International Journal of Education Research and Reviews

International Journal of Educational Research and Reviews ISSN 2329-9843 Vol. 4 (6), pp. 819-826, June, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of task repetition on foreign language output

Al-Waleed Aziz Baz

College of Education, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 8 May, 2016

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effect of task repetition on foreign language output. Twenty eight Saudi female students in the Preparatory Year (PY) at King Saud University were randomly selected to conduct an oral information-gap task. The participants were asked to perform the task two times with two-week interval between the two performances. The oral performances were transcribed and analyzed to measure fluency and accuracy of language output. The collected data were coded for the two dimensions of oral production (fluency and accuracy), based on the established criteria. A within group dependent t-test for paired samples was computed to find out whether or not there were significant differences between the mean scores of the first and second performances. The findings revealed that task repetition resulted in significant differences in subjects’ oral discourse in terms of fluency and accuracy. The findings of the current study recommend that researchers and teachers might find it very beneficial to devote some of their time to design effective task repetition to help language learners improve their oral production. 

Key words: Task repetition, language output, accuracy, fluency.

International Journal of Educational Research and Reviews ISSN 2329-9843 Vol. 4 (6), pp. 774-783, June, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Economic development models of East Asian developmental states

Yoo Dae Kim Ji-tae

Department of Public Policy and Leadership, Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul (PSPS): Yeungnam University, South Korea.

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 12 May, 2016

Abstract

The East Asian developmental states were so successful to transform their nation from the agrarian to the most advanced industrial state. Although it is believed that developmental state exists before the East Asian countries, most of the literatures give emphasis to the successful East Asian countries. All the developmental states in East Asia fulfill those requirements to be called as a developmental state. Additionally, these countries developed their own economic development models which can be taken as success factor of their development. In most of the research papers, the success of developmental states is not debating. The debating issue is whether or not the experience from East Asian developmental states can be replicated in the currently developing countries. Most authors lack confidence to recommend the applicability of East Asian developmental states success. However, as far as there is committed and strong leadership, both democracy and economic development can be implemented hand in hand. The current Ethiopian government from its beginning was democratic. The country was under dictator government and closed economy was the policy direction for 17 years before 1991. Now in Ethiopia, multiparty system exists, and power is accessed only by election. The country underwent four elections successfully in the past 20 years. Ethiopia’s economic development is impressive. The country is in a state of unprecedented economic development. This was made possible in this short period of time because of the characteristic of political leaders in Ethiopia. The state in the country shares most of the characteristics mentioned for developmental states. Moreover, there are strong grounds to implement the economic models of East Asia in the developing country, Ethiopia. There are similarities and differences between the Ethiopian and East Asian economic development models. The differences are the weakness of the state in Ethiopia, so there is a possibility to amend this by taking the experience from East Asia. Generally, Ethiopia is working as a democratic developmental state. The current situation in the country reflects this fact; therefore, the developmental state experience from East Asia can be implemented in the developing countries of Africa.

Key words: Ethiopia, East Asia, developmental states, Foreign Direct Investment, current government.

International Journal of Educational Research and Reviews ISSN 2329-9843 Vol. 4 (4), pp. 694-704, April, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Borehole provision and sustainability to guarantee potable water availability for progressive poverty reduction in Ghana

Kofi Dramani Kingston

Department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 30 March, 2016

Abstract

This study establishes the prime essence of providing measures for borehole sustainability immediately after borehole provision to guarantee potable water availability for progressive poverty reduction. The sample size was 1,200 household respondents from eighty communities provided with boreholes selected by simple random sampling technique. Primary data were collected from the Atebubu and Afram Plains Districts in Ghana through the use of quantitative and qualitative research instruments. The study’s results show that 90.8% of survey respondents indicated that their community boreholes were “currently working”, as at the time of the survey. Also, 85.0% of the respondents indicated that their communities owned the boreholes, 99.5% indicated willingness on the part of community members to sustain boreholes, while 86.4% indicated that their households contribute funds as levies for borehole maintenance. Ensuring effective borehole sustainability practices is therefore quintessential to poverty reduction efforts. When boreholes become dysfunctional, poverty reduction processes become jeopardized and enter a reversal mode which if not resolved early, gains in poverty reduction are lost.

Key words: Boreholes, handpump sustainability, poverty reduction, WATSAN committee, operation and maintenance, community level management.

International Journal of Educational Research and Reviews ISSN 2329-9843 Vol. 4 (6), pp. 757-760, June, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Review

Essentials in enhancing self-employed micro-entrepreneurs and home-based workers rights in Gondar, Ethiopia

Marcus H. Selassie¹* and Tirunesh Bekele Gerima²

¹Department of Business Management, Multimedia University College of Kenya, P.O. Box 30305-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.

²Department of Business Management, University of Gondar, P.O. Box 817 Gondar, Ethiopia.

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 18 June, 2016

Abstract

This paper argues that home-based workers are not easily identified as either self-employed or dependent workers because these categories of employment status fail to capture gender subordination, which is particularly salient in the case of home-based work. Presenting the cases of home-based workers in Gondar, Ethiopia, this paper proposes that home-based workers should be treated as self-employed micro-entrepreneurs and be effectively organized to demand their rights. It is concluded that educating home-based workers about their rights is essential to enhancing their bargaining power within the family and community. 

Key words: Home-based workers, gender subordination, micro-entrepreneurs, Gondar, Ethiopia.

International Journal of Educational Research and Reviews ISSN 2329-9843 Vol. 4 (6), pp. 809-813, June, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Youth Empowerment and National Development in vocational education in Nigeria

Adejuwa F. Akimade¹, Segun D. D. ² and Gbenga I. Fayosa³*

¹Department of Guidance and Counseling, Faculty of Education, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. ²Institute of Education, Faculty of Education, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

³Department of Curriculum Studies, Faculty of Education, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 12 May, 2016

Abstract

This study investigated empowering the youths for sustainable national development through vocational education in South West zone of Nigeria. Three hypotheses were generated. The research design used for the study was the descriptive research design of the survey type. One thousand two hundred youths were selected through stratified random sampling technique from three randomly selected states in the zone. The research instrument used was a self-constructed instrument titled “Youth Empowerment and National Development Inventory” (YENDI). Face and content validities of the instrument were ensured and the reliability of the instrument was established at a value of 0.70 using the test re-test reliability method. The inferential statistical technique used for the data analysis in the study was Pearson Moment Correlation analysis. The result of the analysis revealed that there was a significant relationship between capacity building (empowerment) and human capital formation; again, it was found that a strong correlation existed between capacity building and youth employability. It was further revealed that there was significant linkage between capacity building (empowerment) and social exclusion in South West Nigeria. Based on the findings, it was recommended (among others) that vocational education must necessarily be central to any meaningful youth policy for human capital formation. 

Key words: Capacity building, empowerment, national development, vocational education.

International Journal of Educational Research and Reviews ISSN 2329-9843 Vol. 4 (6), pp. 768-773, June, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Functionality, usability assessment and challenges in the development of academic digital library in Oyo State, Nigeria

Ayegbeni Steven¹ and Ajoko E. O Ernest²*

¹Department of Library Archival and Information Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

²Kenneth Dike Library, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 17 May, 2016

Abstract

This study investigated the development of academic digital library in Oyo State, Nigeria. Attention was committed to the following areas: functionality, usability assessment and challenges. Survey method was employed. The result revealed that digital library is developing in Nigeria, and its functions are evident as it supplements printed information resources. Assessment of the use of digital library should be user centred; facilities and the environment then follow. The results show the challenges associated with the use of academic digital library in Oyo State; it ranges from lack of effective access, sustainability of the resources, unstable power supply and constraints in building the resources. The tool employed for this study was a structured questionnaire consisting of 15 items. 250 University students were sampled, using simple random sampling technique. The overall result suggested that development of academic digital library in Oyo State, Nigeria is making progress, but efforts should be made in finding a durable solution to the challenges that are posing threat to its use. The paper ends with a call to higher institutions in Nigeria, to include library digitization into their policies and plans for effective use and assessment. Meanwhile, recommendations were made for future research. 

Key words: Digital information, information user, academic libraries, information communication technology