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This article provides a chronological analysis of the historical development of social studies in Ghana with a focus on the impact of international donor agencies. The influence of donor agencies on the introduction and implementation of social studies in the Ghanaian general education curriculum shows that post-colonial countries struggle with developing curriculum that is independent of colonial powers and germane to national needs. This article delves into the introduction and implementation process of social studies education highlighting five influential reforms in Ghana that happened between 1951 and 2007. This study provides an overview of Ghana's key educational reforms and the most important factors that influenced those reforms. Studying the past and present social studies education curriculum and its historical context in Ghana offers educational leaders insights and cautions to guide and inform future reforms in social studies education, ideally to avoid similar problems.

In civil engineering and construction management programs, student collaboration is important for their skill building, but its relationship with student engagement remains elusive. This study explored this relationship by examining the structure and characteristics of student collaboration networks. The results underscore the significance of network diameter as a measure of reachability and communication efficiency--a smaller network diameter correlates with higher engagement and suggests quicker and more-efficient communication in student groups. Structural leadership is a key factor in reducing the diameter and enhancing engagement by facilitating communication and bridging structural connection holes. In this context, structural leaders (i.e., brokers or bridges) who connect disconnected students or isolates play a more crucial role than opinion leaders (i.e., influencers or hubs) who connect a larger number of students. The findings reflect the ideal dual-lead pattern observed in industry collaborations, in which a technical lead makes critical decisions and a coordination lead diffuses knowledge and information. Strategies to nurture structural leadership are proposed, including leveraging virtual collaboration such as BIM and focusing on cultivating bridge students and their coordination skills. Additionally, the study highlights the benefits of small-world networks and reveals that demographic factors have little significant influence on engagement levels.

Aim: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of teacher's pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) on students' academic performance in circle theorem. Methods: The study used a mixed-methods research approach and a sequential explanatory design with a sample 210 students selected through the probability systematic sampling technique. The primary data was collected using questionnaire, an interview guide and a circle theorem achievement test. The data collected was analyzed using, the regression tool, and deductive manual thematic analysis, which was used for only the qualitative data collected from the interviews. Results: The study found a significant relationship between the independent variable teacher's pedagogical content knowledge and the dependent variable academic performance in circle theorem signifying that students' performance in circles theorem depends on the pedagogical content knowledge of the teacher. Conclusion: Based on the findings that emanated from the data analysed, the study concluded that teachers' pedagogical content knowledge has a significant relationship with students' academic performance in circle theorem. Recommendation: the study recommends that Ghana Education Service organise training conferences and workshops aimed at improving teachers' pedagogical circle theorem content knowledge.

Despite numerous efforts by stakeholders and institutions to mitigate social inequality and cybercrime globally, “these issues persist, particularly in developing countries like Ghana, where cybercrime has become a primary pursuit for many young people. This study aimed to examine the effect of social inequality on cybercrime and the mediating role of financial constraints. Using a quantitative research survey and a simple random sampling technique, 397 individuals were surveyed. The study’s findings revealed a positive and significant relationship between social inequality and cybercrime. There was also a significant positive relationship between social inequality and financial constraints. Additionally, a significant positive relationship was identified between financial constraints and cybercrime. The study also found a significant indirect effect of social inequality on cybercrime through financial constraints, indicating that financial constraints partially mediate the relationship between social inequality and cybercrime. Therefore, this study concluded that social inequality and financial constraints contribute significantly to the incidence of cybercrime in Agona Swedru and similar contexts. It is recommended that policymakers emphasize initiatives that promote equitable access to education, employment opportunities, and financial resources that alleviate the financial strain that pushes individuals toward cybercrime. By highlighting the link between social inequality and cybercrime while also revealing the mediating role of financial constraint, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of socioeconomic factors driving cybercrime.”

The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence and primary causes of cybercrime in Agona Swedru. Using a quantitative research survey and a simple random sampling technique, 397 individuals were surveyed. The study’s data were analyzed using both frequencies, cross tabulation and linear regression. The findings highlight that a significant proportion of the population engages in cybercrime, with online romance scams and financial fraud being the common forms of cybercrime being practiced. Unemployment, financial constraints, and poverty were identified as primary causes, pushing individuals towards cybercrime as a means to achieve financial stability. Based on the findings, it is recommended that enhancing employment opportunities through vocational training and job creation programs can alleviate the strain caused by unemployment. Also, establishing financial aid programs and counseling services can help individuals manage financial pressures. Implementing these recommendations will create a more stable and supportive environment, reducing the factors that drive individuals toward cybercrime. By identifying socioeconomic factors, such as unemployment and poverty, as key drivers of cybercrime, this study enhances understanding of the motivations behind cybercrime in Agona Swedru and similar contexts.

The encroachment of mine tailing dams threatens residents' health due to heavy metals in tailings. The study assesses the extent of heavy metal (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb) contamination and potential health risks of communities sited near the Pompora tailing dam. Soil samples from eight (8) communities were examined for the presence of heavy metals, and the extent of contamination was estimated using the contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), geo-accumulation index (I-geo), and enrichment factor (EF). The hazard quotient and hazard index were calculated to predict the potential adverse effects of heavy metals via ingestion in children, adult females, and males. The concentrations of Fe (24,464.75–46,751.0 mg/kg), Mn (2,269.75–4,911.0 mg/kg), As (55.4–90.93 mg/kg), and Pb (70.58–91.38 mg/kg) were above the world average, sub-regional levels, and most reports within the Obuasi Municipality. The PLI indicated significant heavy metal pollution (PLI > 1) in all communities near the Pompora tailing dam. In contrast, the contamination factor indicated very high contamination (CF > 6) for Mn, Cd, and As, with the I-geo indicating strong As pollution. The hazard quotient and index unveiled potential adverse health effects in children accruing from As pollution in soil via ingestion, with communities closer to mine installations being most impacted. The study reveals heavy metal pollution in the soil of communities near the Pompora tailing dam, with As pollution posing potential health risks in children, consequently necessitating ecologically friendly intervention to safeguard public health.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of the reflective practice of business students on how it helps to develop their employability skills through various university strategies. Design/methodology/approach: The study employed a simple random sample to select undergraduate level 400 students from the Universities under study (the University of Ghana, University of Professional Studies Ghana, Lancaster University Ghana and Webster University Ghana). Only final-year students with an informed judgement on the reflective practice and various institutional practices to acquire graduate employability skills were participated. The independent variables of the study are institutional strategies (curriculum design, extra curriculum, work-integrated learning, career development centre, university collaboration with the industry, student engagement, internship job placement), the moderator is the reflective practice and the dependent variable of the study is graduate employability. Findings: The study found that the moderation role of reflective practice had a significant effect on institutional strategies (extracurriculum, career development centre, university collaboration with the industry, student engagement and internship job placement) and graduate employability. Research limitations/implications: The study was limited to only undergraduate business students from four universities ignoring other disciplines and postgraduate students. Practical implications: The practical implication is that reflective practice must be an integral tool for various universities if they want students to use their strategies to sharpen their employability skills. Social implications: The social implications of the study emphasise the reflective practice of graduate students in universities. This implies that firms and other institutions must consider reflective practice for the maximum output of their employees. Originality/value: The concept of employability is a bit complex as it concerns many stakeholders of the educational process; the students, academic staff, employers, policymakers and higher education; the private sector; and the government. Although examining students' employability development skills is of great importance, students' reflective practice tends to be overlooked in most studies. Therefore, the focus of this study examines how the reflective practice of graduate students promotes employability through the various university strategies, which had not been considered.

Background“Food-related behaviors” range widely and include food acquisition, storage, cooking, meal sharing, eating practices, among others. Food-related behaviors can influence nutritional status and health outcomes, and likely vary between rural and peri-urban households; however, there is limited documentation on such differences.ObjectiveTo assess food-related behaviors of rural and peri-urban households in Ghana to inform the design and implementation of a field study to validate passive wearable camera technologies for dietary assessment.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional qualitative study in rural (Asaase Kokoo) and peri-urban (Kaadjanor) communities, Ghana. Forty key informants (20 rural and 20 peri-urban) were interviewed about their household food-related behaviors. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim by professional transcribers, and manually coded using the directed content analysis approach.ResultsAll but three key informants were mothers, who were also the main food preparers for their households. The mean (SD) ages of female key informants were 35.5 (19.8) years in rural households and 38.9 (19.2) years in peri-urban households. The ages of two male key informants in rural households were 45 and 60 years, and the age of the only male key informant in a peri-urban household was 53 years. The most prevalent occupation in rural households was farming, while in per-urban households, blue-collar jobs (e.g., beauticians, sales personnel, and commercial drivers) were the main occupations. Farming was the main source of food in rural households, whereas buying food from local markets and grocery stores was the main source of food in peri-urban households. Some in rural and peri-urban households reported that husbands received preferential treatment by being served first with larger meal portions after food preparation in the home. Few key informants in rural households reported that meal-sharing patterns were based on ages of household members, with adults usually served more food than children.ConclusionThe meal-sharing patterns and eating practices reported in some rural and peri-urban households could potentially impact the nutrition and health of children. Our findings suggest the need for nutrition education for mothers to provide adequate and nutrient-rich foods to support optimal child growth and development.