Asian Research Journal of Arts & Social Sciences

The Effect of Secondary School Physics Curriculum Content Coverage on Students Academic Achievement in Ughelli North LGA Delta State, Nigeria

Iroriteraye-Adjekpovu, Janice Imizuokena — 2026-08-17

Background: Adequate curriculum coverage is expected to support students’ understanding and performance in secondary school physics. This study examined the relationship between physics curriculum content coverage and students’ academic achievement in Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria.

Methods: A descriptive survey design was used. The population comprised 8,724 physics students in 47 senior secondary schools. Sixteen schools and 180 students were selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using the Physics Curriculum Content Coverage Rating instrument and a 40-item Physics Students’ Achievement Test. The reported reliability coefficients were 0.78 and 0.82. Frequencies, means, standard deviations, t-tests, and analysis of variance were used for analysis.

Results: Recalculation from the submitted response frequencies produced an overall curriculum-coverage mean of approximately 2.07 on a three-point scale. Space, time and motion recorded a mean of 2.63, while conservation principles recorded 2.53. The other four curriculum areas had means below 2.50. Students in schools classified as having high curriculum coverage recorded a mean achievement score of 22.17, compared with 17.52 for moderate coverage and 12.16 for low coverage. The submitted analyses indicated differences across coverage levels and school locations.

Conclusion: Greater physics curriculum coverage was associated with higher student achievement in the sampled schools. However, the cross-sectional survey design does not establish causation, and the statistical outputs require complete verification before firm conclusions are drawn.

Foundational English Literacy Outcomes Associated with Jolly Phonics Implementation in Tanzania: A Quasi-experimental Pilot Study

Emmanuel Samson Ndulila — 2026-08-17

Developing foundational English literacy is essential for children’s later academic success. Yet, many pupils in multilingual education systems, such as those in Tanzania, struggle to acquire the decoding skills needed for early reading. Although systematic synthetic phonics has improved early literacy in many contexts, there is limited empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of Jolly Phonics in Tanzanian public primary schools. This study examined changes in foundational English literacy associated with the implementation of Jolly Phonics among Standard One pupils in Tanzania. The study employed a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest non-equivalent comparison-group design across 16 public primary schools in Dar es Salaam and Morogoro, comprising 12 intervention schools implementing Jolly Phonics and four comparison schools. Literacy outcomes were assessed at baseline and after a 15-week intervention using measures of letter-sound recognition, word reading, and oral vocabulary. Pupils in both groups improved over the study period; however, those receiving Jolly Phonics consistently demonstrated larger gains across all three literacy domains. Mean gains in the intervention group exceeded those in the comparison group for letter–sound recognition (11.67 vs. 6.54 points), word reading (7.89 vs. 2.94 points), and oral vocabulary (2.56 vs. 0.39 points). Nevertheless, the groups were non-equivalent at baseline, particularly in word reading, and the analyses relied on aggregated programme data. Consequently, the findings provide descriptive evidence that participation in Jolly Phonics was associated with improved foundational English literacy rather than definitive evidence of causal effects. The study highlights the potential of systematic synthetic phonics to strengthen early English literacy instruction in Tanzanian public primary schools and underscores the need for further research using more rigorous evaluation designs.

Socioeconomic Implications of Population Trend: A Case Study of Lagos State, Nigeria

SAJINI, Faith Iwejingi — 2026-08-18

This study investigated residents’ perceptions of the socioeconomic implications of projected population trend in Lagos State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was used, and secondary population projections for the 2015–2023 period were reviewed descriptively. Primary data were collected through a questionnaire administered to 250 adult residents selected from Ikeja, Surulere, Ojo, Somolu and Alimosho Local Government Areas. Fifty respondents were selected from each Local Government Area. Questionnaire responses were analysed using frequencies and percentages. Population projections were analysed using time-series trend analysis. The secondary population estimates were regarded as projections, rather than census counts, because the last national population census in Nigeria was conducted in 2006. The time-series examination revealed a statistically significant upward trend in the projected population of Lagos State between 2015 and 2023. The survey findings showed that 80% of respondents associated projected population trend with increased demand for infrastructure, 70% with unemployment, 100% with increased competition for resources, 100% with higher living costs, and 80.8% with increased crime. In contrast, 79.2% of the respondents viewed projected population trend as having a positive effect on economic growth and development. Further statistical testing showed that a significantly greater proportion than 50% of the respondents believed that projected population trend had positive economic contributions. In addition, a significant majority felt that social infrastructure had not kept pace with projected population trend. The responses to the open-ended questions showed that the major challenges associated with projected population trend were high living and rental costs, pressure on public facilities, crime, traffic congestion and noise. The respondents suggested strategies to address the challenges, such as better leadership, stronger security, effective traffic management, expansion of public facilities, industrial development, job creation and easily accessible family-planning services. The findings show that the sampled residents perceive projected population trend as an economic opportunity as well as a strain on urban services, resources and living conditions. However, owing to the study’s use of projected population data and a cross-sectional, perception-based survey conducted in only five local government areas, the results should not be interpreted as evidence of direct causal relationships between projected population trend and socioeconomic conditions or as fully representative of all residents of Lagos State.

The Relationship between Lagos Rail Mass Transit Operations and Commuter Mobility in Lagos, Nigeria

J. R. Aworemi — 2026-08-18

Operational performance is key to achieving tangible mobility benefits from urban rail infrastructure. This study examines the effects of LRMT operations on commuter mobility in Lagos, Nigeria. A quantitative survey approach was adopted to study commuters along the Blue and Red Line corridors. From an estimated 3,997,248 commuter movements, a sample of 400 was drawn using Yamane's formula and multistage station sampling, of which 372 responses were usable. The commuter mobility function was modelled using distance travelled, service reliability, timeliness of departure and passenger satisfaction through ordinary least squares regression at the 0.05 significance level. The results showed that LRMT operations significantly influenced commuter mobility, explaining 85.4% of the variation in commuter mobility (R² = 0.854). Passenger satisfaction had the strongest influence (β = 0.379), followed by service reliability (β = 0.318), timeliness of departure (β = 0.315) and distance travelled (β = 0.189). All four factors had positive and statistically significant effects on commuter mobility (p < 0.001). The findings show that network extent supports mobility, but service quality and reliability provide a stronger operational pathway. The study concluded that LRMT achieves mobility through service consistency, timeliness of departure and passenger satisfaction rather than merely through the existence of infrastructure. The performance focus should therefore be on headway consistency, departure punctuality, disruption management, passenger feedback and station-train service continuity.

The Influence of Eco-Friendly Vehicle Utilization on Supply Chain Performance of Manufacturing Companies in Southwest Nigeria

J. R Aworemi — 2026-08-18

This study aimed to examine the linkages between the use of eco-friendly vehicles and the performance of supply chains of selected manufacturing firms in Southwest Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among ten manufacturing firms, from which 395 responses were received. Eco-friendly vehicle utilisation was assessed based on the use of fossil fuel-based vehicles, utilisation policies, reasons for utilising eco-friendly vehicles, the introduction of structured programmes, and the measurement of fleet performance. The data were analysed using Pearson product-moment correlation and likelihood-ratio model fitting. The results indicated that supply chain performance was positively correlated with environmentally friendly vehicle utilisation, with the strongest association with delivery efficiency observed for fleet performance measurement (r = 0.870). Furthermore, delivery efficiency (r = 0.731) and environmental sustainability (r = 0.753) showed strong positive correlations with eco-friendly fleet size. The model was statistically significant (chi-square = 84.701, df = 12, p < 0.001). The results suggest that the adoption of eco-friendly vehicles can be more strongly linked with supply chain performance when their introduction is supported by policy, structured programmes, route and energy data, and the measurement of service and environmental performance. A key contribution of the study is the simultaneous consideration of fleet adoption, governance, implementation, and measurement within an empirical model of manufacturing supply chains in Southwest Nigeria.

Implicit Role of “Scavenger Waste Pickers” in Sustaining Urban and Peri-urban Waste Management Ecosystem in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Patrick Kimutai Tum — 2026-08-21

Informal waste pickers, commonly described in the manuscript as scavenger waste pickers, contribute to solid waste collection and material recovery in Uasin Gishu County despite operating largely outside formal waste-management structures. This study examined the socio-economic and operational profiles of 60 waste pickers observed across rural, peri-urban and urban localities in the county’s six sub-counties. Data were recorded using an observational questionnaire and itemised checklist and analysed using descriptive charts and percentage distributions. The findings showed a strong male predominance, with men accounting for 85% of the observed waste pickers and women 15%. Most activity occurred in urban areas (60%) and peri-urban areas (35%), while rural areas accounted for 5%. Waste handling was predominantly unsegregated (95%), and 98% of the observed waste pickers operated individually rather than in organised groups. Use of safety or protective equipment was low, with 93% recorded as not using protective gear, while 9% were observed to have a physical disability. The findings indicate that informal waste picking forms an observable supplementary component of the county’s solid waste-management system, particularly through the recovery of useful materials from waste streams. However, the activities are characterised by limited organisation, poor segregation practices, occupational exposure and social marginalisation. Greater recognition of these activities, together with improved occupational protection and waste-segregation practices, may support more inclusive waste management in Uasin Gishu County.

Bereavement Support Strategies and Job Performance of Teachers in Public Primary Schools in Starehe Constituency, Nairobi County

Pamela Kinya — 2026-08-21

Although teachers are critical agents in the academic growth and development of manpower, bereavement is adversely affecting the job performance of public primary school teachers in Starehe Constituency. Despite a wide array of literature in this area, there is limited existing localised evidence about strategies for supporting bereaved teachers in public primary schools in Starehe Constituency, limiting support for the development of intervention efforts. This research sought to fill this gap by establishing strategies for supporting bereaved teachers in their job performance in public primary schools in Starehe Constituency, Nairobi County. The study was anchored in Social Support Theory. The study employed a descriptive research design. The target population included all 258 teachers in the seven public primary schools within Starehe Constituency. Using purposive sampling, the study selected 40 primary school teachers who had been bereaved within the last five years. While quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire, qualitative data were gathered using an interview guide. Quantitative data were analysed using quantitative techniques to yield descriptive statistics, while thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data. The results were presented in frequency tables and narratives. It was found that support strategies, especially those within families, among work colleagues and within faith-based support structures, were the most readily available and effective coping strategies for bereaved teachers. The study recommends that school management committees enhance their workplace support networks, that the duration of bereavement leave be reviewed, and that schools provide teachers with a well-defined wellness programme.

Beyond Income: A Study of Skill Development and Women’s Personal Growth in Visakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh, India

Adam B Sarr — 2026-08-22

Background: Skill development is increasingly recognised as a pathway for improving women’s economic opportunities and strengthening their participation in livelihood activities. However, the extent to which vocational training translates into income generation and financial independence remains important to examine at the local level.

Aim: This study examines the economic empowerment and employment outcomes associated with skill development among women trainees in Visakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh.

Methodology: A descriptive research design was adopted. Using purposive sampling, 41 women trainees from the Lions Women Vocational Training Center, Visakhapatnam, were selected. Data were collected through a structured interview schedule covering skill training, employment, income generation, financial independence, and household economic contribution. The data were analysed using JASP.

Findings: The findings indicate substantial improvement in the economic position of respondents following skill training. Before training, 73.17% of respondents were unemployed, while 73.17% reported that they had started earning after training. Further, 82.93% agreed or strongly agreed that training improved their financial independence, and 85.36% reported an increased contribution to household income. In addition, 65.85% reported that their current occupation was related to the training received. The analysis also indicated an association between the type of skill training and occupational status. However, the findings also suggest that the transition from training to sustained employment remains incomplete for some participants.

Conclusion: Skill development appears to contribute positively to women’s economic empowerment by supporting income generation, financial independence, and household economic contribution. Strengthening employment opportunities and linkages between training and livelihoods may further enhance these outcomes.