About the Journal

About the Journal

The African Journal of Education Studies (AJES) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed academic journal that focuses on education issues in the African continent. It addresses a variety of disciplines within the field, including science education, mathematics education, psychology, teacher education, e-learning, vocational and technical education, ICT education, physical and health education, curriculum issues, teaching, and assessment.The Journal is affiliated with the Faculty of Science and Technology Education at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana and publishes articles incrementally, with annual issues. AJES follows a double-blind peer-review process, and the Editor-in-Chief  decides on manuscript acceptance. Authors retain the copyright to their work, and the Journal is published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license, providing immediate open access to its content once published. AJES is a valuable resource for researchers, scholars, and practitioners interested in education in Africa.

 

Aims and Scope

Aim: The African Journal of Education Studies (AJES) aims to provide a platform for scholars, researchers, and practitioners to publish original research, reviews, and policy briefs that contribute to the development of education in Africa. The Journal is committed to promoting research and scholarship that contributes to the growth of education and knowledge production in Africa.

Scope: AJES focuses on a range of areas in education in the African continent, including science education, mathematics education, psychology, teacher education, e-learning, vocational and technical education, ICT education, physical and health education, curriculum issues, teaching and learning, and assessment. The Journal welcomes contributions from  various perspectives, including empirical research, theoretical analysis, and policy discussions, among others. The Journal aims to provide a multidisciplinary platform for scholars and researchers to share their knowledge and insights on education in Africa. AJES seeks to fill the void in the current literature on African education and to promote a better understanding of education issues on the continent.

Section Policy

The Journal accepts the following sections: Original Research Articles, Review Articles, and Policy Briefs (not exceeding 1000 words).

  1. Original Research Articles:

These are manuscripts that report on original research in the field of education. These articles should present new findings or approaches and contribute to  advancing knowledge in the field. Original research articles should have a clear research question, a well-defined methodology, and a thorough analysis of the results. All research articles should have the following primary sections (sub-sections will vary by paper)

  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Materials and Methods or Methodology
  • Results
  • Discussions
  • Conclusion

Abstracts should not exceed 200 words. Submissions should be between 3000 to 8000 words. However, exceptions may be considered. Manuscripts submitted to the Journal must be original and not have been published previously, nor should they be under consideration for publication in any other journal.

  1. Review Articles: These are manuscripts that provide a comprehensive review and synthesis of existing literature in a particular area of education. Review articles should critically evaluate the existing literature, identify gaps in knowledge, and suggest future directions for research. Review articles should not exceed 5000 words (excluding references, which not be more than 1500). Please adhere to the required structure for your manuscript. If you need to exceed the word or reference limits, kindly seek advice from the editor before submission.
  2. Policy Briefs: These manuscripts provide a concise and focused analysis of a specific policy issue or challenge in education. Policy briefs should be based on evidence and should provide recommendations for policymakers and practitioners. They should not exceed 2000  words in length.

All submitted manuscripts should be original, not under consideration elsewhere for publication, and should adhere to the Journal's guidelines for formatting and referencing.

 

Publication Frequency

AJES is published annually, with one volume per year. The Journal does not have a fixed number of issues per volume but instead publishes articles incrementally as they become ready for publication. As soon as a manuscript is accepted, it will be published online and made available to readers  before publishing the next print issue.

 

Open Access and Copyright

AJES follows an open access policy,  meaning all published content is immediately and freely available to anyone with an internet connection. The Journal  provides open access to its articles, allowing readers to freely access and share the content for greater impact. However, users must acknowledge and properly cite the authors of any article that they access and use from the Journal. The Journal applies a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license, allowing authors to retain the copyright of their work and permitting others to share and adapt the work, provided they give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source of the work.

 

Article Processing Charges

The fee for Article Processing (AP) is USD 100.00, including editorial work, article production, technical infrastructure, customer service, and Journal promotion. The AP fee is payable after the manuscript has undergone peer review and has been accepted for publication A waiver is available for selected persons.

 

Archiving and Indexing 

A copy of the published article will be archived in a public repository. All published articles in AJES will be deposited in the institutional archive or repository of the Sam Jonah Library at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.

 

Peer Review Policy

AJES adheres to a rigorous peer-review process to ensure that published manuscripts are of the highest quality. The following are the steps involved in the peer-review process:

  1. Initial Submission: Manuscripts should be submitted online through the AJES online submission system. Manuscripts submitted to AJES should not be under review elsewhere, and any similar or related work published or submitted elsewhere must be disclosed by the author(s). Corresponding authors must be familiar with all editorial policies and ensure that all authors have read and agreed to the manuscript and that the order of authors is correct.
  2. Peer Review: All manuscripts submitted for publication will undergo full peer review by at least two subject matter experts who are suitably qualified. Reviewers will scrutinize the manuscript and any additional materials to ensure they are complete and clear. Reviewers will respect the confidentiality of authors and the peer-review process.
  3. Decision after Review: Reviewers will be given 2-3 weeks to complete the review process, depending on the type and bulkiness of the work. After the review process, the editorial board will make a decision that will be communicated to the authors.
  4. Revisions: Authors may be asked to revise their manuscripts based on the re viewers' recommendations. If there are one or more recommendations for rejection, the authors will be contacted to revise their manuscripts based on the editor's judgment. Revised versions of the manuscripts may or may not be sent to reviewers, depending on the level of revision required. Manuscripts recommended for major revisions or rejection will be returned to reviewers. A maximum of two rounds of major revisions per manuscript are provided with the consent of the Editor-in-Chief.
  5. Final Submission and Acceptance: The Editorial Board will consider the peer reviewers' reports to make a decision. The following decisions could be taken:
    • Accept without any changes (acceptance): The manuscript will be published in its original form.
    • Accept with minor revisions (acceptance): The manuscript will be published with minor corrections from the authors.
    • Accept after major revisions (conditional acceptance): The manuscript will be published provided the authors make the changes the reviewers and editors suggested.
    • Revise and resubmit (conditional rejection): The manuscript will be reconsidered in another round of decision-making after the authors make significant changes.
    • Reject the manuscript (outright rejection).

The peer-review process is critical to maintaining the quality and credibility of AJES, and the Editorial Board thanks reviewers for their contributions to the Journal.

 

Appeals

At AJES, the editorial board makes the final decision on manuscript publication. However, if an author believes that the decision goes against the Journal's policy, they may submit an appeal to the Editor-in-Chief. The author should provide a comprehensive, point-by-point response to the reviewer and editor's comments.

If the appeal has merit, the Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the editors, will review the peer-review process leading to the decision. This review will be conducted in accordance with principles of fairness to provide appropriate feedback to the author

If an author believes that a decision made by AJES is against the Journal's policies, they may appeal by following these steps:

  • Submitting a letter of appeal to the Editor-in-Chief through the online editorial office of AJES.
  • Providing reasons for their disagreement with the decision, including specific responses to the comments made by the reviewers and editors that contributed to the decision.
  • Including any additional information that supports their appeal.
  • Providing evidence of technical errors during the manuscript review process or a conflict of interest by a reviewer.

 

Conflict of interest

According to the Guidelines on Good Publication Practice (2003) by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), "Conflicts of interest arise when authors, reviewers, or editors have interests that are not fully apparent and that may influence their judgments on what is published."

AJES is committed to maintaining the highest standards of objectivity and integrity in the peer review process. All authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to disclose any potential conflicts of interest  arising from their financial or personal relationships with other individuals or organizations.

Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that may influence the content of their manuscript. Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest  arising from reviewing a manuscript. Editors must also declare any potential conflicts of interest from handling a manuscript.

If a conflict of interest is identified, AJES will take appropriate steps to address it,  including disqualifying a reviewer, assigning a new editor to a manuscript, or retracting a published article. All potential conflicts of interest will be handled in accordance with COPE guidelines.

It is the responsibility of all individuals involved in the publication process to disclose any potential conflicts of interest. Failure to disclose any conflicts of interest may result in consequences including, but not limited to, rejection of a manuscript, retraction of a published article, or removal from the AJES editorial board.

 

Reviewers Code of Ethics

AJES is committed to ensuring that the peer-review process is conducted in a fair and ethical manner. Reviewers play a vital role in this process and are expected to adhere to the following code of ethics:

  1. Confidentiality: Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of the manuscript they are reviewing and must not share its content with anyone without prior permission from the Journal.
  2. Objectivity: Reviewers must assess the manuscript objectively and provide constructive feedback to the authors. They must not let personal biases, affiliations, or any other factors influence their judgment.
  3. Timeliness: Reviewers must submit their review reports within the agreed-upon timeframe. If a reviewer cannot complete the review within the stipulated time, they must inform the editor immediately.
  4. Acknowledgement of sources: Reviewers must ensure that the authors have appropriately acknowledged the work of others and have cited relevant sources. If a reviewer suspects plagiarism or any other form of research misconduct, they must bring it to the editor's attention.
  5. Conflict of interest: Reviewers must declare any conflicts of interest that may arise from their personal or professional relationships with the authors or the manuscript's subject matter. If a conflict of interest is declared, the reviewer may be excluded from the review process.

By adhering to this code of ethics, reviewers help to ensure the integrity of the peer-review process and contribute to the high standards of scholarship upheld by AJES.

 

Preprints Policy

AJES welcomes the submission of manuscripts that authors have already uploaded to preprint servers, provided they are not undergoing formal peer review for publication elsewhere. Authors  must indicate in their cover letter whether the manuscript has been submitted to a preprint server.

' 'Editor's Code of Conduct

The editorial board of AJES is committed to upholding high ethical standards and ensuring the integrity of the publication process. The following are the ethical principles that editors are expected to adhere to:

  • Confidentiality: Editors must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and editorial staff.
  • Conflict of interest: Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest and not handle any manuscripts in which they have a competing interest, financial or otherwise.
  • Fairness and impartiality: Editors must ensure that all manuscripts are evaluated based on their academic merit, without regard to race, gender, religion, nationality, or institutional affiliation of the authors.
  • Peer review process: Editors must ensure that all submitted manuscripts are subjected to a rigorous peer review process and that all publication decisions are based on the results of that process.
  • Quality control: Editors must ensure that all published articles meet high standards of scientific integrity and ethical conduct and that all authors comply with ethical guidelines for research.
  • Timeliness: Editors must strive to ensure that the publication process is carried out on time and that authors receive timely feedback on their submissions.

The responsibilities of the editorial board for each point are:

  • Confidentiality: The editorial board is responsible for ensuring that all editorial staff members understand the importance of maintaining confidentiality and that appropriate measures are in place to protect the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts.
  • Conflict of interest: The editorial board is responsible for ensuring that all editors disclose any potential conflicts of interest and that appropriate measures are in place to manage those conflicts.
  • Fairness and impartiality: The editorial board is responsible for ensuring that all editors understand the significance of fairness and objectivity when evaluating manuscripts and that appropriate measures are in place to promote these values. The evaluation of manuscripts is objective, and appropriate measures are in place to promote these principles.
  • Peer review process: The editorial board oversees the peer review process and ensures that all manuscripts are evaluated based on their academic merit.
  • Quality control: The editorial board is responsible for ensuring that all published articles meet high standards of scientific integrity and ethical conduct and that all authors comply with ethical guidelines for research.
  • Timeliness: The editorial board is responsible for ensuring that the publication process is carried out promptly and that appropriate measures are in place to minimize delays.

 

 

Terms of Use for AJES:

  1. Use of content: The content on the AJES website is provided for personal and non-commercial use. Users may download, print, and share articles for non-commercial purposes.
  2. Copyright: All content published in AJES is protected by copyright laws. Users may not modify, reproduce, distribute, or sell any content without the written permission of the Journal and the author(s).
  3. User Conduct: Users of the AJES website are expected to conduct themselves professionally and respectfully. Comments and feedback should be constructive and relevant to the content.
  4. Third-party content: AJES may provide links to third-party websites or content. The Journal does not endorse or take responsibility for the content or actions of these third-party sites.
  5. Disclaimer: AJES provides the content on its website "as is" and makes no warranties or representations, express or implied. The Journal disclaims all warranties, including but not limited to the content's accuracy, completeness, and timeliness.
  6. Limitation of Liability: AJES and its editorial board shall not be liable for any damages, including but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, or consequential damages arising from the use or inability to use the content on the AJES website.
  7. Modifications: AJES reserves the right to modify these Terms of Use without notice. Continued use of the website constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms of Use.
  8. Governing Law: These Terms of Use shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Ghana. Any legal action arising from the use of the AJES website shall be brought to the appropriate courts located in Ghana.

About the Publisher:

The African Journal of Education Studies (AJES) is published by the Faculty of Science and Technology Education at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, West Africa. The Journal is part of the University of Cape Coast Journal System and is hosted by the Scholarly Communication Unit of the Sam Jonah Library.

With its unique ISSN and Digital Object Identifier (DOI), AJES aims to provide ease of cross-referencing and retrievability of its content. The Journal is dedicated to the dissemination of high-quality research in the field of education. It covers topics such as Science Education, Mathematics Education, Psychology, Teacher Education, E-Learning, Vocational and Technical Education, ICT Education, Physical and Health Education, Curriculum Issues, Teaching and Learning, and Assessment.

 

Publishing (Publication) Process for AJES

The publishing process for manuscripts submitted to AJES is as follows:

  1. Submission: Authors must submit their original research manuscripts online through the Journal's submission site. Any enquiries regarding manuscript submission can be made to ajes@ucc.edu.gh.
  2. Editorial Check and Peer Review Submitted manuscripts will go through an editorial check before being sent out for review. Manuscripts that pass through the editorial process will undergo double-blind peer review based on the research's quality, originality, and clarity.
  3. Decision Upon completion of the peer review process, the reviewers' report will determine the decision made by the editor. The recommendations could be to accept, request minor revisions, request major revisions, or reject the manuscript. The editor will make the final decision on the submitted manuscript, and reviewer feedback will be shared with the corresponding author. If a manuscript is outside the scope of the Journal, the author(s) will be informed.
  4. Revisions Authors will have 30 days to submit a revised version of their manuscript for minor revisions and 90 days for major revisions upon receiving email correspondence on their submitted manuscript from the Journal. Resubmitted manuscripts will be reassigned to the same reviewers to ensure that the suggested comments have been appropriately addressed. If sufficient improvements have been made, the manuscript will be accepted. If not, the author(s) may be asked to make several revisions or reject the manuscript.
  5. Author Proofs: Upon acceptance of the revised manuscript, the author(s) will be sent PDF proofs that must be sent to the copy editor within 14 working days receipt of the Journal's correspondence .
  6. Publication Once the corrected proof has been received, the manuscript will be published online as part of the University of Cape Coast Journal System hosted by the Scholarly Communication Unit of the Sam Jonah Library. The Journal has a unique ISSN and Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for easy cross-referencing and retrievability of its content.

 

Advertising Policy:

AJES allows advertisements to be placed on our website, email newsletters, and social media platforms. Advertisements must comply with our standards and should not be misleading, inaccurate, or offensive.  Our editorial board will review advertisements before they are published.

We reserve the right to decline advertisements that we deem inappropriate or do not align with the values of our Journal. We also reserve the right to remove any advertisement at any time without notice.

The placement of advertisements on our website, email newsletters, and social media platforms does not constitute an endorsement of the product, service, or organization being advertised by AJES. We do not guarantee  any advertisement's accuracy, completeness, or usefulness.

All fees paid for advertising will be used to support the publication of the Journal and its associated costs. We do not provide any guarantees of traffic or views on any advertisement. We are not liable for any damages arising from the use of or reliance on any advertisement placed on our website, email newsletters, or social media platforms.

 

Plagiarism Screening Policy

AJES uses plagiarism screening software to check all submitted manuscripts for potential plagiarism or duplicate publication. The maximum similarity index allowed for submitted manuscripts is 15%, and any manuscript exceeding this limit will be returned to the author for revision before further consideration.

Authors are expected to ensure that their work is original and has not been published elsewhere or submitted to other journals. In the event of suspected plagiarism, the  editorial board will investigate the manuscript thoroughly. If plagiarism or duplication is found, the manuscript will be immediately rejected, and the author will be barred from submitting it to AJES..

 

Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing

AJES's Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing aim to uphold the integrity and ethics of scholarly research and publications. As a peer-reviewed journal, it is crucial that all parties involved in the publishing process adhere to the highest ethical standards. This includes authors, editors, peer reviewers, and publishers.

To ensure that our practices align with international best practices, AJES subscribes to various guidelines, including those established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), and the Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Guidelines.

COPE provides educational resources and support for editors, publishers, and all individuals involved in publishing to promote ethical practices as the norm. Similarly, DORA is a community initiative that evaluates research based on its merit rather than using journal-based metrics as proxy measures. This is achieved by informing publishers of new tools necessary for research assessment.

AJES also adheres to the TOP Guidelines, which consist of eight transparency standards, including citation transparency, data transparency, analytic methods transparency, research materials transparency, design and analysis transparency, pre-registration of studies, pre-registration of analysis plans, and replication. Each of these standards has three levels of increasing stringency.

By adhering to these guidelines, AJES strives to ensure that all published articles meet the highest standards of transparency and ethical behaviour, thus promoting the integrity and trustworthiness of scholarly research.

Intellectual Property (Copyright, Licensing, Permission to Reuse)

 Protecting intellectual property rights, including copyrights, licensing, and permissions for reuse, is a priority for AJES. The editorial board is responsible for reviewing all submissions and monitoring the quality and originality of the work to ensure compliance with intellectual property laws.  Before publication, each submission must be approved by at least two independent reviewers and the Editor-in-Chief.

 

Informed Consent and Participant Confidentiality

The Journal upholds strict confidentiality  for all submitted manuscripts, and the peer-review process is likewise regarded as confidential by all parties involved, including authors. Any involvement of a third party in the review process must be disclosed at the time of manuscript submission. In the interest of protecting research participants, identifying information such as names, initials, and home addresses should not be included in written descriptions, photographs, or pedigrees, unless such information is essential for scientific purposes and  AJES has obtained informed consent. Authors must also disclose to research participants whether any identifiable material in the manuscript may be made available to the public through the internet or print media.

 

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Journal upholds ethical standards to ensure the publication of high-quality scientific research, promote public trust in scientific findings, and give credit to original ideas and work. Therefore, during the submission process, authors are required to provide the following statements:

 

  • Confirm that the manuscript has not been previously published elsewhere.
  • Declare any potential conflicts of interest.
  • Verify that all co-authors meet the criteria for authorship and appropriately acknowledge their contributions to the manuscript.
  • Provide evidence of informed consent and assurances that participants' rights are protected.
  • Demonstrate registration of clinical trials.
  • Explain responsible conduct for research involving animals.
  • Provide a copyright agreement.

 

Authoring

AJES acknowledges the contributions of all authors involved in a submitted manuscript. Authors should clearly state their contributions to the research presented in their manuscript. Contributions may include but are not limited to, the conceptualization and design of the study, data acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting and revising the manuscript, and approval of the final version to be published.

To promote transparency, AJES requires that each author provide a statement outlining their contributions to the research presented in the manuscript. This statement should be included in the manuscript and published alongside the article. The statement should be brief but clear and  provide readers with a clear understanding of each author's role in the research.

In cases where  multiple authors have written a manuscript, one author should be designated as the corresponding author. The corresponding author will be the primary point of contact for the Journal during the peer-review and publication process. The corresponding author should ensure that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript  before submission.

 The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all authors meet the criteria for authorship and that appropriate acknowledgements are made in the manuscript. Any changes to authorship should be discussed and agreed upon by all authors and communicated to the Journal as soon as possible.

AJES takes issues of authorship seriously and reserves the right to investigate and take action in cases where authorship is found to have been misrepresented or where there are  authorship disputes.

 

Data Sharing Policy

AJES is committed to promoting transparency and reproducibility in research. As such, we encourage authors to make their research data available to the scientific community.

Authors submitting manuscripts to AJES are required to make their data available upon publication. Data may be shared through publicly accessible repositories or by providing the data as supplementary material to the manuscript. If data cannot be publicly available, authors must provide a clear explanation in their cover letter.

All data shared with AJES must be accompanied by documentation detailing the methods used to collect and analyze the data and any necessary metadata. Any restrictions on data availability, such as proprietary or ethical considerations, must be communicated to the editor handling the manuscript.

In cases where data sharing is not possible or practical, authors should clearly state the reasons for this in their manuscript.

AJES reserves the right to request access to the underlying data at any time, even after publication, to verify the accuracy and validity of the research findings.

 

Correction, Retractions, and Expression of Concern

AJES is committed to ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the scientific record.  If errors or inaccuracies are discovered in an article published in the Journal, we will take prompt action to correct the record.

Corrections:

 If errors are identified that do not invalidate the results or conclusions of an articl, the Journal will publish a correction article that will provide a clear and transparent account of the errors and their correction. The corrected article will be linked to the original article and indexed in the same databases.

Retractions:

In cases where serious errors or inaccuracies are identified that affect the integrity of the scientific record or call into question the validity of the research, the Journal may consider retracting the article. . Retraction articles will provide a clear and transparent account of the reasons for the retraction and will be linked to the original article. Retraction is  rare and will only be considered after careful review and consultation with the authors, reviewers, and editors

Expression of Concern:

In cases where concerns are raised about the conduct or integrity of research published in the Journal but where the evidence is insufficient to warrant retraction, the Journal may consider publishing an expression of concern article. Expression of concern articles will provide a clear and transparent account of the reasons for the concern and will be linked to the original article.

Plagiarized Work.

The Journal has a strict policy against all forms of plagiarism. Manuscripts that are found to contain plagiarized material during the initial stages of review will be immediately rejected. If a published article is discovered to contain plagiarism beyond acceptable limits, the Journal will  investigate to determine the extent of the misconduct. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the Journal may choose to retract or redact the article. In cases of severe legal infringement, the Journal will inform the author's institution or funding agency, if applicable. The Journal will maintain records of such articles to safeguard the scientific integrity and bibliographic information of the Journal.

All corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern will be handled in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines. The  editor-in-chief will decide to publish a correction, retraction, or expression of concern in consultation with the editorial board.