Approach For Direct Delivery Research Articles

Influence of Competition Orientation Strategies on Performance of Small-Scale Enterprise in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

The study determined the Influence of Competition Orientation Strategies on Performance of Small-Scale Enterprise in Nasarawa State, Nigeria” the study was guided by six specific objectives, six research questions were formulated and six null hypotheses were raised. The population of the study was 631 proprietors of Small-Scale Enterprises in Nasarawa state. The study used the entire population for the study. A Structured questionnaire was employed for data collection. Two experts validated the instrument, and it was pilot tested in Makurdi, Benue state using 40 proprietors of Small-Scale Enterprises. The instrument yields a Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient of 0.83. Five research assistants assisted the researchers in the data collection using direct delivery approach. The data collected were analyzed using Statistics Package of Social Science (SPSS), 25 to mean scores and standard deviations to answer the research questions. Simple Logistic Regression was employed in the test of research null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that competitors’ orientation strategies significantly influence the financial performance, employee performance, performance review, success, customers’ loyalty, and customers’ satisfaction with the service of small-scale enterprise in Nasarawa state. It was concluded that effective adoption of Competition Strategies will go along was to boost the performance of Small-Scale Business in Nasarawa state. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that proprietors of small-scale enterprises in Nasarawa state should integrate effective competition strategies that will enable them to compete with other small-scale markets across the globe.

Self-esteem and Locus of Control as Correlates of Academic Achievement among Secondary School Students in Anambra State, Nigeria

Aim: The present study aimed at the correlation between self-esteem, locus of control and academic achievement of secondary school students in Mathematics.
 Study Design: Correlation Survey Research Design.
 Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted among senior secondary school students from the six education zones in Anambra state.
 Methodology: This study was conducted among 18,297 senior secondary school students from the six education zones in Anambra state. The multistage sampling procedure was adopted to select a sample of 895 SS II students from Awka education zone. The instruments for data collection were; the self-esteem scale developed by Hare in 1975, the locus of control scale developed by Aston Trice in 1985. These instruments were examined and its usability and validity in Nigeria reported. The student’s terminal results in mathematics were gathered in order to measure student’s academic achievement scores in mathematics. The reliability of the instrument was as follows The Hare self-esteem scale was subjected to a test-retest reliability and indicated a good stability r = .56 to .65 for the three sub-scales and r = .74 for the general scale. The administration of the instrument was done through direct delivery approach. By this method, copies of the questionnaire were distributed personally to the respondents (SS II students) by the researcher with the help of the regular teachers from each school sampled, the teachers will be trained and enlightened on the research assistant’s role. Data relating to research question 1 and 2 was analyzed using Pearson product moment correlation coefficient, while research question 3 was analyzed using simple regression analysis. The research hypotheses raised were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. Multiple regression analysis determined the R, R – squared and R2 adjusted. The significant value on the coefficient table was used to test hypotheses 1 – 4, while the R, R – square and R2 adjusted coefficients were used to establish the percentage correlation among self-esteem, locus of control and academic achievement.
 Results: The study shows that a moderate positive relationship of 0.544 exists between male secondary school students’ self-esteem and their academic achievement in Mathematics. The study also revealed that, there is a significant relationship between self-esteem and academic achievement of male secondary school students in Mathematics in Anambra State. Also, a low positive relationship of 0.336 exists between male secondary school students’ locus of control and their academic achievement in Mathematics. There is a significant relationship between locus of control and academic achievement of male secondary school students in Mathematics in Anambra State. The results also revealed a moderate positive relationship of 0.562 exist among secondary school students’ self-esteem, locus of control jointly with their academic achievement in Mathematics, similarly, there is a significant joint relationship among secondary school students’ self-esteem, locus of control and gender with their academic achievement in Mathematics.
 Conclusion: Based on the analysis, it was concluded that, the absence of self-esteem and locus of control among students can lead to early discouragement, and in turn propel/ lead to poor academic achievement in core subjects despite the relevance of these subjects to academic growth and development. This can result in lack of interest and perseverance at school tasks, and ultimately, they may find it easier to avoid potential damage that might occur due to attributing failures to their own fault or ability.

Do Emotional Intelligence and Self-Efficacy Correlate with Marital Satisfaction of Married Teachers in Anambra State?

Aims: This study looked at married teachers in Anambra State to see how self-efficacy and emotional intelligence correlate with marital satisfaction. Three study questions were developed to evaluate this relationship, and three null hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The results of this study could be used to better appreciate the value of marriage as a union between a man and woman that promotes both mental and physical health through marital satisfaction.
 Methodology: For this study, a correlational research design was used in order to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence, general self-efficacy, and marital satisfaction. A sample of 1,344 married teachers was selected from a population of 6,987 married teachers through a multi-stage sampling procedure. Three instruments - the emotional intelligence scale (EIS), the general self-efficacy scale (GSS), and the index of marital satisfaction (IMS)—were used to collect data. These instruments are standardised measures with reliability coefficients of 0.96 for IMS, 0.89 for EIS, and 0.87 for GSS. Data collection was done through a direct delivery approach. Aggregate scores were used to answer research questions, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficients were used to answer research questions, and regression analysis was used to answer research questions. The hypotheses were tested using the t-test of correlation. This method is used to assess the relationship between two variables, and to determine if the difference between their means is statistically significant.
 Results: The study demonstrated that there is a slight yet positive relationship between the emotional intelligence, self-efficacy beliefs, and marital satisfaction of married teachers.
 Conclusion: Research findings indicate that emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, and marital satisfaction are positively correlated among married teachers in Anambra State. This positive correlation suggests that couples who are better able to recognise, understand, and manage their own emotions, as well as those of their partner, tend to have higher levels of marital satisfaction. Additionally, higher levels of self-efficacy, or confidence in one's ability to complete tasks or handle difficult situations, may also play a role in the overall satisfaction of the marriage.
 Given these findings, it is recommended that counsellors involved in marital counselling motivate and encourage married teachers in Anambra State to take part in seminars and counselling sessions that promote the learning of emotional intelligence and self-efficacy. These sessions can help couples better recognise, understand, and manage their own emotions, as well as those of their partner, and build confidence in their ability to handle difficult situations.

A minimally invasive bronchoscopic approach for direct delivery to murine airways and application to models of pulmonary infection.

The laboratory mouse is used extensively for human disease modeling and preclinical therapeutic testing for efficacy, biodistribution, and toxicity. The variety of murine models available, and the ability to create new ones, eclipses all other species, but the size of mice and their organs create challenges for many in vivo studies. For pulmonary research, improved methods to access murine airways and lungs, and track substances administered to them, would be desirable. A nonsurgical endoscopic system with a camera, effectively a bronchoscope, coupled with a cryoimaging fluorescence microscopy technique to view the lungs in 3D, is described here that allows visualization of the procedure, including the anatomical location at which substances are instilled and fluorescence detection of those substances. We have applied it to bacterial infection studies to characterize better and optimize a chronic lung infection murine model in which we instill bacteria-laden agarose beads into the airways and lungs to extend the duration of the infection and inflammation. The use of the endoscope as guidance for placing a catheter into the airways is simple and quick, requiring only momentary sedation, and reduces post-procedural mortality compared with our previous instillation method that includes a trans-tracheal surgery. The endoscopic method improves speed and precision of delivery while reducing the stress on animals and the number of animals generated and used for experiments.

A Comparative Analysis of the Adoption of Conflict Resolution Model for Conflict Management in Colleges of Education and Universities in South-East Nigeria

Aims: This study compared the adoption of conflict resolution model for conflict management in colleges of education and universities in South-east Nigeria.
 Study Design: The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study.
 Place and Duration of Study: Academic staffs of Nwafor Orizu College of Education and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, between November 2022 and February 2023.
 Methodology: Simple random sampling technique of balloting with replacement was used to select 1,046 academic staffs from the accessible population of 5,225 academic staffs of Nwafor Orizu College of Education and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. The standardized instruments adopted for data collection was conflict management style assessment by Reginald Akins. The psychometric properties of the instrument were validity and a reliability coefficient of 0.74; also the instrument was administered using the direct delivery approach. Data collected was analysed using arithmetic mean and standard deviation. A table of real limit of numbers was used to interpret the respondents’ response. Rarely - 1.00 - 1.49, Sometimes - 1.50 – 2.00, Often - 2.50 – 3.00, Always - 3.50 – 4.00. Analysis for this study was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).
 Results: The findings revealed that academic staffs in colleges of education always adopt competing mode of conflict resolution for conflict management. While, academic staffs in universities often adopt competing mode of conflict resolution for conflict management. Furthermore, academic staffs in colleges of education often adopt avoiding mode of conflict resolution for conflict management, while academic staffs in universities always adopt avoiding mode of conflict resolution for conflict management among others.
 Conclusion: Conflict is inevitable in all organisations and the tertiary institutions being a formal organisation have intricate network of members with divergent needs that trigger conflicts. The findings of this study revealed that academic staffs in colleges of education and universities adopt conflict resolution model for conflict management.

The Relationship between Teacher’s Motivation and their Job Satisfaction in Secondary Schools in Onitsh Education Zone, Anambra State, Nigeria

Aims: This study determined.
 The relationship between teacher’s intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction in secondary schools in rural areas in Onitsha education zone.
 The relationship between teacher’s extrinsic motivation and job satisfaction in secondary schools in rural areas in Onitsha education zone.
 The relationship between teacher’s intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction in secondary schools in urban areas in Onitsha education zone.
 The relationship between teacher’s extrinsic motivation and job satisfaction in secondary schools in urban areas in Onitsha education zone.
 Study Design: This study adopted the Correlation Survey Research Design.
 Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted among secondary school teachers in secondary schools in Onitsha Education Zone of Anambra State, Nigeria.
 Methodology: The population of this study comprised 1,179 (male = 92, female = 1087) teachers in government owned secondary schools in Onitsha education zone. The sample for this study is 300 teachers (175 – schools in urban areas, 125 – schools in rural areas). The instruments adopted for data collection were the Work Task Motivation Scale for Teachers (WTMST) and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). The Work task Motivation Scale for Teachers was developed by Fernet, Senecal, Guay, Marsh, Dowson (2008). The questionnaire contains 15 items on why teachers are motivated to carry out teaching tasks. The MSQ is developed by Weiss, Dawis, England and Lofquist (1967) to measure an employees’ satisfaction with their job. The MSQ consist of 20-items from the long form MSQ that best represent each of the 20 scales. The instruments for data collection were not subjected to further validation because they are standardized instruments. However, both the WTMST and MSQ have been adopted for use in other studies in Nigeria. Based on this usability, the instrument will be adopted for the present study. The administration of the instrument was done through direct delivery approach. In this approach, copies of the questionnaire were distributed personally to the respondents by the researcher with the help of some research assistants. The data collected was analyzed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (Pearson r), applying the statistical package for social science (SPSS) for data coding and analysis.
 Results: The finding of this study revealed that a high positive relationship of 0.632 exist between intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction in secondary schools in rural areas in Onitsha education zone, A moderate positive relationship of 0.530 exist between teacher’s extrinsic motivation and job satisfaction in secondary schools in rural areas in Onitsha Education zone, A moderate positive relationship of 0.482 exist between teacher’s intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction in secondary schools in urban area in Onitsha Education zone, A high positive relationship of 0.70 exist between teacher’s extrinsic motivation and job satisfaction in secondary schools in urban area in Onitsha Education zone.
 Conclusion: This study concludes that a high and positive relationship exist between teacher’s intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction in secondary schools in rural and urban areas, a moderate and positive relationship exist between teacher’s extrinsic motivation and job satisfaction in secondary schools in rural and urban areas.

LEARNING STYLES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING

Understanding a student’s learning style preference is an important consideration when designing classroom instruction. This study investigated learning styles of secondary school students and their implication for guidance and counselling in Awka Education zone, Anambra State. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. A multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted and used in selecting a sample size of 1,241 students from a population of 6,279 students in public secondary schools. A validated questionnaire titled, Learning Style Questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The questionnaire has reliability coefficient alphas of 0.68, 0.64 and 0.77 on each of the learning style cluster. The questionnaire was administered through direct delivery approach. Data was collected and analysed using percentages. The findings revealed that majority of the students have good visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning styles. Based on the findings, the following recommendations among others were made that school guidance counsellors should take into account the students ‘diverse learning styles in order to design counselling strategies that take care of those diversities and remain sensitive of such during their learning process.

Relationship between Learning Styles and Mathematics Academic Achievement of Secondary School Students in Awka Education Zone

Academic achievement of students occupies a very important position in learning process, thus, understanding its relationship with student’s learning style preference is an important consideration when designing classroom instruction. This study determined the relationship between learning styles and students’ Mathematics academic achievement in Awka Education zone, Anambra State. The study adopted a correlational research design. A multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted and used in selecting a sample size of 1,241 students from a population of 6,279 students in public secondary schools. A validated questionnaire titled, Learning Style Questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The questionnaire has reliability coefficient alphas of 0.68, 0.64 and 0.77 on each of the learning style cluster. The questionnaire was administered through direct delivery approach. Data was collected and analysed using percentages and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. Findings from the study revealed among others that; there is very low negative relationship existing between the secondary school students’ visual learning style and their achievements in Mathematics in Anambra State; there is very low negative relationship existing between the students’ auditory and kinesthetic learning style and their achievements in Mathematics in secondary schools. Similarly, the findings revealed that the relationship existing between the secondary school students’ visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning style and their achievements in Mathematics is not significant. Based on the findings, the following recommendations among others were made that teachers should take into account their students ‘diverse learning styles in order to design instructional methods that take care of those diversities and remain sensitive of such during the instruction process.

Occupational Stress as a Predictor of Mental Health Status of Universities Lecturers in South-East Nigeria

The focus of this study was to determine occupational stress as a predictor of mental health status of universities lecturers in south-east Nigeria. three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted the correlation survey research design. A sample of 940 lecturers were selected using the multistage sampling procedure. The instrument adopted for data collection is the Occupational Stress Inventory Revised Edition (OSI-R) which was developed by Samuel H. Osipow in 1998 and The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) developed by Lovibond and Lovibond in 1983. The administration of the instrument was done through direct delivery approach to the Lectures, in administering the instrument, A total of 920 (100%) questionnaires were administered with a retrieval rate of 902 (98%). Data collected were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The study revealed that occupational stress of lecturers between 20-40 years of age had contributed to 51.0 percent and is a significant predictor of their mental health, occupational stress of lecturers within 40 years and above had contributed to 72.0 percent of their mental health and occupational stress of lecturers within 40 years of age is a significant predictor of their mental health. the findings further revealed that that occupational stress of lecturers jointly with age had contributed to 72.0 percent and 6.2 percent respectively of their mental health and occupational stress and age of lecturers is a significant joint predictor of their mental health. Based on the strength of this findings, conclusions were drawn and recommendations made among others that Routine medical check on the mental health status of lecturers should be sponsored by federal and state governments for lecturers in federal and state institutions respectively. Keywords: Occupation, Stress, Occupational Stress, Mental Health, Lecturers, Universities DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-34-04 Publication date: December 31 st 2021

Relationship among Emotional Intelligence, Self-Efficacy and Academic Achievement of Secondary School Students in Mathematics in Imo State

Aims: The study determined the type of relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement of secondary school students, the type of relationship between self-efficacy and academic achievement of secondary school students, the type of joint relationship among emotional intelligence, self-efficacy and academic achievement of secondary school students in Mathematics in Imo state.
 Study Design: Correlational Survey research design.
 Place and Duration of Study: Secondary school II students in Imo State, Nigeria Sample:
 Methodology: The study adopted the correlation survey design. Disproportionate stratified sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 1250 SS II students from a population of 6960 SS II students in government owned secondary schools in Imo state. The instruments adopted for data collection were standardized emotional intelligence inventory (EI) and self-efficacy scale (SES). These instruments were administered using direct delivery approach with the help of regular teachers as research assistants from the sampled schools. Research questions 1 and 2 were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, while research question 3 was analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The hypotheses postulated was tested at 0.05 level of significance using multiple regression analysis which determined the R, R-squared and adjusted R-squared. The significant value on the coefficient table was used to test hypotheses 1 and 2, while the ANOVA F-ratio, R, R-squared and adjusted R-squared coefficients derived from multiple regression analysis were used to test hypotheses 3.
 Results: The findings of the study revealed a moderate positive relationship of 0.643 existing between secondary school students’ emotional intelligence and their academic achievement in Mathematics, Also, a very low positive relationship of 0.310 existing between secondary school students’ self-efficacy and their academic achievement in Mathematics, a moderate positive relationship of 0.451 existing among secondary school students’ emotional intelligence, self-efficacy jointly with their academic achievement in Mathematics. Furthermore, a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement of secondary school students in Mathematics in Imo state. There is a significant relationship between self-efficacy and academic achievement of secondary school students in Mathematics in Imo state. There is a significant relationship existing among secondary school students’ emotional intelligence and self-efficacy jointly with their academic achievement in Mathematics in Imo state.
 Conclusion: The conclusion of this study creates an insight on the possible reasons for poor academic achievement in accordance with their personality traits and have provided justification for the expressed concerns.

Sources of Career Inspiration of Adolescents in Secondary Schools and their Career Choice in Delta State

Aims: To determine the sources of career inspiration of adolescents in secondary schools and their career choice in Delta State, Nigeria
 Study Design: Descriptive Survey Research Design.
 Place and Duration of Study: Secondary schools in Asaba, Education Zone of Delta State, between March 2019 and July 2021.
 Methodology: The population of this study comprises 5,273 (male = 3754, female = 1519) senior secondary school II adolescents drawn from the 65 secondary schools situated in four local government areas in Asaba education zone of Delta State. The sample for this study comprises 810 SS II adolescents (male = 434, female = 371). The multistage sampling procedure was adopted in sampling the respondents. Firstly, simple random sampling technique was used to draw two local government areas, from the existing four LGAs in Asaba education zone of Delta State. There exist 30 secondary schools in the sampled LGAs. Secondly, disproportionate stratified sampling technique was used to select 27 senior secondary school II adolescents from each secondary school. The instruments for data collection were a structured questionnaire, structured on a 5–point response option of strongly agreed – strongly disagree with weighed values of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. The instruments were validated and reliability established. The Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient was 0.621, 0.841, 0.721 for the three sub-scales and an overall reliability of 0.715. The administration of the questionnaire structured for data collection was done through direct delivery approach. A total of 810 questionnaires were administered and 780 retrieved and used for data analysis. Data relating to research questions 1 - 3 was analyzed using mean and standard deviation. Data relating to the hypotheses was tested using the T-test for independent sample at 0.05 significance level.
 Results: The mean of means score is a pointer that adolescents agree to family influence as a source of career inspiration. More so, the standard deviation score shows heterogeneity of the respondents rating. The significant value is greater than the alpha value, hence there is no significant difference. This goes to show that male and female adolescents in secondary schools in Delta State do not differ significantly in their mean rating of family influence as a source of career inspiration. The mean of means scores revealed that adolescents agree to environmental influence as a source of career inspiration. More so, the standard deviation score indicates a heterogeneity of the respondents rating. The significant value is greater than the alpha value, this goes to show that male and female adolescents in secondary schools in Delta State do not differ significantly in their mean rating of environmental influence as a source of career inspiration. Mean of means score reveals that adolescents strongly disagree to occupational stereotyping influence as a source of career inspiration. The significant value is greater than the alpha value, hence there is a no significant difference. This goes to show that male and female adolescents in secondary schools in Delta State do not differ significantly in their mean rating of occupational stereotyping influence as a source of career inspiration.
 Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study it was concluded that adolescents in secondary schools agreed to family influence and environmental factor as sources of career inspiration. However, they strongly disagreed to occupational stereotyping as a source of career inspiration in Delta State. It was further concluded that adolescents in secondary schools in Delta State do not differ significantly in their mean rating of family influence and occupational stereotyping influence as sources of career inspiration. More so, there differ significantly in their mean rating of environmental factor as a source of career inspiration based on gender.

EXAMINATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS SELF-ESTEEM AS A DETERMINANT OF THEIR MARITAL ADJUSTMENT IN ANAMBRA STATE

Self-esteem as a psychosocial factor that is likely to foretell outcomes like academics, happiness, marital satisfaction and relationships is also a construct that could lead to marital success and happiness. This study examined secondary school teachers’ self-esteem as a determinant of their marital adjustment in Anambra state. Three research questions were posed to guide the study while one null hypothesis was tested at a 0.05 level of significance. A correlational research design was adopted for the study. A sample size of 1,408 married teachers was drawn from a population of 6,987 married teachers. A multi-stage sampling procedure was followed in selecting the study sample. Two instruments: The marital Adjustment Scale (MAS), and Self- Esteem Scale (SES) were used for data collection. The instruments were duly validated by experts in measurement and evaluation and Guidance and Counselling. The reliability coefficient was established thus; 0.85 for the Self-esteem questionnaire, and 0.74 for the Marital Adjustment Questionnaire. Data was collected through a direct delivery approach and was analysed using SPSS version 23. Range of aggregate scores and Pearson correlation coefficients were used to answer research questions and while a t-test was used to test the hypotheses. Findings of the study showed among others there is a non-significant very low positive relationship existing between married teachers’ Self-esteem and their marital adjustment in secondary schools in Anambra State. Based on the study’s findings, it was suggested, among other things, that school Guidance Counsellors organise workshops and seminars for married teachers aimed at fostering healthy self-esteem for successful marital adjustment. KEYWORDS: self-esteem, marital adjustment, married, teachers, school

SELF-ESTEEM AS CORRELATE OF MARITAL ADJUSTMENT OF MARRIED SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

Adjusting to the challenges in marriages is a critical factor in strengthening or weakening the foundation of their marriage. This study investigated self-esteem as a correlate of marital adjustment of married secondary school teachers in Anambra State. Three research questions were posed to guide the study while one null hypothesis was tested at a 0.05 level of significance. A correlational research design was adopted for the study. A sample size of 1,408 married teachers was drawn from a population of 6,987 married teachers. A multi-stage sampling procedure was followed in selecting the study sample. Two instruments: The marital Adjustment Scale (MAS), and Self- Esteem Scale (SES) were used for data collection. The instruments were duly validated by experts in measurement and evaluation and Guidance and Counselling. The reliability coefficient was established thus; 0.85 for the Self-esteem questionnaire, and 0.74 for the Marital Adjustment Questionnaire. Data was collected through a direct delivery approach and was analysed using SPSS version 23. Range of aggregate scores and Pearson correlation coefficients were used to answer research questions and while a t-test was used to test the hypotheses. Findings of the study showed among others there is a non-significant very low positive relationship existing between married teachers’ Self-esteem and their marital adjustment in secondary schools in Anambra State. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended, among others that the school guidance counsellors should organise workshops and seminars for the married teachers that would be geared towards building healthy self-esteem for good marital adjustment. Article visualizations:

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-EFFICACY AND MARITAL SATISFACTION OF MARRIED TEACHERS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

Marriages being a legal union between a man and a woman that is supposed to produce a satisfactory relationship in which the couple involved can experience marital satisfaction. This study sought to determine the relationship between self-efficacy and marital satisfaction of married teachers in Anambra state. Three research questions were formulated to guide the study while one null hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance. Correlational research design was used in conducting the study. A sample size of 1,344 married teachers was drawn from a population of 6,987 married teachers in Anambra state public secondary schools. A multi-stage sampling procedure was followed selecting the sample. Two instruments: General Self-efficacy Scale and Index of Marital Satisfaction (IMS) were adopted and used for data collection. The instruments are standardised measures and have the following reliability coefficient; 0.96 for IMS, 0.87 and for GSS. Data was collected through direct delivery approach. Data collected were analysed using SPSS version 23. Pearson correlation coefficients and regression analysis were used to answer research questions and test the hypotheses. Findings of the study showed among others that there is very low or no relationship existing between married teachers’ Self-efficacy belief and their marital satisfaction. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended, among others that counselors interested in marriage therapy should empower married teachers to follow behaviour and activities that foster marital happiness through occasional lectures and counselling sessions.
 
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Levels of Stress among Retired Civil Servants as Correlate of Their Adjustment Patterns in Anambra State, Nigeria

Aims: The study determined the relationship between levels of stress and adjustment patterns of retired civil servants, the relationship between levels of stress and adjustment patterns of male retired civil servants, as well as the relationship between levels of stress and adjustment patterns of female retired civil servants in Anambra state, Nigeria. 
 Study Design: The research design was a correlation survey.
 Place and Duration of Study: Anambra state secretariat office, March 2010 to February 2020.
 Methodology: The multistage sampling procedure was used to select a sample size of 513 retired civil servants from a population of 1500 retired civil servants in Anambra state (220 male and 252 female) (Source: Anambra state secretariat office, personal/accounts department, 2019). Levels of stress (LOS) and adjustment patterns questionnaires (APQ) were used to collect data which was administered through direct delivery approach. The validity of the questionnaires was carried out by three experts. The reliability coefficient for the levels of stress questionnaire (LSQ) was 0.78, while the reliability coefficient for adjustment pattern questionnaire was 0.85. Research questions 1, 2 and 3 were answered using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r). The null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using t-test of correlation.
 Results: Findings from the study revealed among others that; the relationship between levels of stress and adjustment patterns of retired civil servants is high and positive (r=0.661/n=472), while the relationship between levels of stress and adjustment patterns based on gender of retired civil servants is positively high for male (r=0.703/n=220), and moderately positive for female retired civil servants (r=0.577/n=252). Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that male and female retired civil servants should be encouraged to engage in meaningful activities that will reduce their stress levels. Also, the federal government should look into disbursement of funds and the payment of retired civil servants, the prioritizing of retirees’ payment of pension and gratuities can promote this process. Through this, retired civil servants will meet up financial obligations of their families, and in turn reduce the level of stress they undergo.
 Conclusion: There is a high positive correlation between levels of stress and their adjustment patterns, it was also found that a high positive correlation between levels of stress and adjustment patterns of male and female retired civil servants in Anambra state. Furthermore, a statistically significant relationship was found between levels of stress and adjustment patterns of retired civil servants.

Relationship among Locus of Control, Academic Interest and Secondary School Students Academic Achievement in Anambra State, Nigeria

Aims: To determine the relationship between locus of control and academic achievement in English language, the relationship between academic interest and academic achievement in English language, the relationship between locus of control and academic achievement in Mathematics, the relationship between academic interest and academic achievement in Mathematics.
 Study Design: The study adopted the correlational survey design
 Place and Duration of Study: Secondary schools in Anambra state, Nigeria.
 Methodology: Disproportionate stratified sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 2,160 students from a population of 18,297 SS2 students in Anambra state government owned secondary schools. The instruments adopted for data collection were standardized locus of control scale, student’s academic interest scale, these instruments were administered using the direct delivery approach. Data collected were tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, while the hypotheses postulated was tested at 0.05 level of significance using t-test of correlation and multiple regression analysis.
 Results: the relationship between locus of control and academic achievement of secondary school students in English language is moderate and positive (r = 0.469/n = 2050), the relationship between academic interest and academic achievement of secondary school students in English language is high and positive (r = 0.731, n = 2050), the relationship between locus of control and academic achievement of secondary school students in Mathematics is high and positive (r = 0.613, n = 2050). The relationship between locus of control and academic achievement of secondary school students in English language is significant (t-cal. = 24.03 > t-cal. 1.960), the relationship between academic interest and academic achievement of secondary school students in English language is significant (t – cal. = 48.46 < t – crit. = 1.960), the relationship between locus of control and academic achievement in Mathematics is significant (t-cal. = 35.12 > t-crit. = 1.960), the relationship between academic interest and academic achievement of secondary school students in Mathematics is statistically significant (t-cal. = 28.32 > t-crit. = 1.960).
 Conclusion: locus of control and academic interest are variables associated with academic achievement of secondary school students in Anambra state. Nevertheless, secondary school students spend significant part of their time in the classroom (about 7 ½ hrs a day, 5 days a week, and 36 weeks a year) with teachers and peers, there is need to help them understand their locus of control, improve their interest in learning as well as develop belief in themselves to succeed academically.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTS HOME PARTICIPATION IN PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPIL’S LEARNING AND PUPIL’S ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

The study sought to determine the relationship between parents’ home participation in primary school pupil’s learning and pupil’s academic achievement in Anambra State, Nigeria. The study was guided by five research questions and two null hypotheses. A correlational research design was used. Disproportionate stratified sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 1,680 students from a population of 90,411 primary school pupils in Anambra State. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire titled “Parental Participation Questionnaire (PIQ)”. It has internal consistency reliability coefficient alpha of 0.78. The instrument was used to collect data which was administrated through the direct delivery approach. Research questions 1, 2, and 3 were answered using a range of aggregate scores, research questions 4 and 5 were answered using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient while the null hypotheses tested using a t-test for correlation. Findings from the study revealed among others that there is a very low positive relationship existing between the primary school pupils’ parental participation in learning and their academic achievements in the English Language. Also, the findings revealed that there is a very low negative relationship existing between the primary school pupils’ parental participation in learning and their academic achievements in Mathematics. Based on the findings, it is recommended among others that guidance counsellors and school administrators should work together to help create fun and engaging educational programs that could engage parents in-home learning for their children as that may likely go a long way to help enhance their academic achievement. Article visualizations:

Intrarenal Injection of Escherichia coli in a Rat Model of Pyelonephritis.

Pyelonephritis is a bacterial infection of the kidney and is most commonly caused by Escherichia coli. Recurrent infections can cause significant renal inflammation and fibrosis ultimately resulting in declining kidney function. Before improved clinical management and prevention of pyelonephritis can be instituted, a reliable animal model must be established in order to study the mechanisms of progression, recurrence, and therapeutic efficacy. The transurethral infection model closely mimics human pyelonephritis but exhibits considerable variation due to its reliance on urethral reflux to transport the bacteria to the kidney. Herein, a detailed surgical protocol for performing bacterial injections into the rat renal pelvis is provided and confirmed by non-invasive Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Using this protocol, animals receive direct exposure to a desired concentration of E. coli bacteria and can fully recover from the surgical procedure with adequate post-operative care. This facilitates subsequent longitudinal MRI assessments of the experimental animal models for comparison with saline (sham) controls. Using this direct delivery approach, the severity of infection is controllable and applicable for mechanistic studies of progression as well as development of novel treatment strategies.

A systematic review of inhaled intranasal therapy for central nervous system neoplasms: an emerging therapeutic option

The intranasal route for drug delivery is rapidly evolving as a viable means for treating selected central nervous system (CNS) conditions. We aimed to identify studies pertaining to the application of intranasal drug administration for the treatment of primary CNS tumors. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify all studies published in the English language pertaining to intranasal therapy for CNS neoplasms, and/or general mechanisms and pharmacokinetics regarding targeted intranasal CNS drug delivery. A total of 194 abstracts were identified and screened. Thirty-seven studies met inclusion criteria. Of these, 21 focused on intranasal treatment of specific primary CNS tumors, including gliomas (11), meningiomas (1), and pituitary adenomas (4). An additional 16 studies focused on general mechanisms of intranasal therapy and drug delivery to the CNS using copolymer micelles, viral vectors, and nanoparticles. Inhaled compounds/substances investigated included perillyl alcohol, vesicular stomatitis virus, parvovirus, telomerase inhibitors, neural stem and progenitor cells, antimetabolites, somatostatin analogues, and dopamine agonists. Radiolabeling, CSF concentration measurement, imaging studies, and histological examination were utilized to clarify the mechanism and distribution by which drugs were delivered to the CNS. Successful drug delivery and tumor/symptom response was reported in all 21 tumor-specific studies. The intranasal route holds tremendous potential as a viable option for drug delivery for CNS neoplasms. A variety of antitumoral agents may be delivered via this route, thereby potentially offering a more direct delivery approach and ameliorating the adverse effects associated with systemic drug delivery.

Aerosol delivery of beclin1 enhanced the anti-tumor effect of radiation in the lungs of K-rasLA1 mice

Radiotherapy alone has several limitations for treating lung cancer. Inhalation, a non-invasive approach for direct delivery of therapeutic agents to the lung, may help to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of radiation. Up-regulating beclin1, known as a tumor suppressor gene that plays a major role in autophagy, may sensitize tumors and lead to tumor regression in lungs of K-rasLA1 lung cancer model mice. To minimize the side-effects of radiotherapy, fractionated exposures (five times, 24-h interval) with low dose (2 Gy) of radiation to the restricted area (thorax, 2 cm) were conducted. After sensitizing the lungs with radiation, beclin1, complexed with a nano-sized biodegradable poly(ester amine), was prepared and delivered into the murine lung via aerosol three times/week for four weeks. In a histopathological analysis, animals treated with beclin1 and radiation showed highly significant tumor regression and low progression to adenocarcinoma. An increase in the number of autophagic vacuoles and secondary lysosomes was detected. Dissociation of beclin1-bcl2 stimulated autophagy activation and showed a synergistic anti-tumor effect by inhibiting the Akt-mTOR pathway, cell proliferation and angiogenesis. The combination of radiation with non-invasive aerosol delivery of beclin1 may provide a prospect for developing novel therapy regimens applicable in clinics.