The gender of the extension agent and farmers' access to and participation in agricultural extension in Nigeria

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of male and female extension agents in reaching farmers, especially women, with extension services in Nigeria. Specially the study determined the levels of awareness of and participation in extension activities, adoption of and technical knowledge of recommended agricultural technologies/practices, satisfaction with the quality of extension services provided and agents' credibility of men and women farmers under male and female extension agents supervision. Data gathered from 141 men and 72 women farmers supervised by male agents and 22 men and 93 women farmers supervised by female agents in Oyo, Kaduna and Rivers State Agricultural Development Projects in Nigeria form the empirical basis for the study. Even though men farmers are more aware of and participated more in the extension activities organised by agents than women farmers, the study shows that women farmers, who are supervised by female agents have more access to extension services than women farmers who work with male agents. Specifically, women farmers, who had females for extension agents had relatively higher levels of awareness and participation of the extension activities organised, adoption of and technical knowledge of recommended technologies/practices and satisfaction with the quality of agents' services and credibility. These differential effects of female and male agents on women's access to extension are significant for the delivery of extension services to women farmers, especially. Extension organisations must encourage and recruit more females for extension work done at the same time evolve strategies that will help male agents to work better with women farmers.     

Accelerating the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Ghana: literacy,the missing link

The Millennium Development Goals launched in 2001 provide a worldwide agenda to reduce poverty by 2015. Though the eight goals provide synergies for the rapid reduction of poverty, the MDGs have come under criticism for being too narrow and sometimes leaving out critical aspects of human development and well-being. Although the MDGs address some of the most critical areas of human development, one relevant aspect of human development given low recognition is literacy. A critical examination of the MDGs reveals the centrality of literacy in the achievement of all the MDGs. The study which reviewed the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy document (GPRS I & II) shows that the little space given to literacy and the disparities in illiteracy rates between rural and urban areas, gender and socio-economic groups, may be factors responsible for the slow pace of achieving the MDGs. The study concludes that Ghana can only accelerate the pace of achieving the MDGs when greater attention is paid to the link between literacy and economic growth, education, health, gender equality and empowerment of women, and sanitation.     

Sex differences in the sources of academic and social guidance sought by secondary school students

Four hundred and five students made up of 220 boys and 185 girls from eight secondary schools in Lagos State of Nigeria were chosen for this study. A survey was undertaken to find out the frequency (or the amount) of guidance services sought by both male and female respondents to each of the following sources: teachers, relations, friends, and trained counsellors on academic and social problems.The results showed that even though the students consulted the four sources of guidance under investigation in this study, there were sex differences in the frequency at which the four sources were consulted. Girls in this study were found to have made greater use of their friends on social and academic problems. Boys were found to have made greater use of their teachers on their academic problems and their relations on social problems.On the basis of the findings in this study, recommendations were made that students be encouraged to consult their teachers and guidance counsellors on academic problems in particular more than they were presently doing: that as much as possible students be discouraged from consulting their friends and relations on social and academic problems; that both the State and the Federal governments should make some effort to increase the provision of guidance and counselling services in Nigerian schools and where counselling services are available, students should be encouraged to make use of them.     

Impacts of organisational culture on academic efficiency and productivity in selected private universities in the Niger delta region of Nigeria

Organisational efficiency is a consistent quality that derives more from and thrives on strong internal culture than on isolated instances of timely and effortless accomplishments by corporate systems. This study sought to evaluate the relationship between organisational culture and enhanced productivity and efficiency among members of five universities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, which with its peculiarities provided a unique context for the study. The quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data collection among 104 respondents. Faculty were assessed on the direct impacts of their organisations' culture on their research and publication, creativity and innovativeness, among others, while students were assessed on learning, career prospects and others. The study suggested that most of the five universities had no well-articulated organisational culture. This significantly compromises their unique value addition to the educational system, implying that they risk losing their relative advantages unless they fortify their organisational cultural frontiers.     

A study of some factors influencing attitudes to teaching the handicapped among Nigerian student teachers

The main aim of this study is to study the attitudes towards teaching handicapped pupils among a group of Nigerian student teachers. A 13-item Likert-type scale, specially constructed to measure attitudes towards the teaching of handicapped pupils, was administered to 149 Nigerian student teachers, of differing ethnic and educational backgrounds. The respondents were also questioned about their preferences for teaching certain types of handicapped pupils.It was found that female student teachers had a much more favourable attitude towards teaching the handicapped than male student teachers. Student teachers under twenty-five had more favourable attitudes towards teaching the handicapped than older student teachers. Ibo students showed the most favourable attitudes towards teaching the handicapped, and specialist-trained students showed more favourable attitudes towards teaching the handicapped pupils than their counterparts who had not been specially trained.When it came to preferences for teaching certain categories of handicap, a clear sex difference appeared. Almost half of the 101 males nominated teaching the mentally handicapped as their first choice, with only about 10% selecting the visually handicapped as their first choice. The situation was reversed in the case of the females, with over a third selecting visual handicap as their first choice, and only about 10% selecting mental retardation as their first choice.     

The Image of Resource Teachers in Schools and Colleges

THE IMAGE of resource teachers, as perceived by a representative sample of 600 administrators and teachers in Queensland secondary schools and TAFE colleges, was measured using a semantic differential instrument. Results show that resource teachers as a group enjoy a strongly positive image, and that a significantly more positive image of resource teachers is held by those who use their services than by those who do not. Few significant differences of perceived image were found between administrators and teachers, and teachers of different subject areas while none was found between male and female respondents, and less and more experienced teachers. Ways are suggested in which resource teachers can extend their influence with administrators and teachers.     

Childhood sexual experiences with an older partner among men who have sex with men in Buenos Aires,Argentina

This study sought to describe childhood sexual experiences with older partners (CSEOP) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. MSM were recruited through respondent driven sampling. They responded to a computer administered self-interview with questions on CSEOP, operationalized as manual, oral, genital, or anal contact prior to age 13 with a partner at least 4 years older. Of the 500 respondents, only 25% identified as gay. Eighteen percent of the respondents reported CSEOP, the majority of whom did not feel they were hurt by the experience and did not consider it to be childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Over two-thirds of MSM who reported CSEOP said that their older partner was a female. Only 4% of those with a female partner felt their experience was CSA compared to 44% of those who had a male partner. Among all men reporting CSEOP, those who felt sexually abused were more likely to have been physically forced or threatened, physically hurt, and emotionally hurt than those who did not feel sexually abused. Having CSEOP, being hurt by the experiences, and perceiving the experiences as sexual abuse were not associated with current HIV sexual risk or substance use behavior. In this sample of MSM in Argentina, a substantial minority reported CSEOP. Those who felt they had been sexually abused were much more likely to have had an older male partner than an older female partner, and were more likely to report having been physically forced and threatened by their older partner.     

Measuring the value of water quality improvements in Lake Tai,China

Despite widespread concerns and elevated policy debates, little is known about the Chinese public’s perceptions of water pollution and willingness to cooperate with government policies. Based on survey data, this study examined Lake Tai resident perception of water pollution, willingness to pay (WTP) for water quality improvements, and its influencing factors. Contingent valuation (CV) results showed that respondents would prefer to pay 141 CNY per household a year, approximately 0.70% of their annual per capita disposable income, as an environmental fee to improve water quality in Lake Tai. Aggregate WTP for all five lakeside cities of Lake Tai was estimated at about 3.8 billion CNY, without discounts, in the next ten years. WTP was found to increase with income and female respondents were willing to pay more than males. Those respondents who were dissatisfied with water quality were more likely to pay more. The usage of Lake Tai did not strongly affect WTP.     

College students' willingness to terminate a pregnancy

403 male and 420 female Michigan State University undergraduate students responded to survey questions on their willingness to terminate a pregnancy. The number of students willing to terminate a pregnancy changed according to situational scenarios and general questions presented. While 96% opted to terminate a life-threatening tubal pregnancy, only 3% would do so in the case of a fetus of unwanted gender. Except for cases of incest and rape, respondents were 2.3 times more likely to terminate for biomedical than for psychosocial reasons. 89% were willing to terminate for incest and 82% for rape. The 75% who considered the fetus to be a child were less inclined to terminate than those who perceived otherwise. These findings paralleled those of other studies which found that attitudes toward abortion are not strongly linked to gender. Most respondents were able to weigh moral convictions against taxing situations when considering pregnancy termination.     

Gender and higher education experience: a case study

This research seeks to contribute to current discussion of gender differences in experience of higher education. Its specific focus is to compare the assessment of various university services by male and female students. The research sample consisted of 9793 students who participated in three University of Western Sydney surveys in 2004 and 2005. The results suggest that, first, female students place higher importance on the majority of the university’s services than do male students; second, as female students advance through their studies, they appear more demanding about the quality of services, while male students remain comparatively tolerant; and third, while all students consider that some areas warrant improvement, this is significantly more so for female than for male students. Specifically, the key areas for improvement from female students’ perspective are the relevance and instructional clarity of the course and efficiency of administration. It is recommended that, considering the current trends in higher education across gender, a sharper focus on these areas for improvement action could help the university ensure equity and better manage competition.     

Application of Self-Anchoring Scaling for Study of Teaching Effectiveness

Abstract

A sample of 184 teachers was studied in relation to their first-person point of view of teaching effectiveness. A self-anchoring scale was employed as a measuring instrument. Results indicated that (a) female teachers mentioned individualized instruction as one of the essential characteristics of most effective teaching more frequently than did male teachers; (b) teachers’ mean ratings of teaching effectiveness increased progressively and significantly for 2 years ago, present time, 2 years from now, and 5 years from now; (c) the beginning teachers rated their teaching effectiveness for the present time significantly lower than teachers with more experience; (d) male teachers rated their teaching effectiveness for the present time significantly higher than did female teachers.     

Revisiting a student-oriented curriculum in the Nigerian secondary school system

Abstract

The increasing gap between what students learn and what they remember has agitated the minds of educators in recent times. The apparent gap is that teaching tends to be more theoretical than practical. For instance an apparent absence of relevant instructional materials, skilled vocational education personnel and the current lack of awareness on the part of policy makers on the advantages of pragmatic education, constitute current obstacles to the actualisation of pragmatic student-oriented secondary school education curriculum in Nigeria. However, this paper therefore, describes methods by which secondary school education can be made more functional through the introduction of more practical learning schemes which shall ultimately equip graduates with revenue generating and life skills. Fifty teachers and 150 students were randomly selected for the study from formal and non-formal secondary schools in Calabar Metropolis and Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State of Nigeria. Ex-post facto design was adopted. A 16 item questionnaire constructed on a modified four-point Likert-type scale was used for data collection. The data was analysed using simple percentages, independent t-test and a One-way analysis of variance. The findings revealed that, the schools lack adequate instructional materials and adequately trained vocational education teachers. Based on this, it was recommended among others, that a student-oriented curriculum be implemented in line with the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Education For All (EFA) and Universal Basic Education (UBE). Also more practical skills-oriented education and vocational education teachers should be employed to train the students on the development of functional literacy skills.     

The effect of learner misbehaviour on educators in Lesotho

Abstract

The aim of this study was twofold, namely to examine (1) the effect of learner misbehaviour on identified symptoms of educator burnout and stress, and (2) the possible association between demographic variables and symptoms of educator stress and burnout as a direct result of learner misbehaviour. The quantitative empirical approach was used in this study. A self-reporting questionnaire was completed by 511 educators. The data were analysed by means of frequencies, the Student's t-test and the One-way ANOVA (analysis of variance) statistic. The results are reported against the background of a diagrammatical, enumerative display of the nature and frequency of different types of misbehaviour that the respondents had to address. The results prove that learner misbehaviour in Lesotho has serious negative consequences for a relatively small percentage of respondents. Contrary to the prevailing view in the literature, the data furthermore show that learner misbehaviour in Lesotho more often impacts negatively on male and on experienced educators, than on their female and their less experienced counterparts.     

Social and health behaviors in youth of the streets of Ibadan, Nigeria

OBJECTIVES: This study documents the extent and impact of perceived patterns of behavior in a sample of youths of the streets of Ibadan, Nigeria, with the purpose of implementing a Life Skills Educational (LSE) intervention. METHOD: The study uses both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. Qualitatively, two Focus Group Discussions (FGD) and two in-depth interviews (IDI) with 20 boys and 2 community leaders were conducted on separate occasions for the purpose of eliciting commonly exhibited behaviors and patterns of street youth. Quantitatively, 169 youths (89.3% male) were consecutively interviewed from five subcultural areas in Ibadan, Nigeria. Street youths were accessed through a snowballing technique made possible by "Area boys" (AB, adults, who serve as a symbol of authority for street children). RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 18.4 years. The majority was on the street for financial reasons, had been on the street for more than 1 year, and had not completed their primary schooling. While youths of the street were economically viable, 69% had a history of alcohol abuse, 14% of drug abuse, and 24% operated as drug couriers; 46% reported school refusal, 27% school suspension, and 47% school truancy. Forty-nine percent admitted to being sex workers and 11% had been raped and were, therefore, at risk of contacting sexually transmitted diseases (STD). One-third of youths had been arrested for various offenses, including street fighting and drug use. While females were in the minority, they were more likely to engage in antisocial behaviors compared with boys. CONCLUSIONS: Although many youths of the street display antisocial behaviors, they also are an economically viable group. Some of their antisocial behaviors may have been exhibited within the context of economic survival. Implementing a life skill program to address these antisocial behaviors may help to increase the well being of street youths in developing countries in Africa.     

Gender differences in academic achievement among Turkish prospective teachers of English as a foreign language

This study seeks to explain prevalent gender differences in academic achievement of 84 third‐year students enrolled in a pre‐service ELT (English Language Teaching) teacher training department. The study collected both qualitative and quantitative data through semi‐structured interviews from a sample of 38 students. A content analysis of the data indicated that male and female trainee teachers had differentiating perceptions of social roles and, as an artefact of these roles, they differed in the quality and quantity of time and effort allocated for their academic studies. Girls reported both longer periods of time and more efficient metacognitive disposition than their male peers. Another important factor for the observed differences appeared to be the perception of teaching as a profession. Female trainee teachers reported more intrinsic orientations towards the profession whereas male trainee teachers mentioned more extrinsic orientations, which seemed to directly influence the participants' engagement with their academic endeavour.     

Causal attribution of performance in university examinations: A Filipino investigation

Causal attributions for success and failure at a forthcoming examination by 246 Filipino college freshmen, 64 male and 182 female, are examined. Although there is no data with which to compare the results of this study, it would appear that these young Filipinos generally possessed adaptive patterns of attribution. They ascribed possible success somewhat more to internal rather than external sources but attributed possible failure almost equally to these factors. Luck was perceived as being only of relatively minor importance. Internal success attribution was found to correlate significantly with satisfaction with success in three out of four cases. Effort attribution correlated significantly with the students' ratings of how hard they had tried. Contrary to U.S. research, the female respondents if anything possessed more adaptive patterns of attribution than their male peers. It is suggested that this has been a neglected area of cross-cultural research but one that should be of concern to all developing countries.     

Empirical evidence of child poverty and deprivation in Nigeria

Development economists and policy makers have in recent times focused attention on child poverty as a crucial aspect of poverty. The importance of the analysis of child poverty partly lies in the fact that children are the most vulnerable group in every society. This study used two poverty lines and the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke index to analyze extreme and overall child poverty headcount, depth and severity in Nigeria. The study also used the headcount ratio to analyze the extent of child deprivation in education, health, nutrition, child protection, water and sanitation. The study was based on the 2010 Harmonized Nigeria Living Standard Survey (HNLSS) and the 2011 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Abuja, Nigeria. The study revealed that 23.22% of children in Nigeria were in extreme child poverty while 70.31% of children in the country were in overall child poverty. The study further showed that there was pronounced child deprivation in education, health, nutrition, child protection, water and sanitation. Both child poverty and child deprivation were more pronounced in the rural sector than in the urban sector and in Northern Nigeria than in Southern Nigeria. Therefore, the Nigerian government should take adequate steps to eradicate child poverty and obliterate all forms of child deprivation in Nigeria – particularly deprivation in basic needs. In taking such steps, more attention should be focused on rural areas and Northern Nigeria.     

Differences in the Performance of Male and Female Students in Partially Online Courses at a Community College

ABSTRACT

Many scholars argue that female students are more motivated than their male counterparts. This study examines evidence from 435 students, 237 males and 198 females, in 19 partially online Introduction to Marketing and Marketing Research classes taught by this researcher at an urban community college. The study spans 10 semesters from fall 2012 to spring 2017. In this retrospective study, female students outperformed male students on the following measures: (a) Students’ final course grades adjusted to remove extra credit grades, (b) Students pre-semester cumulative Grade Point Averages adjusted to remove extra credit grades, and (c) Scores on three early semester extra credit assignments assigned to all students. The data suggest that female students are more likely to be self-regulated learners – more disposed to adopt a proactive disposition to their studies – than male students. But, this study does not include psychometric data. Consequently, the proposition that female students are more self-regulated learners than male students is only a hypothesis that emerges from this analysis. Given that the data are not normally distributed, the analysis was conducted using nonparametric test: Chi-Square and Kruskal–Wallis H.     

Group composition and its effect on female and male problem-solving in science education

Background:?Cooperative learning may help students elaborate upon problem information through interpersonal discourse, and this may provoke a higher level of thinking. Interaction stimulates students to put forward and order their thoughts, and to understand the ideas or questions of their peer learner. However, partner gender is an important variable in cooperative learning. Previous research indicates that female students profit less than male students from mixed-gender cooperative learning in physics, especially where problem-solving is involved. Female and male students have different communication styles. For example, male students tend to give their opinions and explanations directly, while females tend to avoid presenting their opinion and are more likely to initiate cooperative problem-solving by asking questions.

Purpose:?The main aim of this study was to ascertain whether partner gender influences female students' learning to solve science problems and the role female communication style plays in the cooperative learning process.

Sample:?A total of 62 high schools students (31 female, 31 male) from three schools in the Netherlands participated in the study. Students were selected from three physics classes in grade 10, with a mean age of 15.6. Students came from various family backgrounds.

Design and methods:?An experiment was carried out to test the effect of group composition on female and male students' cooperative problem-solving in science. The students were randomly assigned to dyads and three research conditions: 15 mixed-gender pairs (MG); eight female–female pairs (FF) and eight male–male pairs (MM). Students were given training in how to solve a problem as a team, and how to complete the answer sheet. All students solved the same problems in four 50-minute sessions. In each session, students were asked to solve three new and moderately structured problems working together. Each dyad had a university student as an observer. The observer's task was to log the students' time on task and to document the interactions between the students. The observers did not interfere with the communication between the students during problem-solving.

Results:?Analyses of pre- and post-test performance revealed that female students in the MG condition did not learn to solve physics problems as well as male partners or as female students in all-female dyads. Analyses of interactive behaviours showed that female students in the MG condition devoted less time to actively seeking solutions and spent more time asking questions than their male partners.

Conclusions:?Difference in solution-seeking behaviour could explain an important part of the difference in problem-solving performance between the female and male students in this study. Female students in the all-female dyads did not differ in interactive behaviour or post-test performance from males. They had a more balanced interactive style than females in the mixed-gender dyads. Suggestions for further research are discussed. It would be interesting to examine if the findings of this study carried over to areas in which females are traditionally more comfortable, such as biology.