Recently recommender systems are developed for a wide variety of applications. This article focuses on the applications, real-world examples, types, and analysis of various recommender systems.Full article

The objective of the study was to examine the school-related factors that contribute to the academic achievements of low- social economic – status of students in the Aboom Circuit of the Cape Coast Metropolis during 2015-2016 academic years. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used to select teachers, schools and students. The five junior high schools (St Nicholas, St. Monica, Aboom Methodist B, Aboom Zion A and Aboom Zion C) were randomly selected from the ten schools in the circuit. A proportional allocation was used to determine and allocate the total number of students from the population to each school. The main instrument for data collection was questionnaire. The data were entered in a pre-designed template in the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software, version 21. The data were analysed using descriptive (frequency and percentages, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (correlation). The research hypothesis was also analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study indicated that school-related factors such as school time schedule, resources, school climate, guidance and counselling, school-parents’ relationship may significantly contribute to students’ academic achievement. It is also concluded that when the right atmosphere or conditions are created, students can perform well irrespective of their socio-economic statuses or backgrounds. It is recommended that the Ministry of Education (MOE)/Ghana Education Service (GES) in partnership with school administrators should provide adequate teaching and learning resources and facilities for effective teaching and learning at the school. It is also recommended that in other to ensure effective teaching and learning, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) should collaborate to implement a class size reduction policy effectively as expected. This means that the student-to-teacher ratio should strictly be adhered to.Full article

The study used qualitative research approach and a case study research design to explore the factors that motivate females to complete formal education in Tolon District. The population for this study comprised all females in the Tolon District who have successfully completed formal education. A purposive sampling technique was to select ten (10) females who have successfully completed formal education and are now working in the Tolon District. The main instrument used for data collection was interview guide. Data were analysed by the use of the Interpretive Method based on the themes arrived at in the data collection. The themes were related to the research questions and interpreted on the number of issues raised by participants. The study concluded that the Girl–Child requires a conducive learning environment free from limitations to successfully acquire formal education. The presence of an impressive teacher-student relationship in schools contributes immensely to the academic accomplishment of the academic goals of the female student. The study also concluded that the female students need self determination to rise above the socio-cultural limitations encountered in formal education. They obviously have to work hard and persevere enough to achieve their desired academic accomplishment. It is recommended that teachers should be encouraged as part of their teaching responsibility to give equal opportunity to both boys and girls, in answering their questions during classes. Thus, the Girl–Child deserves extra attention to ensure their participation and fair inclusion in curricular and other extra-curricular activities whiles in school. It is also recommended that teachers should sensitize and advise the female students to eschew the habit of associating with men, during the early stage of their life.Full article

The aim of the research was to examine the influence of parenting styles on academic performance of students in Aowin Municipality in the Western North Region of Ghana. Descriptive survey design was employed to collect quantitative data from the respondents. The study targeted all final year public junior high school students in the Aowin Municipality. A multi-stage sampling technique which involved the use of probability sampling techniques was employed to select 252 respondents with 142 boys and 110 girls. The main data collection instrument was questionnaire with 46 items. Document analysis was also performed on the pupils’ end of term examination results. Means, standard deviation, multiple regression, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and Chi-square were employed to analyse the data. The results revealed that authoritative parenting style dominates in parents of the JHS students in the municipality. The study concluded that, Authoritative parenting style predominates in JHS students in the Aowin municipality. There was a correlation between the parenting style of parents and the academic performance of JHS students. It was seen that, student coming from the authoritative parenting style had high performance than those coming from the authoritarian, permissive and neglectful parenting style. Students from neglectful parenting homes demonstrated low performance in school. It is recommended that policies should be developed by Ministry of Education to encourage parents to adopt appropriate parenting styles like the authoritative parenting style which has been revealed by this study as related to good academic performance. Management of various schools should collaborate with Parent-Teacher Association to organize seminars and workshops to educate parents on the influences of the various parenting styles on their children academic performance. This will enlighten parents on employing effective parenting style like authoritative parenting style that has been revealed by this study to correlates with high academic performance.Full article

A qualitatively, interpretative design was adopted to evaluate type of laboratory practical Teacher Support Materials that could be used to teach practical skills of observation, listening and communication and manipulation of apparatus in titration. The population of the study consisted of three public Senior High Schools (SHS) in Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem (KEEA) municipality of the Central Region of Ghana. Each school offers chemistry as a subject to students. Convenient, purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to sample schools, teachers and students for the study. Six (6) teachers were purposively sampled out of a total of 8 chemistry teachers because they had qualification in Science Education in Chemistry. Five (5) students from each school were randomly selected from each of the three SHS for focal group discussion. The main instrument used for data collection were semi structured interview guide and Observation Checklist (OC). Teachers interview schedule was used to solicit information from the chemistry teachers on how they perceived the use of Practical Skills- based TSMs for teaching practical process skills in titration at the SHS levels. The curriculum profile was used to collect data to answer the research question. For each of the four Lesson Profiles (lesson introduction, skill development, application and closure) of the lesson plan, the total number of scores was divided by the maximum possible scores for the profile and expressed as percentage and qualitatively describing the trends of emerging themes. The study concluded that there has been some improvement in the cognitive experience and pedagogical content knowledge of the teachers as well as the students in the use of the PS-based teacher support material in the laboratory. It is recommended that teachers and educators should thoroughly read and assimilate the contents and the processes described in the PS-based TSMs before they are used in teaching titration so as to develop practical process skills of the students.Full article

Background: Everywhere in the world, Pregnancy and birth possess a risk to the life and health of women and newborns, regardless of whether a pregnancy was intended or unintended. The level of risk depends on a woman’s health before she is pregnant, her living conditions and the care she receives during delivery which is aggravated by lack of access to maternal health care services, leading to increase in the magnitude of death from preventable health problems. This paper therefore diagnostically assessed health promotion strategies for increasing access to maternal healthcare services in some remote districts in Anambra state. Methods: The study is a cross-sectional study and utilized a structured instrument which was validated by three experts in measurement and evaluation and health education and pilot tested on 20 pregnant women using test-retest in Ugwunagbor Abia state. The reliability yielded 0.84. Percentage, mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. The population was 620 confirmed pregnant women from 4 to 9 months in the area of study in health centers in the state. A sample of 60 participants was selected using simple random sampling technique. Results: Findings show that antepartum, Intra-natal care, puerperium and family planning cares were prevalent in the local governments under study and that access to skilled delivery was associated with age, educational background, number of children and income level of the mother among other findings. Recommendations and conclusion: The researchers therefore recommended that there is urgent need to build healthy public policy, create supportive environments amongst others which can add to the effective measures of reducing maternal mortality in the longer term.Full article