Background: Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin widely distributed in nature, mostly rich in fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables. The amount of Vitamin C in a given food depends on soil condition, climate in their area of growth, storage condition after harvest, and methods of preparation. Much amount of Vitamin C in vegetables is lost during cooking and there are still limited information on the impact of different cooking methods on the vitamin C content in leafy vegetable like cowpea vegetable (Vigna unguiculata). It is upon this background that this study aimed to determine the concentration of Vitamin C in cowpea vegetable when cooked using different cooking methods. Methodology: Vitamin C concentration in a solution of cowpea vegetable cooked by different cooking methods (boiling, steaming and microwave methods) was determined by a redox titration using iodine in the presence of starch indicator. This was conducted at Busitema University, Faculty of Science and Education, Biology Laboratory in Uganda. Results: The study revealed that cooking cowpea vegetable using microwave yields the highest concentration of vitamin C (154.8 mg/L), followed by steaming (142.9 mg/L) and boiling yielding the least concentration of vitamin C (130.4 mg/L). Conclusion: The concentration of vitamin C obtained by the three methods of cooking cowpea vegetable has shown that microwaving method of cooking yields the highest concentration of vitamin C followed by steaming method and finally boiling. Further studies should be done to explain the variation of vitamin C concentration in cowpea vegetable when cooked using the above cooking methods. Similar studies should be conducted on other leafy vegetables which are potential sources of Vitamin C.
Objective: The objective of this was to establish a relationship between school external factors and teacher effectiveness in promoting learners’ academic achievement in government-aided secondary schools in Lira District, Uganda. Background: Teacher effectiveness centers on the teacher’s knowledge of subject matter, expertise and resourcefulness that enhance students’ academic performance. Effective teachers are expected to clearly spelling out the learning outcomes to focus learners on the learning goals; make the content as clear as possible and builds on existing knowledge of the learners; engaging learners in activities during the teaching and learning process; and display of high level of enthusiasm that reflects professional competence and confidence. The initiatives by the government of Uganda to improve teacher effectiveness seems to be futile in most upcountry Districts , Lira inclusive as Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) reported poor academic performance of learners in National Examination in most of the Northern Uganda Districts including Lira which is an indicator of teacher ineffectiveness. It is based on this context that this study explored the effects of school external factors on teacher effectiveness in promoting learners’ academic achievement in government-aided secondary schools in Lira District, Uganda. Methodology: The study employed a mixed research approach, using correlational research design. Study participant; head teachers, District Education Officer (DEO) and District Inspector of schools (DIS) were sampled purposively whereas teachers were identified using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using interviews and questionnaires. Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient (r) was used to determine the association between the study variables whereas multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the degree of predictability between the study variables. The researcher used thematic analysis to analyzed qualitative data. Results: The study revealed a strong positive association between school external factors and teacher effectiveness in the promoting learners’ academic achievement in government-aided secondary schools in Lira District (r= 0.756, P<0.05). the study further revealed that school external factors significantly account for the teacher effectiveness in the promotion of learners’ academic achievement in government-aided secondary schools in Lira District , although it account for only 55.6% (R2 = 0. 572, p<0.05). The qualitative interviews held with the head teachers, District Education Officer, and District Inspector of schools also showed that school external factors influenced the teachers’ effectiveness in promoting learners’ academic achievement in government-aided secondary schools in Lira District. Conclusion: The study revealed a strong positive significant correlation between school external factors and teacher effectiveness in the promoting learners’ academic achievement in government-aided secondary schools in Lira District. This implies that any change on the school external factors causes a positive or negative shift on teacher effectiveness in the promoting learners’ academic achievement. Therefore, we recommend the government and policy makers and external supervisors should strike a balance between school external factors and teacher effectiveness in order to improve learners’ academic achievement. There is also need to replicate this study in tertiary institutions of learning.
Background: Teacher effectiveness is referred to as a teacher's ability to produce higher-than-expected gains in students' standardized test scores. Teachers are expected to become effective and display high job performance in terms of learners' academic achievement and growth. The quality of Education and learners' academic achievement in Lira district remains low which is an indicator of teacher ineffectiveness. It is upon this background that this study aimed to explore the effects of school internal factors on teacher effectiveness in secondary schools in Lira District, Uganda. Methodology: A mixed research method was used in which 263 individuals were sampled using a correlational research design. A purposive sampling technique was used to identify head teachers, District Education Officer (DEO) and District Inspector of schools (DIS) while simple random sampling was used to identify teachers, members of the school Board of Governors (BOG) and Parent Teachers’ Associations (PTA). Both interviews and questionnaires were used for data collection. The relationship between the variables was determined using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient (r) and qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis by identifying themes as they appear. Results: The result showed a strong positive correlation between school internal factors and teacher effectiveness in secondary schools in Lira district (r= 0.751, P<0.05), implying that the school internal factors which are the predictor variables significantly account for the teacher effectiveness although they account for only 56% (R2 = 0.564, p<0.05). The qualitative interviews held with the head teachers, DEO, DIS and focused group discussions held with BOG and PTA also revealed that school internal factors influence teacher effectiveness. Conclusion: The study revealed that there is a significant strong positive relationship between school internal factors and teacher effectiveness in secondary schools in Lira district. This implies that increasing or decreasing school internal factors in secondary schools results in a considerable increase or decrease in teacher effectiveness. Further studies should be done on other factors that might influence teacher effectiveness other than school internal factors alone and similar studies should be conducted in primary (elementary) schools and higher institutions of learning.
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