JOURNAL OF AFRICAN CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH

Curriculum is the bed rock of education; it specifies the methods, instructional instruments and the pedagogy of transferring knowledge from the teacher to the learner. When a curriculum is poorly implemented, the educational system will fail, and its policies and objectives will not be achieved. The poor educational system of Nigeria, characterized by lack of instructional materials, academic manpower and adequate infrastructural facilities for learning informs the educational doom currently facing the nation. Many scholars have associated this to poor educational policies and implementation. However, this study takes a critical look at the effect of the national problem of corruption on the implementation of curriculum in Nigeria, considering it as the root cause of the decay in the educational system of the nation. Primary date was collected with a questionnaire and distributed to two institutions of higher learning in Bayelsa State. Using the statistical package of social sciences (SPSS), a regression and correlation coefficient analysis was conducted to test the hypotheses. The results indicated an increase on the rate of corruption will lead to a more than average corresponding reduction on curriculum implementation. It is therefore recommended that financial accountability should be strongly entrenched in our educational systems

This study was conducted to investigate flipped classroom model of blended learning and Senior Secondary School Students’ (SSI) Performance in English Language writing skills in Rivers East Senatorial Zone, Rivers State. Three objectives, three research questions and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The research design used for this study was quasi-experimental research design. The population consisted of fifteen thousand eight hundred and twenty six (15,826) (SSI) students in public senior secondary schools in Rivers-East senatorial zone. A Sample size of eight hundred (800) students was used for the study. The instrument for data collection was English Language Performance Test on Writing (ELPTW), validated by two experts in English Language department. The reliability of the instrument was established with test retest method and the scores were correlated using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and a coefficient of 0.76 was obtained. Descriptive statistics mean and standard deviation was used to analyses the research questions while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results showed that the flipped classroom model of blended learning made the students at a posttest stage to have greater effect than the pretest stage in the use of English Language writing skills. There is significant difference in pretest posttest scores of students in flipped classroom model of blended learning made of the students at a posttest stage showed a greater effect than the pretest stage in the use of grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation. The study concluded that there is significant difference in the pretest posttest of flipped classroom blended learning and conventional method; hence the null hypothesis was rejected. Flipped classroom model leads to academic achievement because it encourages students’ engagement, boost collaboration among students and critical thinking ability in English language writing skills. It was recommended that: parents should encourage their children by providing enabling environment for study at home so as to attain to their assignments, task and online materials before the main classes at school, Ministry of education should share free computers and other electronic system as it brings good result in student's studying abilities and academic performance.

A counselor’s approach is a reflection of his/her training and coaching philosophy. For instance, a counselor trained in behaviorism will view a client’s behavior as a function of reward and punishment systems. Behavioral counselors primarily focus on how a person’s behavior is impacted by environmental factors, as opposed to thoughts or unconscious motivations. More so, counseling approaches are differentiated by how counselors interact with clients in the counseling session. For instance, client-centered counselors tend to focus on a client’s innate goodness and use a non-directive style of interaction. Generally speaking, counseling approaches are guided by theories of counseling. Undoubtedly, the effectiveness of counseling depends largely on the application of theories so as to ensure that the right principles and procedures are adopted and followed when engaging in the business of assisting a client. However, the focus of this article was to explore seven theories of counseling, namely: Psychoanalytical Theory by Sigmund Freud, Client-Centered Theory by Carl Rogers, Rational Emotive Behavioral Theory (REBT) otherwise known as ABC of Psychotherapy, developed by Albert Ellis, Theory of Existentialism by Jean-Paul Sartre and others, Gestalt Therapy popularized by Fritz Perls, Behavioral Theory by John O. Krumboltz and others, and Reality Therapy propounded by William Glasser. The role of counselor in each of the seven counseling theories was also highlighted in this article by the authors.

Qualitatively, this article sought to examines the essence of family ideals and the perceived subjugating positions of women in patriarchy society. Patriarchy has been a cultural issue to grapple with in our contemporary society. The paper intends to place male dominance as a trigger factor for domestic violence within a theoretical framework which shows that it is not an individual problem but rather a social one. This is why this research is not only apt and timely, but also appropriate. Phenomenological design was adopted for this study. The research sought to answer the following questions: (1) what are the position of women in the family?; (2) what are the position of women in the workplace?; and (3) what are the position of women in the church?. The population was made up of married men and women in the Effutu municipality of Central Region of Ghana. The population for the study consisted of thirty people, which were made up of fifteen females and fifteen males from five communities within the municipality. The five communities were conveniently selected. Purposive sampling technique was employed in selecting the population for the study. The criteria for the selection were (1) married men and women, (2) households having permanent residence of couples, (3) gainfully employed and (4) being church goers. This research is delimited to male domineering of women in the areas of households, workplace and the church. It is further delimited to selected communities in the Effutu Municipality of the Central Region of Ghana. Qualitatively, outcomes from the interviews, observation and domestic violence data from Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) at the municipal police headquarters, Winneba were analyse based on strands of themes arrived at. It was revealed that family ideals are controlled and shrouded in patriarchal and men benefit at the expense of women. In the family, while men are seen as the head and independent, most women are not independent. They rely on men for upkeep because they have either become house wives or are not gainfully employed. Based on the findings it was recommended that, women should form caucuses and networks within professional organizations and academic disciplines to pressure for changes in internal policies and priorities. Women’s studies programmes should be established in universities and there should also be creation of serious academic journals focused on gender and women empowerment