Department of Educational Leadership
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- ItemKnowledge, Attitude and Practices of Caregivers towards Disabled Children under- Five Years and It’s Influence on Clinical Outcome(American International Journal of Business Management (AIJBM), 2020-08)Delays in seeking appropriate medical care is one of the major factors contributing to severe disease among children presenting to hospitals with severe forms of malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea (UNDP, 2015). This study therefore explored the knowledge, attitude and practice of caregivers towards sick disable children under- five years in a local indigenous setting of Bawku. A cross-sectional descriptive study design which was quantitative in nature was used and a convenient sampling technique was used to sample 200 caregivers seeking health care for their sick-disabled children at health facilities at the Bawku township of which they responded to questionnaires which were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. A Pearson’s correlation test was done to test variables with a significance of p value of ≤0.05 being considered statistically significant. There is a significant relationship between age (p=0.03), educational status (p=0.001), marital status (p=0.05) as well as religious affiliation (p=0.003) and the three variables. Findings of the study also showed that all respondents were aware that their children were sick and they have been sick for some days but thought their children’s illness to be mild/moderate due to the combined symptoms that was exhibited (78%) and hence 80% did not stop their daily routine to take care of their children and sought treatment after the father made the decision. Economic factors such as low income levels, lack of transport during illness, high cost of medical care and high cost of transport whilst socio-cultural factors such as low level of education, lack of adequate health information, lack of support from partner and cultural barriers/beliefs all influenced caregivers’ choice of care and practices for their sick children under five years. The study recommends that there is the need to have an effective and functioning referral system in the health care delivery system to ensure children are attended to promptly in health facilities at the onset of any illness
- ItemTeachers’ Levels of Knowledge and Attitudes towards the Inclusion of Children with Special Educational Needs in Regular Classrooms(Africa Education Review, 2023-05-09)Teachers’ attitudes and levels of knowledge about inclusion and teaching children with special needs have become a sensitive issue over the past decades. The fact that a majority of teachers demonstrate limited knowledge and understanding of children with special educational needs (SEN), and thus have more negative attitudes towards teaching these children in mainstream classrooms, may significantly influence the quality of life and academic success of these children in schools. This cross-sectional study explored the levels of knowledge of and attitudes towards SEN among teachers in public basic schools in Ghana. Most participants had limited knowledge and understanding of teaching children with SEN and showed more negative attitudes towards children with SEN. There were significantly different levels of knowledge and understanding of children with SEN and attitudes towards children with SEN across baseline characteristics. The study results enrich the existing knowledge base on inclusion and contribute significantly to inclusive education policy development as well as indicating the potential for changes in practices.
- ItemNoise Exposure and Hearing Capabilities of Quarry Workers in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study(Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2015-12-22)Although quarry operations have high economic significance, the effects they cause to the workers in terms of excessive noise production cannot be overlooked. This cross-sectional study assessed the extent of noise exposure and its influence on hearing capabilities among quarry workers in Ashanti region. Methods. The study involved 400 workers randomly selected from five quarries in Ashanti region from April to June 2012. Data was collected using structured questionnaires, physical examination, and audiological assessments. A logistic regression model was fitted to assess independent predictors of hearing loss. Results. All the machines used at the various quarries produced noise that exceeded the minimum threshold with levels ranging from 85.5 dBA to 102.7 dBA. 176 (44%) of study respondents had hearing threshold higher than 25 dBA. 18% and 2% of these were moderately (41–55 dBA) and severely (71–90 dBA) impaired, respectively. Age, duration of work, and use of earplugs independently predicted the development of hearing loss. Use of earplugs showed a protective effect on the development of hearing loss (OR = 0.45; 95% CI = 0.25, 0.84). Conclusion. This study provides empirical evidence on the extent of damage caused to quarry workers as a result of excessive noise exposure. This will support the institution of appropriate protective measures to minimize this threat.
- ItemSign Language Interpreter-Mediated Qualitative Interview with Deaf Participants in Ghana: Some Methodological Reflections for Practice(The Qualitative Report, 2022)Qualitative research is adventurous and creative, and committed to understanding unique human experiences in specific cultural ecologies. Qualitative interviewing with Deaf participants is far more challenging for hearing researchers who do not understand sign language, and for this reason such interactions may require the use of a sign language interpreter to facilitate the interview process. However, the quality of sign language interpreter-mediated interactions is likely to be compromised due to omissions, oversights, misinterpretations or additions that may occur during translation. An unthoughtful and poor interpretation of a communicative event by a sign language interpreter during a qualitative interview with Deaf participants may lead to an imposition of the interpreter’s or the researcher’s realities on Deaf participants’ lived experiences. It is thus important that qualitative researchers who conduct sign language interpreter-mediated interviews with Deaf participants employ practical and flexible ways to enhance such interactions. To understand the everyday realities of Deaf people amid the Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana, and document same to inform policy and practice, we conducted qualitative interviews with Deaf participants in Ghana. In this article, we draw insights from our data collection experiences with Deaf participants in Ghana to offer some useful methodological reflections for minimizing omissions in sign language-mediated qualitative interviews and thereby enhancing qualitative data quality. We particularly discuss how qualitative researchers can use language flexibility and post interview informal conversations with a sign language interpreter to create a natural non-formal interactional atmosphere that engenders natural conversational flow to minimize interpretation omissions and differential power relations in sign language interpreter-mediated qualitative interviews with Deaf participants.
- ItemKnowledge, Attitude and Practices of Caregivers towards Disabled Children under- Five Years and It’s Influence on Clinical Outcome(American International Journal of Business Management (AIJBM), 2020)Delays in seeking appropriate medical care is one of the major factors contributing to severe disease among children presenting to hospitals with severe forms of malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea (UNDP, 2015). This study therefore explored the knowledge, attitude and practice of caregivers towards sick disable children under- five years in a local indigenous setting of Bawku. A cross-sectional descriptive study design which was quantitative in nature was used and a convenient sampling technique was used to sample 200 caregivers seeking health care for their sick-disabled children at health facilities at the Bawku township of which they responded to questionnaires which were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. A Pearson’s correlation test was done to test variables with a significance of p value of ≤0.05 being considered statistically significant. There is a significant relationship between age (p=0.03), educational status (p=0.001), marital status (p=0.05) as well as religious affiliation (p=0.003) and the three variables. Findings of the study also showed that all respondents were aware that their children were sick and they have been sick for some days but thought their children’s illness to be mild/moderate due to the combined symptoms that was exhibited (78%) and hence 80% did not stop their daily routine to take care of their children and sought treatment after the father made the decision. Economic factors such as low income levels, lack of transport during illness, high cost of medical care and high cost of transport whilst socio-cultural factors such as low level of education, lack of adequate health information, lack of support from partner and cultural barriers/beliefs all influenced caregivers’ choice of care and practices for their sick children under five years. The study recommends that there is the need to have an effective and functioning referral system in the health care delivery system to ensure children are attended to promptly in health facilities at the onset of any illness.