Latest Articles
Original Research Article
ABSTRACT
Whilst positive psychology has grown as a strand of the discipline internationally, very little positive psychology research has been conducted in East Africa. It is likely that one reason for this is the scarcity of relevant validated Kiswahili-language psychometric scales. This paper reports the process and outcomes of translation into Kiswahili, refinement, and validation of three commonly-used scales from the positive psychology domain – the Gratitude Questionnaire, Satisfaction With Life Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support – among students of the Universities of Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. Cronbach’s alpha values, mean inter-item correlations, and correlations with one another and with related measures, all yielded acceptable results. The final versions – K-GQ5, K-SWLS and K-MSPSS – appear valid and reliable, and suitable for use in research. We recommend larger scale investigation of these translations, the translation of further scales, and the development of positive psychology research in East Africa.
ABSTRACT
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of students has been significant, with increased pressure due to the various restrictions and measures that were enforced in the education sector. Academic pressure and difficulties paired with the insecurity about the future has generally worsened students' mental health, with surges of cases as a result of pandemic pressures. Key aspects of the pandemic affecting students are outlined and explored in depth, using different studies and surveys to reach an overall understanding of the impacts on student mental health.
Original Research Article
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to examine how preschool teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs help in managing preschoolers in large class size. The study was based on the pragmatism paradigm where concurrent triangulation mixed method design was used to analysed data simultaneously. At the quantitative phase, the research adapted Gay and Deihli (1992) way of determining the sample. Almost a quarter (24.6%) of the population which was equal to 216 was proportionately shared among the three (3) metropolises. In the qualitative phase, 12 preschool teachers who were supervising more than sixty (60) preschoolers in classroom from the study areas were purposively sampled. The study revealed that trained or untrained preschool teachers with self-efficacy does not guarantee their ability to manage preschoolers in large class size. However, it was also asserted teachers with high a self-efficacy belief is able use defense mechanism to help manage preschoolers in large class size.
ABSTRACT
Things refer to the objects and phenomena in reality. Limits refer to the truths and the processes of approaching them. Then there is the principle of inertia, which is characterized by continuity, and a necessary condition for reasoning in reality. Therefore, thing, limit and inertia are the three elements that constitute "The theory on thing's limits". Truth must have absoluteness and immutability, does not exist in reality, and belongs to the category of metaphysics. The characteristic of the truths is that they cannot be proved by empirical methods, and can only be gradually approached by repeated practices. Based on this, this article has established the norm for identifying truth. It not only has achieved the unity of opposites of all knowledge, but can also according to have the characteristic of continuity on the change of objective things make bidirectional reasoning under the premise of mutual restrictions. From the quantitative change in the real space has gone deep into the qualitative change of ideal realm, it extends the philosophy of materialism to the category of metaphysics. As a result, the true nature of metaphysics has been restored. That is to say, it has neither divorced from practices, nor just observed objective things with a one-sided, isolated and static way of thought. The theory is applicable to all academic categories, and it is to provide an effective method for testing authoritative theories, clarifying chaos, and deriving new knowledge. Finally, according to the theory and norm therein, combining with the objective status quo, this article has briefly analyzed three examples and pointed out the crux of Einstein's special relativity.
ABSTRACT
This article explores the consequences of these propositions: (1) the enlightenment made popular a belief in causal determinism – the idea that every event has a cause. (2) The Scottish enlightenment Adam Smith’s moral theory begins from the notion that the morality behind human actions is practical and based on the sentiment of sympathy, a mechanism that we use to place ourselves in others’ shoes. (3) Certain contemporary ethical theories use empirical evidence and evolutionary arguments to explain the origin of sympathy and to support the interference of evolutionary pressures in our moral sentiments. These propositions together have the following consequences: (3) Different biological interpretations of sympathy can lead us to different results from a practical standpoint. (4) So, our understanding of the evolutionary dimension of sympathy has implications for moral theories that have sympathy as their base. Thus, the combination of the Enlighten ideas and moral sentimentalism led to a belief in the causal determination of human emotions, and its causes. Bearing in mind that empirical investigations have demonstrated how evolutionary biology can influence our moral sentiments, my purpose is to analyze whether Smithean morality might be jeopardized by these contentions. To this end, I test whether Smith’s sympathy would be compatible with evolutionary accounts, in particular, with Sharon Street’s view.
Original Research Article
ABSTRACT
Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder distinguished by micro architectural deterioration and rapid bone loss at the osseous tissue, increasing the risk for bone fracture especially at the hip, wrist, and spine. Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) is a quantitative method that provides access to quantitative and qualitative information. The study aimed to assess the level of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice regarding Osteoporosis among adult patients in Bashair University Hospital 202l. Methodology: This was descriptive cross-sectional hospital-based study conducted in Bashair Hospital 2021. 200 participants were chosen. Data were collected using designed interview questionnaire. Statistical package for social sciences version 26 used for analysis. Results: (53.5%) of participants were females. (33.0%) of participants their level of educational is basic school. (45.2%) of the participants had poor knowledge, (40%) of the participants had poor attitude, and (54%) of the participants had moderate practice about Osteoporosis among adult patients. There was a significant relation between age groups and level of educational regarding Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (p≤ .001). There was a significant relation between Knowledge and Attitude (P<.001) and Knowledge and Practice (P<.001). Conclusion: The study concluded that adult patients had poor knowledge, attitude and moderate practice regarding Osteoporosis. Factors such as age, level of educational and gender were significantly influence the level of knowledge, attitude and practice. Recommendation: Upraise the level of awareness; establish screening programs for community population especially in low socioeconomic areas, regular investigations and at least once for bone scanning regarding Osteoporosis.
Original Research Article
ABSTRACT
The study determined school-type and gender influence on the efficacy of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) on reducing bullying among students in senior secondary schools in Ikwerre Local Government Area in Rivers State, Nigeria. Bullying was the dependent variable while CBT was the independent variable. School-type and gender were the moderator variables. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. A sample of 45 students identified as bullies from a population of 2,368 SS2 students in Ikwerre Local Government Area using a non-probability purposive sampling technique was used. Olweus Bullying Questionnaire (OBQ) was the instrument used for the study. OBQ had its content validity estimated by the total item cumulative variance of 75.25% while its construct validity was estimated by factor loading matrixes that ranged between .45 and .88. The reliability of OBQ was established using Cronbach alpha at r=.80, p<.05 level of significance. Data collected were analyzed using independent t-test. Results of the study indicated that school-type had no influence on the efficacy of CBT on reducing bullying. This is due to the fact that the mean reduction difference of public and private school students on their bullying reduction level was not significant at 0.05 alpha level of significance, when tested with independence t-test. Gender had no influence on the efficacy of CBT on the reduction of bullying. This is due to the fact that the mean reduction difference of male and female students on their bullying reduction level was not significant when tested with independent t-test statistics. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that counsellors and psychotherapists should make use of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in reducing students’ bullying behaviour without the fear of these variables interfering with the treatment.