Control Groups In Favour Research Articles

Strain counter-strain technique versus kinesio tape in treating patients with myofascial neck pain syndrome

Myofascial pain syndrome is one of the most common complaints in clinical practice. Strain counter-strain technique is non-invasive therapeutic modality for treatment of soft tissue disorders. Kinesio tape is now widely used in management of musculoskeletal injuries. Forty-five patients with myofascial neck pain syndrome assigned randomly into: strain counter-strain technique group ( n = 15), kinesio tape group ( n = 15) and control group ( n = 15). The strain counter-strain technique was applied for two weeks (3 sessions/week-20 minutes per session). Kinesio tape was applied for upper Trapezius muscle for two weeks (3 days on and one day off). Pressure algometry, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Neck Disability Index (NDI) were used to evaluate participants before and after the corresponding interventions. Analysis of variance test (Anova) was used to determine differences between groups for all measured parameters. Paired t -test was used to compare between the pre- and post-treatment values within groups. For the 45 study participants (33 women and 12 men; mean age = 44.1 ± 7 years) statistical analysis revealed that subjects in strain counter-strain technique and kinesio tape groups experienced significant increase in pressure pain threshold, decrease in neck disability scale and pain level than those in the control group in favour of strain counter-strain technique group ( P > 0.05). The results suggest that treatment with strain counter-strain technique and kinesio tape were effective however strain counter-strain technique was more effective for management of myofascial neck pain syndrome.

The Effect of Using an Electronic Instructional Game in Improving English Language Vocabulary for Third Graders in Irbid City

<strong>This study aims to investigate the effect of using an educational computer game on the improvement of learning English language vocabulary in the city of Irbid. To achieve this aim was programmed a computer game to teach third graders English language vocabulary. The sample of the study consisted of 97 male and female students. They deliberately selected from Kofor Awaan Girls School and Abu Isam Primary Boys School, they were distributed over two groups: One of them is an experimental group of 52 students (male, female) taught English language vocabulary through a computer game strategy, and the other a control group of 47 students (male, female). The findings of the study showed that there are statistical significant differences at the level of (α=0.05) between the experimental group and the control group in favour of the experimental group, and that there are statistical significant differences at the level of (α=0.05) related to gender in favour of female, and that there are statistical significant differences at the level of (α=0.05) of the interaction between the teaching strategy and gender.</strong>

The use of concrete learning objects taken from the history of mathematics in mathematics education

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to reveal the effects of teaching with concrete learning objects taken from the history of mathematics on student achievement. Being a quasi-experimental study, it was conducted with two grade 8 classes in a secondary school located in Trabzon. The experimental group consisted of 27 students and the control group consisted of 25. Data were collected by using worksheets, an achievement exam and written opinion forms. The data from the achievement exam were analysed by using the Mann-Whitney U-test while the data from written opinion forms were analysed through content analysis. The Mann–Whitney U-test results showed a significant difference between the mean ranks of the experimental and control groups in favour of the former. Findings from the written opinion forms suggested that the students found the activities to be instructive and fun, enjoyed using concrete models in their classes, and learned from discovering the rules. It was also found that students had previously not engaged in similar activities and had only experienced the history of mathematics through the life stories and works of mathematicians and the representation of ancient numbers at the beginning of each unit.

Effects of Out-door Activities on Students’ Attitude towards Physics in Secondary Schools

The study investigated the effects of out-door activities on students’ attitude towards learning of Physics in Senior Secondary School Physics in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The research design adopted in the study was Pretest-Posttest Quasi-experimental. The sample for the study was 150 Senior Secondary One (SSI) Physics students (this sample was divided into the experimental and control groups in ratio 1: 1 i.e. 75 in each group), selected through the multistage sampling technique from a total population of 7,852 SS I students offering Physics in all the 184 public Senior Secondary Schools in Ekiti State. The instrument used to collect relevant data from the subjects was Physics Attitudinal Scale (PAS). The reliability of the instrument was determined through the split-half method with the reliability coefficient of 0.83. Two null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The data collected were analysed using inferential statistics of t-test and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results of the analyses showed that there was significant difference in the attitude of students to Physics in the experimental and control groups in favour of experimental group. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that non-conventional teaching approaches such as using out-door activities, should be introduced into the teaching of Physics in the nation’s secondary schools to reinforce the hitherto adopted conventional teaching method and Physics teachers should be encouraged to make use of these new teaching approaches.

Religious tolerance in Oman: addressing religious prejudice through educational intervention

This paper examines the impact of a school‐based intervention entitled ‘Our Brothers and Sisters in Humanity’ on 10th grade female Omani students' religious tolerance. A questionnaire was administered before and after an intervention to a sample of 241 girls, of whom 116 were in the experimental group and 125 in the control group. A semi‐structured interview was conducted before and after the intervention with 16 participants, of whom 8 were from the experimental group and 8 from the control group. Analysis of the quantitative data in the postintervention round reveals that there are statistically significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in favour of the experimental group in religious tolerance. Similarly the experimental group shows greater tolerance when compared to the control group in post‐intervention interviews. The study suggests that religion is one of the most salient components of Omani pupils' ‘identity’. The participants use religion to define their relations with, and determine their tolerance of, those who hold different religious beliefs. However, we conclude that education that capitalises on the perceived similarities between religions can be a means to suppress intolerance.

Effects of Improvised Materials on Students’ Achievement and Retention of the Concept of Radioactivity

This paper is an empirical study aimed at finding out the effect of improvised material on students’ academic achievement and retention on the concept of radioactivity. The study adopted the pretest post test non-equivalent control group design and was carried out in Calabar Education Zone, Cross River State Nigeria. A total of two hundred and forty seven (247) Senior Secondary School III Physics students took part in the study. The Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), Multiple Analysis (MCA) and t-test were used to analyze the data. The results of the study showed a significant difference in academic achievement between the experimental and control groups in favour of the experimental group, a significant difference in the mean academic achievement between the male and the female students in favour of the male students and a significant difference in the retention between the experimental and control groups in favour of the experimental group. The study recommend among others the use of improvised material in the teaching of physics where the accredited ones are lacking.

The Influence Of School Type In Modifying Sexual Behaviour Of Secondary School Adolescents

This study was a quasi-experimental research aimed at modifying sexual behaviour of secondary school adolescents. The effect which the mediating variable of school type has on the sexual behaviour of secondary school adolescents was also assessed. The study made use of a sample of one hundred and seventy three (173) senior secondary school two (SS 2) adolescents from three schools, one all boys’, one all girls and one co-educational. These were distributed into experimental and control groups in each school. Three hypotheses were formulated. The findings show that there was significant difference between the experimental and control groups in favour of the experimental group in modifying sexual behaviour of adolescent students at post-test. There was significant school type effect on the sexual behaviour of adolescents at post-test. The post-hoc analysis showed that treatment was significant when sexual behaviour of mixed and all girls’ schools are considered with the impact of treatment being more significant in the mixed school. Based on these findings, it was concluded that life skills training is effective in modifying sexual behaviour of secondary school adolescents. It was therefore recommended that; life skills training should be emphasized in the national sexuality curriculum, and can be made to apply to other areas of youth behaviour for example, drug use. Key Words: Sexual behaviour, Adolescents, School type, Modifying behaviour, Education

The effectiveness of rational emotive therapy on achievement motivation of students

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy on Students Achievement Motivation. It made use of ninety eight (98) SS 1 students randomly selected from two schools in Sapele Local Govt Area in Sapele Local Govt Area of Delta State. It is a quasi experimental design that involved a 2 x 2 non equivalent pretest, post test control group design. Two null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance, the instrument for data collection was the Academic Need Achievement scale (ANAS) developed by Bakare (1976). The instrument was validated by Bakare who obtained test, re-test reliability co-efficient of 0.75, ANCOVA, Descriptive statistics and Scheffe's Multiple Range Test were used in analyzing the data at 0.05 level of significance. The result showed that there was significant difference between Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy and Control Group in favour of the treatment group as regards the achievement motivation of students. Based on the research findings, recommendations were made which were a call to incorporate REBT in the curriculum of trainee counselors and secondary schools for effective use of the technique in helping students. The Nigerian Journal of Guidance and Counselling Vol. 9(1) 2004: 219-239