https://journals.uew.edu.gh/index.php/imjre <p>International Multidisciplinary Journal of Research and Education (IMJRE) is managed by the International Multidisciplinary Conference for Postgraduate Students (IMCfPS) Secretariat of the University of Education, Winneba Ghana. It publishes high quality manuscripts that are of international significance in terms of design and findings and promote collaboration by international team of researchers to create special issues on topics in education. Papers submitted in this journal must be original and of quality that would be of interest to an international readership. Manuscript submitted to this journal are subject to a peer review process, which involves an international panel of researchers who are experts in relevant fields. It also publishes book reviews of potential interest to readers. The journal is published in both print and online versions. The online version of the journal is free access and downloads. Articles submitted to this journal should not be longer than 15 pages (6000 words) and should ideally follow the American Psychological Association referencing style. Not more than one hundred words abstract should be provided with maximum of 5 keywords. Manuscripts should be submitted in MS word format and email to the Editor in Chief via <a href="mailto:imcfps@uew.edu.gh">imcfps@uew.edu.gh </a>Articles are index to Open access, Google Scholar and Academic Search Engines and among others.</p> en-US Mon, 15 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 OJS 3.2.1.0 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 https://journals.uew.edu.gh/index.php/imjre/article/view/290 This study examined the influence of personality traits on career choice among pre-service teachers in Ghanaian Colleges of Education. Data were collected from 421 respondents using the Big Five Personality Test (BFI-20) and the Teachers’ Career Choice Scale (TCCS). Analytical cross-sectional survey design and Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) were employed for data analysis. Results revealed that agreeableness was the dominant personality trait among pre-service teachers, followed by conscientiousness, openness, extraversion, and neuroticism. Personality traits significantly predicted career choice dimensions, with neuroticism emerging as the strongest predictor. The findings underscore the importance of considering personality traits in career counselling to guide pre-service teachers towards fulfilling careers. This research contributes to the understanding of factors influencing career choice in the teaching profession, particularly in developing country contexts like Ghana. Bernard Mensah Amoako Copyright (c) 2024 International Multidisciplinary Journal of Research and Education (IMJRE) https://journals.uew.edu.gh/index.php/imjre/article/view/290 Thu, 25 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://journals.uew.edu.gh/index.php/imjre/article/view/281 In most societies, mothers invest more time in being physically and emotionally available to their children than fathers. Therefore, for most children, the relationship with their mothers is the most important in their lives for many years. However, in adolescence and thus in the struggle for their own identity, young people have to reshape their family relations and thus their relations with their mothers to become autonomous subjects. In a study with children (aged 10-13 years) in Winneba, Ghana, they were asked to write an essay about their fantasies regarding an ideal childhood. Envisioning their ideal life as a child, they repeatedly addressed—among other issues—their relationship with their mothers and fathers with regard to availability (i.e., time together), financial or emotional support, responsibility, and (in)dependence. Using selected examples from the essays that were analysed using the documentary method, the study discussed the following issues and questions in this paper: What do children imagine to be an ideal relationship with their parents? What are the characteristics and differences in the children’s conceptualization of a perfect mother, and an ideal father? How do they imagine ideal gender relations? In addition, the study examined what these ideals can tell individuals about their perceptions and experiences with family, cross-generational, and gender-specific relationships in their current life in Ghana. Among others, the findings showed that young adolescents define ideal parents, predominantly, with images of availability. Although egalitarianism is portrayed as the best family structure, with domestic chores, traditional gender roles are mostly favoured. Vivian N.A. Acquaye, Andrea Kleeberg-Niepage Copyright (c) 2024 International Multidisciplinary Journal of Research and Education (IMJRE) https://journals.uew.edu.gh/index.php/imjre/article/view/281 Thu, 25 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://journals.uew.edu.gh/index.php/imjre/article/view/291 The study investigated the levels of stress and coping strategies among nursing students in Nalerigu College of Nursing and Midwifery in the North East Region. The objectives of the study were to identify the stress level of nursing students of Nalerigu College of Nursing and Midwifery and the coping strategies of nursing students. Descriptive survey design was employed. Perceived Stress Scale and Afrocultural Coping Inventory were adapted and used to assess stress and coping. Their reliability coefficients were 0.78 and 0.80 respectively. A sample size of 113 was selected from second year students using simple random sampling. Data was analysed using Chi-Square Test and Multivariate Test (MANOVA). Findings indicated that second year nursing students experienced high levels of stress which was statistically significant. It also emerged from the findings that the students’ stress levels did not differ in terms of the coping strategies they adopted. It was recommended that college authorities as part of the orientation of new students, should emphasise on the stressors of college life and the need to employ pragmatic coping strategies. It was further recommended that management should provide opportunities for peer counselling, student support groups, and adequate faculty advising to enhance active coping among nursing students. Implications of the study have been discussed, conclusions have been drawn and suggestions made. John N-yelbi, Mary Magdalene Awuku-Larbi, Gifty Nordzi Copyright (c) 2024 International Multidisciplinary Journal of Research and Education (IMJRE) https://journals.uew.edu.gh/index.php/imjre/article/view/291 Thu, 25 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://journals.uew.edu.gh/index.php/imjre/article/view/283 Childhood experiences have been documented to influence later life experience of individuals in terms of their intra-and-interpersonal wellbeing. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that occur before a child gets to the age of 18 as described by the Centre for Disease Control and Protection (CDC). The purpose of the study was to explore the lived experiences, and meanings that university students attached to their ACEs and their effect on their intrapersonal and interpersonal conflict on campus adjustment. Homogeneous purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to sample 15 students from three public universities in the Greater Accra Region. This study aligned to the interpretivist paradigm which informed the use of the hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative design. Using interview and focus groups, findings of the study highlighted some meanings that the participants ascribed to their ACEs as neglect and abuse from parents, indecision and humiliation. It was also found out that these experiences shaped participants intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts, making them have trust issues, suicidal ideation and difficulty in making friends. Although these students have adopted either positive or negative coping strategies to adjust to their campus life, it is recommended that university students be screened by university counsellors to identify those at risk for early intervention. Akua Bema Asante, Theresa Antwi, Richardson Addai-Mununkum Copyright (c) 2024 International Multidisciplinary Journal of Research and Education (IMJRE) https://journals.uew.edu.gh/index.php/imjre/article/view/283 Thu, 25 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://journals.uew.edu.gh/index.php/imjre/article/view/292 The emergence of the internet has led to the proliferation of blogs which provide news-worthy information to people. While scholars have studied blogs globally, very little is known about their coverage of disasters, especially in the Ghanaian context. This study, therefore, investigated how the January 20, 2022, Apiate chemical explosion in the Western Region of Ghana was covered on two Ghanaian blogs. Thirty-nine purposively sampled news stories on the selected blogs are content-analysed to examine the attention given to the stories on the explosion and the frames used to represent them on the blogs. The data collected were thematically analysed through the lens of the agenda-setting theory and the media framing theory. The study's findings revealed that much salience was not placed on stories about the explosion by way of frequency. However, when stories about the explosion appeared on the blogs, salience-directing cues such as images, videos and hyperlinks were attached to signify prominence to the readers. Furthermore, whilst frames of tragedy, hopeless situations and response to action were projected in the stories, the two blogs did not emphasise the responsibility frame, which would have held individuals/companies whose negligence led to the disaster accountable for their actions. Since blogs have become critical news sources for Ghanaians and can set the agenda for the public and policymakers, bloggers need to be circumspect about the nature of coverage given to social issues such as disasters. Elizabeth Owusu Asiamah Copyright (c) 2024 International Multidisciplinary Journal of Research and Education (IMJRE) https://journals.uew.edu.gh/index.php/imjre/article/view/292 Thu, 25 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://journals.uew.edu.gh/index.php/imjre/article/view/293 The study investigated the effectiveness of the inquiry-based teaching approach on technical and vocational students’ mathematics achievement in Sekyere East District in Ghana. The research adopted a quantitative approach that employed quasi-experimental design. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 80 first-year students from Krobea Asante Technical and Vocational Institute for this study with 40 students each in the experimental and control groups. Data were collected using pre-test and post-test measurements with non-equivalent groups Statistical analysis using the independent sample t-test revealed that students instructed through the inquiry-based approach in the experimental group outperformed those taught via the conventional approach in the control group. Cohen d effect size of 1.13 was obtained indicating that the Inquiry-based teaching approach is more effective in teaching geometry course than the conventional approach. The study recommended among others that teachers in the pre-tertiary institutions should employ Inquiry-Based approach in teaching geometry and its related topics. Fred Asante-Mensa, Samuel Kwesi Asiedu - Addo, William Obeng-Denteh, Gloria Armah Copyright (c) 2024 International Multidisciplinary Journal of Research and Education (IMJRE) https://journals.uew.edu.gh/index.php/imjre/article/view/293 Thu, 25 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://journals.uew.edu.gh/index.php/imjre/article/view/286 The research assessed the effect of occupational stress on administrators’ levels of job satisfaction in the University of Education, Winneba (UEW). The study investigated the sources of occupational stress, job satisfaction determinants, and the effects of occupational stress on administrators' health, all of which were based on the demand control theory. The quantitative approach and descriptive survey design were used. The study randomly selected 110 participants from a population of 147 administrators at the University of Education, Winneba, using the sample size determination table. Data were collected from respondents using structured questionnaires, which were then processed with and coded IBM SPSS version 20. The data were analysed with mean, standard deviation and regression. The study discovered that lack of promotion and resources, favouritism, inadequate staff, work obligations, red tape, immoderate administrative responsibilities, and occupational health issues were the major factors that account for occupational stress among staff. A weak and negative relationship was discovered between occupational stress and job satisfaction of staff. Thus, the study concluded that high levels of occupational stress resulted in lower job satisfaction. In order to improve job satisfaction levels of administrators at UEW, the study recommended that management should implement innovative measures such as flexible working hours, enhanced promotion based on merit, resource availability to facilitate work and remote working aimed at lowering the factors that contribute to occupational stress. Also, the University Health Directorate should occasionally run health screening to address health related issues among staff who are at risk Regina Oduro Ankomah, Cosmos Kwame Dzikunu Copyright (c) 2024 International Multidisciplinary Journal of Research and Education (IMJRE) https://journals.uew.edu.gh/index.php/imjre/article/view/286 Thu, 25 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000