IJLHSS

Abstract:  The qualitative study explored the promotion of child rights as a resilience factor in CHH in the Mutasa district, Zimbabwe.  A purposive sampling of 28 children (age range 6 to 16) living in 10 child headed households (CHH) in Mutasa district in Zimbabwe was done. In-depth interviews using unstructured interview guides were used to collect data. Twenty-five (25) child service professionals and three (3) purposively selected government officials involved in policy formulation and implementation also took part in the study. The data was thematically analysed. The research findings indicate that there are no policies that specifically target CHH, despite the increase in the number of CHH in the country. CHH are subsumed under the broad category of OVC. This one size fits all approach fails to address the unique needs of the CHH. The children’s voices are not heard during the process of formulating policies that affect them. A child rights approach should be used to enhance resilience in the CHH. Provision of child rights is linked to resilience as it is crucial in the creation of coping enabling environments. 

Click here to download

Abstract: This article examines how Rampolokeng deploys phantoms of insanity in his novelistic universe to protest against the oppressive forces which subjugate the blacks in (post)apartheid South Africa through the State Apparatuses. Melaine Klein’s theory of projective identification enables this article to interpret the deployment of spectres in Rampolokeng’s novelistic world as phantasmagoria which is uniquely organized in order to communicate the attendant phobic object as a warning to the (post)apartheid South African government to stop systemic injustices against the blacks. In addition, Jacques Lacan’s psychoanalytic conception of the relationship between language and the psyche and Julia Kristeva’s idea of the abject enables this essay to examine the linguistic dissidence in Rampolokeng’s novelistic cosmos as some kind of phantasmagoric protest.

Click here to download

Abstract: Language is crucial to learning, teaching and transformation. This can become emotional, and may create tensions in the case of Cameroon and South Africa. As such, the question of language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT) becomes even more important in African multilingual contexts where a child may grow up speaking two or more languages at once. The primary objective of this paper is to develop a combined methodological proposal for integrating of extracurricular languages which would encourage the involvement of learners of all age groups to reflect on their linguistic and cultural diversity and participate to develop a practical way of encouraging integration through language. This it is hoped, may overcome tensions while encouraging the implementation of language-use-complementarity approach, which promotes both the use of English and students’ primary languages, at curriculum and course levels.

Click here to download

Abstract: Social media has become an integral part of academic life as shown in Lepp, Barley, &Karpinski (2015) and in Mingle & Adams (2015) research findings. As society and media users adopt the new media landscape, going online and being connected are no longer unfamiliar and strange (Fourie, 2017). Among those susceptible to this change are the youths especially those at tertiary institutions.  The actual experience of students in relation to cell phone use brings in a multifaceted plethora of opportunities and possibilities, a conclusion supported by O’Keeffe and Pearson (2011).  These possibilities come with a caution that uncontrolled use of these devices can pose a threat and negatively affect students’ academic performance. The findings of this study is consistent with this view  and revealed that 62 per cent of the respondents agree that if used appropriately  cell phones can add value to  academic work while 48 per cent disagree. This study was conducted through a triangulation approach of both quantitative and qualitative research designs to surface the impacts of cell phone use in academic settings by media studies students. An interview was used to collect data from participants while a questionnaire was employed to collect quantitative data from the respondents. The study used non-probability sampling to ensure that equity and equality aspects were entertained during data collection.

Click here to download

Abstract: Transitions are preordained phenomena in the lives of children in the process of growth and development. Various attempts to enhance transition from pre-school to lower primary school have led to various effects on the way pre-school teachers have designed approaches and strategies to accomplish the desired effective transitioning. Nevertheless, the efforts made have not always led to expected results in transitioning. Therefore this study seeks to assess the preparedness of primary school teachers in transitioning preschool children to lower primary education in Kikuyu sub-county.  This study sought to find out the influence of available instructional strategies used by lower primary teachers to enhance smooth transitioning of preschool learners to lower primary. To achieve this purpose, a sample of 48 respondents was randomly selected for the study. Questionnaires for teachers and interview guides for head teachers were the major instruments used to collect data. Reliability of the instrument was established through split-half method. The result of the analysis revealed that singing, reading and numbering as the mostly used strategies by teachers to enhance smooth transitioning of preschool children to lower children.

Click here to download

Abstract: The purpose of this case study is to solve employee performance issues during new product development transfer to shop floor in Shin-Etsu Malaysia. As a further information new product development involves either improving an existing product or developing new product as customer request. However a competitive product development strategy should include a company-wide commitment to creating items that fulfill particular customer needs. These needs include customers’ desire such as producing high quality, low cost or totally introduce new to the markets. At here product under New Product Development will be transferred to shop floor once the customer satisfies with desired requirement and fix the final design. However, this scenario will occur when demand for the product increasing rapidly. But, in this case study focusing only on employees because other factors related to technical issues able to solve it. New Product Development engineering department establishes in Shin-Etsu Malaysia more than 15 years, but issues related to employee performance that involve in during transition still unable to solve. Basically, each new product development process involving five basic steps such as concept, ideation, design, test and finally release. So for all these process work lines involves employees that well known knowledge in new product development stages. However, employee performance issues occur during the transition period to shop floor. Unfortunately, this issue, not only occur in Malaysia plant, besides that, it also occurs in China and also Thailand plant. So Shin-Etsu Malaysia General Manager,Mr. Takeshi Kageyamaassigned to identify the problem and solve it. Some factors that identify as key factors contribute to employee performance issues occur were salary, benefits, communications, employee turnover, training & development, technology, working environment & culture, leadership style, knowledge transfer, employee skills and knowledge management among employee performance that related to New Product Development and shop floor. So this case study as such, readers would be able examine regarding on solution and strategies that have been suggested.

Click here to download

Abstract: The potential to provide customers with information about experience and credence qualities in advance of purchase has resulted in widespread recognition of the significance of brands in relation to consumer choices in the service sector. This is especially vital in the education industry in Malaysia due to mushrooming of many education institutes in Malaysia lately. Thus what has become particularly significant in this process is brand equity which is the value that the consumer ascribes to the brand. The main objective of this research is to enhance academic understanding of brand equity in the higher education in Malaysia and to explore the implications for management practices, government policies and for relevant stakeholders in the industry.

Practical implications – For those involved in marketing higher education institutes, the asymmetric impact of various determinants of brand equity provides guidance on how and where to focus marketing efforts in order to achieve maximum success.

Originality/value – The paper is to further contribute to literature on subject area with a new conceptual framework.

Click here to download

Abstract: This article examines the key factors behind Russia’s military intervention in Syria since September 2015, following uncompromising alignment with the Syrian regime since the Syrian uprising of 2011.The paper emphasizes the value of combining a realist approach that stresses the importance of material motivations (military, economic), and a constructivist one that adheres to the importance of ideas and norms, and domestic politics. Russia’s position in regards to Syria has been shaped by its palpable zeal to restore itself as a global actor and to advance a new multi-polar international system. However, this paper suggests that Russia’s activities in Syria also involve traditional power maximization, which includes military capabilities and economic interests. This paper also examines how domestic political developments in Russia have influenced a confrontational foreign policy, which served as part of Putin’s strategy for regenerating legitimacy and staying in power.

Click here to download

Abstract: Majority of Bhutanese population lives in rural area where natural forest cover plays significant role in social, cultural and in daily economic activity. Degradation of natural resources often marginalizes poorer sections of the society. According to national accounts of 2011, hydropower generation accounted for 13.9 percent of the total GDP. The making electricity and other forms of clean energy may force households to switch to cheaper energy sources like biomass. This in long run may negatively impact natural resource conservation and income generation from hydropower. We estimated a demand function for firewood using Bhutan Living Standard Survey 2012. Our results suggests that there is strong preference for clean energy by households and household electrification has helped in reducing the consumption of firewood by about 35 percent per month, thus contributing to conservation.

Click here to download

Abstract: This paper will focus on the potential and limitations of realising the goals of inclusive education policy (new wine) within a pre-service teacher education curriculum. The developing of inclusive teachers is often mistakenly understood to be a simplistic process, involving the translation of theory into practice. This paper foregrounds the complexity of the process of teacher professional development, highlighting the ongoing interaction between student teachers’ propositional knowledge of inclusive education activated within their formal lecture-based programmes (knowledge about inclusive education) and its enactment within the field during Teaching Practice (knowledge in practice). The data for this paper is drawn from a case study using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with a sample of 20 student teachers in a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) programme. The study critiques the “old wine-skin” of the applied-science model of teacher education in containing the “new wine” of inclusion. This “old wineskin” of the applied-science model of teacher education produces only superficial readiness to deal with inclusive education matters. The study argues for “new wine” in “new wine-skins”. Alternative models of critical reflexive teacher education and professional growth are suggested to assist with more enduring deeper professional development and commitment to implement inclusivity with its attendant complexities.

Click here to download

Abstract: In 2008, Tanzania enacted the HIV and AIDS Act – a legal basis for protecting the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS. This law facilitates state’s realisation of its obligations in respect to article 14 of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa. Indeed, parties to this Protocol ought to ensure the women health right, like sexual and reproductive health is respected and promoted within their jurisdictions. Objectively this paper explores the extent to which HIV and AIDS Act conforms with the international minimum standards by providing critical analysis on the role played by the different key players to the national HIV and AIDS policy and law. This paper recommends Tanzania to make more efforts towards creating public awareness and taking steps towards realization of the HIV and AIDS Act in line with international standards in its implementation.

Click here to download

Abstract: Although entrepreneurial competencies are conventionally associated with business and commerce, such concept is applicable across all disciplines. This paper revisits and discusses how the entrepreneurial competencies emerged and displayed throughout an education research study on “Exploring “Speak-O-Rama” as a Public Speaking Material”. It was based on the exploratory approach in using a compilation of public speaking materials among four primary schools classes.  The findings showed that the students not only displayed improvement not only in their speaking proficiency but also in their self-confidence. This paper argues that the researchers and respondents managed to inculcate and develop related elements of entrepreneurial competencies namely commitment, creativity, team work, risk taking, management skills, confidence, motivation, volunteerism and willingness to communicate in the research. Each competency was initially embedded in the works of the researchers and respondents, and analysed through content analysis by identifying the patterns that were exhibited throughout the research. This paper proposes that the concept of entrepreneurial competencies needs to be re-interpreted in a broader spectrum because they exist in any individual who acquires and displays such competencies in their professions, and in the line of education, more research on entrepreneurial competencies could be merged with other social sciences issues such as applied linguistics, communication, history and others.

Click here to download

Abstract: The teaching and learning approach at the University of Namibia call for students to take initiative, responsibility, ownership of own learning and become independent learners. At the time of this research the observation made was that students are dependent on lecturers and do not take responsibility for own learning. Therefore, it is important to explore self-directed learning among students.  In this paper, we used an exploratory case study design to explore self-directed learning among students at one of the University of Namibia education campuses. The objectives of the research were: 1) to explore the readiness of first year student teachers to learn independently, 2) to understand student teachers’ experiences and challenges they face and that hamper their self-directed learning and 3) to identify various ways of facilitating independent learning, enhancing self-directed learning and fostering opportunities for self-directed learning among student teachers. By exploring self-directed learning among students, this paper provided insights for bridging the gaps between lecturers’ teaching strategies and students’ self-directed learning. Literature was reviewed to understand the concept of self-directed learning. Data were gathered through focus group discussions with student. Narrative analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings of this research revealed that students depend too much on lecturers. They expect lecturers to give them handouts, notes and slides used during lectures. The findings of this research have implications on the teaching strategies lecturers use during the teaching and learning process and ways to enhance self-directed learning among students.

Click here to download

Abstract: The general objective of the study was to find out how industries can use advertisements to enhance their performance. The specific objectives of the study were: to understand why Bralirwa is using advertisements; to find out the relationship between advertisements and the general performance of Bralirwa in the area; to identify the challenges that Bralirwa Rubavu Branch faces in its advertisements directed towards popularising its products in the Area and suggest measures suitable for strengthening advertisements made by the selected industry for effective promotions of its products. Descriptive research design was adopted for the study. The total population was 150 and the sample size of the study 108 respondents, arrived through application of the Krejcie and Morgan table of 1970.A Questionnaire was employed in collecting the required data. Data was analysed by the use of tables, frequencies and percentages. The study found that some of the key roles played by advertisements for industries include: increase in marketing of goods and service sale; serve as channels for communication: making good reputation for company;, helps  in determining optimal price and brings about healthy competition. Challenges industries face in the course of their advertisements as identified by the respondents of the study were: poor strategies; unskilled labour; lack or inadequate technology; high taxes and lack of internal and external coordination in marketing activities. Measures for effective industries’ advertisements to enhance include well defined targets, clear conversion goals, skilled labour, advanced technology and quality goods and services. The researcher  recommends that: there should be organised training conducted for marketers so as to raise their level of marketing skills, knowledge and attitudes in serving their clients appropriately; Every industry or company should have a well-established and equipped advertising department  to foster quick advertising services with a view to  improving service delivery system of the industry concerned; Industries should  work in hand in hand with the Government of the day and with other relevant agencies for favourable formation of  polices that would favour them especially in  establishing favourable  policies for favourable advertising strategies.The researcher concludes that advertisements can serve as key channels that improve and enhance the performance of any given industry operating in the country, Bralirwa Rubavu Branch inclusive. They can help in building strong, trusted, reliable and dependable bonds between industries and their respective customers.

Click here to download