Purpose: Declining soil fertility is worrying in sub-Saharan Africa. Various technologies serve to mitigate or rebuild soil fertility, but uptake by farmers, especially smallholders, is low. The study addresses this adoption problem in a novel way, assessing empirically many factors from various domains (economic, socio-demographic, individual,…

Quality early home literacy experiences, specifically young children's shared storybook reading experiences, have been identified as critical for establishing the foundations of reading and writing skills. Despite this, literature reports that children with complex communication needs (CCN) have limited exposure to literacy material. There is,…

Siblings of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (ND) are at increased risk of mental health problems. The burden on families of children with ND is exacerbated in low-income countries with limited health services and dependency on informal care systems. Yet, there is little research on family impacts of ND in non-Western settings, and no…

In the Caribbean, as with many other contexts, though learning through play serves as the impetus behind recommended early years classroom practices, very little is known about children's play, what it looks like and the factors that shape it. To explore this issue, traditional qualitative methodology including interviews, documentation of field…

Aim/Purpose: The main objective of this study is to explore students' beliefs with regard to social media use (SMU) in higher education and the consequences of such use on the perception of their academic performance. Additionally, the study aims to determine the major influential factors with regard to SMU in student learning settings as a means…

Brigham Young posits that 'If you educate a man, you educate an individual, but you educate a woman, you educate a nation.' Even now, educating a woman is challenging in cultural practices dominated by values and beliefs in the social system. Women in developing countries face significant barriers in accessing education, whereas gender inequality…

Purpose: The study investigated to what extent local farmers' organisations are spaces where farmers discuss, learn and innovate. Design/methodology/approach: Two milk collection cooperatives in Morocco were studied. The study analysed the discussion networks, their impacts on farmers' knowledge and innovation, and the performance of collective…

In his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Gore (2007) spoke about collective action to bring about major changes in the usage, protection, and management of the environment. Collective action requires communication among all, including traditionally marginalized populations such as Indigenous people, women, youths, and children. The wisdom of…

The world is facing a shortage of clean drinking water. Current predictions, due to growing population, urbanization, and climate change estimate access to clean water to be further challenged in the coming years. Research has indicated that point of use (POU) technologies are likely to be the most efficient at delivering clean water (water…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 15 titles deal with the following topics: (1) verbal interpersonal communication between community volunteers and prisoners; (2) pharmacist-patient communication skills; (3) communication attachment; (4) the definition,…

Intended for media practitioners in developing nations, this manual summarizes theories, policies, and experiences pertaining to the role of communication in Third World societies. The nine major headings of the manual are as follows: (1) Explanation of Terms: Theoretical Considerations; (2) Developing-Country Research: From Cultural Arrogance to…

Based on literature research and personal experiences gained in Africa, this book pays attention to the cultural and educational aspects of communication for development in developing countries. The book addresses the many pitfalls of communication and the factors that have an influence on the effectiveness of communication. The first part of the…

Since development communication began in Africa in the 1950s, it has been based on the erroneous belief, first, that development meant westernization and, later, that it meant modernization. This led to two working assumptions: that money and educated (qualified) personnel were all that was needed to create development; and that all efforts should…

Illustrates the diversity and complexity of the issues arising from new communication technologies. Traces the development of two of these issues: computer communication networks at home and the demand by Third World nations for a "New World Information Order." (MS)

This research article concentrates on two major aspects of an investigation of communication patterns in four Brazilian universities during 1979/80: internal communication patterns in regard to library and campus community (user manuals, orientation activities); and external communication patterns between university library and other libraries in…