders’ Views on Engaging Fathers in Early Childhood Care and Education

  This study explored stakeholder views on the engagement of fathers in early childhood care and education (ECCE) provisioning in one educational district in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. A descriptive-survey research design was adopted for the study, with a sample of 309 respondents. The Principals and Teachers’ Views Questionnaire and the Fathers and Mothers’ Views Questionnaire (PTVQ and FMVQ, respectively) were used for data collection. The internal consistency reliability indices of the items of the instruments were 0.94 and 0.96 for the PTVQ and FMVQ, respectively, using Cronbach’s alpha. The mean and the t-test were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that stakeholders have positive views on the engagement of fathers in ECCE. Conclusively, fathers’ engagement in ECCE is paramount in ECCE. It is recommended that fathers should be engaged to shoulder their responsibilities by discussing the importance of good education with their children.
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  Students’ Perception Of Teachers’ Pedagogical Skills And Its Influence On Their Attitude Towards Science: Implication For Science, Technology And Engineering Careers

  The study assessed students’ perception of teachers’ pedagogical skills and its influence on attitude towards science in Owerri, Imo state. The study adopted an ex-postfacto research design using a sample of 400 senior secondary II science students. Two researcher developed instruments were used for data collection namely Students’ Perception of Teachers’ Pedagogical Skill Questionnaire (SPTPSQ) and Students’ Attitude Towards Science Questionnaire (SATSQ). The instruments were face validated. Using Cronbach Alpha method, reliability indices of the two instruments were established. Percentages, mean and standard deviation were used to provide answers to the research questions while analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the study revealed that students perceived that science teachers have low pedagogical skills. Also, students’ perception of the teachers’ pedagogical skills had significant influence on their attitude towards science. This finding implicates students’ career choices in science, technology and engineering at higher institutions in that their poor attitude towards science as a result of teachers’ poor pedagogical skills will result to their poor attitude towards science, technology and engineering courses. Based on these findings, the researcher recommended that science teachers should endeavour to acquire appropriate pedagogical skills to enable the students develop positive attitudes towards science, technology and engineering careers at high level of education.
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  Teacher Job Dissatisfaction: Implications for Teacher Sustainability and Social Transformation

  Teachers play a key role in the social transformation agenda. This agentic position of the teacher implicates an agenda for sustainability programmes that position them for this complex responsibility. A qualitative case study research design was employed to obtain the perspectives of teachers on job dissatisfaction. The researchers followed a semi-structured interview approach to explore teachersí broader understanding on causes of job dissatisfaction among them. Data was interpreted through the narrative analysis model. Results indicate that a lack of resources, overcrowded classes and lack of discipline among learners were serious sources of dissatisfaction among teachers. Administrative issues, lack of recognition by principals and parents for good work done also caused dissatisfaction among teachers in this study. It was also indicative that job dissatisfaction caused disengagement of some teachers with a consequent lack of focus on professional activities and being negative in their job. The study concludes that teacher satisfaction is germane for the sustainability of social transformation.
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  Teachers’ Experiences with Dyslexic Learners in Mainstream Classrooms: Implications for Teacher Education

  Inclusive education represents the main ethos of the Kingdom of Eswatini education system. This reflects on both the constitution and on various education policies since the country became a signatory to the goals of Education for All. However, it would appear that major constraints impede the education vision that resonates through the charter of ‘no child is left behind’. The education of learners with dyslexia is then called into empirical questions with a focus on the experiences of teachers of such category of learners within the Eswatini education system. A phenomenological research design was chosen, using a convenience sampling technique to select 12 English language teachers of dyslexic learners. Data were obtained by individual semi-structured interviews and by non-participant observations. Content analysis was employed to analyze the data, which were then presented thematically. Peer review, as well as member checks, were used to improve the trustworthiness of data. The main themes that emerged were insufficient time, unwelcoming attitudes, lack of support, and lack of training of teachers of dyslexic learners. It was equally evident that teachers were challenged by insufficient training to enable them to deal with dyslexic learners. Without an effective support structure for teachers, the education of dyslexic learners would remain a chimera. This finding implicates the teacher education programmes in colleges of education and universities in the sense that training on inclusive classroom teaching should form part of the teacher education programme.
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  Teachers' perspectives on the implementation of teenage mothers' school re‐entry policy in Eswatini Kingdom: Implication for educational evaluators

  Introduction: In the global context, there have been high records of teenage girls drop out in schools than teenage boys. This ugly occurrence is attributed to teenage pregnancy and little or no concerns have been given to the school re‐entry policy for such category of students especially in the Eswatini Kingdom, Swaziland. Thus, this study explored the perceptions of teachers regarding the implementation of the teenage mothers' school re‐entry policy in the Manzini region of Eswatini. Method: A qualitative research approach was adopted for the study using a sample of 15 participants. Data collection instrument a semistructured interview guide. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed. Results: The findings indicated a lack of awareness and understanding of both the policy and its guidelines among participants. The results further showed that the implementation of the re‐entry policy is crucial if a teenage pregnant girl child's education is to be realized in Eswatini. Conclusion: Without proper implementation of such a policy, the affected girls could end up, uneducated and poor. Thus, educational evaluators should come up with appropriate policy documents for girl child.
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  Teaching Engagement and Preschool Practitioners’ Disciplining Practice in Post-Corporal Punishment Era: A Correlational Quantitative Evaluation

  Studies have been conducted on the disciplining practices adopted by preschool teachers at the post-corporal punishment era. However, there is dearth of empirical evidence on the nature of the relationship between the preschool teachers’ disciplining practice and their teaching engagement. Thus, the researchers explored the relationship between preschool teachers’ disciplining practice and their teaching engagement using school type as a possible moderator. A correlational survey research design was adopted for the research using a sample of 156 preschool teachers. Teacher disciplining practice and teaching engagement questionnaires were used for data gathering. These instruments were face validated and trial tested yielding internal consistency reliability indices of 0.79 and 0.82 respectively using the Cronbach alpha method.Linear regression analysis was conducted to answer the research questions and test the corresponding null hypotheses at 5% probability levels.The results of the analysis showed that preschool teachers’ disciplining practice had as significant (p< .05) positive relationship with teaching engagement. It was also revealed that school type had significant (p< .05) moderating influence on the relationship between preschool teachers’ disciplining practice and teaching engagement.This implies that when preschool teachers adopt better classroom disciplining practice, they will have good and effective teaching engagement.
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  Testing the Efcacy of Family Health‑Model of REBT on Family Values and Quality of Family Life Among Parents of Children with Visual Impairment

  The high rate of negative thinking in family circles due to the presence of children with visual impairment has grossly afects the quality of family life. In the case of Nigeria, low quality of family life is prevalent among parents of children with visual loss. This study attempts to validate the efcacy of a rational emotional family health therapy in addressing family values and quality of life among parents of children with visual impairment in Enugu state Nigeria. A group randomized controlled design, participants comprised 132 parents whose children were living with visual impairment in Enugu state, Nigeria. The participants in REFHP-group were exposed to a 12-session treatment programme whereas their counterparts in the waitlisted control group did not receive this intervention. Two measures-Family Quality of Life Scale and Family Value Scale were utilized in assessing the participants at three time points. Data analyses were completed using repeated measures ANOVA. Findings revealed that rational emotive family health therapy had a signifcantly positive efect on increasing family values and quality of family life among the study participants of the treatment group. This study contributes to the scholarship on the efcacy of rational emotive family health therapy in improving family values and quality of family life among parents of children with visual impairment.
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  The Efect of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy on Post‑Traumatic Depression in Flood Victims

  Posttraumatic depression is often observed among food victims all over the world including Nigeria. People who survived the experience of food tend to sufer long‐term psychosocial efects such as distress, anxiety, pain, learned helplessness, social dysfunctions that eventually lead to depression. These negative consequences engender irrational beliefs that are part of psychopathologies among food victims. Exposing food victims in Nigeria to rational emotive approaches that would enable them to manage their posttraumatic depression could be an important opportunity to make them feel less depressed and become more functional and successful in their life and the word of work. This study examines the efect of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) intervention on posttraumatic depressed food victims in Nigeria. A total number of 98 participants (parents) were randomly assigned to treatment (n=49) and the waitlisted control (n=49) groups. REBT Depression Manual was used for the delivery of the intervention while depression was evaluated using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Goldberg Depression Scale. The data of the pretest, posttest and follow-up were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS version 22. Specifcally, Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used for method of data analysis. Result indicated that REBT program led to the signifcant reduction in posttraumatic depressed food victims in Nigeria, the implication is that posttraumatic thoughts and beliefs of food victims that led to depressive state was addressed, thereby placing the victims under good mental health through the application of REBT evidence-based techniques.
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  The Effects of Mother-Child Mediated Learning Strategies on Cognitive Modifiability and Psychological Resilience of Children With Learning Disabilities: A Replication of Tzuriel and Shomron’s Study (2018) With Nigerian Children

  This study determined the effects of mother-child mediated learning (MCML) strategies on the psychological resilience (PR) and cognitive modifiability (CM) of children with learning disabilities (LD) using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The study utilized a sample of 60 mothers and 60 children with LD. These children were both male (63%) and female (37%) primary five level children diagnosed with LD and were sampled from inclusive primary schools in Enugu State, Nigeria. The mean age and standard deviation of the children was 10.5 ± 1.04 years. Data collected were analyzed using a SEM approach. The findings of the study showed that (a) the causal model for the explanation of the effects of MCML on the PR and CM of pupils with LD significantly fitted in the observed causal model and (b) MCML had a significant effect on the PR as well as CM of children with LD. One implication of this study is that the PR, as well as the CM of children with LD, can be enhanced through MCML.
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  Transformation and decolonisation of mathematics education for sustainable development: A case study of its learning trend in Nigeria

  the quest to contextualise education in Africa has been on-going for a while and many countries have been making efforts towards it. During this time of educational review, conscious efforts should be made to identify problematic levels of some subjects that are dreadful to the learners to pave the way for curriculum re-design for context appropriateness. Mathematics learning in African countries has been a source of concern to all educational stakeholders despite several efforts towards its deconstruction. An examination of performance trend in the subject might reveal at what point the learning started declining and this will suggest intervention towards decolonisation of its content. This study measured the academic performance of pupils from preschool level up to the end of primary education (VI class). A descriptive survey research design was adopted and 720 Primary VI pupils were selected through multistage sampling technique in a state in Nigeria. Primary School Mathematics Performance Record Sheet (PSM_PRS) was used to collect mathematics scores from preschool through Primary VI class. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and graphs. Pupils started experiencing major declines in mathematics from Primary III class. Results also indicate no significant difference in the class where male and female pupils’ performances started declining. Therefore, there is the need to review and contextualise mathematics content from third year in primary/elementary school for effective learning. Activity-based and exploratory strategies using contextual experiences and resources to deliver mathematics lessons were recommended for third year in primary/elementary schools and beyond.
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  Two-Dimensional Animation and Students’ Achievement in Mathematical Economics: Implications for Science Teaching

  The twenty-first-century classroom comes with changes in instructional delivery. This has demanded a paradigm shift on pedagogical practices. In the Nigerian context, literature is scarce on the impact of two-dimensional (2D) animation on students’ achievement. Thus, this study explored the impact of 2D animation technique on students’ achievement in mathematical contents of Economics. Non-equivalent groups quasi-experimental design was adopted for the study with a sample size of 162 senior secondary 2 Economics students. The sample is made up of 80 male students and 82 female students drawn from four co-educational secondary schools in Enugu metropolis, Enugu State. Economics Achievement Test (EAT) was used for data collection. An internal consistency reliability coefficient of the items of the EAT was obtained to be 0.79 using Kudder-Richardson’s formula 20. Data collected were analysed using mean and analysis of covariance. The results showed that students taught the mathematical contents of Economics with two- dimensional animation technique had significantly higher post-test and follow-up mean achievement scores than those exposed to the conventional method. Thus, the 2D animation technique impacted positively on students’ achievement in mathematical contents of economics. This finding has implication for science teaching meaning that 2D can equally be applied in the teaching of mathematically related science subjects such as physics and chemistry. It was recommended among others that 2D animation technique should be used in teaching economics in secondary schools.
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  University Academics’ Perceptions Regarding the Use of Information Technology Tools for Effective Formative Assessment: Implications for Quality Assessment through Professional Development

  The study sought the perceptions of university academics on the use of IT tools for the formative assessment (FA) of students’ learning outcomes. This study adopted a quantitative research approach and descriptive survey research design using a sample of 180 university academics. Academics’ perception questionnaire was used for data collection. The instrument with two clusters was properly validated, and its internal consistency reliability indies found to be 0.79 and 0.85 for clusters A and B using the Cronbach alpha method. The obtained data were analysed using mean and t-test of independent samples. The results revealed that university academics perceived the use of information technology tools as veritable tools for effective implementation of FA. Further analysis revealed that the perceptions of the academics differed significantly by gender and qualification. IT tools are indispensable in the effective implementation of formative assessment practices in institutions of higher learning. This finding implies that quality assessment can be achieved using IT tools, but there is a need for professional development of the lecturers. It was therefore recommended that efforts should be made by the Nigerian Education stakeholders in making adequate provisions for the effective implementation of quality assessment using IT tools.
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  Using an inquiry-based approach to enhance grade 3 learners’ basic science concepts development

  This study explored Grade 3 teachers’ use of an inquiry-based approach to mediate the development of basic science concepts among learners within the socio-cultural theory. This study adopted interpretive case study research of the qualitative type, using a sample of four (4) female teachers who use the home language of learners as the language of instruction. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview guide and observational schedule which was properly validated. Analysis of data was achieved through thematic data analysis. The result of the study revealed that the foundation phase teachers are aware of the importance of the use of the inquirybased approach in mediating the development of basic science concepts by the learners, but only one out of the four participants implemented it. Thus, it was recommended that there should be a provision of further professional development spaces that promote a community of practice in using an Inquiry-Based Approach in the Foundation Phase.
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  Relative effect of animated and non-animated powerpoint presentations on physics students’ achievement

  This paper determined the relative effect of animated and non-animated powerpoint (PPT) presentations on students’ achievement in physics. A non-equivalent group quasi-experimental research design was adopted for the study, using a sample of 88 senior secondary two students drawn from secondary schools in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State. A 30-item multiple-choice Physics Achievement Test (PAT) was used for data collection. The instrument was both face and content validate. The internal consistency reliability of the items of the PAT was established to be 0.76 using Kuder–Richardson formula 20, while the estimated temporal stability was obtained to be 0.88 using Pearson’s product-moment correlation. The mean was used to answer the research questions while t-test of independent samples was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that animated PPT significantly enhanced the achievement of students in physics than the non-animated PPT presentation.
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  Recruitment and retention of male educators in preschools: Implications for teacher education policy and practices

  In the study reported on here we employed the interpretivist qualitative approach to explore the recruitment and retention of male educators in preschool centres. Purposive sampling was used to select 2 preschool owners, 2 principals, 4 preschool educators and 2 male educators in the Foundation Phase. Data were obtained by in-depth interviewing and were analysed thematically. Results showed no male educators in preschools in the education district where the study was conducted. Misinterpretation of cultural roles, stigma, fear and prejudice, low educator status within the preschool sector and a lack of male recruitment policies were found to be negatively affecting the recruitment of males into the preschool sector. A gender balance that ensures that both female and male educators are recruited within the preschool sector would appear to be congruent with the philosophical underpinnings of the Social Role Theory (SRT). The Departments of Education and Social Development should, therefore, embark on awareness campaigns to educate all stakeholders on the need for a gender balance within the preschool sector.
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  Rational emotive intervention for work-family confict and female primary school teachers’ well-being

  Globally, work and family confict has been investigated by many researchers. Yet there is an increased prevalence of work-family confict and its infuence on the well-being of the female teaching population, especially Nigerian primary school teachers. This incidence has kept a good proportion of schoolteachers vulnerable to health problems as well as afected their wellbeing. This study evaluates the efect of rational emotive behaviour therapy on improving the well-being of female teachers with irrational behaviours arising from the work-family confict. This is a randomized study. A total of 69 female primary school teachers in Enugu state Nigeria who met the criteria for inclusion were used as the study participants. Three self-report measures (Work-Family Confict questionnaire, Multidimensional Health States Scale-Short Form, and Teacher Irrational Belief Scale) were used to collect data. Repeated measures with analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to determine the efects of the intervention. The fndings of the study revealed that REBT had a signifcant efect on the well-being scores of Nigerian female pimary school teachers with work-family confict when compared to their counterparts in the no-intervention group at Time 2. In addition, the efect of REBT on improving well-being in female teachers with work-family confict was signifcantly maintained at the follow-up measurements (Time 3). In conclusion, it is suggested that REBT is an efective intervention for moderating the efect of work-family confict on the well-being of career female teachers. As such, cognitive behavioural therapists can further examine the efectiveness of REBT using other constructs and cultures.