International Research and Academic scholar society

IRASS Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Issue-7(July), Volume-2 2025

1. Twelve Days of Escalation: Analyzing the June 2025 Israel-Iran War and...
9

David T. Makar, Tyodzer Patric...
Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Veritas University Abuja, Nigeria
1-12
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15790149

This study critically examines the United States’ strategic and administrative response during the twelve-day Israel-Iran war of June 2025, with a focus on precision airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Arak, and Fordow. The intervention is situated within the broader collapse of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran’s revived nuclear program, and its continued support for regional militant proxies. Employing a qualitative case study approach, the paper draws on policy cycle theory and crisis governance frameworks to analyze how rapidly evolving security threats were transformed into state action. The roles of the National Security Council (NSC), Department of Defense (DoD), and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) are assessed to understand interagency coordination, executive decision-making, and operational execution under high-pressure conditions. The analysis contributes to public administration and international security scholarship by exploring the intersection of military strategy, administrative processes, and international legal norms. It highlights both the tactical effectiveness and post-conflict governance deficits of the U.S. response, raising critical questions about legitimacy, accountability, and long-term diplomatic outcomes. Ultimately, the study underscores the evolving role of public administration as a critical actor in managing 21st-century crises involving hybrid threats and nuclear escalation.

2. A GOOD STRATEGY IS DEPENDENT ON THE ENVIRONMENT, ORGANISATION OBJECTIV...
7

Dr. Patrick Tyodzer Pillah*, O...
Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Veritas University Abuja, Nigeria
13-21
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15790180

The transformation of NNPC under the Petroleum Industry Act (2021) aimed to promote commercial efficiency and good governance. However, structural change alone may be insufficient if legacy systems, entrenched cultures, and power imbalances remain unaddressed. This study examines whether NNPC Limited is strategically aligned to meet its commercial mandate and evaluates the challenges of implementing reform within a politically influenced environment. The objective is to analyse the interplay between key organisational elements and assess their impact on the company’s ability to function as a commercially viable entity. Adopting a content analysis methodology, the study found that although restructuring efforts occurred in 2000, 2009, and 2016, only the 2021 Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) provided the legal foundation for effectively unbundling and commercialising the NNPC; transforming it into NNPC Limited, a profit-oriented, corporatised entity with clearer governance and strategic focus. The study recommends sustained political commitment and depoliticisation, institutionalising a performance-driven culture, strengthening legal and regulatory enforcement, and accelerating infrastructure and financial market readiness for privatisation.

3. DETERMINANTS OF THE CAUSES OF TERRORISM IN WEST AFRICA SUBREGION
10

MEDU, Kelvin Oghenerukevwe PhD...
Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria
22-34
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15790215

This study looked at the factors that contribute to terrorism in the sub-region of West Africa. The study evaluated a number of issues, including poor governance, religious extremism, political instability and greed, poverty, and foreign influence, as key contributors to terrorism in the West Africa sub-region using the regional security complex theory. Secondary data was obtained from the body of extant counterterrorism literature using the historical research design. Among other things, qualitative findings showed that the threat of poor governance has contributed to the rise of terrorism in the West African sub-region. More so, it was found that the nations of the region are still characterized by varying levels of stability and socioeconomic concerns among which is the ravaging terrorism in the region. Hence, the prolonged humanitarian crisis has had a devastating impact on food security and nutrition in the region, with millions of people in need of emergency food assistance as well as widespread displacement, violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, protection risks, and a deepening humanitarian crisis. To address the underlying factors that determine terrorism in the West Africa sub-region, the study recommends that governments in the sub-region should focus on improving the quality of governance and leadership so as to improve on the socioeconomic and political stability of citizens in the sub-region. The study affirmed that the competition amongst the elites have contributed to terrorism, armed violence and conflict in the sub region.

4. ACCESS TO STEAM EDUCATION AS CORRELATE TO JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUD...
19

Prof. Steve D. Oluwaniyi, Dr....
National Mathematical Centre, Abuja
35-42
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15803262

This study is on access to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) Education as correlate to junior secondary school students' interest and performance in mathematics in Gwagwalada Area Council, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nigeria. The research had three research questions and tested two hypotheses. The study adopted a correlational research design on a population of 8,206 public junior secondary school students in Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT. One hundred and eighty (180) students were selected from two schools using multistage sampling technique as the sample for the study. The instruments used for data collection were: Access to STEAM Education Questionnaire (ASEQ) and Mathematics Interest Inventory (MII). Students’ Mathematics Achievement Performance Scores were also collected from the sampled schools. The reliability coefficients of ASEQ and MII were 0.83 and 0.81 respectively. The research questions were answered using descriptive statistics (Mean and Standard deviation) while the hypotheses were tested using the Spearman Rank Correlation at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that students had access to STEAM education which boosted their interest for mathematics. However, there was a weak negative relationship between access to STEAM Education and Students’ Academic Performance in Mathematics (SAPM). Moreover, a strong positive significant relationship (r = 0.600, p = 0.000; p<0.05) between access to STEAM education and students’ interest in mathematics was obtained while the negative relationship between access to STEAM education and SAPM was not significant (r = -0.071, p = 0.173; p>0.05). This was due to the inability of teachers to cover the scheme of work, poor exam condition, small sample size taken in this study, and availability of STEAM facilities. The study concludes that access to STEAM education enhances students’ interest in mathematics while academic performance in mathematics was negatively correlated. Based on the findings, it is recommended that Secondary school authorities should introduce specialized STEAM subjects, clubs or projects that will relate real world applications and interdisciplinary learning. In addition, teachers should design interdisciplinary projects in science and art that would explicitly demonstrate how STEAM approach is used to promote deeper interest for mathematics. Also, the government should ensure STEAM projects and lessons are closely aligned with mathematics curriculum standards to reinforce students’ performance in mathematics.

5. Integration and Effectiveness of Blended Learning in STEAM Education a...
27

Prof. Oluwaniyi Steve. D*, Ass...
National Mathematical Centre, Abuja
43-50
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15803303

Abstract: This study investigated the integration and effectiveness of blended learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) Education among senior secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nigeria. Blended learning, which integrates traditional face-to-face instruction with digital technologies, is increasingly recognized as a strategy to enhance teaching and learning outcomes. The study examined teachers’ and students’ perceptions of blended learning, the extent of technology integration in classrooms by teachers, challenges faced during implementation, and the impact of blended learning on students’ engagement and academic performance. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and data were collected using structured questionnaires on four-point and five-point scales administered to a sample of senior secondary school teachers and students in two (2) selected schools in FCT. The selected schools are in Gwagwalada and Abuja Municipal Area Councils. Three hundred and ninety-five (395) students and 39 teachers were sampled for the study. The findings revealed a moderate level of blended learning integration by teachers in their teaching practices. While both teachers and students agree that blended learning is effective in teaching and learning, challenges such as teacher gender imbalance in favour of female teachers, limited number of science-related teachers, limited time to prepare digital content, technical issues disrupting blended learning sessions and limited digital devices for students. The study concluded that for blended learning to be fully effective in FCT senior secondary schools, there must be strategic investment in technological infrastructure, continuous professional development for teachers, and policy support. Some recommendations, among others, were made such as the government should address teacher gender imbalance by launching targeted recruitment drives to attract male STEAM educators and promote gender-neutral hiring policies to ensure balanced representation; Government should rebalance STEAM subject expertise by sponsoring teacher training programmes in engineering, technology and mathematics; Stakeholders should provide teachers with curated digital repositories to reduce preparation burden on the teachers.

6. ASSESSING GENDER-SENSITIVE PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES IN STEAM EDUCATION IN...
24

Oluwaniyi, Steve D. Ph. D*, Je...
National Mathematical Centre, Abuja
51-59
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15803345

The study assessed Gender Sensitive Pedagogical Practices (GSPP) in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education among senior secondary schools in Gwagwalada Area Council of FCT, Nigeria. Four research questions were answered and four hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The population of the study was 499 comprising 82 teachers and 417 students of 13 private secondary schools in Gwagwalada Area Council of FCT and a sample of 50 teachers and 180 students was drawn. The instruments used for data collection were structured questionnaires designed by the researchers. Data was analysed using mean, standard deviation and independent t-test. Findings of the study revealed that significant difference existed between the mean responses of teachers and students concerning the extent of use of GSPP in STEAM Education in the sampled senior secondary schools (p = 0.000 < 0.05). The study also found a significant difference in the mean responses of male and female students concerning the benefits of GSPP in STEAM in Education (p = 0.023 < 0.05). Furthermore, findings revealed no significant difference in the mean responses of male and female teachers on the challenges militating against the implementation of GSPP in STEAM Education (p = 0.714 > 0.05). Finally, the finding on the strategies for overcoming the challenges of GSPP in STEAM Education in senior secondary schools revealed no significant difference in the mean responses of male and female teachers (p = 0.924 > 0.05). The study concluded that GSPP are essential in STEAM education in senior secondary schools because they foster equity among students, inclusivity, critical thinking and better learning outcomes for all students regardless of gender. It was recommended that senior secondary teachers should adopt inclusive teaching techniques that allow full participation of students in STEAM education. Senior secondary school teachers should also be encouraged to create learning environments for students that support GSPP in STEAM education.

7. Cannabis in Semi-Bantu’s Ethnobotany in West Cameroon: Understanding i...
24

Ngayi Mvehe Alima*
University of Buea
60-68
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15803396

The objective of this research is to explain the factors contributing to the obstinacy of marijuana against legal repression in Cameroon throughout the case study of Semi-Bantu people, by examining the cultural practices and beliefs shaping the relationship between cannabis and the concerned indigenous populations. The research design is explorative, using qualitative method of the research. Ethnography has provided Primary data through interviews and direct observation, using a containing open-ended questions Form. Because of the repression from the police about cannabis and ethical considerations, the researcher has avoided Focus groups discussions. Secondary data were provided by written sources and Internet. Data analysis consisted in Explanation, Comment, Comparison. Functionalism and Cultural Interpretative approaches have been exploited to explain facts. According to the Research findings, Cannabis resists to legal repressions because, it is a Culture Core, a cultural feature that is fundamental among Semi-Bantu people’s ways of making their living; including Food, Ethno medicine, Spirituality, Social Organization, and other domains of Semi-Bantu’s Ethno Science. Cannabis is embedded in Semi-Bantu’s traditions. The Government’s Law preventing people from Cannabis Use, is culturally incompatible or inappropriate. The Survival of Cannabis to Law is also due to its high prize in the black market, it provides much more than other Crops. As suggestion, Local cultural practices and beliefs should be taken into account before the implementation of any Policy. Failure in the application of that principle has caused the resistance from the concerned populations in Cameroon.

8. PERCEPTUAL EXPERIENCES OF SPATIAL TREND OF PASSENGER’S VESSEL ACCIDENT...
24

Zakari, Idris Ali, Dappa, Ibie...
Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
69-78
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15835796

The aim of this study was to analyze the variation in the trend of passenger’s vessel accident along waterways in the south-south region. The volume of daily passengers from10 jetties across the coastal states with high volume of inland transportation activities (Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Cross River and Akwa Ibom) assessed from the archive of NIWA formed the population of this study. The sample of 395 was determined by applying' the Taro Yamane formula' resulting in the designed, validation and distribution of a total of 395 copies of questionnaire to respondents to obtain relevant information for the study. The data was presented in tables and descriptive statistics used in the discussion while Kruskal Wallis test was employed to analyze the data. The result shows over-speeding (36.4%) and overloading (36.4%) as the main human factors while storm/wind (36.9%) and navigator failure (37.4%) as the leading natural and mechanical factors that causes marine accidents in the area. The calculated value of the Kruskal Wallis test (0.007) indicate that there is no significant variation in the occurrences and frequency of passengers’ vessel accident across different states in the South-South region at p < 0.05. The study revealed that the states have recorded high occurrences of vessel accidents attributable to varied causes in recent times attesting to the fact that there is no improvement in the sector to engender efficiency. Based on the findings, the study recommended periodic conduct of integrity test on vessels, enforcement of regulatory laws, stakeholder’s engagement and collaboration.

9. Exploring the Impact of Parental Involvement and Teacher Competency on...
6

Edmond Leonard Jim, Basilius R...
Ganesha University of Education, Singaraja, Bali, Indonesia
79-85
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15851917

Background: Motivation is crucial in shaping student success as it drives students to do their best in learning. Objective: This study intended to explore the potential impact of parental involvement and teacher competency on student learning motivation. Method: We employed a quantitative survey research approach to obtain data from 112 Christian senior high school students in Merauke District, Southern Papua Province. Obtained data were subjected to statistical analysis using simple and multiple linear regression analysis by employing Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21. Findings: The results of data analysis denote a positive and significant impact of family and school environment on students’ learning motivation, both individually and simultaneously. Implication for Practice and Research: Since students often rely on their parents and teachers for approval and support throughout their formative years, this study underscores the need for consistent encouragement. Parents and teachers should focus on praising students for their efforts and perseverance rather than their innate aptitude. Recognizing students’ ongoing efforts and hard work cultivates their resilience and growth mindset.

10. SOCIO-CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC DRIVERS OF FORCED MOTHERHOOD AND THE COPIN...
7

LUYI Edline Olawumi*, SAM-OGUN...
Department of Social Studies and Civic Education. Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo
86-95
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15867177

The purpose of this study was to determine the socio-cultural and economic factors contributing to forced motherhood among women experiencing domestic violence in Ondo State, Nigeria, and to identify coping strategies adopted by affected women and children. The study employed a descriptive survey research design within the quantitative paradigm. The population comprised women aged 18–49 who had experienced domestic violence, alongside key informants such as social workers, healthcare providers, and child psychologists. A purposive multistage sampling technique was used to select 200 respondents from three urban and semiurban Local Government Areas with gender-based violence response centers. Data were collected using a researcher-developed Domestic Violence and Forced Motherhood Questionnaire (DVFMQ), structured on a 4-point Likert scale. Validity was ensured through expert reviews in gender studies, psychology, and public health, while reliability was confirmed via a pilot test yielding a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.80. The instrument was administered both orally and in writing, using English or Yoruba to accommodate respondents’ literacy levels. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis were applied at a 0.05 significance level to analyze the data. Findings revealed that socio-cultural factors like stigma of divorce, community silence on domestic violence, and reproductive expectations strongly influence forced motherhood. Economic factors, especially financial dependence, poverty, and unemployment, significantly predict forced motherhood in both urban and rural areas. Coping strategies mainly involved emotional and spiritual support, with formal reporting to authorities being low. Based on these findings, the study recommends economic empowerment programs, culturally sensitive community education, strengthened formal and informal support systems, and legal reforms to improve women’s reproductive autonomy and safety.

11. PRECOLONIAL LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEMS OF SOUTH AFRICAN, ETHIOPIA, E...
1

Tyodzer Patrick PILLAH*, Terna...
Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Veritas University Abuja
96-133
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16087095

This comparative study examines the role of local governments in three African federal states: Ethiopia, Egypt, South Africa, and Israel. While all operate within federal systems, the degree of autonomy afforded to local governments varies significantly. Through the analysis of primary and secondary public and official documents and review of related literature, the paper finds that the South African multi-tiered yet interdependent federal system, together with its emphasis on legislative, executive, and fiscal powers for municipalities, appears more conducive to local autonomy than Ethiopia and Egypt. The Ethiopian federal system, despite its emphasis on ethnic federalism, provides limited constitutional recognition and self-rule for local governments. While the Egyptian Constitution is a realist Constitution that recognizes and allocates executive and regulatory powers to local governments, their autonomy is constrained by significant state influence. Nevertheless, it is still more conducive than the Ethiopian case, where the autonomy of the local government is subservient to the discretion of the state. In conclusion, the South African model, while not without its challenges, may offer valuable insights for other countries seeking to enhance the role and effectiveness of local governance from the perspective of bottom-up federal governance, which is so vital to the deepening of the federal constitutional diversity down to the society. This connotes an area for further studies pointing to the accommodating imperatives of constitutionally empowering local governments in the Ethiopian federal constitutional dispensation, which still struggles with the quest for bringing regional ethnic minorities on board.

12. TRANSFORMING THE AFRICAN PUBLIC SERVICE: INSTITUTIONS, GOVERNMENT AND...
1

Tyodzer Patrick PILLAH*, Dauda...
Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Veritas University Abuja
134-154
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16087334

This study is a public service that reflects the state of the nation, and no nation has been able to advance beyond its public service. The need for transformation in the public service, therefore, cannot be underestimated. It is at the heart of the public service‘s efforts to improve performance and productivity. It is essential to recognize that the logic of public service performance is undergoing profound changes due to transformations and innovations in governance and government policies. This development paves the way for new forms of interaction and socio-economic composition in social and economic life. This article provides a specific objective of an overview of the ongoing service transformation and applies it to public service delivery in West Africa. Our focus is on transformation in public service delivery, which refers to innovations that aim at renewing or improving public service performance. Using secondary data, primary and content analysis as a desk scientific research methodology, where the research adopts both descriptive survey and quantitative and qualitative data, newspapers, journals, published textbooks, and other researchable academic writings. However, research revealed that despite more than ten and a half years of democratic governance, the populace continues to suffer from extreme poverty, insecurity, unemployment, inadequate access to electricity, subpar housing and medical care, corruption, a lackluster enforcement of accountability and transparency, exclusion of the public from decision-making, and a crisis of legitimacy. The study noted, using the principle of political participation, that the public service remains significantly estranged from the people it is supposed to serve. It typically looks out for its interests rather than the general welfare. This is a major factor in its alleged dismal performance in delivering democratic dividends throughout the nation due to poor governance. This article looks at the issue of poor public service delivery in two West African nations and suggests solutions. In order to support good governance in Nigeria, the essay concludes that while innovations in the public sector ensure survival and enhance performance in the delivery of public services, regime change also necessitates changes in the mindset, organizational design, and operational dynamics of the public service. The report offered comprehensive suggestions on how to get the nation out of this undesirable circumstance. Promoting core democratic values, emphasizing professionalism in the public sector, developing public servants' capacity, advocating for the new public management principles, zero tolerance for corruption, maintaining political stability, encouraging participatory decision-making, and advancing distributive justice are a few of these.

13. ON THE THRESHOLD of SOCIAL EROSION: THE DYNAMICS of SOCIOLOGICAL and P...
3

Prof. Dr. Kursat Sahin Yildiri...
St. Clements University
155-160
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16277870

Throughout history, societies are not only with large -scale disasters such as wars, natural disasters or economic crises; At the same time, value abrasions, collective consciousness and collective mental fatigue have entered into collapse processes. In the modern age, this collapse has taken a quiet, invisible and progressive form. The loneliness of the individual, the weakening of social ties, the loss of meaning and the widespread psychological disorders are no longer individual problems; It should also be considered as an indicator of a structural and cultural dissolution. Émile Durkheim's concept of “anomi, is still valid in explaining the increasing alienation in today's societies; Viktor Frankl's definition of “meaning gap” also summarizes the existential crisis of the modern individual. This article aims to address how the basic basis of the social structure crashes and how a multi -layered dissolution process works from family to institutions, from values to individual mental health. It is observed that these symptoms of collapse become more visible and intense in societies that experience rapid social change processes such as Türkiye. In the study, both structural (macro) institutional dissolution, value erosion and social insecurity; As well as individual (micro) burnout, digital loneliness and psychological fragility indicators will be examined. The social collapse shaped by concepts such as anomy, alienation and depreciation in the historical process reveals itself with structural indicators such as insecurity in institutions, deterioration of family structure and dysfunctional of collective values. Parallel to this process, anxiety disorders, burnout syndrome, digital isolation and sense of meaninglessness are becoming widespread; Collective traumas are eroding the psychological strength of individuals. In this study, the dynamics of collapse in which contemporary societies are exposed to on the basis of socio-psychological interactions are analyzed; A comparative perspective supported by field studies and up -to -date data from Turkey is presented. In addition, solutions such as reconstruction of social capital, community - based mental health support and restorative social policies are developed to increase the capacity of social resistance to collapse. The findings allow both pessimistic and hope for the future of the society.

14. Transitioning from Social Sciences to Information Engineering: A Case...
8

Yii-nii Lin*
Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan
161-168
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16555110

This case report explores the learning and developmental experiences of Anita, a 29- year-old doctoral student in information engineering (IE) at a research-oriented university in Taiwan. Anita previously earned a master’s degree in social sciences, worked in the field for several years, and eventually transitioned into the IE discipline. Adopting a phenomenological qualitative research approach, data was derived from a semi-structured interview with Anita. The analysis identified five key themes: (1) motivation for transitioning disciplines, (2) academic journey in information engineering, (3) peer collaboration and mutual support in overcoming obstacles, (4) advisor-student interactions to facilitate learning, and (5) gender benefits for women in information engineering. This study concludes with recommendations for female students, educators, policy-makers, and practitioners, and provides directions for future research.





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