Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze

The concentrations of heavy metals in rice grains and soils from Ada cultivated fields were investigated. Rice and soil samples were digested and the heavy metal concentrations determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results showed the following concentrations of metals (mg/kg): soil—Pb (4.64 ± 2.18), Cd (0.83 ± 0.83), Zn (20.26 ± 18.60), Mn (68.90 ± 19.91), Ni (3.46 ± 2.42), and Cr (21.41 ± 14.6); rice—Pb (3.99 ± 1.43), Cd (1.10 ± 0.53), Zn (65.37 ± 58.09), Mn (37.81 ± 5.82), Ni (3.12 ± 1.49), and Cr (10.87 ± 6.47). The Canadian, Nigerian and Chinese maximum allowable concentration for cadmium in soil were exceeded by 15%, 30%, and 85% of the soil samples, respectively. Heavy metals in all the rice samples evaluated were found to be above the World Health Organization (WHO) maximum permissible limit for lead, cadmium, and chromium. Strong positive and significant correlations were observed between some metal pairs in soil and rice indicating the similarity in origin. The estimated daily intakes of Pb and Cd from rice grown on the fields were higher than the safety levels established by WHO and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee Food Additive, respectively. Hazard quotients and total hazard index for Pb and Cd were greater than 1. This indicates that consumption of rice from these fields will likely induce adverse health effects arising largely from Pb and Cd exposure.

The study to find out the effects of use of instructional material on students cognitive achievement in agricultural science in secondary schools of Orumba South Local Government Area. Quasi experimental design was used. The sample comprised of 256 JS II students randomly sampled from 5 schools drawn from 5 towns in the local Government Area. The students were divided into two groups (experimental and control, group). An Agricultural Achievement Test (AAT) of reliability 0.82 was used for the study. The experimental group was taught using instructional materials while the control group was taught without instructional materials. Data collected was analyzed using mean, standard deviation and z-test statistics. The findings revealed that students taught with instructional materials performed better than those taught without instructional materials. Also there is no significant difference in the mean achievement scores of male and female students. The null hypothesis tested at 0.05 level of significance indicated that there is significant difference between the achievement scores of those taught with instructional materials and those taught without instructional materials. It was therefore recommended that instructional materials be used in teaching in secondary schools because it has positive impact on student’s performance. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n5p103

was also found most often in the study area, with a prevalence rate of 33.6%. Mixed infections with more than one helminth parasite species were found in 16.3% of the cases. A strong association was obtained between prevalence and breed of the dogs and also between prevalence and season. Due to the zoonotic nature of most of the encountered parasites and the close association between children and dogs, routine deworming, proper management of dogs and adequate personal hygiene is therefore recommended.

Qualitative and quantitative interpretations of aeromagnetic map over part of the Southern Bida Basin, West-Central Nigeria have carried out using spectral analysis. The aeromagnetic maps digitized along flight lines of 2km interval. The qualitative interpretation of the magnetic anomaly and first vertical derivative maps revealed that the area is intensely faulted with major faults trending East-West (E-W) and minor ones Northeast-Southwest (NE-SW) directions. The result obtained using the spectral method reveals two depth sources in the area, the deeper sources range from 2.81 to 3.24km, while the shallower sources range from 0.45 to 1.49km.The result also shows a linear depression with sedimentary accumulation trending E-W. The average sedimentary thickness in the region is about 2.90km.

The poor performance of students in chemistry is often blamed on inadequate practical exposure during the teaching of chemistry due to hazardous nature of some chemistry experiments. Consequently, the search for teaching method that will be used to overcome this practical constraint has continued to engage researchers. Specifically, the main purpose of this study is to determine the effects of computer simulation on academic achievement of students in chemistry. Quasi experimental research design, specifically, non–equivalent control group design was used. The sample consisted of 78 which is made up of 38 experimental group (18 males and 20 females) while control group was 40 students (16 males and 24 females) drawn from two coeducational secondary school in Awka Education zone of Anambra State. Instruments used for data collection was Chemistry Achievement Test which was pilot tested for the period of one week in another zone. Scores obtained was used to estimate the instrument reliability which was found to be 0.78 Kuder Richardson formulas 20. Two research assistants were trained in carrying out the teaching using computer simulations. Pretest was given to the students before treatment. After four weeks of teaching, a posttest was given. Mean gain was used to answer the research question while hypotheses was tested with ANCOVA to determine the significance difference. The result revealed that computer simulation was more effective in enhancing students’ achievement in chemistry than lecture method; there was no significant difference on students’ achievement due to gender. It was recommended that computer simulation should be adopted for teaching hazardous chemistry concepts. Based on the findings, it was concluded that computer simulation should be employed in chemistry teaching as a means of improving students’ achievement in the subject and providing a real life experiment for dangerous chemistry practicals.

Abstract This paper was to determine the influential factors that affects the attitude of the students towards the study of vocational/Technical subjects (Home economics) in secondary schools. This was initiated as a result of the students apathy to the study of vocational subjects (Home economics) in secondary schools. In carrying out the research, the focus was to identify the variables or interest, gender, socio-economic status of the parents as it influences the students choice of the study of vocational/Technical subjects (Home economics) were raised top guide the researcher designing the instrument to be used for the study. Structured questionnaires was used for the data collection. A sample of hundred respondents offering vocational/Technical subjects (Home economics) in senior secondary schools were used. The mean frequency distribution and grand mean were used in analyzing the data collected. Major findings were made on the factors that influence the students attitude such as interest, gender, and socio-economic status, the qualification of teachers and instructors and guidance councellers motivated influence. Based on these findings, recommendations for its improvement was proffered.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which academic staff members in tertiary institutions in Nigeria access research grants, and to bring to light the factors that hinder their effort to accessing research grants. Design/methodology/approach An online questionnaire was designed using the SurveyMonkey software to collect the qualitative data from academic staff in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Findings The study revealed that only a few number of academic staff members in the tertiary institutions in Nigeria have received research grants. The study also revealed that a large number of research works carried out by academic staff are funded by themselves from the meager salary they receive. It also emerged that Tertiary Education Trust Fund is the highest funding body that academic staff have received research grants from. Different research funding agencies/organizations both local and international that support studies in Nigeria were also mentioned to create awareness for others to utilize. Politics in the selection of research proposals, inadequate publicity/advertisement for research grants applications and lack of knowledge about funding agencies/organizations were identified as the most mentioned hindrances to accessing research grants in Nigeria. Research limitations/implications A limitation of this study is the low response rate obtained, considering the number of tertiary institutions in Nigeria which does not permit generalization. The low response rate suggests that responding to an online questionnaire is not high on the agenda of academic staff members in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, and this is a major challenge for researchers undertaking evidence-based research considering the number of institutions. Practical/implications The findings will provide academic staff with important data and insight into the various local and international research funding agencies/organizations that support research in Nigeria. Social/implications Academic staff members receiving research grants will enable them find a solution to societal problems through evidence-based research. The findings of this study will inform other academic staff of the various research funding agencies/organizations that support research in Nigeria. This will create awareness for them to access such grants. Originality/value The work is an original research work conducted by the researchers. The findings will add to the body of knowledge on the area of research funding in Nigeria.

Knowledge of physics to many students is described in quantitative terms such as how much scientific vocabulary and how many formulae have been memorized. However, only few students can successfully make connections to apply the scientific knowledge in answering questions in physics. That is, physics students answer questions in relation to their emergent views mainly based on their prior knowledge about everyday experience which is at variance with scientific knowledge in a typical physics classroom. It is evident that teaching and learning of physics concepts introduced in verbal and mathematical definitions may not promote conceptual understanding of physics even after instruction. Therefore, no relationship exists between students, prior knowledge in physics and scientific understanding of physics concepts as they attempt to answer physics questions that probe their scientific understanding. Hence, the main purpose of this study was to ascertain if relationship exist among scientific explanation of phenomenon, imagination and concept formation (predictor variables) and students’ understanding of physics concepts (criterion) and amount of variation in the criterion variable that can be attributed to the predictor variables. The study adopted a correlation research design. The sample of the study was 385 respondents drawn from the population of Senior Secondary III Physics Students of 2016/2017 academic session in the government owned secondary schools in Akure Education Zone of Ondo State. The instruments for data collection were four namely: Students’ Scientific Explanation of Phenomenon Test (SSEPT), Students’ Scientific Imagination Scale (SSIS), Students’ Scientific Concept Formation Test (SSCFT), and Students’ Understanding of Physics Concept Test (SUPCT). SSEPT and SUPCT were ten (10) structured essay questions each. The internal consistency indices obtained were 0.81 and 0.86 respectively. An internal consistency of twenty (20) item structured questionnaire of (SSIS), modeled on a four (4) point rating was determined using Cronbach Alpha formula and was found to be scale 0.85.Also, the internal consistence index of SSCFT with twenty multiple choice items was determined using Kuder-Richardson 20 (K-R20) Formula and was found to be 0.82. The research questions were answered using Pearson-Product Moment Correlation and coefficient of determination The Null hypotheses were tested using Multiple-Regression analysis at.05 level of significance. Results showed that there was a statistically significant relationship among students’ scientific explanation of phenomenon, students’ scientific imagination, students’ scientific concept formation and students’ understanding of physics concepts. It was recommended among other things that Physics teachers should help in fostering conceptual understanding of physics concepts in physics students using scientific explanation of phenomenon to trigger students’ scientific imagination and students’ scientific concept formation. Keywords: Scientific Phenomenon, Scientific Imagination, Concept Formation, Understanding, Physics. DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/11-16-03 Publication date: August 31 st 2020

This paper explores the reasons behind early marriage in Africa, ray Nigeria to include economic, socio-cultural and religious as well as notions of morality and honour and its devastating effects on physical, health, psycho-social as well as the education of the girl-child. While many conventions have addressed the issues of early marriage and made strong case for protection of the children’s right but the country lacks political will to enforce the relevant provisions. This paper proposes education as an antidote. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n5p73

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Evidence from previous research has shown that the incidence of aphasia following a stroke is high in Nigeria and other countries, and there is a call for intervention programs. The objective of the current study was to investigate the efficacy of cognitive behavior language therapy (CBLT) on aphasia following a stroke. METHODS: The study was designed as a group randomized trial, which involved treatment and no-treatment control procedures. The participants of the study were 86 patients who had experienced aphasia following a stroke. The Porch Index of Communicative Ability (PICA) and Speech-Language Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs Scale (SLUTBS) were the measures used in the study. The repeated measures analysis of variance procedure, with Partial eta squared (Equation is included in full-text article.), adjusted R, mean, standard deviation, and upper/lower limit was followed in analyzing the data collected in the study. RESULTS: The CBLT intervention significantly reduced aphasia following a stroke and significantly reduced speech-language and unhelpful thought and beliefs among aphasic stroke patients exposed to the treatment intervention when compared with the no-treatment control group. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of the study, language educators, speech and language pathologists and therapists in education institutions, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers should adopt the principles of CBLT used in the current study to help them improve communication ability among aphasia stroke patients.

Objective To determine the effectiveness of a cognitive behaviour language therapy (CBLT) programme to reduce speech anxiety among stuttering school adolescents. Methods This was a group randomized clinical trial that enrolled stuttering school adolescents who had severe speech anxiety. The participants were randomized to either the treatment group or the control group. The Speech Anxiety Thoughts Inventory (SATI) score was recorded before and after a 12-week CBLT programme was delivered in 24 group sessions to the treatment group. The control group did not receive any therapy. Results A total of 92 stuttering school adolescents who met the inclusion criteria were randomized to the treatment group ( n = 46; 22 males, 24 females; mean ± SD age, 16.36 ± 2.20 years) or the control group ( n = 46; 28 males, 18 females; mean ± SD age, 15.45 ± 2.10 years). Results showed that the CBLT intervention significantly reduced speech anxiety among stuttering school adolescents compared with the control group (post-test SATI assessment, mean ± SD 26.52 ± 1.67 versus 89.92 ± 3.17, respectively). Conclusion These findings suggest that speech educators and therapists in educational institutions and hospitals should follow the principles of CBLT when treating speech anxiety.

The study conducted to find out the effect of peer tutoring institutional method on the academic achievement in Home Economics among secondary school students in Dunukofia L.G.A of Anambra State. Quasi-experimental design was used. All the senior secondary school students in the local government area constituted the population of the study. Four secondary schools out of eight secondary schools was randomly selected, and all the 145 SS1 students offering Home Economics in these four schools were selected and assigned to experimental and control groups. One research question and one hypothesis guided the study. Data on student’s achievement was collected using Home Economics achievement test (HAT). The research question was answered using mean t-test statistics. The results indicated that students taught Home Economics using peer tutoring instructional methods achieved higher than those taught using lecture method, it was recommended that peer tutoring should be used in teaching Home Economics in secondary schools to enhance student’s achievement. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n5p193

This paper examined the role of education in general and business education in particular in national development. Education is considered as social instrument for developing human resources and for human capital formation. On the other hand, development is seen as a purposeful change in a society that contributes to social and economic well being and advancement of its people without creating any disharmony. Through literature, the paper established a significant relationship between education and development. It is in line with this that the role of business education, as a vocational discipline was discussed. Some factors that impede maximum contribution of business education to national development were highlighted. Finally, some recommendations were made among which is a call to do away with obsolete technologies. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n4p129

Total field aeromagnetic anomalies over Kogi-Auchi area have been evaluated in order to map the magnetic lineaments and estimate the depth to basement (sedimentary thicknesses). Aeromagnetic and radiometric data of the area (sheet 246, 247, 266 and 267) were acquired, digitized and analyzed. The slope methods were applied in the analysis of the residual contour map. The result obtained using the slope methods reveals two depth sources in the study area; on the average the deeper magnetic sources range from 2.3 to 4.9 km, while the shallower magnetic sources range from 1.1 to 1.6 km. These shallower sources are probably due to the presence of igneous intrusives and/or magnetized bodies within the sedimentary cover. Visual study of the residual anomaly map shows the presence of igneous intrusive in the entire North and Southwestern part of the study area. The One Vertical Derivative (1VD) lineament map shows the Fault trending in Northwest-Southwest (NW-SW) and Northeast-Southwest (NE-SW) direction and this conforms to the Niger-Benue basin itself. Hydrocarbon exploration is not recommended since the area has low thickness of sediment on the average. All this deduction were reached after due consideration of qualitative and quantitative interpretations supported by geological information of the area. Keywords: Aeromagnetic Data, Radiometric Data, Lineament, Igneous Intrusives, Depth to Basement.

As a result of increasing complexity of assessing all aspects of human behaviours, a lot of data are generated on individual learner and from teachers and the system. What qualifies as big data in assessment in Nigeria? This research identifies the sources of assessment big data in Nigeria, investigates how the big data are generated and processed, and identifies the problems of generating and processing assessment big data in Nigeria. Through purposive sampling technique forty-five experts in education assessment and research were selected. The instruments for data collection were interview and documents. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics to answer the five research questions that guided the research. The results of the investigation showed that the internal and external examinations and assessments from secondary schools, and course work results in universities were identified by more than 95.5% of the experts interviewed as the major sources of assessment data in Nigeria. The major problem in generating and processing assessment big data from the experts’ opinions is low awareness on the need/advantages of assessment big data with the highest mean rating (4.29±0.76). Many data are not analysed and a lot of information are lost. Recommendation was made amongst others on the need for the stakeholders to create awareness on the importance of big data in the modern education system to improve learner’s performance.

This study was conceived as a direct reaction to the unabated state of truth unemployment in the country. This situation has been blamed on poor formulation pupils are given to at the primary school level with particular reference to entrepreneurship skilled and knowledge. It was thus envisaged that introducing entrepreneurship studies at the primary level would give a good start and it was on this premise, this study sought the options of teachers and entrepreneurs on possible benefits of inclusion. The study was a survey, using 90 Primary school teachers and 60 entrepreneurs totaling 150 as study sample. Three research questions and one null hypothesis guided the study. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection while frequency, mean and x2 were applied in data analysis. Findings indicated among others that teachers and entrepreneurs see such curriculum innovation of beneficial effects in the nation economy. Among the major challenges envisaged are death of qualified teachers, facilities and instructional methods. Recommendation included recruitment of young qualified graduate teachers, training and retraining of teachers among others.

Entrepreneurial development is a field that saddles its recipients with skills on how to be employable and useful to themselves and the society at large. In this paper, the emphasis is on youth empowerment which is orchestrated by the prevailing unemployment of our youths after higher education, yet each year all the higher institutions in the country keep on churning out graduates in thousands into the labour market for jobs that are non-existent. Hence the need for entrepreneurial development as a way of equipping them with the necessary skills that will enable them start up something on their own. The paper amongst others looked at the objectives of entrepreneurship development, support organizations for entrepreneurship in Nigeria, tips for entrepreneurship development, implications for entrepreneurship development on youth empowerment. More so, certain recommendations were made. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n9p147

Sustainable development in Nigeria can be actualized through science education. This paper looked at the myths and the benefits of science education, roles of the science teachers, the challenges and prospects of science education. The paper also recommends among others that the government should provide necessary science research equipment in the research institutes so that Nigerian scientists can carry out research work without tears especially as regards to the economy of the country and also Science teachers should be well paid so that they can put in their best in teaching the students. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n6p159

The ratio of extension agents to farmer in Nigeria is very high. More so, most of the agents depend on traditional means of communication to send across time bound agricultural information and research findings to farmers. This is no longer effective in the present dispensation if the farmers must achieve food sufficiency for the nation. This paper therefore, examined the usefulness of information and communication technology in the enhancement of agricultural extension services in Nigeria. It equally looked at the rationale for the use of ICT in agricultural extension services. Some useful recommendations were made among which are that government should embark on aggressive development of rural areas ensuring that electricity supply is regular, the Ministry of Agriculture and ADP should work cooperatively to recruit and deploy more qualified and ICT literate extension agents and the Ministry of Agriculture should invest in training the in-service extension agents and the farmers on usability of ICTs for information dissemination and retrieval. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n4p155

The study examines the effect of corporate governance practices and regulatory agencies on the performance of government establishments in Anambra State of Nigeria. Twenty five government establishments in Anambra State were studied using their general managers and Accountants as participants. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and student t-transformation were used to test for relationship and significant respectively. The results of this study reveal that corporate governance has positive and significant relationship on the performance of corporate governance regulatory agencies. Further results reveal that agreement on corporate governance has positive and significant relationship with lay down standard. The study calls for corporate governance regulatory agencies to discharge their duties without fear of favour and should shun all forms of gratification and render objective report on government organizations. This will redirect government establishment on improving their corporate governance practices, which will enhance their firm value and meet the need of the future generation.