EFFECTS OF AVAILABILITY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING RESOURCES ON TEACHER PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KITUI COUNTY, KENYA

<p>School climate and teacher performance are critical factors in any learning institution that seeks to have competitive edge. Teachers from Kitui County have raised concern over unfavourable school climate that affects their performance. Despite the fact that some studies on school climate have been carried out in Kenya none of them has explored exhaustively on poor teacher performance. Hence there was need to carry out this study. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of availability of teaching and learning resources on teacher performance in public secondary schools in Kitui county. this study employed mixed methods approach and descriptive survey research design to reveal and measure the opinion of teachers and the indicators of school climate and was anchored on three motivational theories namely: McGregor theory x and Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs and Hertzberg’s two factor theory. The study targeted 400 public secondary schools and 2417 teachers from Kitui county. Purposive and random sampling was used to select 40 principals and 488 teachers. Fractional method was used to sample 40 teachers from the 400-public secondary schools.20% of 2417 teachers were randomly selected from each sub-county. Sample size for this study was calculated using hypergeometric formulae where 76 principals and 352 teachers were selected giving a total of 428 respondents. Data was collected using Questionnaires for teachers, interview schedules for principals and document analysis. Validity of the instrument was achieved by reading other research works, books and journals. Split half reliability was used to test teacher’s questionnaire and principal’s checklist. Research instruments were appraised through a pilot study on 25 teachers and 5 principals from Katulani sub-county. Data was analysed qualitatively and quantitatively using Pearson correlation moment to test the questionnaire, Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple regression. Descriptive statistics and inferential statics were used. Descriptive statistics aided by statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 21.0 was used. Quantitative data was presented in percentages, t-test, frequencies and tables while qualitative data was organized into thematic categories according to the objectives of the study. The study established that there is no statistically significant relationship between teaching/leaning resources and teacher performance, p-value=0.001&lt;0.00, the study recommended that there was need for school principal to avail enough teaching and learning resources and balance teacher’s workload and work closely with the teachers to ensure there is enough provision of teaching materials as well as e-resources for use by both the teachers and the students.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0874/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

SYNCHRONIZATION BETWEEN INTEGER AND FRACTIONAL ORDER DELAY NEURAL NETWORKS SYSTEM

The purpose is to present a method for synchronizing a recurrent neural networks system between integer and fractional-order order delay by active sliding mode control . The Active Sliding Mode Control (ASMC) scheme is used to solve the synchronization problem between the integer-order delayed recurrent neural networks system via active sliding mode control (IoDRNNASM) systems and the fractional-order delay recurrent neural networks system via active sliding mode control (FoDRNNASM) system based on the Lyapunov direct fractional method (LDFM). To explore the behavior of the IoDRNNASM systems and the FoDRNNASM systems, we performed the technique of numerical simulations using MATLAB software to prove the feasibility and strength of the archived outcomes. This concept can also be enhanced with the implementation of double encryption using RSA encryption to secure communication. Because we expected in the future that this enhanced concept will strengthen and increase the network security capabilities that will provide powerful protection in secure communications.

Economic Incentives and Social Norms Can Lead Actors to Prosocial Behavior: An Evidence-Based Framework and Findings

<p><em>This article attempts a search for economic, sociological and even psychological answers about the foundations of individual’s prosocial behavior with a focus on economic incentives and social norms. First, we present an evidence-based approach of individual’s prosocial behavior using the justification and the economies of worth of Boltanski and Thevenot (2006). After that, we analyze a prosocial behavior applied to the process of maturity repayment of individual loans. We propose two different methods to check the theoretical propositions: logit and probit method in one hand and fractional method of Papke and Wooldridge (1996) in other hand. The logit and probit method are estimated in the aim of better understanding of the influencing factors of the maturity repayment behavior of borrowers. Estimation of fractional method helps to learn about the probability of delinquency in loan repayment. The results attest the theoretical propositions.</em></p>

A fractional approach to wicking fluid flow in nonwoven porous fabric

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to employ a fractional approach to predict the permeability of nonwoven fabrics by simulating diffusion process. Design/methodology/approach – The method described here follows a similar approach to anomalous diffusion process. The relationship between viscous hydraulic permeability and electrical conductivity of porous material is applied in the derivation of fractional power law of permeability. Findings – The presented power law predicted by fractional method is validated by the results obtained from simulation of fluid flow around a 3D nonwoven porous material by using the lattice-Boltzmann approach. A relation between the fluid permeability and the fluid content (filling fraction), namely, following the power law of the form, was derived via a scaling argument. The exponent n is predominantly a function of pore-size distribution dimension and random walk dimension of the fluid. Originality/value – The fractional scheme by simulating diffusion process presented in this paper is a new method to predict wicking fluid flow through nonwoven fabrics. The forecast approach can be applied to the prediction of the permeability of other porous materials.

BIOACTIVITY AND CLONING OF A NEW ANTIBACTERIAL LECTIN PROTEIN IN SPONGE Gelliodes sp. FROM BARANGLOMPO ISLAND IN SOUTH SULAWESI INDONESIA TERRESTRIAL

A research on antibacterial bioactivity of protein fraction isolated from several species of sponges of Barang Lompo Island has been conducted. Pre-purification of protein using fractional method, showed maximum bioactivity with the inhibition zone of 26 mm to Salmonella typhy from sponge Gelliodes sp. with the saturation level of ammonium sulfate of 40-60%. Further purification of this fraction using column chromatography followed by protein sequencing, indicated that pure protein as lectin, and behaves as a single-band on SDS-PAGE with molecular weight of 21 kDa. Based on amino acids partial sequence, we cloned and sequenced cDNA encoding lectin protein. It consists of 552 nucleotides encoding 183 amino acid residues including a putative initiation Met. To obtain it in large amounts, the coding sequence of lectin was cloned into pGEX-2TK vector and expression as a lectin fusion protein in Escherichia coli. Recombinant lectin exhibited a similar antibacterial activity to the native lectin. The recombinant lectin had stronger antibacterial activity toward S. typhy and S. aureus (G+) with the diameters of inhibition zone were 16 mm and 17 mm, respectively. This research might provide significant results for the following research on the antibacterial action in molecular level of lectin protein from marine sponges. Keywords: sponge, Gelliodes sp., lectin, Recombinant protein, antibacterial activity