Progressive and Retrogressive Phenomena of Economic Activity in Africa

This study examines the concept of globalisation in its characteristics ramifications. The research used empiricism or an empirical method of data collection and analysis. The research used feasibility and affordability in gathering of data for the work using empirical approach in which statistics and figures from credible sources are relied on. The data obtained were discussed using empirical methodological analysis where some themes are identified and discussed from the topic of the study using scientific tools such as tables, charts, bars and figures where necessary. The research discovered that globalisation is not a good phenomenon in African continent owing to slow economic growth, trade disequilibrium and parallel development comparatively because of disadvantages in terms of export, volume of trade exchange and low level of technological development. The research recommends that there is an urgent need for the African countries to restrategise and reshape their economic and political interest at the global level through the creation of a competitive means of relevance at the global centre-stage of world economy and politics.

A Comparative Study of the Nature of Difficulties and Factors Affecting the Learning of English by the Secondary School Students of Provincial and Federalgovernment Schoolsin Khyber Pukhtunkhwa

This study was a comparative investigation into the nature of difficulties and factors affecting the learning of English by the secondary school students of Provincial and Federal government schools in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. The objectives of the study were (1)To measure the performance of secondary school students of Provincial and Federal government schools of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa in tenses, active and passives voices, direct and indirect narrations, conjunctions, prepositions, articles, construction of sentences and reading with comprehension; (2)To find out the level of difficulties of secondary school students of Provincial and Federal government schools of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa in tenses, active and passives voices, direct and indirect narrations, conjunctions, prepositions, articles, construction of sentences and reading with comprehension; (3)To compare the level of difficulties in learning English as a second language at secondary level of Provincial and Federal government schools in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa ; (4)To find out the factors affecting the learning of English at secondary level of Provincial and Federal government schools in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa); and (5)To provide a base for improvement of teaching English as a second language at the secondary level. The population of the study comprised of all the twenty four Provincial government schools and twenty two Federal government schools located in twenty four districts of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. Six hundred and fifty four students were randomly selected from each systems of school by applying simple random sampling technique. Sixteen English teachers were selected by using purposive sampling technique for the purpose of interview An English language achievement test for secondary classes was administered to the sample students of the study and sample English teachers were interviewed. The data obtained were tabulated and analysed through SPSS 17.0 software to compute mean, standard deviation, t-value and p-value (significance) level. t-test was applied to measure the significance of difference between the means of both types of school systems. Significance was seen at .01 level as criterion for the rejection or acceptance of null hypothesis. The interview data was analyzed manually. The main findings of the study were; the students of Provincial government schools faced more difficulties in learning of verb forms, narration, conjunctions, prepositions, articles, sentence arrangements and reading comprehension. The students of both types of schools systems faced same difficulties in learning voices. The teachers in Provincial government schools were not sufficiently qualified and had no adequate knowledge of teaching methodologies of teaching English. The classes at both type of school system were overcrowded. The Provincial and Federal Government schools lacked audio-visual aids for teaching of English.