Search

The main aim of this study was to explore the effect of 7E instructional model with metacognitive scaffolding and gender on 9th grade students' conceptual understanding of human biology concepts and misconceptions. The research method was a quantitative research method and the research design was quasi-experimental research design with pre-test -- treatment -- post-test. The study was conducted on four purposely selected schools and four classes and teachers (one from each school) and assigned as treatment group 1, treatment group 2, treatment 3 and comparison group randomly. These groups were instructed with 7E instructional model alone, 7E instructional model with metacognitive scaffolding, conventional approach with metacognitive scaffolding and conventional approach respectively to teach human biology for 10 weeks. Human biology conceptual understanding test was administered for all groups as pre-test and post- test. The ANOVA results showed that 7E instructional model supported with metacognitive strategies had a significantly superior effect over the other instructional methods for enhancing students' conceptual understanding and minimizing misconceptions. However, no significant difference was found between males and females in students' conceptual understanding. Hence, metacognitive scaffolding with 7E instructional model could help students to understand biology concepts and minimize misconceptions better than the other instructional methods.

Civil engineering and construction (CEC) are among primary higher education programs preparing the next generation of subject experts and decision makers working on different aspects of infrastructure resilience, which is a key component of community resilience. However, in the curriculum of most CEC programs, there is no well-established approach for the formal education of students about resilience. Additionally, the evolving nature of the subject makes it even more challenging to develop a comprehensive knowledge foundation for CEC students regarding infrastructure and community resilience. In this situation, the perception of students becomes a critical factor shaping a program, dealing with resilience in the future. The main objective of this study is to examine the perception of CEC students toward community resilience with a primary focus on infrastructure. A quantitative research method was employed to identify challenges, potentials, importance, and gaps in students' knowledge and quantify the comparisons. A survey was designed based on the DeVellis model and completed by 382 students enrolled in CEC programs in 15 universities across the US to assess how students perceive basic terms and factors related to resilience. Both descriptive and inferential methods were used to analyze the data. The results highlight a gap in students' perceptions in terms of resilience definition, factors, scope, and tools, and the potential for better training programs and more engagement is warranted. The findings of this study can be utilized to design, develop, and implement modules to better educate CEC students about the subject matter. Improving the resilience knowledge level among CEC students will equip the next generation of subject experts and decision makers with proper knowledge and tools to enhance preparedness and planning, along with proactive response and recovery before, during, and after adverse natural events. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing an assessment on a sample group in the area of resilience within civil engineering curricula and emphasizing the necessity of embracing educational components by corresponding educators and administrators.

A successful completion of infrastructure projects in developing countries is greatly affected by poor and incomplete design. In this regard, it is imperative to study the major causes and overall impacts of design change in infrastructure projects across the public market. The primary objective of this research is to identify and analyze the major causes that lead to design change in the implementation phase of construction projects. In addition, the study aims to examine the impacts of design change in terms of cost overrun and time variance during the design and construction stages of infrastructure construction projects. To achieve these goals 48 critical causes and 7 impacts of design changes were identified through a systematic literature review, 23 key causes and 7 impacts were then refined according to the opinions of relevant experts involved in infrastructure projects. Then, a structured questionnaire survey was employed to collect data from various sources. More so, 31 projects were identified as part of the case studies conducted to evaluate the impacts of design change of infrastructure projects. The study analyzed the collected data by Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and to classify the causes using the Matrice d'Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à UN Classement (MICMAC) technique. The result showed that Inadequate project objectives, Unrealistic clients demand, and Obstinate nature of client are the top factors. The findings are believed to be helpful for practitioners, and policy makers to trap the key factors, causes and impacts of design changes across the Ethiopian construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple studies have been conducted on critical success factors (CSFs) in the construction industry in developed markets but only a few studies have focused on CSFs in emerging markets. The purpose of this study is to identify and prioritize CSFs in an emerging economy and compare the prioritization of various stakeholders. A total of 19 CSFs were selected from the literature and a pilot study for incorporating into a survey. The survey was distributed to 84 industry professionals in Ethiopia working in various construction capacities including owners, contractors, consultants, and academia. The analytic hierarchy process was used to collect the opinions of professionals, while Expert Choice© 11 was used to process the data for analysis. Kendall's correlation coefficient was used to compare the responses of various stakeholders. The result indicates that Clear and Precise Goals, Competency of Consultant, and Consultant Track Record are the top three CSFs in the Ethiopian construction industry. The findings highlight that there is disagreement between the major stakeholders involved in the construction process. This study introduces a multi-criteria decision technique to provide a comprehensive list of CSFs for construction projects to enhance the overall project performance in the Ethiopian construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to recent decentralization in Ethiopia, we investigated pressure exerted on Awash National Park ( ANP), vis-a-vis park resources; causes of park-related conflicts and the impact of policy on sustainable resources conservation before decentralization (pre-1995) and after decentralization (post-1995). The study's aim was to assess the implementation of sustainable resources conservation in terms of use policy and conflicts in protected areas. We sampled a total of 210 respondents by stratified random sampling and group discussion participants and key informants using purposive sampling technique. Our results show that while policy problems were perceived to be the main threats to the park pre-1995, demand for pasture land and water, resource-caused conflicts, expansion of private and state farms were identified as main threats to the park post-1995. Before decentralization (pre-1995), inequitable resource sharing and poor organizational structures were the main causes of ethnic conflicts, whereas after decentralization, increasing demand for various resources were the main causes of conflict. We recommend experiences from the Simen National Park be tested to the benefit of improving the state of ANP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]