This article presents the role of emotional intelligence in leading change in an organization. Specifically, the article highlights the different perspectives of emotional intelligence, and the related five components-self-awareness, self-regulation, selfmotivation, empathy, and social skill-are discussed. In furtherance, I propose how emotional intelligence contributes to change leadership focusing on building a team to affect change, and overcoming resistance to change.

COV-2 SARs has disproportionately affected low- and middle-income countries such as Ghana, where the healthcare system was not prepared enough to provide care, drugs, and equipment. This study was carried out to assess predictors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among health professionals in the Bono region of Ghana. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 424 health professionals recruited through simple random sampling. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were utilized to identify the predictors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance presented as an odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). All respondents had heard about the COVID-19 vaccine. The most common source of information was the media (45.8%). The proportion of health professionals who accepted the COVID-19 vaccine was 73.6%. Among those who did not take the vaccine, 64.3% were willing to take it in the future. The key predictors of taking the COVID-19 vaccine included: age 25 to 45 years (AOR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.14–3.35), age older than 45 years (AOR = 5.30, 95% CI: 2.59–10.87), males (AOR = 4.09, 95% CI: 2.34–7.15), Christians (AOR = 3.10, 95% CI: 1.44–7.72), and at least three years of experience (AOR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.033–2.93). Reasons for not taking vaccines included: vaccines were rapidly developed and approved (41.0%), immediate side effects (39.2%), and unforeseen future effects (37.5%). This study showed that most participants had received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccination, and most of those hesitant about the vaccine were willing to receive it in the future. This is a positive finding for policy makers since it reflects that fewer resources will be needed for behavioural change initiatives. In addition, it would present a chance to focus on minority individuals who are unwilling to take the vaccine and offer targeted community mobilisation.

Critical thinking is an important life skill that needs to be nurtured in young minds during the primary education years. This study explored pre-service teachers’ perception of barriers to their efforts in promoting critical thinking skills in classrooms, and further explored possible solutions to overcome these perceived barriers. The study used an exploratory mixed-method research design. Data were collected through an online survey and subsequently a focus group discussion to explore further the results of the quantitative data. Twenty-two pre-service teachers responded to the online survey, and subsequently seven pre-service teachers were selected for the focus group discussion. Issues related to teacher preparedness to assess pupils’ critical thinking skills, inadequate background knowledge on critical thinking, and lack of appropriate resources emerged as barriers to promoting the development of critical thinking skills in classrooms. The study suggests changes in teaching methods courses offered in teacher preparatory programs and changing perceptions toward critical thinking skills as possible measures to promote the development of critical thinking skills in the classroom.

No abstract