Akrofi-Christaller Institute of Theology, Mission and Culture

The research evaluated the field practices of pre-service teachers teaching mathematics under mentor supervision during Ghana’s Supported Teaching in Schools programme. Recognizing the critical role of mentoring in shaping effective and reflective teaching practices, the research aimed to assess the extent of mentor support in four key areas: developing critical perspectives, guiding lesson planning, modeling instructional practices, and providing feedback. A descriptive quantitative design was employed, with the use of an organized questionnaire constructed using a Likert scale with five points. The lottery approach randomly selected pre-service teachers. The sample comprised 83 Level 400 Bachelor of Education Mathematics students from Akatsi College of Education. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the collected data, including means, standard deviations, and skewness. Findings revealed that mentor modeling of teaching and provision of feedback were the most supported areas, with mean scores of 3.37 and 3.13, respectively. Support for developing critical perspectives was moderate (M = 3.14), while guidance in lesson planning was notably low (M = 2.59). Low standard deviations and negative skewness indicated relatively consistent and positively skewed responses across participants. The findings suggest that although mentor support exists, it is often inconsistent and lacks depth, particularly in collaborative planning and reflective engagement. This study contributes to the discourse on improving mentor training and underscores the need for structured, reflective, and sustained support in pre-service mathematics education. An upcoming research could examine the long-term effects of mentoring and explore how digital pedagogies can be integrated into mathematics instruction.

The face of Christianity in the world has changed dramatically since the 1910 World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh as the burgeoning number of Christians, churches, missionaries and mission agencies in Africa has upended many of the old assumptions about the place of Africa in world Christianity. Much of this growth is the fruit of the 19th century missionary movement, whose evangelical ethos continues to impel the church towards reaching the ‘unreached’. Not only was this movement rooted in particular social, political, cultural and economic realities that no longer exist, most mission thought, and practice is based on long-standing beliefs about the nature of Christianity, about the meaning of conversion, and about the differences between the ‘reached’ and ‘unreached’ that obscure the shared primal spirituality that unite them. These assumed differences often undermine the aim of mission and increase the marginalisation of those we hope to reach with the gospel. In this paper I explore some of the historical and cultural roots of this problem and discuss possible ways of re-framing our understanding of key concepts may lead to more effective mission engagement to those on the margins.

Eleonora’s falcon (Falco eleonorae) has a unique ecology that makes it ideal for studying predator–prey dynamics. Its diet shifts seasonally, with insects dominating the non-breeding and pre-laying periods, and birds becoming the main prey during chick-rearing. This systematic review explores the falcon’s foraging behavior during the pre-breeding and breeding phases within its global breeding range, emphasizing insect prey. Following PRISMA guidelines, the review includes studies from ten Mediterranean countries and the Canary Islands. Literature was sourced from Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus, covering both peer-reviewed and grey literature up to 2024. From 18 scientific publications and personal observations, 120 insect species and morphospecies from 47 families were recorded as prey. Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera were the most frequent insect orders. Migratory species such as Acherontia atropos, Anax parthenope, and Anax ephippiger were also documented. This review contributes valuable knowledge for future studies on the dietary ecology of Eleonora’s falcon and similar raptors.

Marriage, as depicted in both the Old and New Testaments, is considered a sacred institution created by God. However, this sacred institution has been under attack over the centuries and has resulted in a high divorce rate, particularly among Christians. While this might seem discouraging, it does not suggest that there is no hope for this divine institution. That means that Christianity today must help in formulating a truly Biblical view or principles for Christian marriage to reduce the prevalence of divorce. In the Gospels, Jesus spoke about marriage, divorce, and remarriage, condemning the Jewish leaders’ permissive attitude towards divorce. He highlights several principles to emphasize the uniqueness and permanency of marriage that Christians can use as a template for their marriage. This paper thus examined Jesus’ perspective on these topics in Matthew 19:3-12 and Mark 10:2-12 through a literary analysis using related materials. It first explored the context of the selected passages. It also examined four main principles that Jesus presents in the above passage regarding the institution of marriage by analyzing some key Greek words that Jesus used, which are relevant to the topic. These are kataleipō, proskollaō, suzeugnumi, and chōrizetō. The study concluded that the principles highlighted by Christ remain as pertinent in today’s world as they were during his era. Also when believers adhere to Christ’s teachings, Christian marriages can be enhanced and rejuvenated. This write-up adds to the existing literature on the marriage institution. Keywords: Chōrizetō, Divorce, Kataleipō, Marriage, Proskollaō, Suzeugnumi

In general, the construction industry is one of the world’s occupational settings that has high incidents of fatalities and injury rates. Developing countries, Ghana inclusive are faced with much more challenges to effective management of occupational health and safety due to the increasing rate of industrialization and weak occupational health and safety framework. The study aims to examine compliance with occupational health and safety legislation in construction sites in Ghana. The study adopted a quantitative research strategy. Two hundred and one (201) members of construction companies and One hundred and forty-three (143) officers of Regulatory Institutions (RIs) responded to the questionnaires distributed. The findings indicated that construction companies had achieved improved H&S standards compliance because; employees use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) effectively, construction companies allow labour interactions, observe H&S provisions in contract conditions and other relevant safety regulations, control noxious or offensive and highly flammable substances on site. It is recommended that the government adequately resourced Regulatory Institutions (RIs) to effectively carry out their mandate to significantly reduce risk and accidents on construction sites.
 Keywords: Health and Safety, Construction, Compliance, Accidents, Ghana.

Following from the assertion that there exists a symbiosis between Christianity and the Primal Substructure in Africa, this paper sets out to examine Afua Kuma’s Jesus of the Deep Forest using Harold Turner’s six feature analysis of primal religions. It focuses on how Afua Kuma’s poetry builds upon the six features of the primal worldview with her new insights from the Christian faith. The author argues that this is evidence of the vibrant primal substructure in African Christianity. This article thus contributes to the growing body of scholarship on African Christianity and its primal underpinnings and Christianity as a non-Western religion Keywords: Primal Worldview, African Christianity, Apae, Afua Kuma

Abstract This article explores some residual entanglements of colonialism, Christianity, and Afro-western engagement in Africa by using the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police and his cries for “breath” and “mama” as a framework for examining the following. First, we argue that one way in which the repercussions of the transatlantic slave trade remain evident in Africa is the continued police brutality and dehumanization of African citizens. Secondly, with the invocation of “mama,” we consider the plight of African women and colonial/postcolonial Christianity, challenging the African church’s silence on social justice issues, and complicity in the exclusion/oppression of women. We call the church to reckon with its silence, and we offer a corrective towards constructing a theological and missiological response to our cries for breath. While this article is based on African feminist reflections, it invites global participation and indicates wider implications for social and gendered justice.

Education is a built-in mechanism that retains its essential value as a human right, not as a static commodity to be viewed in isolation from its larger context. Every person has the right to quality education and the ability to guarantee their human rights are secure for the long term. This research examined teenage mothers' struggles in school. The study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach. Twelve teenage mothers were selected, using a snowball sampling approach. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from these teenage mothers by audio taping. The data was transcribed, pursued and analysed thematically. The research revealed that teenage mothers in school face various difficulties in school, including lack of financial support, poor time management, low self-esteem, and emotional instability. The further revealed that majority of teenage mothers in school employ direct problem solving, cognitive decision-making, understanding, and constructive cognitive restructuring to cope with the challenges they face.

Some Christians claim that after the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, the ultimate sacrifice; no other sacrifice is needed by the Christian. This paper examines some of the sacrifices made as part of the celebration of the Okuapehene Dwira(Odwira), a festival celebrated by the Akuapem of Ghana. It looks at how the sacrifices are made and their significance. It also examines theologically the sacrifice of Christ and what it has achieved for the believer. The paper is based on observations of the festival, interviews with traditional leaders as well as the ordinary people in Akropong. Responses given to a questionnaire on the festival by indigenes of Akuapem living in Akropong and around Sakumono and Lashibi in the Greater Accra Region are also used. In addition, commentaries, and writings on sacrifice by theologians are analysed and used. The study’s findings indicate that even though the sacrifices involved in the Odwira festival are not propitiatory sacrifices like that of Christ, the sacrifice of Christ has currently rendered all of them unnecessary. The paper contributes to scholarship by affirming what some theologians have already put forward, that the sacrifice of Jesus is the ultimate blood sacrifice after which no other sacrifice is needed. The paper falls under the disciplines of theology, religion, culture, and Gospel and Culture.

The people of Akuapem in the Eastern Region of Ghana celebrate Odwira annually. Akuapem Christians see the celebration of Odwira as bosomsom (service or worship of gods/deities/divinities) which conflicts with their faith as God commands that “Christians” should not worship abosom (Ex. 20: 3–4). This paper makes use of Bibles, Bible concordances, commentaries, and literary works of theologians and others in the field of religious studies, and interviews in analysing theologically the concept of abosom, with reference to the first commandment. With the view that Akuapem Christians may have arrived at this conclusion based on the Akan translation of this passage in the Bible, the article considers the words used in the translation and also looks at the Akan translation of other passages in the Bible where the words “gods” and “idols” appear. The findings are that the translation of the Bible into a mother tongue can affect the religious concepts of the people. The paper also shows how the concept of abosom may come into the conversion story of the Akan. The contribution of the paper to scholarship is that it further strengthens the view that Bible translation into mother tongue requires a knowledge and understanding of the religious categories and concepts of the people into whose mother tongue the Bible is being translated. It falls in the disciplines of mother tongue theology and Bible translation.