Effect of attention-deficit–hyperactivity-disorder training program on the knowledge and attitudes of primary school teachers in Kaduna, North West Nigeria

BACKGROUND: There are indications that teachers have limited knowledge about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), despite its high prevalence in childhood and its long-term effects on students such as academic underachievement, reduced self-esteem, and social and behavioural difficulties. This study is therefore aimed at assessing the effect of an ADHD training program on the knowledge of ADHD among primary school teachers in Kaduna, Nigeria and their attitudes towards pupils with ADHD. METHODS: This was a randomized controlled trial involving 84 primary school teachers in the intervention group and 75 teachers in the control group. Participants in the intervention group received an initial 3-h training with a one-and-a-half hour booster session 2 weeks later using the World Health Organisation MhGAP-IG module on behavioural disorders focusing on ADHD. Outcome measures were knowledge of ADHD, attitude towards ADHD, and knowledge of behavioural intervention. RESULTS: Controlling for baseline scores, the intervention group had significantly higher post intervention scores on knowledge of ADHD, lower scores on attitude towards ADHD (i.e. less negative attitudes), and higher scores on knowledge of behavioural intervention compared with the control group respectively. The intervention showed moderate to large effect sizes. The booster training was associated with a further statistically significant increase in knowledge of ADHD only. CONCLUSIONS: The training program significantly improved the knowledge and attitudes of the teachers in the intervention group towards ADHD. Considerations should be given to incorporating ADHD training programs into teacher-training curricula in Nigeria, with regular reinforcement through in-service training

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Socio-Cultural Factor As Determinant of Female Leadership Quality; Implications for Human Resource Development

This study investigates the influence of socio-cultural factors on the leadership quality of male and female leaders in work organisations that could enhance organisational effectiveness. A descriptive survey research design method was adopted for the study. One hundred and fifty respondents from five purposefully selected work organisations were selected for the study, thirty randomly selected respondents from each workplace. 145 well filled questionnaires out of the 150 were used for data analysis. The questionnaire used as the instrument for data collection was titled: ‘Socio-Cultural Factors and Gender Leadership Quality Scale’ (SOCFGLQS). Collected data were analysed and interpreted accordingly with the aid of descriptive statistical techniques such as total scores, frequencies and percentages. The hypotheses were tested using chi-square method of data analysis at 0.05 alpha levels. Findings reveal that female mother’s instinct promotes organisational effectiveness and that female leader’s staffcenteredness positively affects organisational performance. Also, employees’ job performance is significantly influenced by male headship. This shows that right leadership quality which could be an off-shoot of society’s culture could promote organisational effectiveness, and socio-cultural factors play great role in the quality of the leader and by extension the effectiveness of the organisation. It is recommended that the socio-cultural beliefs and practices that inhibit good leadership in workplace should be discarded and with good leadership training and holistic re-orientation, male and female leaders would perform maximally to enhance better relationship in the workplace for effective organisation performance.

Impacts of industrial democracy on organizational performance (case study of selected private and public sector organizations in Lagos State, Nigeria)

This study investigated the impact of industrial democracy on organizational performance. A structured survey instrument was used to collect data from a sample of 815 workers randomly selected from purposively selected work organizations. Both male and female respondents who had spent between 3 to 10 years and above in their organizations were used as subjects for the study. Three hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data were analyzed using Statistical Analysis System (SAS 9.2). Regression Analysis and Pearson Correlation coefficient statistical were used in testing the hypotheses. Simple percentage was used to analyse the demographic information collected from the respondents. Findings revealed that industrial democracy had positive impact on organization performance with the degree of influence being 93.06%. The finding also showed that there was significant relationship between industrial democracy and employee behaviour; and that industrial democracy did not undermine management power but rather strengthened it, since it accounted for 53.60% of the total strength of management power: Fcal> Ftab (211.37> 3.8925). It is therefore recommended that management should make industrial democracy part of its policy and ensure that it is practiced to the letter for better performance of the organization and the satisfaction of the employees

Cognitive Style Profiles and Physics Achievement of senior secondary school students in Ogun State, Nigeria

This study analysed physics students’ cognitive styles and physics achievement of senior secondary school students. Five hypotheses were tested. The sample consisted of 107 Senior Secondary III physics students from four co-educational secondary schools in  Ogun State. These students were categorized as analytic and non-analytic learners based on their performance on the Sigel’s Cognitive Style Test (SICOST). Results revealed that most of the students (69%) were analytic, and a significant difference in physics achievement in favour of analytic students was found. Also, a significant difference in favour of analytic boys (as against non-analytic boys) was found. However, there was no significant difference between the physics achievement of analytic and non-analytic girls. Based on these, the first and second, fourth and fifth hypotheses were rejected while the third hypothesis was upheld. The study concluded that teachers should endeavour to find out students’ cognitive style and use strategies consistent with it. Keywords: Cognitive styles, physics achievement, senior secondary, students, profile

Organisational Communication, The Panacea For Improved Labour Relations

This paper examined the importance of organisational communication to overall effective labour relations. It looked at organisational communication and its role in labour relations between the parties involved in Labour relations for better business procedures and relationships. It explained the importance of organisational communication in enhancing better labour relations within the organisation and with people outside the organisation. It enumerated the various groups that are involved in industrial relations and how they could use organisational communication for better industrial relations. It established the importance of organisational communication to the overall success of any organisation. Communication is vital to all human relations including labour relations but it seems to have been taken for granted or treated as inconsequential. When good organisational communication is not given its pride of place in organisation, it would affect labour relations negatively. This paper looked at the importance of organisational communication to labour relations, its effects on organisational performance, and negative effects of lack of good communication between stakeholders in labour relations and concluded that organisational communication should be properly used by all concerned in industrial relation matters for better performance of the organisation and improved labour relations both within and outside the organisation

Predicting Students’ Performance in Physics using Academic Self Concept and Locus of Control Scale Scores

Predicting students’ performance in secondary school Physics using their Academic Self Concept and Locus of Control Scale Scores was the main thrust of this study. Three hypotheses were tested. The sample was made of two hundred  senior secondary school II Physics students (100 Boys and 100 girls, with mean age of 16.5years) randomly drawn from six public co-educational secondary schools in Irepodun Local government area of Kwara state. Data were collected by means of a Physics Performance test (PPT);  Academic self-concept scale (ASCS) and Locus of Control scale (LOCS). The PAT  was developed by the researcher and it was made of 40 multiple choice items with four options (r = 0.71); ASCS (α=0.85) and LOCS (α=0.77) were each made of 15-items on a 4 – point likert scale of Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (SD) to which respondents were to indicate their degree of Agreement or otherwise to the 15-items on the scale. Findings revealed that Academic self-concept and Locus of control, when taken together, significantly predicted students’ performance in Physics (R2 = 0.154, p< 0.05); academic self-concept alone also significantly predicted students’ performance in Physics (R2 = 0.144, p< 0.05) however Locus of control did not significantly predict students’ performance in Physics (R2 = 0.017, p> 0.05). These findings suggest that as against students’ Locus of control, academic self-concept is a potent factor to be taken into consideration when explaining physics students’ performance.  Keywords: Predicting, achievement, physics, Academic self-concept, Locus of Contro

Coding while black

The focus on the lack of diversity in technology has become a hot topic over the last several years, with technology companies coming under fire for not being more representative of the markets that they serve. Even The White House and President Obama has made this issue of technology diversity and recruiting more women and people of color a topic of discussion hosting several events at The White House aimed at finding solutions to this issue. The issue has become so prevalent in the news recently that technology companies have been asked to publish report cards disclosing the demographic breakdown of their employee workforce. Most of the major technology companies in Silicon Valley have vowed to dedicate themselves to becoming more diverse, and have instituted programs to do such. However, progress has been slow and the results have been disappointing. Although many attempts to fix this problem has occurred for decades there has been no panacea to emerge. Why are there so few minorities pursuing careers in technology? The answer to this question at the moment is unknown. Although many experts have offered theories, there is little in the way of agreement. As the numbers continue to dwindle and more women and people of color continue to pursue careers in other fields or depart from the technology industry, technology companies are challenged to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in their workforce and to come up with solutions that address this issue that has become so important to the future economic growth of the United States. Qualitative by design, this study examines the perspectives, insights, and understandings of African American software development engineers. Accordingly, participants in this research study provided key insights regarding strategies, best practices, and challenges experienced by African American software development engineers while developing and implementing application programs at American corporations. Participants’ perspectives provided an insightful understanding of the complexities of being an underrepresented minority in an American corporate information technology department

HUBUNGAN SELF CONTROL DENGAN KENAKALAN REMAJA PADA SISWA SERTA IMPLIKASINYA TERHADAP BIMBINGAN DAN KONSELING DI SMA NEGERI 2 SIAK HULU

Penelitian ini dilatarbelakangi oleh permasalahan kenakalan remaja, hal ini merupakan bentuk sebuah kegagalan remaja untuk mengembangkan self control. self control yang rendah menyebabkan timbulnya kenakalan remaja seperti membully, berkelahi, berkata kasar dan lain-lainnya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan antara self control dengan kenakalan remaja pada siswa. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif jenis korelasional. Populasi penelitian ini adalah 846 siswa di SMA N 2 Siak Hulu. Sampel berjumlah 271 orang yang ditetapkan dengan teknik proportional stratified random sampling. Instrumen yang digunakan adalah kuesioner self control dan kenakalan remaja dengan model skala likert. Data penelitian ini dianalisis menggunakan deskriptif persentase dan uji korelasi pearson product moment. Temuan penelitian memperlihatkan bahwa gambaran self control tergolong cukup tinggi dengan persentase 34%, gambaran kenakalan remaja tergolong rendah yaitu 34%, dan hubungan self control dengan kenakalan remaja berkorelasi negatif signifikan karena mempunyai nilai korelasi sebesar -0,371 dengan taraf signifikansi 0,000. Temuan penelitian ini dapat dimaknai bahwa semakin tinggi self control maka akan semakin rendah kenakalan remaja pada siswa