This study compares the impact of Assessment of Learning (AoL) and Assessment for Learning (AfL) on students' mathematics achievement. The quasi-experimental study, which was carried out in the Ekiti Central Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Nigeria, featured 140 seniors in secondary education out of the total population of 500 senior secondary school students, including 200 male and 300 female students from ten public secondary schools in the area. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed; simple random sampling was also used to select four intact classes from these schools (two from each). One intact class was randomly assigned to the experimental group and the other to the control group. Well-structured items named Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT)was developed and used for data collection. The instrument's face validity was confirmed.The respondents were split into two groups: the experimental group received training in AfL practices, while the control group received training in AoL techniques. Math proficiency was assessed by pre-test and post-tests. Significant post-intervention gains were seen in the experimental group's scores, according to analysis with t-tests and ANCOVA; no significant gender differences were noted. The findings support previous research emphasizingAfL's beneficial effects at all educational levels and highlight how well it can improve mathematical understanding. These results emphasize the significance of using AfL techniques in instructionto enhance mathematics learning outcomes.
This study investigated the administration of School-Based Management Committee and quality assurance in public secondary schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between the administration of school-based management committee and quality assurance in public secondary schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Correlational research design was used for the study. The population consisted of 8,167 teachers and 90,370 students in 208 public secondary schools. Twenty-five schools were selected through simple random sampling technique. Ten teachers and 10 students were selected from each school through simple random sampling technique making 500 respondents. Administration of School-Based Management Committee Questionnaire (ASBMCQ) and Quality Assurance Questionnaire (QAQ) were designed for the study. Pearson product moment correlation statistics was used to test the research hypothesis at 0.05 level of significant. The study revealed that there is no significant relationship between the administration of school-based management committee and quality assurance in public secondary schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria.
This study examined the relationship between facilities management practices and teaching-learning effectiveness in Colleges of Education in Niger State, Nigeria. A descriptive correlational research design was adopted. The population comprised 950 lecturers, from which 247 were selected using multistage sampling techniques. Data were collected using two validated instruments: the Facilities Management Practices Questionnaire (FMPQ) and the Teaching-Learning Effectiveness Questionnaire (TLEQ), with Crobach’s Alpha reliability coefficients of 0.78 and 0.85 respectively. Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while Spearman’s rank-order correlation was employed to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance due to non-normal data distribution. The findings revealed that facilities management practices were at a high level and had a significant positive relationship with teaching-learning effectiveness. The study recommends sustaining quality through innovative maintenance systems and regular needs assessment.
Youths in Modern Music Industry and the Disruptive Impact on Yoruba Cultural Sustainability
1Olatomide Emmanuel Babalola; 2Olubunmi Christianah AjayiYoruba people of southwest Nigeria have a rich culture that served as a means of identifying themselves amidst the comity of ethnic groups in Nigeria. From the time immemorial, this cultural value had been preserved and sustained from generation to generation despite the infiltration of the European imperialists who came to introduced new ways of life into Yoruba communities. One of the viable and veritable tools that Yoruba people employed for transmission of this rich cultural heritage is music. But today, with the in-coming of the Youths into music industry, the traditional music has been termed “old school” and obsolete, hence music has sadly enough, played disruptive role rather than constructive role in sustaining the Yoruba cultural values. It is against this background that this paper examines the traditional music vis-à-vis the modern trend of music among the Yoruba youths and its consequences on the Yoruba cultural values. The paper concludes that the in-coming of the youths in music industry should be exploited to detach Yoruba culture from the apron of the former colonial overlord. This could be achieved by appreciating our own cultural values, rather than injecting and transmitting immoralities and other vices which negate our cultural values through the so called modern music.
The research work examined the effect of reward systems on employee performance in selected private tertiary institutions in Ekiti State, focusing on Afe Babalola University, Crown Polytechnic, and Fabotas College of Health Sciences and Technology. The research work was driven by inadequate reward structures, worker displeasure, and their institutional performance. Specifically, the research investigated the effect of monetary rewards, non-monetary rewards, and employees’ perceptions of reward fairness on performance outcomes. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised 264 academic staff members; while a sample size of 159 respondents was determined using Yamane’s formula and selected through proportional sampling techniques. Data were gathered through structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used such as frequencies and percentages were used for data analysis, while Chi-square statistics tested the hypotheses at 0.05 significance level. Findings shown that both monetary and non-monetary rewards significantly influence employee performance, motivation, and job satisfaction. Salary increments, bonuses, recognition, promotion opportunities, job security, and professional development were found to positively affect employee commitment and productivity. The Chi-square results showed significant relationships between monetary rewards and employee performance (χ² = 129.71, p < 0.05), non-monetary rewards and employee motivation (χ² = 151.03, p < 0.05), as well as reward fairness perceptions and employee performance (χ² = 100.84, p < 0.05). However, budget limit, poor communication, and weak performance evaluation systems were identified as challenges affecting effective reward implementation. This was concluded that a well-adjusted, nondiscriminatory, and translucent reward system is to improving employee performance and organizational effectiveness in private tertiary institutions. The study recommends solidification reward policies, cultivating communication, and supporting performance evaluation structures with recognized reward structures.
Counselling Needs of Undergraduate Students of Nigerian Tertiary Institutions
1 Adeyemi Olaitan; 2 Jude Thaddeus Awe; 3 Moses OgunmuditiThis quantitative cross-sectional descriptive study examined the counseling needs of undergraduate students in Nigerian tertiary institutions across four domains: academic, vocational, personal and emotional, and social and adjustment. The target population comprised all full-time undergraduate students enrolled in accredited public and private tertiary institutions across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones during the 2025 to 2026 academic session. Using Krejcie and Morgan's (1970) table, a sample of 652 undergraduates was drawn through multi-stage sampling. The instrument was a structured questionnaire titled the Undergraduate Counseling Needs Questionnaire (UCN–Q), which included the standardized Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent-samples t-tests. The findings revealed that the most prevalent academic counseling needs were examination anxiety management (Mean = 3.42), time management skills (Mean = 3.31), and fear of academic failure (Mean = 3.28). The highest vocational counseling needs were job search strategies (Mean = 3.51), employability skills (Mean = 3.44), and career decision-making (Mean = 3.38). Regarding personal and emotional needs, 78.2% of students reported clinical anxiety, 71.5% reported clinical stress, and 66.6% reported clinical depression. Social and adjustment needs were most acute among newly admitted students, particularly homesickness (Mean = 3.42) and loneliness (Mean = 3.38). The hypotheses tested revealed that newly admitted students reported significantly higher academic counseling needs than advanced-year students (p = 0.0001). In comparison, female students reported significantly higher personal and emotional counseling needs (p = 0.00001) and social and adjustment counseling needs (p = 0.005) than male students. Based on the findings, the study concluded that Nigerian undergraduates experience substantial counseling needs across all domains and recommended mandatory academic counseling for first-year students, career guidance across all year levels, gender-sensitive mental health interventions, and government funding for counseling services.
This study examines the extent of innovative decolonization process in secondary school mathematics curricula in Nigeria and South Africa. Using a comparative cross-national mixed-methods design, data were collected from 111 respondents, including mathematics teachers and curriculum policymakers, through stratified random and purposive sampling. A structured questionnaire on curriculum content, goals, materials, development processes, and teaching strategies was administered, with reliability established at 0.89. Descriptive and inferential analyses, including independent samples t-tests, were conducted at the 0.05 significance level. Findings reveal that both Nigeria (M = 2.62) and South Africa (M = 2.52) exhibit only moderate levels of curriculum decolonization, with limited integration of indigenous knowledge systems and culturally relevant pedagogy. While South Africa demonstrates more systemic policy efforts toward decolonization, implementation remains inconsistent due to resource and training gaps. Nigeria’s curriculum continues to reflect Eurocentric orientations, with minimal evidence of indigenous mathematical practices. Overall, results highlight that both countries face challenges in embedding decolonial perspectives, particularly in teaching strategies and curriculum review processes. The study underscores the need for inclusive, culturally grounded curriculum reforms, enhanced teacher preparation, and participatory development processes to foster epistemic justice and learner engagement in mathematics education. Recommendations include strengthening policy frameworks, integrating ethnomathematics, and prioritizing teacher training to advance decolonial goals in African mathematics curricula.
Religion: The Fundamental Motivations, Predispositions and Relevance to Man in the Modern World
Charles Kenechukwu OkoroNA
This study examines the use of metaphor in My Lord, Tell Me Where to Keep Your Bribe through a combined cognitive-linguistic and psychosocial framework. The concern here is to examine how metaphors in the poem construct Nigerian socio-political Realities. The primary objective of the study is to investigate how metaphorical structures in the poem shape cognitive perception, moral evaluation, and social consciousness about corruption. The study has as its theoretical framework Conceptual Metaphor Theory, as developed by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, which views metaphor as fundamental to human thought rather than merely a stylistic device. Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative textual analysis, focusing on the identification and interpretation of conceptual metaphors and image schemas embedded in the poem. These metaphors are analysed in relation to their source and target domains, as well as their psycho-social implications within the broader context of Nigerian socio-political realities. Findings reveal dominant conceptual metaphors such as CORRUPTION IS A COMMODITY, CORRUPTION IS DIRT, CORRUPTION IS INFILTRATION, and JUSTICE IS A MARKET. These metaphors function not merely as poetic embellishments but as cognitive tools through which socio-political realities are constructed and interpreted. The analysis further demonstrates that metaphor in the poem performs ideological and psycho-social functions by exposing collective frustration, normalisation of corruption, and institutional dysfunction in contemporary Nigerian society. The study concludes that metaphor in Osundare’s poem functions as a powerful mechanism for both critique and cognition, revealing how language constructs and sustains social realities. The study contributes to scholarship in cognitive poetics, African literary stylistics, and discourse studies by demonstrating how metaphor operates as both a cognitive and socio-cultural mechanism for representing political and moral crises in African poetry.
The study investigated the effectiveness of using roving Mathematics Laboratory in teaching Mathematics on senior secondary school students’ achievement in mathematics in Ijumu local government area Kogi state, Nigeria. The study adopted quasi-experimental, non-randomized, non-equivalent, pre-test, post-test control group design. The sample is one hundred and seventy-six (176) senior secondary school two (SS2) students which were purposively selected from three senior secondary schools in Ijumu local government area of Kogi state. Two research questions and two hypotheses were raised as a guide to this study. Roving Mathematics Laboratory was used to teach geometry to the two experimental groups while the control group was taught geometry using the conventional method. An instrument called Mathematics Laboratory Test was used to collect data. The instrument was validated by three (3) senior lecturers of Mathematics Education and two experienced senior secondary school mathematics teachers. Test retest method was used to determine the reliability and Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation was used to calculate the reliability coefficient which was 0.78. Descriptive statistics: mean and standard deviation was used to answer the research questions, while ANCOVA was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The finding of the study among other reveals that students taught geometry using Roving Mathematica Laboratory achieved significantly better than those taught using conventional method irrespective of students’ gender. Based on the finding of this study, it was recommended among other things that Mathematics teachers should be encourage to use Roving mathematics laboratory to teach geometry.
Agricultural Input Use and Sustainable Grain Production in China: Dynamic and Regional Evidence
Jin Wang1, Wah June Leong 1, Yong Ge 1, Ying Huang 2 & Wendy Ling Shinyie 1Stable grain production is central to food security, but the policy challenge is no longer only to expand agricultural inputs. It is also necessary to improve input efficiency and design region-specific production strategies. This study examines how major agricultural inputs affect grain output in China and evaluates whether these effects vary across dynamic, nonlinear, and regional dimensions. Using provincial panel data from 2000 to 2021, we estimate a two-way fixed-effects model as the baseline specification and extend the analysis with dynamic panel models, nonlinear specifications, and regional heterogeneity analysis for eastern, central, and western China. The results show that grain sown area has a stable and positive association with grain output, indicating that land protection remains a key condition for grain security. Grain output also shows strong persistence, suggesting that current production is closely related to previous production capacity and accumulated regional conditions. Pesticide use has a positive and significant effect, whereas fertilizer use has a weak and insignificant effect, indicating possible inefficiency in fertilizer application. The nonlinear results further suggest that the output effects of agricultural inputs do not follow a simple linear pattern. Regional estimates show clear differences across eastern, central, and western China, implying that uniform input policies may be less effective than region-specific strategies. Overall, the findings provide evidence for agricultural input policy and sustainable grain production in China. Policy should focus on protecting grain sown area, improving fertilizer-use efficiency, and designing differentiated input-management strategies according to regional production conditions.
Parenting Styles as Predictors of Examination Malpractice in Selected Universities in Nigeria
Anna AwopetuThe growing incidence of academic dishonesty among university students across Nigeria has become a major source of concern. Although educational regulatory bodies and school administrations have implemented various intervention strategies to curb this menace, positive outcomes remain minimal. This empirical study investigated how parental socialization practices correlate with and predict academic fraud behaviors among undergraduates. Adopting a descriptive survey design, a randomized cohort of 690 first-year undergraduate students (comprising both males and females) was selected from two distinct Nigerian universities. Data collection was executed using a 30-item structured questionnaire comprising an adapted variant of the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) and a modified version of the Examination Cheating Behavior (ECB) scale developed by Alarape and Onakoya (2003). Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression models were utilized to evaluate three research hypotheses at a 0.05 significance threshold. The empirical outcomes demonstrated that all three primary dimensions of parenting styles significantly predicted students' engagement in examination malpractice, with the permissive (laissez-faire) parenting approach emerging as the most substantial and dominant predictor. Based on these insights, the paper discusses critical socio-educational implications and proposes targeted counseling and policy interventions.
Monitoring and Analysis of Domestic Sewage Treatment Facilities in Ningbo Port, China
Jingjing Wanga*, Musab Abdul Razaka*, Li Pan,b, Mohamad Rezi Abdul Hamid a, Mohd Zahirasri Mohd Tohir a, Mohd Yusof Harun aNingbo Port is a well-known deep-water port on the Chinese mainland and one of the densest ports in the world. One of the pollution concerns at the port is the marine domestic sewage, especially those coming from ships discharged into the water. Therefore, the goal of this work is to macro-evaluate the current situation of marine domestic sewage from ships at Ningbo Port, China, according to China GB 3552-2018: Water Pollution Emission Control Standard and put forward suggestions for the improvement of the treatment facilities. Samples of domestic sewage from ships were collected between July 2020 and June 2021 and then analyzed according to their pH, suspension, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), heat resistance of coliform, and total chlorine. The results show that 104 batches of ships using membrane bioreactor (MBR) devices have a qualification rate of only 47.1% for domestic sewage and a 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) of only 69.2%, a BOD5 of 25 mg/L, and a COD of 125 mg/L, which is below the limits of the GB 3552-2018 Standard. One of the proposed treatments is to use an anaerobic-aerobic mobile bed biofilm reactor (A/O MBBR) to treat the simulated marine domestic sewage. When 34 batches of simulated marine domestic sewage were treated with A/O MBBR, the removal rate of the daily domestic sewage capacity of a 1.5-ton device for total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, COD, and BOD reached 87.12%, 93.96%, 96.79%, and 94.89%, respectively. While the removal rate of the daily domestic sewage capacity of a 7-ton device reached 87.40%, 92.40%, 96.88%, and 93.59%, respectively, The study emphasized that the A/O MBBR combination process not only has a strong ability to resist the impact load, but also improves the daily treatment volume of sewage and effectively reduces the pollutant concentration of wastewater. This shows that it has good development potential and improves the quality of domestic sewage for ships in Ningbo Port, China.
The Glodok area in West Jakarta is one of Indonesia's most significant historic commercial districts, recognized as the center of Chinatown heritage and urban economic activities. Rapid urbanization, increasing commercial intensity, traffic congestion, limited green open spaces, and aging infrastructure have generated challenges for sustainable urban development. This study evaluates the implementation of the Urban Design Guidelines (RTBL – Rencana Tata Bangunan dan Lingkungan) in Glodok based on three major aspects: Green Open Space (RTH), Infrastructure Systems, and Environmental Utilities. The research adopts a qualitative-descriptive approach utilizing field observation, document analysis, RTBL indicators, and literature review. Assessment criteria are developed from Indonesian urban planning regulations and sustainable urban design principles. The results indicate that Glodok demonstrates strong commercial vitality and cultural identity; however, the provision of green open spaces remains below ideal urban standards. Infrastructure systems such as pedestrian networks and accessibility have improved through revitalization programs, although connectivity and traffic management remain problematic. Environmental utilities, including drainage, waste management, lighting, and public facilities, exhibit moderate performance but require further modernization. The study concludes that RTBL implementation in Glodok has contributed positively to urban revitalization, yet strategic interventions are required to enhance environmental sustainability and urban resilience.
The Glodok area is one of the oldest urban heritage areas in Jakarta, which has developed as a center of trade, settlement, and culture for the Chinese community since the colonial era. The high intensity of economic activity has caused pressure on the area's environmental quality, especially on the visual aspects of the area, spatial legibility, streetscape quality, and the comfort of public spaces. This study aims to evaluate the environmental quality of the Glodok area based on the Building and Environmental Planning (RTBL) approach. The study uses a descriptive-qualitative method with field observations and spatial analysis of sixteen observation zones in the study area. The assessment is based on RTBL environmental quality indicators which include the wayfinding system, streetscape quality, visual identity of the area, advertising control, integration of informal activities, and environmental lighting quality. The results show that the Glodok area has a strong urban heritage character through traditional trading activities, the typology of Chinatown shophouses, and a lively spatial atmosphere. However, the area still faces various environmental quality problems such as visual pollution, irregular signage, poor wayfinding quality, spatial conflicts due to informal activities, and minimal pedestrian lighting quality. This research shows that the RTBL approach has an important role in directing the arrangement of environmental quality in heritage areas in order to maintain local identity while improving the quality of urban space in a sustainable manner.