Research papers

Improving students’ performance and conceptual understanding of heat transfer using demonstration method

Bernice Awudi, Samuel Danso

One of the physics topics difficult to understand among students at senior high schools (SHSs) is heat transfer. Various reasons have been advanced in an attempt to rationalize this difficulty. This study through an action research design was conducted to improve students’ performance and conceptual understanding of heat transfer at Oti Boateng Senior High School, Koforidua. The instruments used for the study were questionnaires, pre- and post-test. The study identified rote learning, inadequate understanding of concepts among others as the cause of difficulty in problem solving among students. The study revealed that although there are different methods of teaching, the efficacy of the demonstration method cannot be downplayed considering its role in improving students’ academic performance. The study concluded that for effective teaching and learning of heat transfer at SHS, it is important for teachers to employ the demonstration method in their teaching.

Investigating Concept Mastery of Physics Students During Online Lectures Through Rasch Models on Force and Motion Materials

Fauzan Sulman, Lia Yuliati, Sentot Kusairi, Arif Hidayat, Jupeth Pentang, Bismark Mensah

Conceptual understanding and problem solving is the most crucial part of Physics Lectures. In lectures, mastery of the concept is the primary goal. This research aims to analyze students' mastery of physics concepts in the material of Force and Motion while lectures are conducted online. This study uses a mixed-method approach to explain students' answers that still need clarification. Data analysis was carried out using the Rasch model, and a questionnaire was developed based on the possibility of students' responses to the concepts of force and motion. The results of this study indicate that students' understanding of the concept of force and motion material still needs to improve, namely 64.062%, around 94% of glasses tadris students think that the force and motion material given by lecturers during exams is challenging. More than 60.94% of students believe this is because the ability of the force and motion material they have still needs to improve. These results are interpreted based on analysis through the winstep application Version 3.65.0. and for qualitative data obtained from interviews. It takes a learning model that is appropriate for use in online and offline learning.

Explainable machine learning for predicting the band gaps of ABX3 perovskites

David O. Obada, Emmanuel Okafor, Simeon A. Abolade, Aniekan Magnus Ukpong, David Dodoo‐Arhin, Akinlolu Akande

Beyond the various contrivances by which orchids are pollinated: global patterns in orchid pollination biology

James D. Ackerman, Ryan D. Phillips, Raymond L. Tremblay, Adam P. Karremans, Noushka Reiter, Craig I. Peter, Diego Bogarín, …

Abstract Orchidaceae show remarkable diversity in pollination strategies, but how these strategies vary globally is not entirely clear. To identify regions and taxa that are data-rich and lend themselves to rigorous analyses or are data-poor and need attention, we introduce a global database of orchid reproductive biology. Our database contains > 2900 species representing all orchid subfamilies and 23 of 24 tribes. We tabulated information on habit, breeding systems, means of pollinator attraction and the identity of pollinators. Patterns of reproductive biology by habit, geography and taxonomy are presented graphically and analysed statistically. On the basis of our database, most orchid species sampled are pollinator dependent (76%) and self-compatible (88%). Pollinator attraction based on rewards occurs in 54% of the species, whereas 46% use some means of deceit. Orchids generally have highly specific pollinator interactions (median number of pollinator species = 1). Nonetheless, on average, specificity is lower for species offering rewards, occurring in multiple continental regions or Northern America (as defined by the Taxonomic Database Working Group Level 1 regions). Although our database reveals impressive knowledge gains, extensive gaps in basic observations of orchid reproductive biology exist, particularly in tropical regions and diverse lineages of fly-pollinated species. The database is expected to facilitate targeted studies, further elucidating the ecological and evolutionary drivers of orchid diversity.

Utilizing Physics Education Technology (PhET) for Improving Students' Understanding of Energy Conversion and Conservation in a Senior High Technical School

Cynthia Jebuni-Adanu, Victor Antwi, Isaac Kwesi Acquah, Desmond Appiah, Michael Gyan, Addo Wuver, Issahaku Sontaa Jakalia, J…

This study aims to assess the effectiveness of using Physics Education Technology (PhET) interactive simulations in improving students' understanding of energy conversion and conservation at Tuobodom Senior High and Technical School, with a focus on comparing female and male students. A total of 45 students (male = 29, female = 16) were selected using purposive sampling and taught using both traditional methods and PhET simulations, with their understanding evaluated through pre and post-intervention tests. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests. There was a significant pre-intervention score difference between males (15.88) and females (8.25) with a p-value of 0.00, however post-intervention scores were similar for both groups (males 10.88, females 12.62). The study found that PhET simulations effectively promote gender equity by narrowing the performance gap which is likely to improve student’s interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The findings of the study shows that PhET interactive simulation improves students' conceptual understanding of energy conversion and conservation. Keywords: Physics Education Technology (PhET), Conceptual, Energy conversion, energy conservation and Interactive visualization, Science Technology engineering and mathematics (STEM). DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-8-06 Publication date: March 31 st 2023

A Review of Students’ Academic Performance in Physics: Attitude, Instructional Methods, Misconceptions and Teachers Qualification

Humphrey D. Assem, Laud Nartey, Eric Appiah, James K. Aidoo

This study aims at presenting a literature review on four factors; attitude, instructional methods, students’ misconception, and teachers’ qualification that contribute to low academic performance of students in physics. Physics is one of the most fundamental natural sciences which involves the study of universal laws, and of the behaviors and relationships among a wide range of physical phenomena. Research has shown that both teachers and students’ attitude towards physics is a major reason for low academic performance in subjects across the globe. Naki (2018) argued that attitudes such as procrastination have a greater impact on students’ achievement. The attitudes of students towards physics, the thoughts and beliefs about the course, the habits of studying and constantly postponing tendency are very influential. Boabeng et al. (2014) opine that the quality of the teachers implementing a curriculum has a greater effect on the academic performance of students. Regardless of how well-resourced the school is or how extensive the curriculum is, teaching methods also have a significant impact on students’ academic progress as well as how easier for a misconception is to be dispelled. When the finest teaching strategies are employed, physics teachers can have a significant positive impact on students’ knowledge hence good performance.

Causes and effects of theory-practice gap during clinical practice: the lived experiences of baccalaureate nursing students

Stella Ngozika Ugwu, Ngozi P. Ogbonnaya, Veronica Chiegeiro Chijioke, Judith Njideka Esievo

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the baccalaureate nursing students' lived experiences of the causes and effects of TPG during clinical practice in a tertiary health institution in Enugu, Nigeria. METHOD: A qualitative design using existential descriptive phenomenological approach was adopted to explore 20 baccalaureate nursing students at 500 level of study. The class level of the students was purposively sampled and the exact number of students sampled using snowball technique. Semi-structured interview guide was the instrument for data collection. Data were collected using audio-tape recorder, face to face in depth discussions, and analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. RESULT: Five broad themes and 12 subthemes emerged from this study namely: Resource constraints (limited resources, resource improvise); Unhealthy human attitudinal and behavioural factors (nurse clinicians, nurse educators, student nurses factors); Environmental system challenges (paradoxical academic design and structure, paradoxical clinical setting); Integration Inadequacy (team cooperation paucity, scarce surveillance, insufficient timing of clinical placement); Observing effects of TPG (observing adverse impacts, observing positive implications). CONCLUSION: The causes of TPG during clinical practice emerge from nursing education and practice. TPG have adverse impacts on patients, nursing students, nursing education and practice, other health practitioners, while linkage to response is its positive implication.

Invasiveness, biology, ecology, and management of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda

Marc Kenis, Giovanni Benelli, Antonio Biondi, Paul‐André Calatayud, Roger Day, Nicolas Desneux, Rhett D. Harrison, Darren J.…

la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publis ou non, manant des tablissements d'enseignement et de recherche franais ou trangers, des laboratoires publics ou privs.

A review of MRI studies in Africa with special focus on quantitative MRI: Historical development, current status and the role of medical physicists

Francis Hasford, Abdul Nashirudeen Mumuni, Christoph Trauernicht, Taofeeq Ige, Stephen Inkoom, Mark C. Okeji, Eja-Egwu Uche …

Effectiveness of Guided Inquiry and Open Inquiry Instructionals Strategies in Improving Biology Students’ Achievement

Adeyinka Olayemi Owolade, Marie Onovroghene Salami, Adeyinka Oluwaseun Kareem, Popoola Oluwasegun Oladipupo

In recent years, students' performance in Biology in the Senior Secondary Certificates Examination (SSCE) has not been encouraging. Studies have attributed fluctuating achievement of students in Biology to ineffective use of instructional strategies. If sustainable solution is not proffered to the issue of poor performance in Biology, it could hinder the fulfilment of educational goals for science, especially in the health sector. This study advocated the use of teaching strategies that will promote and encourage teachers to adopt learning strategies that will demand students to think critically and contribute effectively in class and the society at large. Therefore, this study was carried out to determined the effectiveness of guided and open inquiry instructional strategies on academic performance of secondary school students in Biology in Osun State. The non-equivalent pretest posttest quasi-experimental research design was used for the study. The population comprised all senior secondary school Biology students in Osun state. The sample consisted of Senior Secondary One (SS1) Biology students in their intact classes selected using multistage sampling procedure. Biology Achievement Test (BAT) was used to gather data for the study. Data collected were analysed using analysis of Covariance. From the study, the results showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental groups taught Biology using guided inquiry and open inquiry strategies, and the control group taught Biology using conventional method. Open inquiry strategy improve students' performance better than the other groups. Also, guided inquiry stimulate students' performance than conventional method. The study concluded that Open inquiry is a better teaching strategy; as it was more effective in improving the academic performance of students in Biology in the study area.

Fostering Critical Thinking Skills Using Integrated STEM Approach among Secondary School Biology Students

Akawo Angwal Yaki

Globally, critical thinking skills have been acknowledged as an important goal of education and integrated STEM-based approaches have been reported to have the potential to enhance critical thinking. Therefore, this study examined integrated STEM instructional material for genetic learning to increase secondary school biology students’ critical thinking skills. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design, specifically a pre-test-post-test control group design. The sample size was made up of 112 students, two schools were randomly selected and assigned to the experimental and control group. The experimental group was made up of 58 students and the control group was 54. An integrated STEM approach module was developed for the experimental group, critical thinking skill test was used for pre-test and post-test data. The instrument yielded a reliability of between 0.71 - 0.76 for all the subskills of critical thinking skills. The pre-test results in all critical thinking subskills of inference, recognizing assumption, deduction, interpretation, and evaluation Wilks’ ˄ = .93, F (5, 94) = 1.370, p = (.24) > 0.05, indicating that the two groups were equivalent in their critical thinking skills before treatment. The findings of the within-group comparison show that the experimental group shows a significant difference between pre-test and post-test with a large effect size (d2=1.56) compared to the control group with a small effect size (d2=0.01). The between-group comparison using MANOVA shows a significant difference in students’ critical thinking skills of inference, recognizing assumption, deduction, interpretation, and evaluating arguments (Wilks’ ˄ = .31, F (5,106) = .68, p = (0.00) < 0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that an integrated STEM approach was more effective in enhancing students’ critical thinking skills.

Gene-Environment Interactions and Epigenetic Regulation in Autism Etiology through Multi-Omics Integration and Computational Biology Approaches

Paul Okugo Imoh, Idoko Peter Idoko

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a multifactorial neurodevelopmental condition characterized by substantial genetic heterogeneity and complex environmental influences. Emerging evidence suggests that gene-environment interactions, mediated through dynamic epigenetic mechanisms, play a critical role in modulating neurodevelopmental trajectories implicated in ASD. This review synthesizes current advances in understanding the etiological interplay between genetic variants, environmental exposures, and epigenetic regulation, with a focus on DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs. We explore how these layers of molecular control intersect to dysregulate neurodevelopmental gene networks and contribute to ASD pathophysiology. Central to this investigation is the integration of multi-omics platforms— encompassing genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics, and metabolomics—supported by computational biology, machine learning, and systems-level modeling frameworks. These technologies facilitate the identification of molecular subtypes, predictive biomarkers, and regulatory circuits associated with ASD. Furthermore, we examine the translational implications of these findings in the context of precision medicine, including early diagnosis, patient stratification, and individualized therapeutic development. Despite the challenges of data heterogeneity, scalability, and interpretability, the integration of high-dimensional biological data holds transformative potential for elucidating ASD etiology and advancing targeted interventions.

Review of Particle Physics

Particle Data Group, Ronald Workman, Volker Burkert, V. Credé, E. Klempt, U. Thoma, L. Tiator, Kaustubh Agashe, G. Aielli, B…

Abstract The Review summarizes much of particle physics and cosmology. Using data from previous editions, plus 2,143 new measurements from 709 papers, we list, evaluate, and average measured properties of gauge bosons and the recently discovered Higgs boson, leptons, quarks, mesons, and baryons. We summarize searches for hypothetical particles such as supersymmetric particles, heavy bosons, axions, dark photons, etc. Particle properties and search limits are listed in Summary Tables. We give numerous tables, figures, formulae, and reviews of topics such as Higgs Boson Physics, Supersymmetry, Grand Unified Theories, Neutrino Mixing, Dark Energy, Dark Matter, Cosmology, Particle Detectors, Colliders, Probability and Statistics. Among the 120 reviews are many that are new or heavily revised, including a new review on Machine Learning, and one on Spectroscopy of Light Meson Resonances. The Review is divided into two volumes. Volume 1 includes the Summary Tables and 97 review articles. Volume 2 consists of the Particle Listings and contains also 23 reviews that address specific aspects of the data presented in the Listings. The complete Review (both volumes) is published online on the website of the Particle Data Group (pdg.lbl.gov) and in a journal. Volume 1 is available in print as the PDG Book. A Particle Physics Booklet with the Summary Tables and essential tables, figures, and equations from selected review articles is available in print, as a web version optimized for use on phones, and as an Android app.

Scientific Machine Learning Through Physics–Informed Neural Networks: Where we are and What’s Next

Salvatore Cuomo, Vincenzo Schiano Di Cola, Fabio Giampaolo, Gianluigi Rozza, Maziar Raissi, Francesco Piccialli

Abstract Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINN) are neural networks (NNs) that encode model equations, like Partial Differential Equations (PDE), as a component of the neural network itself. PINNs are nowadays used to solve PDEs, fractional equations, integral-differential equations, and stochastic PDEs. This novel methodology has arisen as a multi-task learning framework in which a NN must fit observed data while reducing a PDE residual. This article provides a comprehensive review of the literature on PINNs: while the primary goal of the study was to characterize these networks and their related advantages and disadvantages. The review also attempts to incorporate publications on a broader range of collocation-based physics informed neural networks, which stars form the vanilla PINN, as well as many other variants, such as physics-constrained neural networks (PCNN), variational hp-VPINN, and conservative PINN (CPINN). The study indicates that most research has focused on customizing the PINN through different activation functions, gradient optimization techniques, neural network structures, and loss function structures. Despite the wide range of applications for which PINNs have been used, by demonstrating their ability to be more feasible in some contexts than classical numerical techniques like Finite Element Method (FEM), advancements are still possible, most notably theoretical issues that remain unresolved.

Oilseed Crops - Uses, Biology and Production

Mirza Hasanuzzaman, Kamrun Nahar

This book contains six comprehensive chapters addressing various aspects of oilseed crop biology, production and use. The contributions summarize recent findings on oilseed crop responses to the environment, with a particular focus on rapeseed biology and stress tolerance. This book will be useful for undergraduate and graduate students, teachers, and researchers, particularly in the fields of agronomy and crop science.

Efficient numerical techniques for computing the Riesz fractional-order reaction-diffusion models arising in biology

Manal Alqhtani, Kolade M. Owolabi, Khaled M. Saad, Edson Pindza

Students’ Perception of Their Physics Teachers’ Classroom Practices

Dah Maxwell

The purpose of the study was to investigate students’ perception of their physics teachers’ classroom practices. The study was conducted in eight (8) senior high schools in the Hohoe Municipality in the Volta Region of Ghana. Descriptive cross-sectional survey design was employed in carrying out the study. A total sample of 200 senior high school physics students were involved in the study. A questionnaire consisting mainly of closed ended items was used in collecting data from respondents. Data collected was analysed using frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation. It was found that physics teachers do not often motivate students and make them appreciate the fact that the things they learn in physics are important. Based on the findings, it was recommended that physics teachers make learning of physics interesting by making students appreciate the importance of what they teach, often encourage students to study physics and also show interest in the overall success of their students.

Antimicrobial Potential of Extract from a Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolate

Francis Kwaku Dzideh Amankwah, Stephen Yao Gbedema, Yaw Duah Boakye, Marcel Tunkumgmen Bayor, Vivian Etsiapa Boamah

Microorganisms are one of the main sources of antimicrobial agents and over 50% of antibiotics currently used in hospitals are metabolites from microbes. This study aimed to isolate microorganisms from the Dompoase landfill site, Kwame Nkrumah University Physics Garden, Kosiko River, and Ada Foah seashore of Ghana and screen their metabolites for antimicrobial activity. Forty-eight (48) microorganisms were isolated and their metabolites were screened against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pyogenes, Proteus mirabilis, and Candida albicans using the agar well diffusion method. Ten (10) of the isolates exhibited antimicrobial activity. Isolate DO5, identified as P. aeruginosa isolate, from the Dompoase landfill site was selected for fermentation because it exhibited the highest activity against all the test organisms. DO5 produced optimum antimicrobial activity when fermented for 11 days at 30°C. In the agar diffusion method, the extract of isolate DO5 recorded zones of inhibition ranging between 11.67 ± 0.23 and 21.50 ± 0.71 mm. The MIC and MBC recorded for the DO5 extract ranged from 3.13–25.0 mg/mL and from 6.25–50.0 mg/mL, respectively. Column chromatography analysis yielded eight (8) subfractions from the DO5 extract. IR analysis revealed the presence of functional groups such as alcohols, esters, and hydrocarbons in the fractions. GC-MS analysis identified nine compounds that have been reported to have antimicrobial agents. The DO5 metabolites stand the chance to be developed into potent antibiotics for infection treatment.

Development and validation of the multicopter modelling code: a physics-based tool for multicopter analysis

David Kofi Oppong, Evans Obu, Timothy Asare, God’sable Sitsofe Koku Aidam

Purpose This study aims to present details of the development and validation of the multicopter modelling code (MMC), a tool for the analysis of small-scale multicopters based on flight physics. Design/methodology/approach The development effort involved the study of aircraft dynamics and translating the equations of motion into MATLAB code. The authors also developed several auxiliary functions, so that the tool could trim the aircraft about a steady state, linearize the dynamic equations to produce a model that could be used for control systems design and carry out flight simulation. Findings MMC proved to be of good accuracy, producing results similar to those of other software such as AcuSolve, Overflow and the Rensselaer Multicopter Analysis Code (RMAC), which served as the motivation for this study. Originality/value The tool presented here provides an alternative to the aforementioned software, which are not freely available, programmed in MATLAB, a language well known to engineers and scientists.

Electronic structure and magnetism of the triple-layered ruthenate <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">Sr</mml:mi><mml:mn>4</mml:mn></mml:msub><mml:msub><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">Ru</mml:mi><mml:mn>3</mml:mn></mml:msub><mml:msub><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">O</mml:mi><mml:mn>10</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:math>

G. Gebreyesus, Prosper Ngabonziza, Jonah Nagura, Nicola Seriani, Omololu Akin‐Ojo, Richard M. Martin

We report electronic band structure calculations for ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{4}{\mathrm{Ru}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{10}$ which display both ferromagnetic and metamagnetic behavior. The density functional calculations find the ground state to be ferromagnetic in agreement with experiment and we show that the resulting spin polarization has dramatic consequences for the electronic properties. The minority-spin bands are mainly empty and disperse steeply upward at the Fermi energy, whereas the majority-spin bands are full or nearly fully occupied and form narrow bands near the Fermi energy, which could be the electronic origin of the metamagnetism. Inclusion of a Hubbard interaction $U$ applied to the Ru $4d$ states has major effects on the narrow bands, which reveal the role of Coulomb interactions and correlated many-body physics. The results are in qualitative agreement with recent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) experiments and show the need for a combined theoretical study and experimental ARPES investigation with better energy resolution to reveal the nature of the narrow bands close to the Fermi level, which is critical for understanding the exotic magnetic properties observed in this material.

Mapping genomic loci implicates genes and synaptic biology in schizophrenia

Vassily Trubetskoy, Antonio F. Pardiñas, Ting Qi, Georgia Panagiotaropoulou, Swapnil Awasthi, Tim B. Bigdeli, Julien Bryois,…

Schizophrenia has a heritability of 60–80%1, much of which is attributable to common risk alleles. Here, in a two-stage genome-wide association study of up to 76,755 individuals with schizophrenia and 243,649 control individuals, we report common variant associations at 287 distinct genomic loci. Associations were concentrated in genes that are expressed in excitatory and inhibitory neurons of the central nervous system, but not in other tissues or cell types. Using fine-mapping and functional genomic data, we identify 120 genes (106 protein-coding) that are likely to underpin associations at some of these loci, including 16 genes with credible causal non-synonymous or untranslated region variation. We also implicate fundamental processes related to neuronal function, including synaptic organization, differentiation and transmission. Fine-mapped candidates were enriched for genes associated with rare disruptive coding variants in people with schizophrenia, including the glutamate receptor subunit GRIN2A and transcription factor SP4, and were also enriched for genes implicated by such variants in neurodevelopmental disorders. We identify biological processes relevant to schizophrenia pathophysiology; show convergence of common and rare variant associations in schizophrenia and neurodevelopmental disorders; and provide a resource of prioritized genes and variants to advance mechanistic studies. A genome-wide association study including over 76,000 individuals with schizophrenia and over 243,000 control individuals identifies common variant associations at 287 genomic loci, and further fine-mapping analyses highlight the importance of genes involved in synaptic processes.

Effects of Peer Tutoring on Pre-Service Teachers’ Physics Performance in Colleges of Education, Ghana

Valentina Osei-Himah, Joseph Parker, Anna Mwinbuabu Naah

At Atebubu College of Education, the study attempted to determine the impacts of peer tutoring on gender and senior High school background courses of pre-service teachers in physics. To achieve the purpose of the study an action research design was used and a total number of 140 (78 males and 62 females) who are offering primary Education program were purposively selected. The major research tools were accomplishment tests, which were used to collect quantitative data from pre-service teachers. Using the independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA to analyse the quantitative data. It was found that the male students’ performance in Physics (M = 8.81, SD = 0.927) does not significantly differ from that of the female students’ (M = 8.65, SD = 0.925) as a result of the peer tutoring method adopted for the study. The results of the one-way ANOVA show that there are no differences in the mean score of the pre-service teachers’ performance in Physics and their senior High School course background. It is therefore recommended among other things that the principals and head of science departments of Colleges of Education in Ghana should organise workshops, seminars and in-service training on how to utilize peer tutoring method effectively in teaching scientific concepts to pre-service teachers they training.

Medical physics services in radiology and nuclear medicine in Africa: challenges and opportunities identified through workforce and infrastructure surveys

Christoph Trauernicht, Francis Hasford, N. Khelassi-Toutaoui, Imen Bentouhami, Peter Knoll, Virginia Tsapaki

Abstract The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) developed a staffing model to estimate the number of clinically qualified medical physicists (CQMP) that are required in an imaging facility, including diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine. For the first time this staffing model was applied on a large scale across Africa. Within the framework of the IAEA African Regional Agreement (AFRA) Technical Cooperation (TC) project RAF6/053 entitled “Enhancing Capacity Building of Medical Physics to Improve Safety and Effectiveness of Medical Imaging (AFRA)”, a survey based on the IAEA staffing model was used to investigate the current CQMP workforce needs in imaging and radionuclide therapy in Africa in order to establish a baseline, identify gaps and suggest steps for improvement. The survey was open for five months, after which data verification was performed. 82 responses were received from 21 countries, including data from 97 diagnostic radiology and 40 nuclear medicine departments, as well as 75 interventional radiology departments and/or catheterization laboratories. Only 26·8% of centres employed an adequate number of CQMPs. The staffing model indicated that 134·3 CQMPs were required for these centres, but only 63 are currently employed in medical imaging and/or nuclear medicine at these centres. At least 11 countries do not have a single institution with an adequate number of CQMPs. Data analysis indicated that the number of radiology and nuclear medicine CQMPs is largely inadequate, at least by a factor of 20 in almost all countries in the region.

Influence of teachers’ self-efficacy on secondary school students’ self-efficacy in biology in Ogbomoso, Nigeria

Mulkah Adebisi Ahmed, A. A. Lawal, Rihanat Aduke Ahmed

It is widely proven by several studies that efficacy is an important factor in the teaching-learning process. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine whether teachers’ self-efficacy contributes to the development of students’ self-efficacy in Biology. This study was a descriptive research with survey type which used proportionate and stratified sampling techniques to select 98 secondary schools in Ogbomoso, Nigeria. Proportionate, purposive, and simple random sampling techniques were used to select 207 biology teachers and 392 SSS I and II biology students based on gender. The data collected were analysed using mean scores, chi-square, and regression analysis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that: 1) there was a positive correlation between teachers’ self-efficacy and students’ self-efficacy in biology; 2) the level of teachers’ self-efficacy was moderately high; and 3) female students have higher self-efficacy than male students in biology. The study concluded that teachers’ self-efficacy influences their students’ self-efficacy. Thus, it is recommended that biology teachers should be responsible and pay more attention to the development of their students’ self-efficacy irrespective of students’ gender.