Covid–19: Pandemic Risks and SMEs Sustainability in Developing Nations: Evidence From Nigeria

Due to the COVID–19 pandemic, several Small and Medium Scale Businesses have collapsed. This paper therefore examines COVID–19, risk management and SMEs sustainability in developing nations. The main objective of this paper is to suggest implementable risk management strategies that can help revamp the business operations of SMEs. The specific objectives are to ascertain the effect of COVID–19 on SMEs business operation; and to determine the role of effective risk management strategies in revamping SMEs business operation from COVID–19 pandemic. The study made use of cross-sectional design approach which recognises that data be collected at one time. The population of this study consists of all the small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in Lagos State. Ordinary Least Square of Regression model was employed to test the hypotheses of this study. This paper revealed that COVID–19 has significant negative effects on SMEs business operation; effective risk management strategies such as risk avoidance, reduction, sharing and retention can play a significant role in revamping SMEs business operation from COVID–19 pandemic; and adequate financing can mitigate the negative effect of Covid–19 on SMEs business operations. Arisen from the analysis of the study, this study recommended that financial institutions should make more funds available to SMEs especially in the face of Covid–19 pandemic; and SMEs should employ effective risk management strategies such as risk avoidance, reduction, sharing and retention.

The Use of Schema Theory in the Teaching of English Reading

Schema theory has an important application value in English reading teaching. It is essential for optimizing the teaching environment of English reading teaching, improving the effectiveness of English reading teaching, developing students’ English reading ability, and cultivating students’ good English reading thinking. Moreover, it plays an important role in promoting the all-round development of students. Aiming at the problems in junior high school English reading teaching, this paper proposes a development strategy for English reading teaching based on three different schema theories: language theory, content theory and form theory, so as to further improve the quality and efficiency of junior high school English reading teaching.

Military Metaphors: Inappropriate Lessons from the Language of Violence

Metaphors are abundant in the English language, and their use both enriches and adds depth of meaning to prose and poetry.  However, when practitioners in business, economics, healthcare, and other fields use military metaphors, they risk conveying lessons and inciting actions that may be confusing, harmful, and even illegal.  References to wars and their strategies, tactics, battles, and weapons raise images of violence which, while appropriate to wars and one’s enemies, are inappropriate outside of the military context.  This study explores the underlying philological, psychological, and philosophical principles on which metaphors are based and searches for alternatives to the language of violence.  The study finds a consensus in the literature regarding the value of metaphor in conveying messages while raising questions about the efficacy, the efficiency, and the morality of using military metaphors, the language of violence, to characterize non-military situations, including business, economics, healthcare, public policy, and education.  Metaphors range from the poetic to the mundane, but they have in common varying degrees of evocative power to move from abstract thought to concrete action.  We conclude that such power must be constrained so as to avoid confusion, misunderstanding, and actions that have the potential for damage to organizations and individuals.

Initiation of a Rural Edutourism Destination in Bali Indonesia based on SWOT Analysis

This study examines the potential, initiation, and subsequent development of edutourism in a rural destination located in Bali, Indonesia. It aims to combine the findings from previous studies on the area’s tourism potentials with primary research conducted by the authors, then to analyze the current state of supporting components for community-based edutourism initiation and development in the village. The study utilizes SWOT analysis, Internal Factor Analysis Summary (IFAS) and External Factor Analysis Summary (EFAS) matrices, and  IFAS-EFAS Strategy Coordinate from data collected. The analysis found that the rural destination has the potential to be further developed into an edutourism destination, with coffee plantation/production, processing of herbal plants, and unique cultural mix as the main attractions for educational tourism that involve experiential learning and participative activities. Aggressive strategy was determined to be the recommended path moving forward for the development of community-based edutourism in this rural destination

EFL Teachers’ Attitudes towards Computer Assisted Language Learning

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has brought major changes and developments which helped to improve and change the traditional classroom concepts. In fact, teachers’ ways regarding the employment of ICT in their classroom play an important role in the EFL accomplishment. Following the recent trend of the implementation of CALL in EFL classrooms, this study aims to examine how EFL teachers perceive the use of Computer Assisted Language Learning at a foundation University. To answer the research questions, a descriptive research design will be used. 41 EFL teachers working at the Higher Institute of Languages of Tunis participated in this study. Two data collection instruments which are developed by Christensen and Knezek (1998) are used. The first instrument is a Survey of Faculty Attitudes Toward Information Technology. The aim of this survey is to gather general information concerning teacher’s knowledge and attitudes toward information technology. The second instrument is The Faculty Attitudes Toward Information Technology (FAIT). The results of the study at hand proved that most teachers have a positive attitude towards the implementation of computer assisted language learning in their teaching process. Teachers believe work with computers is stimulating, they don’t feel anxious when it comes to implement computers in their classes. They believe that having training session helps them implement and use computers in a proper way. Furthermore, teachers believe computers help them organize their work and time and be well prepared as well as they help both teachers and students to communicate easily beyond the classroom and to create an interactive atmosphere.

English-Arabic and Arabic-English Interpreting Competence of Undergraduate Student-Interpreters: A Comparative Study of Directionality

This study investigates interpreting directionality and interpreting competence of undergraduate interpreting students. It tried to answer the following questions: (i) Is there a significant difference between the beginners and advanced students’ skills in Liaison interpreting from English to Arabic and Arabic to English, with Arabic as their L1 and English as their L2, i.e., which direction is easier? (ii) Is there a correlation between English‐Arabic and Arabic‐English interpreting competence of beginners and advanced students? Results showed a correlation between students’ ability in English-Arabic and Arabic-English interpreting for both groups. The interpreting test median and mean scores of advanced students show that they are more competent in English-Arabic that Arabic-English interpreting This means that Arabic-English interpreting is more difficult for advanced students whereas beginners have comparable abilities in both directions. On the contrary beginners have comparable ability in both directions.  Comparisons of beginners and advanced students using ANOVA showed no significant differences between both groups in their interpreting competence, i.e., both groups have comparable interpreting competence although the advanced group took more interpreting and translation courses. The factors that affect Arabic-English and English-Arabic interpreting competence and recommendations for developing student interpreting competence in both directions are given.

Design of Inclusive Education Curriculum at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Foundation of Sabilul Muttaqin Islamic Boarding School Mangiran Pare Kediri East Java Indonesia

This study aims to find an inclusive education curriculum design, namely the educational design model for students with disabilities is provided in three types of educational institutions, namely special schools (SLB), extraordinary elementary schools (SDLB) and integrated education.  This study uses a qualitative approach, a qualitative approach contains an assessment of the problem that will produce detailed and in-depth descriptive data.  This research analyzes and discovers thoroughly and completely the design of inclusive education at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Yayasan Pesantren Sabilul Muttaqien Pare Kediri.  The result of this research is that the Design of Inclusive Education based on local wisdom was prepared on the basis of a meeting at the beginning of the year with the foundation, principal and all teachers (FGD).  With several main topics of discussion, namely learning objectives, formulating goals for each regular class and inclusive class with various targets tailored to the needs of students, student assessment, curriculum analysis, preparation of early evaluation instruments, determining the next level of learning in accordance with early evaluation, determining  post-level learning methods are determined, monitoring learning activities, mid-semester and end-of-semester exams for all regular students and complete oral and written tests for all students with special needs.

Relationship between Organizational Justice, Job Satisfaction, Perceived Trust, Employee Voice, and Organisational Citizenship Behaviuor. The Mediation Role of Organisational Communication

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between organisational justice, job satisfaction, employee voice, communication, and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) in selected local government institutions in Abuja, Nigeria. Questionnaire were used to obtain data from employees of three (3) local government institutions and SPSS version 23.0 was used for data analysis. A positive correlation was found between all the independent variables and the dependent variable (OCB) as well as between the mediating variable and the dependent variable. Regression analysis showed that the model is a good fit, the independent variables predicted the dependent variable by 82.4%. The results of the study showed that employee trust, employee voice and organisational justice were major factors that contributed significantly to organisational citizenship behaviour. However, job satisfaction has positive and lowest contribution to the organisational citizenship behaviour. Effective communication was negatively mediated between the independent variables and the dependent variable.

Estimation of Granger-Causality in the Nigerian Cattle Market

The research investigated Granger-causality in the Nigerian cattle market. The test was conducted for 45 market pairs. Multi-stage and simple random sampling techniques were used to select two states each from five out of the six geo-political zones in Nigeria, except South-East zone which was not represented due to unavailability of data. A total of ten states were selected. Data were analysed using Granger-Causality test. The Granger causality test result showed less than half of the 45 market pairs studied indicated presence of causality, such that, 16 pairs showed unidirectional price causations and two pairs showed bi-directional price causations, which implies poor price transmission system. Only one market (Zamfara) showed strong links to the other markets. The prices also tended to be supply-driven rather than demand driven, as shown by the prices of Edo, Cross-River and Osun. There is need to improve on the market information system and transportation and infrastructural facilities in order to ensure a good and efficient market and pricing system in the country.

Psychological Perception on the Role of Facebook Users in Reporting Human Rights Abuses: A Study of Endsars Pro

With the success and the user base of Social Networking Sites as tools for digital communication and exchange of information and its advancement in industrialization, science, technology, and various environmental issues taking place locally and globally, this social media can be utilized as a tool to promote awareness regarding various current environmental issues. This study aims to investigate the psychological perception on the role of Facebook users in reporting human rights abuses: A study of Endsars Protest and also how Nigerians use social networking sites such as Facebook as a platform to reach out to the world and Nigeria government to create a perceptual awareness on police brutality in Nigeria which started with their request to End SARS (Special Anti-robbery Squad) department. This study aimed at to find out the psychological perception on audience exposure to Human Right Abuses on Facebook Awareness and to find out the significant gender difference on the psychological perception on the role of facebook users in creating Awareness on Human Right abuses on Endsars protest. Survey research method was adopted coupled with 100 copies of questionnaires that were administered to 100 respondents that were drawn among the selected areas in Keffi Local Government using a simple random sampling technique. However, the data collected were analysed and interpreted using simple statistics (using tables) as a descriptive statistics; were hypothesis one stated that: There will be a significant relationship on psychological perception on audience exposure and human rights abuses on facebook awareness (M=40.07; SD=5.61), (M=31.16, SD=6.07) and hypothesis two stated that: There will be a significant gender difference on the psychological perception on the role of facebook users in creating Awareness on Human Right abuses on Endsars protest. It is recommended that, The online media must serve essential functions by accepting and fulfilling certain obligations to the nations; Social media users (Facebook Users) should be enlighten on how protesters and Facebook users uses social media handles to influence others and Read and gain knowledge of many national activities, what they believe and stand for will immensely help in reshaping the thought those being or on the cause of being influence