Corporate Governance Practices and Performance of Selected Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria

This study examined the relationship between corporate governance practice and the performance of deposit money banks in Nigeria. Despite existing studies on corporate governance in Nigerian banks, few have examined the mediating role of transformational leadership using the balanced scorecard as a performance metric. Primary data was generated using questionnaire instrument with a Likert scale of 1–5 points, taking into account the study's objectives, and a sample size of 389 respondents was selected randomly. Smart Partial Least Squares (SmartPLS) v3 was used for inferential statistics, while the Statistical Product for Social Science (SPSS) v25 was used for descriptive statistics. The cross-sectional study's results showed that the study's validity and reliability satisfied the requirements since the average variance extracted (EVA) was >0.50 and the Cronbach alpha and composite reliability were >0.70. The results showed that, except for board size, board meeting, and board independence, which had negative effects, all exogenous variables had a substantial impact on the endogenous variable with a commensurate mediating effect of transformational leadership.CEO duality showed the strongest positive effect (CEO -> TSL β = 0.260, t = 3.637, p = 0.000, <0.05), (TSL -> BSC β = 0.520, t = 8.902, p = 0.000, <0.05). Findings indicate that given the strong mediating role of transformational leadership, regulators should enforce leadership training programs alongside governance reforms

Factors Influencing Consumer’s Behavioural Intention towards the Adoption of Mobile Payment in Kuala Lumpur

Purpose: The purpose of the research is to investigate the connection between the adoption of digital payments in Kuala Lumpur and the system's credibility in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The another goal of this study is to investigate the connection between social impact and mobile payment adoption in Kuala Lumpur. In Kuala Lumpur, study the relationship between effort expectation and mobile payment adoption. To determine the association between performance expectation and mobile payment adoption in KL.   Theoretical framework: One of the most well-known study models on customer adoption of new technological systems highlights how particular characteristics effect customer adoption. The idea takes into account things like social influences, credibility requirements, effort expectations, and performance requirements.   Design/methodology/approach: This is descriptive based study. In this research paper to accurately predict consumer behavioral intention to accept mobile payment in Kuala Lumpur, the study selects 100 students representative of the target population using probability-based random sampling.   Findings: Inability to collect information from all Malaysians is the primary justification for using a random sample. Mobile payment acceptance has a high link with expected effort, trustworthiness, and performance, demonstrating that these factors impact adoption. Because the majority of people consider a rapid and dependable mobile payment system to be essential.   Conclusion: Mobile payments are rapid. Their relocation is regular practice. Customers can complete the majority of transactions by just pressing their card to the screen

Understanding informal jewellery apprenticeship in Ghana: Nature, processes and challanges

Context: The processes of acquiring education in jewellery in Ghana has been dominated by the informal apprenticeship system and it forms the backbone of the workforce of the jewellery industry in Ghana. However, the patronage of informal jewellery apprenticeship in Ghana in recent times has been on decline even though it has the potential of training human resources to transform Ghana’s precious mineral resources sector.This is based on the belief that jewellery trade and its training are shrouded in secrecy, in other words, the jewellery trade is considered to be a sacred profession where information on its operating systems are not allowed to be shared easily. It is believed to be associated with cult and magic, hence the reluctant to admit people who are from outside the family of particular jewellery enterprise. This study is sought to bring to fore the understanding nature, processes and challenges of the informal jewellery apprenticeship in Ghana. Approach: The study adopted the descriptive and phenomenology research designs (qualitative research methods). Jewellers who own a jewellery business and who are training other people through apprenticeships as well as people who are trained are observed and interviewed. A sample size was selected through purposive and convenience sampling techniques from four jewellery enterprises in Accra, Ghana. A thematic analysis plan was adopted to generate fndings of the study. Findings: The results show that for a person to train as a jeweller, s/he has to enrol by going through induction, futhremore fees (money and perishable items) are to be paid. The training content is driven by orders received by the master jeweller, thereby making it unstructured and lacking criteria for assessing the performance and progress of apprentice jewellers. Teaching and learning methods are usually on-the-job training that rely on demonstrations and observation. Conclusion: Informal jewellery apprenticeship in Ghana uses a fexible, cost-efective approach for transferring jewellery making skills from masters to apprentice jewellers, and it has substantial potential for improving skills training in the country. Sometimes the reluctant of some jeweller to train others is to keep the trade to family members only

Challenges for European teachers when assessing student learning to promote democratic citizenship competences

Purpose:This study investigates the challenges faced by European teachers when assessing student learning of democratic citizenship competences by asking about their experiences and opinions in their teaching practices.Design/methodology/approach: Through focus group interviews conducted with the teachers, we investigate the underlying reasons for teachers’ choices of using certain forms of assessment methods while excluding other methods. This paper presents the analysis of interviews with 82 schoolteachers from lower secondary schools in eight European countries (average 19 years of teaching experience) participating in an Erasmus + projectFindings: The teachers’ responses uncover a need for teachers to be better equipped with relevant knowledge, tools and approaches to practice formative assessment to develop students’ democratic citizenship competences. The current common understanding of the summative assessment of knowledge using simple and standardised tools poses one of the main challenges for teachers to use formative assessment methods. Practical implications: The focus on summative assessment significantly limits the teachers’ room to work on democratic citizenship competence. There is a need to strengthen this as a democratic citizenship education as a cross-curricular element in education, with an emphasis on formative assessment, to monitor and support students’ democratic values and attitudes

Understanding informal jewellery apprenticeship in Ghana: Nature, processes and challenges

Context: The processes of acquiring education in jewellery in Ghana has been dominated by the informal apprenticeship system and it forms the backbone of the workforce of the jewellery industry in Ghana. However, the patronage of informal jewellery apprenticeship in Ghana in recent times has been on decline even though it has the potential of training human resources to transform Ghana’s precious mineral resources sector.This is based on the belief that jewellery trade and its training are shrouded in secrecy, in other words, the jewellery trade is considered to be a sacred profession where information on its operating systems are not allowed to be shared easily. It is believed to be associated with cult and magic, hence the reluctant to admit people who are from outside the family of particular jewellery enterprise. This study is sought to bring to fore the understanding nature, processes and challenges of the informal jewellery apprenticeship in Ghana. Approach: The study adopted the descriptive and phenomenology research designs (qualitative research methods). Jewellers who own a jewellery business and who are training other people through apprenticeships as well as people who are trained are observed and interviewed. A sample size was selected through purposive and convenience sampling techniques from four jewellery enterprises in Accra, Ghana. A thematic analysis plan was adopted to generate fndings of the study. Findings: The results show that for a person to train as a jeweller, s/he has to enrol by going through induction, futhremore fees (money and perishable items) are to be paid. The training content is driven by orders received by the master jeweller, thereby making it unstructured and lacking criteria for assessing the performance and progress of apprentice jewellers. Teaching and learning methods are usually on-the-job training that rely on demonstrations and observation.Conclusion: Informal jewellery apprenticeship in Ghana uses a fexible, cost-efective approach for transferring jewellery making skills from masters to apprentice jewellers, and it has substantial potential for improving skills training in the country. Sometimes the reluctant of some jeweller to train others is to keep the trade to family members only.&nbsp

Challenges for European teachers when assessing student learning to promote democratic citizenship competences

Purpose:This study investigates the challenges faced by European teachers when assessing student learning of democratic citizenship competences by asking about their experiences and opinions in their teaching practices.Design/methodology/approach: Through focus group interviews conducted with the teachers, we investigate the underlying reasons for teachers’ choices of using certain forms of assessment methods while excluding other methods. This paper presents the analysis of interviews with 82 schoolteachers from lower secondary schools in eight European countries (average 19 years of teaching experience) participating in an Erasmus + projectFindings: The teachers’ responses uncover a need for teachers to be better equipped with relevant knowledge, tools and approaches to practice formative assessment to develop students’ democratic citizenship competences. The current common understanding of the summative assessment of knowledge using simple and standardised tools poses one of the main challenges for teachers to use formative assessment methods. Practical implications: The focus on summative assessment significantly limits the teachers’ room to work on democratic citizenship competence. There is a need to strengthen this as a democratic citizenship education as a cross-curricular element in education, with an emphasis on formative assessment, to monitor and support students’ democratic values and attitudes

Jewellery Education in Ghana: A Comparative Analysis of School-Based and Apprenticeship Programmes

Acquiring jewelry education to become a jeweler in Ghana is either by School-Based or Apprenticeship A concern expressed by some jewelry industry practitioners is that most students who acquire jewelry education through School-Based in Ghana are unable to practice as jewelers because there is a mismatch between skills that students acquired while in school and the jewelry industry s needs Correspondingly Jewelry Apprenticeship has also saw a decline in patronage in recent times due to lack of regulatory framework which has led to some Master and Apprentice Jewelers exploiting the training process This study sought to conduct a comparative analysis to establish the similarities and differences that exist between these two Jewelry programmes The study adopted the Mix Methods research approach with descriptive and evaluation as the research methods used The researchers used Purposive and Snowball sampling techniques to draw a sample size of 300 Data collection tools used were observation interview and questionnair

Using Metalsmithing Techniques to Produce Metal Plaque for Promoting Public Health Education: The Case of COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Symptoms

In 2020, public health education became a very great concern for people all over the world due to the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). To protect humanity from this deadly virus, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and WHO put in place a preventive mechanism. The media used to print the protocols were mostly paper and stickers which were torn and washed away easily when it rained. This study aimed to design and fabricate COVID-19 protocols on Metal Plaque using metalsmithing techniques to promote Public Health Education. The researchers adopted a qualitative research paradigm with a Studio Based research design within praxis and exegesis principles in artistic research. Chasing and repousse techniques and Aluminium sheets were used in the construction process. Results of the study revealed that these techniques and the material are suitable for fabricating metal artifacts for education on infectious diseases, drug abuse, illegal mining, waste management, bribery and corruption. It is envisaged that the use of metal plaques for public health education be expanded beyond COVID-19 protocols to include other critical societal issues such as infectious diseases, drug abuse, illegal mining, waste management, and anti-corruption efforts. Public health agencies, educational institutions, and relevant stakeholders should consider metal-based communication tools due to their durability, resistance to environmental wear, and long term visibility

Design and Fabrication of Metal Key Holders and Cufflinks as Souvenirs for Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

This study explored how to merge creativity in design with the Crest of KNUST to design and fabricate quality metal key holder and cufflink as souvenirs for KNUST. Based on the assumption that the various KNUST souvenirs seem to be limited in design and therefore lack creativity and variety, which limit the option of those purchasing. In executing the study, the philosophical underpinnings of the crest of KNUST was brought to bear. The study employed aesthetics and studio- based research methods under qualitative research approach to design and fabricate quality metal key holder and cufflinks to be used as souvenirs for Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. By using the Gestalt theory of design, which is concerned with the relationship between the parts and the whole of a composition, the researchers carefully select parts of the emblem of KNUST to design and fabricate a key holder and a cufflinks. Metal working techniques such as chasing and repoussé, fording and piercing were used to these souvenirs for KNUST.  The researchers made use of the various tools and machinery available at the various studios of Meta T l Product Section of Industrial Art Department, KNUST. These included the milling studio, 4th Year production studio where all the piercing vices, drilling machines, stakes and soldering turntable are made available and finally the forging studio where brass scraps were melted into ingot. Results of the study revealed that by adopting the fundamental processes such as idea development, forming processes, joining processes and finishing processes coupled with the fact that local metal scraps are used, underpin the argument that producing quality and professional metal souvenirs can be done here in Ghana to meet any standard elsewhere. This shows that other metal products could be produced as souvenirs for KNUST. After carefully observing some souvenirs of KNUST and other institutions of higher learning, unique designs based on the emblem of KNUST can be done. Keywords: fabricate, Gestalt, key holder, cufflinks, souvenirs, chasing and repousse. DOI: 10.7176/ADS/83-01 Publication date:July 31st 202