Effutu Municipality Research Articles

Experience and perceived impact of anxiety and depression on quality of life following emergency caesarean section among women in Ghana: a qualitative study

ObjectiveThis study explored the experiences of women who have undergone emergency caesarean section (EmCS) and how they perceived anxiety and depression to impact their quality of life.DesignA qualitative study grounded...

A Cultural Context Approach to Leadership Effectiveness in Healthcare: Evidence from Ghana

This study investigates the relationship between leadership styles and employee performance within hospitals in the Effutu Municipality, Ghana. Targeting nurses, healthcare administrators, allied health professionals, and domestic staff from four purposefully selected hospitals, a sample size of 384 participants was determined using the Cochran formula. A stratified random sampling technique ensured a proportional representation of the distinct subgroups. A final usable sample of 300 participants was achieved after thorough data checking and screening. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed from established leadership constructs, exhibiting high reliability with a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.87. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 25.0, including multiple linear regression to assess the impact of various leadership styles on employee performance. The findings indicate that all examined leadership styles—transactional, bureaucratic, autocratic, transformational, democratic, participative, and laissez-faire—had significant positive effects on employee performance. These results challenge the notion of a single "best" leadership style, suggesting that the effectiveness of leadership approaches is context-dependent. The study's limitations include its geographical scope, with recommendations for future research to explore contextual factors, long-term effects, and cross-cultural comparisons to enhance the understanding of leadership impacts in diverse healthcare settings.

Integrating 21st Century Skills into Teaching of Social Studies among Public Junior High School Learners in Effutu Municipality

The study examined the integration of 21st Century Skills into teaching of Social Studies among public junior high school learners in Effutu Municipality in Ghana. The study adopted Pedagogical Content Knowledge theory by Shuman (1987). The positivist paradigm was followed in the conduct of the study where quantitative data was collected and analysed. The Census sampling technique was used to select all the 50 Social Studies teachers even though 45 were correctly filled and therefore used for the study. Structured questionnaires were used as instruments for data collection. With the aid of the Version 20 of the Statistical Product for Service Solution (SPSS), descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency counts, simple percentages) and inferential statistical tools such as Ordinary Least Square multiple regression analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings of the study revealed that communication and collaboration as well as digital literacy skills had very good integration whereas creativity and innovation, cultural identity and global citizenship, personal development and leadership and critical thinking and problem-solving skills registered good integration. It further showed that 21st Century Skills mentioned above accounted for 63.8% variance in learners’ academic performance. It was recommended that Ghana Education Service should initiate and encourage continuous professional development programmes for teachers in the Effutu Municipality to improve their integration of 21st Century skills and enhance teaching and learning.

Toward vulnerability-responsive climate adaptation decision making: group inclusiveness as prime driver of local participation

ABSTRACT Although inclusive local participation in climate adaptation is touted as the panacea to ensure that project outcomes serve the needs of the most vulnerable, there is no objective measure for group inclusiveness. This study departs from the existing psycho-affective scales and employs principal factor analysis to compute a communicative practice-based inclusiveness scale (CoP-BIS). CoP-BIS measures group inclusiveness with five indicators—ideas solicitation, acknowledgment of views, views utilization, feedback provision, and member involvement. Ordinary least squares analytical procedure is applied to estimate the association between group inclusiveness and group members’ participation in decision making, based on data from a survey with 225 respondents randomly sampled from farmers’ and fishers’ groups in Ghana’s Effutu Municipality. We found that group inclusiveness has a statistically significant positive association with all three dimensions of participation (feeling encouraged to participate, willingness to make efforts to participate, and actual participation) in adaptation decision making at the 1% alpha level when other relevant factors are controlled for. Thus, fostering group inclusiveness through inclusive communicative practices is critical in promoting diverse participation in adaptation decision making. The implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Early Childhood Teachers’ Role in Ensuring a Safe Environment During Teaching in Early Childhood Centers During Covid-19: A Phenomenological Study in Effutu Municipality

Early Childhood Teachers’ Role in Ensuring a Safe Environment During Teaching in Early Childhood Centers During Covid-19: A Phenomenological Study in Effutu Municipality

Adolescent sexual and reproductive health literacy needs: a sub-national level assessment in Ghana.

This study assessed young adolescents' access and literacy challenges to sexual and reproductive health information and knowledge gaps in the Effutu Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. We used a narrative design and a focus group discussion method to glean data from 52 in-school adolescents, aged 11-15. Focus group discussions were conducted using a discussion guide and data were processed using QDA Miner (version 6.0). We analyzed data thematically using an iterative process of data validation, coding and recording. The participants had poor knowledge of the concepts of sexual and reproductive health and its essential domains. Abstinence was the predominant sexual and reproductive health goal of the participants. Yet, many males admitted to having sexual partners. There was difficult linguistic and physical access to structured and safe information. Personal hygiene, signs of sexual maturation and abstinence were the predominant contents available to young adolescents. A revision of adolescent health policies and strategies to embrace actions for improving unrestricted access to easy-to-read educational materials and adolescent health literacy is essential. Creating adolescent corners and introducing peer education in schools within Effutu and other municipalities in the Central Region will be useful.

A Comparative Study of the Academic Support of Single-Mother and Father Parenting Among Public Junior High School Pupils in Effutu Municipality

A Comparative Study of the Academic Support of Single-Mother and Father Parenting Among Public Junior High School Pupils in Effutu Municipality

Effects of Parental Neglect on the Educational Development of the Girl Child in the Effutu Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana

Effects of Parental Neglect on the Educational Development of the Girl Child in the Effutu Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana

Analysis of Groundwater Quality in the Coastal Aquifer of the Effutu Municipality, Ghana

The study sought to assess the suitability of groundwater for domestic and drinking purposes in the Effutu Municipality of Ghana. The paper employed laboratory protocols to analyse the water quality parameters’ concentrations for groundwater samples collected from wells. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to analyse the data and the concentrations of parameters compared with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) permissible limits. Principal component analysis using the varimax rotation was employed to explore the main parameters which express groundwater quality in the municipality. Water quality index employing the weighted arithmetic method was also used to score groundwater suitability for domestic and drinking purposes. The study found that the main parameters determining groundwater quality in the Effutu Municipality are conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, hardness, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and sodium. Except for conductivity, manganese, TDS, total hardness, and calcium, the average concentrations for all studied water quality parameters were within limits proposed by WHO. The study further revealed that 48.15%, 44.44%, and 7.41% of the groundwater had excellent, good, and poor water quality indices, respectively. The investigation so advances that the groundwater resources of the Effutu Municipality are suitable for domestic purposes. Despite this, we recommend that abstracted groundwater should be treated by prioritizing the water quality parameters.

A Methodical Evaluation of Teachers’ Knowledge and Practices of Differentiation in Basic Schools in the Effutu Municipality of Ghana

Teachers’ knowledge of differentiation and how they practice differentiation was evaluated in fifteen (15) Basic Schools of the Effutu Municipality. The study was guided by two (2) research questions and two (2) hypotheses. The study adopted the Vygotsky (1978) socio-cultural learning theory as the theoretical framework. A qualitative research method was employed as the approach and a case study as the design for the study. Relying on a primary data, a multi-stage sampling method which involved purposive sampling and simple random sampling was used to select the samples. The analyses revealed that the teachers have very high knowledge with respect to strategies of differentiation. Also, the frequency of implementation of differentiation in the subject areas was very good as only 3.3% of the selected teachers do not implement it in any of the subject areas they teach. It was found the proportion of teachers who implemented differentiation in core subjects like Mathematics, English Language and Natural Science were not significantly different from those who do not. Though, the result was generally reassuring, the study made recommended that enhanced supervision, and continuous professional development training therein for improving the situation.

Artifacts from the Perspective of Effutu Masquerade Performance: An Aesthetic Album

Artifacts from the Perspective of Effutu Masquerade Performance: An Aesthetic Album

Economic evaluation of groundwater resource in the Effutu Municipality: An application of the Gisser-Sanchez effect

This study presents an economic valuation of the groundwater resource in the Effutu Municipality. It tests the validity of the Gisser-Sanchez's position that the benefits derived from implementing a groundwater management intervention are insignificantly small compared to when no intervention is made. Hundred groundwater-user households were sampled by quota, convenience, and simple random sampling techniques. Assuming a quantitative approach, a contingent valuation-based willingness to pay questionnaire was used for data collection. Respondents were asked to value groundwater under two regimes based on quality: (1) unmanaged quality and (2) hypothetically-managed quality regimes. Using the Lancaster demand theory, the values assigned under either regime were assumed as the benefits users would derive from using groundwater. The statistical difference between the benefits of the two regimes was established by the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. The findings revealed that groundwater users are willing to pay 20 Pesewas (GH₵ 0.2) and 30 Pesewas (GH₵ 0.3), respectively, for a 10 L bucket of groundwater from the unmanaged quality regime and groundwater from the hypothetically-managed quality regime. The study established a statistically significant difference between the economic values of groundwater under either regime, indicating that the Gisser-Sanchez effect does not hold for groundwater used for drinking and domestic purposes in the Effutu Municipality. It has been expressed that improving groundwater quality will significantly increase the economic value of the resource. It has therefore been recommended that efforts should be made to treat groundwater to assume the quality of the Ghana Water Company's pipe-borne water after drilling projects in the Municipality.

Knowledge And Practice of Healthcare Ethics Among Healthcare Professionals: An Awareness Creation Apparatus

Background: Because healthcare professionals are well versed in patients' fundamental rights and obligations, people are growing more worried about their ethical behavior. The accusations regarding unethical behavior and the rise in legal action against healthcare providers frequently reflect this. Threats and intimidation directed at healthcare workers have also increased recently. Objectives: The purpose of the study was to assess the knowledge and practice of healthcare ethics among healthcare professionals in Winneba Municipal Hospital and Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Effutu Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. Methods: The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design and a qualitative research approach. The research design used offered a deeper understanding of the experiences, phenomena, and settings under study while addressing the "what," "how," and "why" of the research questions. The interpretive approach was chosen as the research's epistemological stance because it emphasised how unique humans are from the material world and how research methodologies should reflect this distinction. Results: This study identified ethical issues bordering on areas of communication, decision-making, confidentiality, and professional duty as key themes for ethical reflection. It explored the experiences of healthcare professions in different fields of practice within the clinical context. The study also identified strategies for improving knowledge and adherence to ethical codes regarding the profession, which are education, routine orientation, workshops and retraining programmes. Conclusion: Despite the commendable efforts of health professionals in adhering to healthcare ethics, policy-makers in the healthcare arena of Ghana such as the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and the Association of Health Administration and Support Services should gear health policy towards enhancing staff-patient relationship. Keywords: Healthcare professionals, patients' fundamental rights and obligations, unethical behaviour, ethical reflection, Ethical codes and Communication.

Youthful curiosity as a predictor of substance use among students

<b>Introduction:</b> Notwithstanding, the reasons that make the youth consume substances at young age are very complex, and many studies conclude that youthful curiosity is a major determining factor that drives them into such behavior. This current study investigated curiosity as a predictor of substance use among senior high school students in Gomoa West District and Effutu Municipality. The study was guided by three research questions.<br /> <b>Method:</b> It adopted the quantitative descriptive survey design.<br /> <b>Population:</b> A sample of 260 senior high school students were selected using a probability sampling technique for the study.<br /> <b>Instruments:</b> It adopted questionnaires on curiosity, substance use risk profile and substances and choices to collect data from respondents.<br /> <b>Data analysis:</b> Data gathered were analyzed descriptively using frequencies, percentages and Pearson product-moment correlation.<br /> <b>Results:</b> The study found that students were having low levels of alcohol and substance use curiosity. Also, the study revealed that the students’ substance use risk level was moderate. Furthermore, the study revealed a moderate relationship between alcohol and drug use curiosity and substance use risk among students.<br /> <b>Recommendations:</b> It was recommended that among other things the management of senior high schools in Gomoa West District and Effutu Municipality should provide guidance and counselling services on substance use and its effects on the youth.

Implementation of the Free Senior High School Policy in Ghana: Five Years on; Major Benefits and Challenges

The main purpose of the study was to explore the inherent benefits and challenges regarding the implementation of the free Senior High School policy in Ghana and how it is affecting teaching and learning in Senior High Schools in the Effutu Municipality of the Central Region of Ghana. The target population for the study were leadership of school heads within the Effutu Municipality. A qualitative research approach and a case study design was employed. Purposive sampling technique was used to select five head teachers. Semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data for the study. Thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the data. It was discovered through the respondents’ comments that the policy is a very good initiative, has led to increase school population, reduced financial burden on parents and payment of intervention allowance to teachers. Findings also indicate that inadequate infrastructure, inadequate funding from government, unstable school calendar and increase in teachers’ workload were means by which implementation of the policy has affected teaching and learning. Therefore, the Ghana Education Service should consider this paper as means of reviewing and revising the free Senior High School policy five years after its implementation taking into consideration key findings and recommendations of the study. Government should consider cost sharing with parents to ease pressure on its revenue since the policy is taking a substantial part of government’s budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Education. In addition, the government should increase the intervention allowance for teachers and pay it regularly in order to motivate teachers likewise seeking financial support from international donor agencies and other local financial institutions to provide adequate infrastructure in all schools.

A phenomenological study on recurrent teenage pregnancies in effutu municipality- Ghana.the experiences of teenage mothers

BackgroundGenerally, recurrent teenage pregnancies are public health menaces that impede the quality of life of teenage mothers, their offspring, and society as a whole. However, there is paucity of information regarding factors influencing this social issue especially, in developing countries where Ghana is no exception. Moreover, this menace has been least investigated from the perspective of the teenager with multiple pregnancies. Hence, this study aimed at identifying the factors influencing recurrent teenage pregnancies and the challenges confronted by these teenage mothers.MethodThis study is a phenomenological qualitative study that was conducted in the Effutu Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. Employing convenience and snowball sampling, 40 participants who were residents of the study area, had a child each, and were pregnant at the time of the study were included. Other participants included teenage mothers who had at least two (2) children. A face-to-face in-depth interview with the help of an interview guide was conducted. Proceedings were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using thematic analysis. Quotations were used in the result presentation.ResultsThe results of the study revealed that factors influencing recurrent teenage pregnancies are multifactorial. It includes peer pressure, parental neglect, poverty, living with a partner, and inadequate knowledge of family planning. The teenager with recurrent pregnancy is confronted with financial difficulties and is faced with stigmatisation in the society where she finds herself.ConclusionTo this effect, it is important to intensify education on family planning and good parental practices among parents with teenage mothers while providing a similar form of sensitization for members of the society about the harmful effects of stigmatisation on the teenage mother and her children. Again, a social support network for teenagers with recurrent pregnancies could be formed to help curb this public health menace.

Management Development Training Needs Assessment of Public Senior High School Heads in Ghana

This study sought to assess the Management Development Training (MDT) needs of public Senior High Schools (SHSs) heads in the Central Region of Ghana. The study took place in three districts of Ghana’s Central Region: Effutu Municipality, Awutu-Senya West, and Gomoa East. Mixed methods approach (MMA) based on explanatory sequential mixed methods design was adopted for the study. Primary data was collected through structured questionnaire distributed to 280 public SHS teachers using a simple random sampling technique. Also, semi-structured interview schedule was used to gather primary data from seven school heads and three district training officers (DTOs) using purposive and census sampling techniques respectively. Document analysis was used to access relevant secondary data. SPSS (24.0) was used in the data analysis process. Demographic features were described using descriptive statistics. Data obtained through interviews and questionnaires were analysed by identifying patterns and themes from participants’ responses. The findings indicated that SHS heads needed MDT in ICT, financial management, academic management, and HRM to efficiently and effectively run schools and influence school heads performance. The study concluded that MDT needs assessment have positive impact on school heads. The study recommends detailed needs assessment should be conducted before any training

Exploring the Difference in Academic Performance Determinants between Public and Private Junior High Schools

Despite improvements in basic education accessibility in public schools throughout time, there are worries regarding the lower Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) performance of students in public schools when compared with the performances of private schools. The current study sought to establish if there is, the differences in academic performance indicators between private and public junior high schools (JHS). The study focused on the Effutu Municipality following the establishment of the lower performance of public JHS students in literature. The study employed a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional survey design to sample JHS teachers in the Municipality. The study used a questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 385 teachers who were chosen by quota sampling. Teacher professional practice (TP), schools’ resource endowment (SR), instructional supervision (IS), school time usage (ST), teacher motivation (TM), and parental support (PS) were considered as the determinants of academic performance in the study. It was revealed that private schools scored higher in terms of the indicators of academic performance, except for ST where equal variances were established for either school type. Statistically significant differences between established with the Mann-Whitney U test were found for all indicators except as well for ST. the study recommends that there should be efforts to boost-motivate public Junior High Schools teachers, and also consider subsidization over free public schools to generate funding for school resourcing.

Teachers’ Use of Field Trip to Evaluate Social Studies Lessons in the Senior High Schools in Ghana

The purpose of the study was to assess teachers’ use of field trips in evaluating Social Studies lessons in Winneba Senior High School in Effutu Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. Qualitatively, a case study research design was employed for the study. The population of this study comprised all the four (4) Social Studies teachers and Social Studies Association president in Winneba Senior High School. Convenient and purposive sampling techniques were used to select the municipality, Winneba Senior High School and Social Studies teachers and Social Studies Association president for the study. The main instrument for data collection was semi-structured interview guide. The data was analysed through the use of the interpretative method on the themes identified during the data collection. The study indicated that the use of field trips in the teaching and learning of Social Studies has the potential to influence the understanding levels of students and teachers. Therefore, field trips have the potential to help students and teachers to gain new knowledge that may not have been obtained through theoretical learning in the classroom. The study also revealed that organisation of field a trip has some challenges, such as, time as the main factor, financial problems, inadequate support from School Management, Parents and some teachers, nature of the curriculum, the behaviour of students outdoor were related to the research questions and interpreted on the number of issues raised by respondents. It is recommended that procedures for seeking permission be outlined by the Ghana Education Service to facilitate easy permission processes and to reduce the stress associated with seeking permission for organizing field trips for teachers and students in Senior High Schools. It is also recommended that students should be educated more and more by their Social Studies teachers on the importance of embarking on field trips to eliminate the lukewarm attitudes of some of the students. It is recommended that the Regional and District directors of education should ensure constant and effective supervision of teachers to encourage the use of field trips as a teaching strategy for the evaluate Social Studies lessons.

Socio- economic status and household practices influence on undernutrition among children under five years in the Effutu municipality

Introduction: Malnutrition is an underlying factor in many diseases for both children and adults and is particularly prevalent in developing countries. Malnutrition has been a worldwide problem which is being tackled in various ways and is usually prevalent among children in developing economies. The purpose of the study was to examine the Socio- economic status and household practices influence on undernutrition among children under five years in the Effutu Municipality. Methodology: A community-based research was conducted to assess the nutritional status of children under five years in Effutu municipality for a total of 350 children. A simple random sampling was used to select the communities for the study. Modified random walk was use to select the households from housing units. With the use of a pre-tested and structured questionnaire, data on children and care givers was collected. WHO Anthro software version 3.2.1 was used in determining the z-scores and SPSS software version 20 was used to perform univariate, and bivariate logistic regression analysis. A p<0.05 was deemed statistically significant. Results: Out of the 350 children under five, the most prevalent undernutrition case was stunting (59%). Stunting was most prevalent among children in the age group of 12-23 months (35.5%). Number of times child feeds daily is the only house hold practice that is associated with stunting at 95% significant level. Children whose parents were unemployed were almost twice likely to be stunted than those who were self-employed (OR=1.902 95% CI, 114 - 3.246). Children with parents who earn less than Ghc100 were about 10 times more likely to be stunted than those who earn more than Ghc1000 (OR=10.179; 95% CI, 2.198 - 47.145). Conclusion: The study showed that of the economic factors, mother’s occupation and household income was significantly associated with their child being stunted. The number of times a child feeds in a day was significantly associated with their child being stunted.