College of Humanities & Social Sciences

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    An interdisciplinary approach to Medical Education: the role of Visual Media in teaching and learning of “Gross Human Anatomy” at The University For Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
    (2021-05-18) Mani, Enoch;
    Anatomy science and visual media are interconnected and serve as key components in the medical education curriculum. Similarly, visual media and visual art-based interventions have the potential of facilitating medical education for clinical practice. However, there is no visual art-based intervention framework for integrating visual media in the pedagogy of Anatomy at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University for Development Studies, Tamale. The main objective of the study was to investigate how visual media and visual art-based intervention framework can be integrated in the pedagogy of the medical school. The study was important because the findings will be beneficial to lecturers and students since the developed framework will provide the basis for integrating visual media more effectively to improve teaching and learning of Anatomy. The study employed the explanatory sequential mixed methods, with experimental and descriptive research methods. The researcher employed observation, interview, questionnaire, focus group discussion and an experiment as tools to collect data for the study. A sample population of 234 was chosen using stratified random and purposive sampling techniques. The study revealed that although, the medical school had enough Anatomy models the students did not utilize them during tutorial sessions where they are expected to engage and explore visual media to enhance understanding of concepts taught; visual images of two and three-dimensionality were found to be effective in enabling the students to achieve their objectives of learning Anatomy; and testing of hypotheses established that the developed framework was effective in improving students’ critical thinking and observational skills. Hence, the developed framework will augment other existing approaches to the teaching and learning of Anatomy. The study recommends that the developed framework should be incorporated into the medical school’s curriculum to enrich the education of students in Anatomy. Further researches are needed to identify how other medical humanities and medicine can be explored to develop students’ knowledge and iii skills to offer effective compassionate care to patients during physical examination
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    Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Implementation in a Sub-Saharan African Nation: An Empirical Test of Competing Models and Theories
    (May, 2014) Asamoah, David
    In this study, the researcher developed a modified research model to examine the antecedents and impact of extent of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems implementation on Process Management Capability, and its subsequent impact on firm performance. The existing model was extended by the addition of the following constructs: Ethical Factors, Data Culture, Organizational Integration, and Organizational Performance. In exploring ERP implementation in Ghana, a Sub-Saharan African (SSA) nation, two competing theories, the Institutional theory and the Panoptic theory, were tested using empirical data collected from a survey involving 115 respondents from organizations in Ghana that had implemented ERP systems. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling-partial least squares. The findings indicate that the Panoptic theory explains the relationships between the constructs better and confirms the positive impact of higher extent of ERP implementation on process management capabilities. Theoretical implications of the study include (1) the emergence of the Panoptic theory as a strong predictor of ERP implementation in SSA (2) the mediating effect of the Ethical factors and Organizational Integration (3) the panoptic theory has more predictability and can be more easily generalized than institutional theory, allowing the research to have a more global impact beyond SSA and (4) Contextual factors such as industry type, employee size, and ERP type influence ERP implementations in SSA. Practical Implications are: (1) ERP systems create information visibility which checks the ethical behaviour of employees and causes them to behave in a socially responsible manner (2) Organizations can achieve greater organizational integration by increasing their extent of ERP implementation and (3) Governments and regulatory bodies must institute policies and protocols that encourage ERP adoption.
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    Studies on energy and environmental economics
    (November, 2016) Adjei, Paul Kwakwa
    This thesis addressed three empirical questions in environmental and energy economics in three chapters. The destruction of the environment through carbon emission has gained the attention of policy makers and environmentalists. The African continent is low emitter of CO2, contributing comparatively little to climate change. However, it is widely accepted that the continent is very vulnerable to the effects of climate change. As a result although the share of Sub-Saharan Africa in global emission of CO2 is historically low, the rising trend in its share of global emissions calls for a concern. In particular, the trend of CO2 emission on the continent has been increasing with the rate of economic growth, trade openness and energy consumption. The first empirical chapter (Chapter Three) thus analyses the effects of income, energy consumption and trade openness on carbon emission in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Empirical estimations from the fully modifies ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) confirmed the existence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis for the SSA region with an estimated (income per capita) turning point values ranging from US$ 1,142.85 to US$ 5,687.09. Furthermore, the paper established a nonlinear relationship between trade and emission and concludes that both income and non-income factors account for carbon emission in SSA. However, income and energy consumption have the greatest effect. The results of the chapter imply among other things, the need to promote economic growth and development as a means of reducing carbon emission. Also opening up the sub region for international trade will in the long run help reduce emission. Again it is imperative for countries in the region to embrace more energy conservation policies in order to reduce emissions. The second empirical chapter (Chapter Four) investigates the determinants of the rising fossil fuel consumption for three Sub-Saharan African countries - Ghana, Kenya and South Africa - to help manage the rising consumption fossil fuel consumption. The data for Ghana revealed income, trade and urbanization increases fossil fuel consumption while efficiency of the industrial and service sectors reduce its consumption. The Kenyan results however, showed income, industrial efficiency and vii urbanization contribute positively to fossil fuel consumption but trade, efficiency of the service sector and price reduce fossil fuel consumption. The consumption of fossil fuel in South Africa is found to be influenced by income, urbanization, industrial efficiency, efficiency of the service sector and trade. Among other things, the results of the study suggest efforts should be geared towards strengthening the energy efficiency system in each of these countries to help reduce fossil fuel consumption. In addition, adequate measures should be put in place to decentralize growth and other lucrative activities in the countries under study to reduce the population pressure in the urban centers so as to curb the high level of fossil fuel consumption in such urbanized areas. Also, it is necessary that tariff and non-tariff barriers on products that do not promote energy efficiency are raised and vice versa. The third empirical chapter (Chapter Five) probes into the electricity conservation behaviour for rural and urban households in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Based on a cross-sectional data, it was observed that although both urban and rural households engage in electricity conservation practices, rural households have the stronger behaviour. Through an analysis of conservation behaviour towards the usage of four households’ appliances, it was noted that the effects of demographic features, dwelling characteristics, information, environmental concern, subjective norms and perceived benefits is somehow dependent on the location of households and the appliance in question. The outcome of the study calls for the need to create more awareness by having more campaigns on conservation for the households in the study area. Also, it tells that influential family members and role models in these areas should be involved in the conservation campaign. Also, the results highlight the need to have different conservation measures tailored towards the usage of different appliance in the study area.
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    Traduction Du Roman „„The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives’’ De Lola Shoneyin Et Analyse De Ses Expressions Locales, Dictons Et Proverbes
    (2017-01-25) Nkonu, Emmanuel Kofi-Botsoe
    This thesis sets out to translate The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives by Lola Shoneyin and analyse the occurrence and use of local expressions, wise sayings and proverbs, and to determine the most appropriate techniques required to translate them into French. The study finds that, “Yoruba English” has developed as a variety of “Nigerian English”, in which the novel is written and that, local expressions, wise-sayings and proverbs of this brand of English which abound in the novel, are used mostly by the characters that have little or no formal education. Indeed, their thoughts and actions in the story are originally expressed in Yoruba and only translated into English by the “invisible narrator”. The narrator used primarily “borrowing”, “word-for-word” and “literal translation” techniques to translate them into English mainly to maintain the local flavour. A study of about a hundred of these local expressions, wise sayings and proverbs shows that most of them are coined as a result of close observation of the physical or natural environment of the Yoruba people. The majority of these expressions are also the comparison of elements of the natural environment to real situations. To translate them into French and maintain the ideas carried over from Yoruba through to English and the desired rhetorical effects such as humour and sarcasm, only the linguistic code is switched from English to French as all the socio-cultural elements in the affected linguistic continuum are similar, with French and English alternating as second languages. Thus, “borrowing”, “word-for-word” and “literal translation” techniques remain the most appropriate.
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    Art and Chieftaincy in Ahwiaa Culture.
    (June, 2010.) Asiedu, Nana Kwaku
    The study, explored the role of Art and Chieftaincy in Ahwiaa Culture. The prime intention of the study stems from the fact that although a great deal of arts pervades the chieftaincy heritage of Ahwiaa, little recognition has been given to these arts in scholarly circles. Ahwiaa, a town that is predominantly a carving community, serves as a place where wooden artefacts are produced for the Asantehene (the King of Asante) and other prominent chiefs. In-depth observation and analysis of the chieftaincy heritage of Ahwiaa culture reveals that art, among the culture of the people, is the most significant phenomenon that makes the chieftaincy of the people outstanding.Data were collected through observation, structured and unstructured interviews and also the administering of questionnaire. The stratified random sampling was used to divide the population into heterogeneous units since the population had much dissimilarity and thus lowered the variance of the population. The main findings of the study indicated that the arts are highly functional and symbolic to Ahwiaa chieftaincy and the latter can neither exist nor operate without its arts. Thearts pervade the other aspects of the culture of the people and therefore play economic, religious, social, political and medical roles in the Ahwiaa community. Chieftaincy of Ahwiaa will cease if the chief stops his carvers from carving stools and other needed wood products for the king and other chiefs of Asante because the chieftaincy system of Ahwiaa was created to carve stools for the said king and chiefs. Finally, the Ahwiaa chieftaincy system itself is predominantly artistic, and that, when the Ahwiaahene, his sub-chiefs and the Queenmother appear formally at a public function, they are fully decorated with artefacts. The study therefore recommends that the Ahwiaahene and his sub-chiefs should establish an institute that would research and document its arts and cultural activities and theAsanteman Council should also give all the necessary assistance to these people to enable them expand this profession to earn more foreign exchange for the region and the country asa whole to enhance its socio-cultural heritage.