Secondary School Students Perception of Examination Malpractice in Selected Local Government Areas in Ogun State, Nigeria

The study examined the secondary school students’ perception of the causes,forms and prevention of examination malpractice in Ogun State Nigeria.Two hundred students constituted the sample for the study. One instrument“Students Perception of Examination Malpractice Question (SPEMQ) wasused to generate data for the study. Three Research questions were answeredusing simple percentage and t-test statistics to analyse the data. The resultamong others indicated that there is no significant difference in theperception of male and female students on causes, forms and prevention ofexamination malpractice, and no significant difference in students’ perceptionof examination malpractice based on age. Based on the findings, therefore,the paper recommended that adequate counseling should be given to allstudents, thorough screening be done before entering into the examinationhalls and there should be massive campaign against cheating in examinationby all.&nbsp

Combined Spatial Prediction of Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis in Sierra Leone: A Tool for Integrated Disease Control

Two forms of schistosomiasis or bilharzia (intestinal and urogenital) exist in Sierra Leone. The main control strategy for this disease currently is through mass drug administration (MDA) according to the World Health Organization recommended anthelminthic chemotherapy guidelines, and others include snail control, behavior change, and safe water, sanitation and hygiene. Survey on distribution and prevalence of the disease is vital to the planning of MDA in each district. The distribution of intestinal schistosomiasis in the country has been reported previously. The current national survey showed that urogenital schistosomiasis has a specific focal distribution particularly in the central and eastern regions of the country, most prevalent in Bo (24.6%), Koinadugu (20.4%) and Kono (25.3%) districts. Using a simple probabilistic model, this map was combined with the previously reported maps on intestinal schistosomiasis and the combined schistosomiasis prevalence was estimated. The combined schistosomiasis map highlights the presence of high-risk communities in an extensive area in the northeastern half of the country, which provides a tool for planning the national MDA activities

Improved mapping strategy to better inform policy on the control of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Sierra Leone

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) are endemic in Sierra Leone confirmed by national mapping in 2008. To better inform planning of preventive chemotherapy strategy, another survey was conducted before mass drug administration (MDA) in seven districts according to the mapping results or local knowledge. Fifty-nine chiefdoms and one school in every chiefdom were selected. Thirty school children aged 9-14 years from each school (total: 1760) were examined by parasitological methods for infection with <it>Schistosoma mansoni </it>and STHs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The overall prevalence of <it>S. mansoni </it>was 40.2% (95% confidence interval (CI): 37.9-42.5%), particularly in Kailahun (63.3%), Kenema (46.7%), Koinadugu (41.9%) and Kono (71.7%). The results demonstrated the focal distribution of <it>S. mansoni </it>in Bo, Tonkolili and Bombali districts with prevalence ranging from 0.0-63.3%, 3.3-90.0% and 0.0-67.9% respectively. The arithmetic mean intensity of <it>S. mansoni </it>infection was 95.4 epg (95% CI: 61.4-129.5 epg), Heavy mean intensity of infection was found in Kailahun (120.2 epg), Kenema (104.5 epg), Koinadugu (112.3 epg) and Kono (250.3 epg). Heavy or moderate infection with <it>S. mansoni </it>occurred in 20.7% of children examined. Hookworm prevalence was moderate: 31.2% (95% CI: 29.1-33.4%), but high in Bo (50.0%) and Tonkolili (56.7%). Hookworm intensity of infection was light with a mean epg of 53.0 (95% CI: 38.4-67.7 epg). Prevalence and intensity of <it>Ascaris lumbricoides </it>(1.5%, 17.8 epg) and <it>Trichuris trichiura </it>(2.5%, 20.3 epg) was low.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The prediction by previous spatial analysis that <it>S. mansoni </it>was highly endemic across north-eastern Sierra Leone was confirmed with a significant proportion of children heavily or moderately infected. The distribution of <it>S. mansoni </it>in Bo, Tonkolili and Bombali districts ranged widely, highlighting the importance of considering the nature of focal transmission in national mapping exercises. These results were used to refine the MDA for schistosomiasis control to chiefdom implementation units rather than the entire district in these 3 districts. The survey demonstrated that sufficient number of survey sites for schistosomiasis mapping in each district should be used to provide a better national planning of MDA activities, and that it is affordable with the contributions from all parties involved and national resources mobilized.</p

Determinants of Students’ Achievement in Senior Secondary School Mathematics in South-Western Nigeria

A Thesis in the International Centre for Educational Evaluation (ICEE) Submitted to the Institute of Education in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.Students‘ under-achievement in Mathematics over the years in South-western, Nigeria has been partially attributed to ineffective school management and poor classroom interaction. Studies on Secondary School Mathematics achievement have so far concentrated on teacher-student related factors with less emphasis on the combination of principals‘ leadership styles, Teachers‘ job satisfaction and classroom management. This study investigated the causal relationship among principal factors, teachers‘ job satisfaction and classroom management, and students‘ achievement in Mathematics in South-western, Nigeria. The study adopted a survey design with a hypothesised model. Two states (Oyo and Ogun) were randomly selected. Proportional sampling technique was used to select thirty Local Government Areas (LGAs) from the two states, while the simple random sampling technique was used to select five schools from each LGA; making a total of 150. In all, participants were 162 SS2 Mathematics teachers and 5,251 SS2 students. Principals‘ Supervisory Role Rating Scale (r = 0.70, CVR = 0.73); Teachers‘ Job Satisfaction Rating Scale (r = 0.76, CVR = 0.72), Teachers‘ Classroom Management Scale (r = 0.80, CVR = 0.71), Mathematics Achievement Test (r = 0.74, CVR = 0.69) and Multifactor Leadership Scale with four components( r = 0.70, CVR = 0.78) were used to collect data. Data were analysed using multiple regression and path analysis at p≤0.05. The hypothesised and parsimonious model explained factors influencing Mathematics achievement with six discrepancies occuring out of the 59 cases which is just 10.2%. The model was predicted by all the independent variables at forty-two point two percent. One hundred and five pathways were established with 29 direct and 76 indirect. Out of the 11 variables influencing Mathematics achievement, 5 variables (Transformational; β=0.523, Democratic; β=0.291, Teacher job satisfaction; β=0.199, Laissez-faire; β=0.183 and Teacher classroom management; β=0.177) had direct effect on Mathematics achievement. Apart from principals‘ supervisory role, principals‘gender, age, qualification, experience and autocratic leadership style had indirect effect on Mathematics achievement. Transformational leadership style had the most significant effect on Mathematics achievement (0.562), followed by democratic leadership style (-0.274), teacher‘s job satisfaction (0.270), laissez-faire leadership style (-0.190), classroom management (0.177), principals‘ gender (0.088), principasl‘ qualification (0.087), principals‘ age (0.082), autocratic leadership style (0.021) and principals‘ experience (0.008). Principal‘s leadership styles and socio-demographic factors significantly influenced teachers job satisfaction, classroom management and ultimately, students‘ achievement in senior secondary schools in Oyo and Ogun states respectively. Principals should therefore be cautious in their leadership styles towards inproving teachers‘ job satisfaction, classroom management and students‘ achievement generally in their school