The aim of this study is to formulate a new method for an analysis of examination-related data (marks vs. percentile) to determine the average preparation level of the examinees. For this purpose, we have used a small set of marks vs. percentile data (obtained from the internet) of the Joint Entrance Examination – Main [JEE (Main)] conducted in April 2024. An empirical expression has been chosen here to represent the percentile score as a function of marks. Based on this function, we have derived an expression for the probability of scoring any marks and shown its behaviour graphically.
DURING COVID-19 Lockdown of education institutions has opened whole new realm of possibilities in educational sphere. Online class rooms emerged as an alternative to the physical classrooms. Education is the process of transferring knowledge, values, methods, skills and beliefs from one individual to another.
This study examined the effect of welfare administration on employee service delivery at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria, covering the period 2010–2024. The study was motivated by persistent concerns regarding inadequate staff welfare, including poor funding, irregular allowances, and unsatisfactory working conditions, which may affect employee performance and service delivery in Nigerian universities. The specific objectives were to examine the effect of inadequate funding on employee effectiveness and to analyze the influence of workplace environment on efficient service delivery. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources, with primary data obtained through structured questionnaires administered to academic and non-academic staff of the university. A sample size of 380 was determined using the Taro Yamane formula, while 366 valid responses were analyzed. The study employed a stratified random sampling technique to ensure adequate representation of staff categories. The instrument was validated through expert review and tested for reliability using the test-retest method, yielding a high reliability coefficient of 0.93. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis with the aid of SPSS version 25. The findings revealed a significant negative relationship between inadequate funding and employee effectiveness (R = .612, R² = .375, p < 0.05), indicating that insufficient funding reduces employee productivity and performance. Conversely, the study found a strong positive relationship between workplace environment and efficient service delivery (R = .735, R² = .541, p < 0.05), suggesting that a conducive work environment enhances employee output and service quality. The study concluded that effective welfare administration is a critical determinant of employee performance and service delivery. While inadequate funding undermines staff effectiveness, a supportive workplace environment significantly improves service outcomes. The study recommended increased and consistent funding, as well as improvements in workplace conditions, to enhance employee productivity and institutional performance.
The present study examined the effects of pre-reading activities on senior secondary students’ achievement in reading comprehension in North-Central which comprises Plateau, Benue, Niger, Kwara, Kogi and Nasarawa states. The study adopted the quasi-experimental research design. Specifically, the pre-test post-test non-equivalent comparison group design. The sample size of the study consisted of 103 senior secondary students (SS2) The sample was drawn using simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Reading Comprehension Achievement Test (RCAT). was used to gather data. The Reading Comprehension Achievement Test (RCAT) measured the two reading skills namely the literal and inferential comprehension. The data collected for the study were organized and interpreted using descriptive and inferential statistics. The research questions one to two were answered using the mean and standard deviation. Hypotheses one to two were tested using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The findings showed that pre-reading activities motivate and sustain students’ interest in the actual reading activity. They also activate the building of related information in such a way that new information is easily assimilated into learners’ existing fields of knowledge. Though pre-reading activities such as brainstorming, use of picture and predicting play a critical role in the reading comprehension classroom, the study revealed that a significant number of teachers do not use them. The few who do, neither use a variety of them nor use them regularly. The study recommends that curriculum developers and implementers should incorporate appropriate and regular pre-reading activities for assigned texts in the reading comprehension classroom.
In most English writing classrooms in China, the less than ecological learning environments often contribute to Chinese senior high school students’ moderate to high levels of English writing anxiety and hinder their progress in English writing achievement. To address this issue, this study constructed an ecological classroom for English writing instruction based on the nested ecosystems model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979, 1993) and the concept of affordances (van Lier, 2004). A 14-week pedagogical intervention was conducted in a senior high school in China with an experimental class following the ecological classroom instruction and a control class receiving the traditional classroom instruction. Results showed that participation in ecological classroom significantly reduced their writing anxiety and increased their writing achievement. A negative correlation was also found between these two variables in the experimental class. These findings demonstrated the effectiveness of ecological classroom for alleviating writing anxiety and improving writing achievement, and offer insights for the potential of ecological classrooms to create emotionally supportive and pedagogically dynamic environments that foster both affective well-being and English writing development.
This research paper examines Quest for identity in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and Surfacing by Margaret Atwood. The study focuses on how social expectations and norms affect the psyche of both the protagonist leading to identity crisis. Both the protagonist though of different age group face same kind of conflict which cause them suffering. The paper analyzes how these psychological impacts influence their sense of self and how they respond to these struggles on their own way. By applying theories like Feminist Theory, Psychological Development Theory and Trauma Theory it showcases how identity can be formed and damaged by patriarchal influence. Ultimately, the research highlights how patriarchal norms lead to psychological impacts and the struggle for identity in women’s life and how it’s a never ending process for a woman to find her identity in this patriarchal world.
The paper below explores how spiritual imagery and mental fragmentation is used by Austin Clarke to describe the psychic cost of the displacement and colonial trauma in The Polished Hoe, The Prime Minister, and The Question. Clarke never makes a distinction or opposition between madness and spirituality that they are bound to different worlds; on the contrary, he demonstrates that they are twin responses to the rule of imperialism, to diasporic fragmentation and cultural shock. Hallucination, confession, prayer and silence in his subsequent fiction are not an aspect of weakness or madness, but are domains where become zones in which identity, memory and resistance come into collision with one another which are spiritually and politically charged. Clarke constructs madness not as the inability to collapse using the postcolonial trauma theory, Black Atlantic religious speech, and subaltern studies, but rather in a disruptive grammar of survival, a corporeal critique of neocolonial realities. Simultaneously, his spirituality also includes his attitude towards spirituality, which rejects institutionalised religion, more so the colonial Church, and retrieves fragmented belief systems as tools of cultural survival. The biblical citations, institutional attack, and the pictures of the plight of women enhance a creation by the empire not only to inflict economic and social injury on women but also metaphysical injury. All the same, the fiction of Clarke dramatizes the sacred and the disjoined nature of post-colonial life, and this demands that we read the divided voices, the disintegrated psyches, as resistance. His novels make the readers consider the spectres of empire, both in the political order, and in the spiritual and emotive topography of individuals who needed to be in its afterlives.
The rapid urbanisation has significantly intensified the urban heat island (UHI) effects and disrupted the natural hydrological processes due to the large-scale transformation of vegetated land surfaces into impervious traffic infrastructure. Urban pavements are of utmost importance to microclimate regulation, as they directly influence heat absorption, thermal stormwater infiltration, evaporation and surface energy exchange. In recent years, the development of permeable and thermally adapted pavement surfaces as multifunctional solutions to mitigate urban overheating and to improve stormwater management in the context of changing climatic conditions has attracted increasing attention. This research rigorously analyses the recent developments (2016-2026) on permeability and thermal conductivity of road surface layers and its impact on the urban temperature regulation via stormwater.
In their attempts to evaluate human acts, scholars have proposed many theories. One such theory is consequentialism, an ethical framework that emphasises outcomes as the fundamental determinants of the rightness or wrongness of an action. This theory has certain positive values as it helps to sustain human actions, including language. Besides, it has negative values. Thus, this paper examined the influence of consequentialism on language. In particular, it examined its impacts on language use, assessment, and control. Based on Wittgenstein's language game, Austin's theory of illocutionary acts, and Waldron's criticisms of hate speech, this paper argues that, despite its positive linguistic values, consequentialism undermines language, thereby corrupting rather than improving it. Also, this paper used conceptual analysis as its theoretical framework. This mode of analysis decomposed the topic into its components and then used the essential aspects to interpret it. Besides, it relied on the data from extant literature and the author's intuition to further the analysis. The results showed that though consequentialism has some positive values, it adversely affects language in the area of language use, evaluation, and regulation. Therefore, this paper concluded that framing human action solely in terms of consequentialism poses dangers to language, as issues affecting language use, evaluation, and regulation could lead to language corruption and disfigurement. Subsequently, this paper advocated hybridisation of ethical theories, one that evaluates the nature of an action and its outcome.
This paper examines the dynamics of female subjectivity and resistance to patriarchal structures in the novels of Shashi Deshpande, one of India's most distinguished women writers in English. Drawing on feminist literary theory, postcolonial criticism, and psychoanalytic frameworks, this study analyses how Deshpande's protagonists negotiate identity, silence, language, and selfhood within the circumscribed spaces of the Indian patriarchal family. The paper focuses primarily on That Long Silence (1988), The Dark Holds No Terrors (1980), A Matter of Time (1996), and Small Remedies (2000), tracing Deshpande's evolving portraiture of women who move from internalised oppression toward tentative acts of self-articulation.
The increasing trend of hacking attacks and security violations in addition to inefficiencies in access control mechanisms is one reason that calls for the implementation of an intelligent security mechanism. The purpose of this research is to design and implement the Arduino-based intelligent access control security system, which considers user type, authentication method sequence, and access status to strengthen multi-level access controls. With regards to the DiD security layer concept, the ABAC principle, and the IPO framework, the system features RFID and fingerprint-based sequential authentication to enhance the security process. The designed system entails the use of RFID and fingerprint technology, attendance logging in real-time, intrusion detection, sending of alerts through email and SMS messages, remote monitoring via the Internet, and analysis of access pattern based on time and frequency of access. For this study, the descriptive developmental method of research was utilized, along with a waterfall software development process. The evaluation of the software was conducted among small business owners and IT personnel residing in the City of Trece Martires, Cavite, using the ISO/IEC 25010 software quality framework. The results revealed that the proposed system is highly acceptable and efficient as a cost-effective smart security system. The inclusion of multi-factor authentication, real-time monitoring, and intelligent access control analysis improved the reliability of the security and access control system process. This study has contributed to the existing literature on Arduino and IoT security systems in that it demonstrated the practicality of implementing multi-factor authentication, role management, and intelligent monitoring into small business settings.
The world is witnessing a significant shift in the world economy where companies in all fields are moving towards information-based operations with the support of the Internet technologies. The backbone of this rapid shift is that it has radically transformed electronic commerce and changed the business environment on a wider scale. The internet has widened the scope of the firms allowing them to meet, operate and compete in the world market. It also allows the access to large volumes of information where continuous data flow between businesses, within organisations and with customers becomes possible. This has made the business operations quicker, efficient and more transparent and has transformed the way value is created and delivered. In this regard, virtual value chains that are built on information have become critical to organisational operations. Their strategic and operational significance is unavoidable by any firm since it positively affects internal coordination, customer interactions, decision making and long-term planning. E-commerce is not then just a technology but a change of structure in the organisation of economic activity. An overview of e-commerce shows that it has increasingly become important in enhancing reduced costs, enlarged market reach, and customer satisfaction with ease and customised services. The rise has been supported by the better internet infrastructure, the rise in the usage of smartphones, digital payment systems, government backing of digital economies, and innovative developments in the logistics, data analytics and cloud technology by the private sector. Such aspects have increased the pace at which e-commerce has been embraced and has opened up opportunities to both the big companies and the small businesses. Nevertheless, such significant obstacles are still present as data privacy, cybersecurity threats, low digital literacy, and the digital gap between urban and rural communities. The companies also have to react to regulatory changes and the increasing competition both locally and internationally. The potential of electronic commerce in India is particularly bright due to the size of the consumer market, the development of the number of internet users, and the growing use of online shopping, online banking, online education, and online services. India is the leading country in relation to digital revolution where e-commerce is redefining business practices and playing a major role in driving economic growth and development.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a strategic driver of organizational transformation and competitiveness in the digital economy. This study examined the relationship between AI adoption and organizational performance among Chinese small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Guided by the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) Framework and Resource-Based View (RBV) Theory, the study employed a quantitative correlational design involving 300 SME owners and managers from major Chinese economic centers. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire measuring AI adoption in terms of AI infrastructure, AI applications, employee AI competency, and AI integration, as well as organizational performance in terms of operational efficiency, innovation capability, customer satisfaction, and financial performance.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is no longer a peripheral activity. It has emerged to be a strategic issue for businesses across the world. With the changing global challenges and the rising expectations of stakeholders, companies must adjust their CSR initiatives to remain relevant and result-oriented. The future of corporate social responsibility programs is in innovation, transparency and deeper alignment to the business goals.
This study examines the profound impact of colonization on African Traditional Religion (ATR), highlighting the challenges and transformations that occurred as a result of European imperialist expansion. The paper makes use of library and online sources to explore the complexity of colonization as it affects and challenges the progress of African Traditional Religion. The study found that despite suppression, ATR has demonstrated remarkable resilience, adapting to colonial pressures and serving as a vital source of cultural and spiritual identity for many Africans. Its evolution reflects both the scars of colonization and the enduring strength of indigenous African traditions. As this paper has argued, the way forward lies not in a passive coexistence between ATR and colonial religions but in an active and intentional return to the moral and communal foundations of ATR.
This study examined e-governance adoption and public service delivery satisfaction among residents in South-East Nigeria. The study was motivated by increasing concerns regarding the effectiveness of digital governance reforms and the extent to which electronically delivered public services satisfy citizens within the region. The study conceptualized e-governance adoption through digital accessibility, system transparency, service responsiveness, and operational efficiency, while public service delivery satisfaction was measured using perceived convenience, trust in government services, satisfaction with complaint resolution, and perceived timeliness of service delivery.
This study explores the use of Nigerian Pidgin English (NPE) in media broadcasting and its implications for cultural identity, linguistic attitudes, and educational practices in Nigeria. Employing qualitative research methodology, we conducted surveys to gauge public perception of NPE. The findings reveal a strong understanding and acceptance of NPE within media broadcasts, highlighting its growing prominence and legitimacy. A notable shift in identity among NPE speakers is evident, as media representation fosters pride and self-acceptance, while aiding in the normalization of NPE, traditionally viewed as a marker of lower social status. Furthermore, the study indicates that media portrayals of NPE reshape attitudes toward Standard English and other Nigerian languages, promoting linguistic diversity and challenging existing hierarchies. The results show that increased visibility of NPE encourages the recognition of its value, advocating for multilingualism within Nigerian culture. Finally, the findings suggest significant implications for language policy, advocating for the inclusion of NPE in educational curricula to enhance communication, preserve cultural identity, and respect linguistic diversity. This research underlines the pivotal role of media in shaping perceptions of NPE, ultimately advocating for diverse and responsible language representation.
Shakespearean tragic heroes are profound studies of mental distress and trauma. Rather than simple tales of fate or flawed characters, plays like Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear demonstrate the devastating effects of grief, guilt, and betrayal, providing complex portrayals of psychic unraveling that resonate deeply with contemporary trauma theory.
Herb-drug combination therapy involves using herbal remedies together with conventional drugs. This can lead to beneficial or harmful interactions. These interactions can affect drug metabolism, efficacy, and toxicity, and can alter the way the body processes and responds to drugs, leading to enhanced effectiveness or causing toxicity.
Fa-Mate is a web-based intelligent agriculture support and marketplace platform designed to address key challenges faced by farmers such as unpredictable climate conditions, lack of real-time guidance, and dependency on intermediaries for selling crops and land. The system integrates multiple advanced modules including climate prediction, climate alert system, AI-based agricultural chatbot, user-to-user communication system, and a digital marketplace for crops and land. The platform provides a user-friendly interface where farmers and buyers can register and interact through a secure authentication system. The marketplace module enables farmers to list their crops and land with detailed descriptions and images, allowing buyers to directly connect without the involvement of middlemen. This improves transparency, reduces costs, and increases farmers’ profitability. The system also includes two distinct communication modules. The first is a real-time chat system that allows direct interaction between buyers and sellers for negotiation and discussion. The second is an AI-powered chatbot designed to assist farmers by providing recommendations on crop selection, fertilizers, pesticides, and farming techniques based on user queries. Additionally, the climate prediction module uses data-driven techniques to forecast weather conditions and generate alerts for extreme situations such as heavy rainfall. This helps farmers make informed decisions regarding irrigation, harvesting, and crop planning. The entire system is developed using web technologies with a MongoDB database for secure data storage. Different modules such as chatbot and weather prediction are developed independently and later integrated into the main system. The proposed system aims to promote smart agriculture by combining digital technology, artificial intelligence, and real-time communication into a single unified platform.
