REVIEW OF AFRICAN EDUCATIONAL STUDIES (RAES) – Volume Two Number Two

Abstract

This study looked into the potential hazards of heavy metals to residents near the Sagamu cement factory. Three means of absorption, which are: Inhalation, dermal, and ingestion absorption pathways of heavy metals into the human system were examined with the aid of a risk assessment model. FTIR and AAS of the sample reveal the composition of soil minerals and the level of heavy metals in the soil samples, respectively. Non-carcinogenic hazard quotient (HQ) results for dermal and oral ingestion for the Cd, Cr and Pb are less than a unit, which implies that there is no obvious risk to the residents around the cement factory. However, the non-carcinogenic risk (HQ) result for inhalation pathway of these heavy metals is greater than one and this indicates a serious potential adverse effect on residents around the cement factory. The carcinogenic risk for the concerned heavy metals exceeds the regulatory cancer risk level, implying that adverse health effects on children and adults who live near the cement factory are unavoidable. It is therefore recommended that the government should enforce the international environmental regulatory pollution law on this and other cement factories and offer environmental remediation for the surrounding soil in order to sustain and develop a functional natural environment for the future generation.  Another settlement could also be provided for the residents to resettle them.

Keywords: potential, residents, absorption pathways, natural environment

REVIEW OF AFRICAN EDUCATIONAL STUDIES (RAES) – Volume Two Number One

Abstract

The study investigated relative effects of guided inquiry instructional approach on retention ability in basic science by secondary school students. To carry out this study, two research questions and two null hypotheses was formulated. The design for the study was a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group pre-test and post-test design. The sample for the study comprised of One hundred and thirty four (134) secondary school Basic science students. This study was conducted in two Co-educational Secondary school drawn for the study through simple random sampling. One of the Co-educational schoolis assigned to the treatment group and the other to the control group. In each schoolintact classes were used for the study. The treatment group was taught Basic science concepts using guided inquiry instructional approach while the control group was taught using convectional teaching method. Research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested using the Analysis of Co-variance (ANCOVA) at an alpha level of 0.05. The result revealed that guided inquiry instructional approach is superior to the convectional teaching method in facilitating retention ability in Basic science. The researcher therefore, recommended that guided inquiry instructional approach should be used in junior second dary school teaching and learning of Basic science and there is need for an urgent curriculum review to accommodate guided inquiry instructional approach as a method of instruction in the teaching of Basic science in junior secondary school.