Traditionally, in Nigeria women play a subservient role in relation to men. While a man can practice polygamy by marrying many wives, women cannot marry more than one husband at a time. Although researchers have documented the effects of polygamy on the spread of HIV/AIDS, little is known about the experiences of polygamy by Nigerian women who stopped practicing polygamy by immigrating to the United States without their husbands. It is important to know the experiences of these women as they pertain specifically to the spread of HIV/AIDS so as to develop a preventive intervention for HIV/AIDS among Nigerian women in polygamy. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perspectives on HIV/AIDS held by 10 Nigerian women who practiced polygamy in Nigeria before immigrating to the United States. Recruitment was done through purposive sampling at a faith-based organization. Guided by the health belief model, interview transcripts from the 10 women were analyzed to reveal recurrent themes that expressed the women's lived experiences in polygamy with their perspectives on HIV/AIDS. Findings revealed that these women had a basic knowledge of the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS by engaging in polygamy but needed to comply with the terms of sexual encounters as dictated by their husbands; therefore, they were at risk for HIV/AIDS. The results of this study can be used to increase awareness among Nigerian women in polygamy and Nigerian health policy makers regarding the transmission of HIV/AIDS and the preventive measures available for HIV/AIDS. Understanding the experiences of women in polygamy may lead to greater understanding of the impact of polygamy on HIV/AIDS and may help to decrease the prevalence of this disease.

This research examined the reasons for the differences in the academic performance of school learners, and makes reference to economic, social and cultural capital theory in explaining educational imbalances in society. Many researchers have conducted studies on the factors contributing to the academic performance of learners at various levels of schooling have been undertaken. These researchers have come to the conclusion that the academic performance of learners is affected by numerous factors, namely, gender, age, learners' schooling, family’s socio-economic status, residential area of learners, the medium of instruction in schools, tuition trends, hours spent on studying on a daily basis and accommodation in hostels (Petersen, 2010:15). There is a popular saying in south-western Nigeria, that “if the parents’ financial status is good, the reflection of it will show in the child”. This study is focused on the academic performance of learners at the secondary school level and investigates the influence of economic, social and cultural capital on their academic performance. This study aims to determine which factors contribute to the poor academic performance of rural secondary school learners in south-western Nigeria and then, based on the findings of the research undertaken to make recommendations regarding what could be done to improve the academic performance of these learners. The mixed-methods approach of combining both qualitative and quantitative approaches to accomplish the aims of the research were used. The population consisted of four secondary schools, four school principals, 16 teachers, 40 parents and 120 learners. According to the results of this research, we can see that the social, cultural and economic capital of parents is a powerful determinant with regard to motivating their children’s education. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Socio-Education)

Abstract in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / This study explored how location and gender influence the performance of students in Physics in Akure South Local Government, Ondo State, Nigeria. The sample consisted of four schools randomly selected from the co-educational schools in the public schools. Data were collected through interviews, classroom observation, focus group interviews of the students and documents obtained from the school principals on students’ academic performance in the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from 2011-2015. The validity and the reliability of all these instruments were established. The data obtained through interviews were interpreted qualitatively. The documents obtained from the selected schools were also analyzed. The results of the study revealed that the urban students perform better in Physics than the rural students. The study also revealed that the gender of the students affects their performance in Physics with male students performing better than female students. Frantic efforts should be made to ensure conducive learning environment and equivalent learning opportunities to both male and female students. / Hierdie studie ondersoek hoe plek en geslag die prestasie van studente in Fisika in die Akure Suid-plaaslike regering, Ondo-staat, Nigerië, beïnvloed. Die steekproef het bestaan uit vier skole wat lukraak gekies is uit die mede-opvoedkundige skole in die openbare skole. Data is ingesamel deur onderhoude, klaskamerwaarnemings, fokusgroeponderhoude van die studente en dokumente wat van die skoolhoofde verkry is oor studente se akademiese prestasie in die Wes-Afrikaanse Senior Sekondêre Sertifikaat-eksamen (WASSCE) vanaf 2011-2015. Die geldigheid en betroubaarheid van al hierdie instrumente is vasgestel. Die data wat deur onderhoude verkry is, is kwalitatief geïnterpreteer. Die dokumente wat van die geselekteerde skole verkry is, is ook ontleed. Die resultate van die studie het getoon dat die stedelike studente beter in Fisika verrig as die landelike studente. Die studie het ook onthul dat die geslag van die studente hul prestasie in Fisika beïnvloed, met manlike studente wat beter presteer as vroulike studente. Vreemde pogings moet aangewend word om bevorderlike leeromgewing en gelykwaardige leergeleenthede vir beide manlike en vroulike studente te verseker. / Lolu cwaningo luhlolisise ukuthi indawo kanye nobulili bathonya kanjani ukusebenza kwabafundi e-Physics e-Akure South Local Government, e-Ondo State, eNigeria. Isampula lalinabashumayeli izikole ezine ngezikhathi ezikhethiwe kusukela izikole co-ezemfundo ezikoleni zikahulumeni. Idatha abangu eziqoqiwe ngokusebenzisa izingxoxo, ekilasini observation, izingxoxo somnqopho sokufundisa isiqhema lwabafundi futhi imibhalo etholakala othishanhloko esikoleni ekusebenzeni abafundi 'academic eNtshonalanga Afrika Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) kusuka 2011 kuya ku-2015. De geldigheid en de betrouwbaarheid van alle deze instrumenten efen-widegesteldeld. Imibuzo yezintambo ze-data verkregen yesikhala esiphezulu se-geïnterpreteerd. De dokumenter fra de udvalgte skoler blev også analysisret. Imiphumela cwaningo lwembula ukuthi abafundi ezisemadolobheni basebente kancono Physics ngaphandle abafundi basezindaweni zasemakhaya. Lolu cwaningo lwembula nokuthi ubulili abafundi Ithinta hun ukusebenza Physics ne abafundi besilisa kokwenza Ukuze ungcono abafundi besilisa nabesifazane. Imizamo eqondile kufanele kwenziwe ukuze kuqinisekiswe imvelo yokufunda kanye namathuba okufunda okulinganayo kokubili abafundi besilisa nabesifazane / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Specialization in Natural Sciences)