Academic publications

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11951/16

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Bridging Motivational Gaps: A Framework Tailored to Teacher Training Institutions in Eastern Uganda
(East African Journal of Education Studies, 2025-04-01) Margaret Sarah Nafuna; Joel Yawe Masagazi; David Andrew Omona
This study, entitled "Bridging Motivational Gaps: A Motivational Framework Tailored to Teacher Training Institutions in Eastern Uganda," explores the pressing issue of tutor motivation within Teacher Training Institutions (TTIs) in the region. The objective of this study is to ex-amine the motivational strategies employed in Teacher Training Institutions (TTIs) in Eastern Uganda and develop an integrated framework that aligns tutor needs with institutional objectives to enhance professional growth and tutor satisfaction. Utilizing a qualitative research methodology, the study adopts a case study design, drawing on data collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis. Participants included tutors, principals, members of Boards of Governors, and Parent-Teacher Association representatives, whose diverse perspectives provided comprehensive insights into the motivational dynamics at play. The findings indicate that existing motivational strategies in TTIs are predominantly financial, such as allowances for supervision and school practice. However, tutors underscored the critical value of non-financial incentives, including recognition, leadership opportunities, and avenues for career development. The study underscores the need for a holistic approach to motivation, integrating both intrinsic and extrinsic factors alongside structured feedback mechanisms and enhanced institutional support. As an original contribution, this research introduces the Integrated Motivational Framework for Teacher Training Institutions (IMFTTI), a conceptual model aimed at aligning tutor needs with institutional objectives, fostering professional growth, and enhancing overall tutor satisfaction. The study recommends institutional adoption of the IMF-TTI framework to systematize balanced motivational strategies and address existing challenges, thereby advancing tutor performance and educational outcomes in Eastern Uganda. Directions for future research are also provided, emphasizing the need for continued exploration of motivation in educational contexts.
Mental Health in Low-Income Countries: A Call to Improve Mental Health in Uganda
(PLOS Mental Health, 2025-04-30) Kizito Omona; Nice Barungi Mponye Bashabire; Ritah Bulamu Bernardine Mugabe; Samuel Ssanyu Balamaga; Betty Enyipu Akurut
The World Health Organization defines mental health as a state of mental well- being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community [1]. It is an integral component of our general health that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in –and yet it remains a low priority in many low-income countries. Uganda, like many sub-Saharan African countries, faces significant challenges in addressing mental health concerns. The burden of mental illness is exacerbated by poverty, conflict, and a lack of awareness. Supporting and managing the wellbeing of people is faced with numerous challenges, especially for those who already face a variety of hurdles or difficulties. For example, Mugisha, Bantu & Nakalema [2] explored the mental health impact on parents raising children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Uganda. They highlighted stigma, economic hardship, and lack of mental health support services as key factors exacerbating mental health struggles. The results revealed very high levels of stress and stigma among parents and experiences of financial difficulties, marital conflicts, and psychological strain resulting from societal discrimination were common. Parents reported experiencing feelings of shame, embarrassment, and hopelessness, exacerbated by societal misconceptions and the lack of support systems. The prevalence of anxiety symptoms among parents (45.9%) surpassed previous estimates, indicating a significant mental health burden within this population. Another study examined the intersection of mental health and HIV/AIDS in Uganda and emphasized again, how financial stress, social stigma, and lack of resources all hinder mental well-being within this community [3]. This echoes findings in many other similar studies [4,5]. In this Opinion, we aim to provide an overview of the state of mental health in Uganda, assess existing policies and challenges, and offer possible solutions.
Methodological Experiences and Important Graduate Tracer Study Results for Quality Enhancement at Uganda Christian University
(African Multidisciplinary Journal of Research, 2022-04-23) Egesah Omar; Betty A. Enyipu; Kiiza Sarah
University graduates are a useful resource that can provide important information about the programme they studied at the university. This information could be in the form of feedback and evaluation which the university could utilize in improving academic programmes as well as running future ones. One way to obtain and make use of such strategic information is through graduate tracer studies (GTS). The Uganda Christian University (UCU) recently conducted a GTS. The experiences of the researchers are shared in this paper. The Uganda Christian University GTS referred to here as UCUTRACE, was part of a wider training on University Graduates’ Tracer Study Course (UNITRACE 2.0) in East Africa (2015-2016). The training targeted university managers and academics to train in GTS processes in scientific and systematic ways, at universities in East Africa. Participants in the training were drawn from 10 public and private universities in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Each university provided two researchers who planned and conducted GTS at their institutions in sync with the training process, which had a series of four training workshops and two online mentorship sessions. The overall objective of the training was to develop skills for university managers, in order to be able to design, implement and analyse graduate tracer studies, as part of internal quality assurance systems. Further to this, pragmatically, each pair of researchers designed and conducted a GTS at respective universities,this paper presents experiences of the pair at UCU. The paper presents important selected results that UCU can use for quality enhancement of teaching-learning and service delivery. The objectives of this paper are:one, to describe the methodological experiences of conducting the first GTS at UCU; andtwo, to present selected results that attest to how GTS results can be utilised to enhance academic programmes African MultidisciplinaryJournal of Research (AMJR). Special Issue,January 2020. ISSN 2518-2986 (120-134) and learning environments at an East African university. The relevance of these results to quality enhancement will resonate with other East African universities that are affiliated to the inter university council for East Africa (IUCEA). Researchers developed and implemented a project action plan (PAP) that was used in guiding the process of conducting the GTS. A survey design with a target groupof graduates for the year 2012 was adopted. Representative employers of the graduates were also purposefully selected. Data (N=2031) was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) as descriptive statistics and reported in frequencies and percentages. Results show that the overall knowledge gained, relevancy of study materials, programme course content, quality of teaching and management was effective and efficient (mean=77.4%). However, weaknesses were reported regarding programmesoffered and employability of the graduates. Based on the findings, the surveyed graduates offered important feedback for curriculum relevance, identification of best pedagogical teaching and learning practices and enhancement of quality education.
An Assessment of Usability of Online Tax Return Services in Uganda and Its Influence on Tax Revenue
(AfriCHI '21: 3rd African Human-Computer Interaction Conference, 2021-03-08) Emmanuel Eilu; Walyawula Christopher; Reuben Soita
The introduction of various online tax return services in sub-Saharan Africa was meant to foster tax compliance and improve tax revenues for economic growth and development. However, there is evidence that these online tax services may not have improved tax returns as expected. In this paper, we set out to investigate how the usability factor of these online tax return services has affected the use of the services by the tax payer. This research undertook a pilot study in Uganda which is a typical Sub-Saharan African country. We majorly focused on the online tax return services provided by Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). In order to assess the usability level of these services, the System Usability Scale (SUS) was used. Developed by John Brooke in 1986, the SUS is a simple, ten-item scale used to conduct usability assessments on a systems. Twenty two tax paying businesses within Central Business District of Mbale municipality in Uganda were selected for the study. The study found out that, out of the four online tax return services provided by URA at the time of the study, only 50 % of the online tax return services were utilized by the tax payers. Only 33% of the different electronic payment modes provided by URA are used. The findings also revealed that the SUS average score for URA's online tax return services was 53, and this means that the average usability score for the URA online tax return services was 16%. This signifies serious usability problems with the services. Based on the findings of this study, there is a high likelihood that poor usability of the online tax return services may have played a major role in the low tax revenues expected from the online tax return services in Uganda and sub-Saharan Africa in general.
Pastoralists’ Use of Mobile Phones for Livestock Management in Karamoja, Uganda
(The African Journal of Information and Communication, 2024-12-28) Mark Rigan Acheke; Emmanuel Eilu
In the semi-arid pastoral region of Karamoja in Uganda, foot and mouth disease and tick infestations remain leading causes of livestock losses and lower milk production, costing the regional economy over USD92 million per year. This study investigated the use of mobile phones for livestock management among pastoralists in Karamoja. A total of 29 pastoralists were convened in focus group discussions (FGDs), and 11 government veterinary extension workers were interviewed. The FGDs and interviews explored the pastoralists’ existing uses of mobile phones for livestock management, the challenges they face in pursuing these uses, and the additional uses they would like to see in the future. The findings were then analysed through the lens of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), generating lessons that may be useful to the Ugandan government and other stakeholders seeking to support pastoralists’ livelihoods.
Usability Evaluation of Learning Management Systems in Public Universities in Uganda: Lecturers’ Perspectives
(The Uganda Higher Education Review Journal, 2026-11-25) Emmanuel Eilu; Joseph Mutemere; Sumaya M. Kagoya; Margaret Nagwovuma; Godfrey Odongtoo; James Boogere
Recent studies in Uganda show that Learning Management Systems (LMS) were not usable, and some were complex to use, making it difficult for lecturers to use the platforms. As a result, there has been low uptake and usage of LMS in many universities. To investigate this claim, the study set out to evaluate the usability of LMS in four public universities in Uganda, namely Makerere University, Makerere University Business School, Busitema University and Gulu University. Google Docs was used to design a System Usability Scale (SUS) which was used to evaluate the usability of the LMS in the four public universities. An open-ended questionnaire was also included in the SUS to capture qualitative data. This questionnaire was sent to different staff mailing lists in the four universities. A total of 80 questionnaires were filled and analyzed. The findings showed that the average System Usability Scale score for the LMS used in the four public universities was 60, representing about 30% usability, which is poor. The study identified several usability challenges and ways to address the usability challenges. This paper, therefore, presents an IDSS usability model for improving LMS usability in learning institutions.
A Framework for Adopting ICT-Based Services Among Coffee Farmers in Uganda: Case Study of Bugisu Subregion in Bugisu
(Springer, 2024-06-04) Moses Obulei; Emmanuel Eilu; Joseph Mutemere
While information and communication technology (ICT)-based services would help address most of the challenges faced by the coffee farmers and improve coffee production in Bugisu region, there are several challenges that hinder the adoption and use of ICT-based services among coffee farmers in Bugisu region. This study, therefore, assessed the technological challenges associated with the adoption of ICT-based services among coffee farmers in Bugisu region and examined the technological, organizational, and environmental factors that facilitate the successful adoption of ICT among coffee farmers in Bugisu subregion in Bugisu. Twenty-three participants including coffee farmers, extension workers, and Bugisu cooperative union leaders were involved in the study. Both interview and focus group discussions were utilized for data collection. The study used content analysis to determine the presence of certain words, themes, or concepts from the field data. The study found out that lack of electricity, inadequate ICT infrastructure, high cost of ICT software and hardware, and high ICT illiteracy rates were some of the challenges faced by coffee farmers in Bugisu region. This chapter, therefore, presents a TOE framework for successful adoption of ICT among coffee farmers in Bugisu subregion in Bugisu.
Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage in Uganda: Case of Bugisu Sub Region
(Springer, 2024-06-04) Seth Soita; Emmanuel Eilu; Joseph Mutemere
Digitization of cultural heritage has taken a popular turn in Uganda as elsewhere in the world as a means of conservation and preservation of cultural heritage for posterity. However, whereas digitization of cultural heritage is viewed as a tool that can be used to provide long-term preservation and global access to indigenous knowledge, there have been serious challenges associated with digitizing of cultural heritage material. This chapter, therefore, assesses the underlying challenges of cultural heritage preservation in Uganda, with the Bugisu sub-region as a case study, and establishes ways for using digital technology to provide long-term preservation and global access to cultural heritage in Uganda. Interviews with clan leaders and a systematic review were the two methods used in this study. Clan records were selected as the major cultural heritage for study. From the interview carried out with the clan leaders, the study found out that there were enormous challenges associated with the preservation of clan records, such as inadequate storage, fire outbreaks and lack of support from governments and other stakeholders. Using systematic review, the study established ways for using digital technology to provide long-term preservation and global access to cultural heritage in Uganda.
A Framework for Enhancing the Adoption of E-Tax Services in Tanzania
(International Journal of ICT Research in Africa and the Middle East, 2019-12) Daniel Deogratus; Gilbert Maiga; Emmanuel Eilu
Domestic revenue collection through taxation is still below its potential in many developing countries. There have been concerted efforts to improve domestic revenue mobilization in many developing countries using ICT. However, since the use of ICT in taxation in developing countries is still relatively a new phenomenon, models and frameworks that can best guide the adoption of an e-tax service in a developing country context are lacking. Therefore, in this article, the authors investigated requirements for enhancing e-tax service adoption in a typical developing country like Tanzania. Requirements for enhancing e-tax service adoption were first elicited through literature review and validated using questionnaires and an interview guide. The requirements for enhancing e-tax adoption were used to extend TOE framework developed by Tornatzky and Fleischer in 1990. This article, therefore, presents a model that supports electronic tax services adoption in a typical developing country like Tanzania
Adoption of Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs) for Value-Added Tax (VAT) Collection in Kenya and Tanzania: A Systematic Review
(The African Journal of Information and Communication, 2018-05) Emmanuel Eilu
Domestic revenue collection through taxation is still below its potential in many Sub-Saharan African countries. In an attempt to boost their tax revenues, many national governments have deployed electronic fiscal devices (EFDs) to improve value-added tax (VAT) collection. However, there is evidence indicating that the deployment of EFDs in some African countries has encountered substantial challenges. Using the systematic review method, the research described in this article investigated challenges encountered in adoption of EFDs in Kenya and Tanzania. The review concludes by modelling recommendations, extracted from seven existing studies, in terms of the technology-organisation-environment (TOE) framework (Tornatzky & Fleisher, 1990). This model is an effort to provide a potential guide for successful EFD adoption in East Africa.
A Model for Improving Social Media Tax Compliance in Uganda
(Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024, 2024-06-04) Emmanuel Eilu; Joseph Mutemere; Peter Wanda; Justus Byamukama; Peter Kamya
When the social media tax was introduced in Uganda in June 2018, a case was filed in the Constitutional Court seeking the nullification of the tax. A campaign hashtag “#ThisTaxMustGo” was created against the tax. Social media users began using Virtual Private Network (VPN) Apps installed on their smartphones to evade the tax. One year after its introduction, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) acknowledged that the social media tax was among the worst-performing tax categories for 2018/19. Only UGX 49.5 billion was collected in 2019, against the projected UGX 284 billion, hence a 17.4% performance. URA observed that there was a need for a deeper study of social media tax to find ways of improving its compliance. This chapter surveyed the social media tax compliance levels and investigated ways of improving compliance with the social media tax among the taxpayers in Uganda. A survey was conducted in Mbale municipality, where a total of 381 closed-ended questions with ordered choices were given out within the municipality, and 325 were filled out and returned for analysis. Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) and Excel were used to analyse quantitative data. The results of the survey revealed that 40% of social media users did not pay the social media tax whenever they wanted to access social media, while 58% of those who did not pay the tax used VPN to evade the social media tax. About 67% said the social media tax was very high, while 75% said the tax was unfair and 68% said the introduction of the social media tax was an attempt to reduce freedom of expression. This chapter presents a modified model for improving social media tax compliance in Uganda. It is hoped that this model may be of great use to the Uganda Revenue Authority and other revenue bodies in developing countries seeking to improve tax compliance.
Physical and Mechanical Experimental Investigation of Concrete incorporated with Ceramic and Porcelain Clay Tile Powders as Partial Cement Substitutes
(International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology, 2018-10) Morris Oleng; Zachary C. Abiero Gariy; Christopher Kanali; Erick Ronoh
The increased demand of construction over the past two decades has led to drastic increase in the cost of concrete production. The increasing cost and scarcity of portland cement has impacted negatively on the delivery of affordable housing and infrastructural development in developing countries like Uganda. For this reason, there is urgent need for finding suitable alternatives which can replace cement partially or at a high proportion. This study focussed on establishing the feasibility of using crushed ceramic and porcelain clay tiles powder as partial replacement of cement in production of eco-friendly concrete. Concrete cubes measuring 150 mm × 150 mm × 150 mm and 100 mm × 200 mm cylinder specimens were made from seven different concrete mixes prepared by using crushed ceramic and porcelain clay tile powder to replace 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% of ordinary portland cement by mass. The workabilities of the fresh concrete mixes were evaluated using the slump while compressive and splitting tensile strengths of hardened concrete were evaluated at different curing periods of 7, 14, and 28 days. The results of slump test showed that increase in ceramic and porcelain powder replacement decreased the workability of concrete. Replacement of cement with ceramic and porcelain powder significantly increased the compressive strength of concrete. Conclusively, the target compressive and tensile splitting strengths were achieved up to 20% replacement of cement with ceramic and porcelain powder beyond which the strength reduced.
Co-seismic and Rainfall-Triggered Landslide Hazard Susceptibility Assessment for Uganda Derived Using Fuzzy Logic and Geospatial Modelling Techniques
(Springer, 2025-07) Morris Oleng; Zuhal Ozdemir; Kypros Pilakoutas
Uganda has suffered from many damaging landslides like the 1966 Rwenzori, 1994 Kisomoro and 2010 Bududa events. Despite escalating landslide risks exacerbated by rapid deforestation, urbanization and population growth coupled with a substandard building stock, comprehensive national co-seismic and rainfall-induced landslide hazard and risk maps for Uganda do not exist. This study therefore aims to conduct landslide hazard assessment and zonation for Uganda using a geospatial-based fuzzy logic methodology. In this methodology, landslide frequency ratios obtained for the 1966 Toro and 1994 Kisomoro earthquakes are assigned to the stochastic event-based probabilistic seismic hazard map derived using OpenQuake-engine. The available co-seismic and rainfall-induced landslide inventory datasets are used to derive the distribution of landslide frequency ratios based on geology, topographic slope position index, slope aspect, slope angle, distance from streams, and proximity to major active faults. The spatial distribution of fuzzy membership functions obtained from frequency ratios are overlaid and aggregated to produce landslide susceptibility maps showing relative probabilities of landslide occurrences across Uganda. Results indicate that the highest overall landslide hazard susceptibility is expected in areas comprising highly weathered outcropping rocks of precambrian granites, dominantly metasedimentary, and granulites and gneisses geologies within 40 km from major active faults; where the bedrock peak ground acceleration ≥ 0.1 g, topographic position index ≥ 3.8, slope gradient ≥ 10°, and the distance from streams ≤ 1.25 km. These findings can inform Uganda’s directorate of disaster preparedness and management towards pioneering the development of co-seismic landslide risk mitigation measures for the country.
Stochastic Event-Based Probabilistic Earthquake Risk Assessment Framework for Uganda: Towards Informing the National Policy for Disaster Preparedness and Management
(Springer, 2025-02) Morris Oleng; Zuhal Ozdemir; Kypros Pilakoutas
Catastrophic earthquakes in Uganda have the potential for detrimental consequences on the socio-economic welfare and resilience of communities. Despite considerable efforts in predicting earthquake risk across Africa, a national comprehensive seismic risk study for Uganda does not exist. With increasing population, urbanisation and rapid construction, seismic risk is escalating fast and is compounded by the high vulnerability of buildings and scanty disaster prevention and mitigation strategies. This study uses the probabilistic event-based risk calculator of the OpenQuake-engine to assess potential risks resulting from future earthquakes. Although the building exposure model is largely inferred and projected from the national population and housing census of 2014, total replacement costs are obtained by performing series of interviews with local engineering practitioners. Analytical vulnerability curves are selected from Global Earthquake Model (GEM) database. Seismic hazard studies confirm that western Uganda is exposed to the highest level of seismicity where peak ground accelerations on rock ground can reach up to 0.27 g over a 475-year return period. Relative to Uganda’s gross domestic product, the associated seismic risk estimates indicate mean economic loss ratios of 0.36%, 2.72% and 4.94% over 10, 50 and 100-year return periods respectively; with mean annual economic loss of US$ 74.7 million (0.34% relative to the total replacement value) and annual deaths averaging 71 persons across the whole country. It is envisaged that the findings will inform strategic land use planning patterns, earthquake insurance pricing and foster the continuous improvement of Uganda’s National Policy for Disaster Preparedness and Management.
Fault-Oriented Spatially Distributed Seismicity Model and Coseismic Landslide Hazard Assessment Framework for Uganda
(SECED, 2023-09) Morris Oleng; Zuhal Ozdemir; Kypros Pilakoutas
Uganda’s location between the western and eastern branches of the East African Rift System exposes several parts of the Sub-Saharan African country, which already suffers from landslides, to earthquakes of varying degrees. Over the past decades, many destructive seismic events e.g., the 1929 Masaka, 1966 Toro, 1994 Kisomoro and 2016 Bukoba earthquakes have caused enormous human and economic losses. Moreover, the catastrophic impacts of these events have been exacerbated by the triggered landslides around earthquake epicentres. The proliferation of a substandard building stock caused by lack of building control and obsolete seismic design guidelines coupled with rapid population growth and urbanisation exposes Uganda to a massively increasing risk from such disasters. Hence, there is an urgent need to quantify this risk so that mitigation measures can be applied. In retrospect, as the first step towards the development of a seismic risk and resilience assessment framework for Uganda, this paper holistically presents a stochastic probabilistic seismic multi-hazard model developed based on fault-oriented and spatially distributed seismicity data for Uganda. Suitable attenuation relationships are implemented using a logic tree approach to predict ground motion in both stable continental and active shallow crust geological formations. Herein, the multi-hazard assessment tool incorporates coseismic landslides into the framework for Uganda. Mean seismic hazard maps in terms of PGA are computed for 475 and 2475-year return periods, in addition to a probabilistic assessment of coseismic landslides based on various conditioning factors. The findings, which are generally consistent with previous regional studies, indicate that western Uganda is prone to higher seismicity and coseismic landslides compared with the other parts of the country. Correspondingly, the framework presented herein can be used to kick-start the update and continuous improvement of Uganda Seismic Design Code, as well as help develop a National Seismic Mitigation Strategy.
Probabilistic Earthquake Risk Assessment Framework for Uganda: Event-Based Modelling Approach
(World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, 2024-07-05) Morris Oleng; Zuhal Ozdemir; Kypros Pilakoutas
Uganda’s geology, tectonics and morphology exposes most of its territory to earthquakes of low to moderate intensities. Past earthquakes such as the 1966 Toro, 1994 Kisomoro and 2016 Bukoba events have had detrimental consequences on the socio-economic welfare and resilience of communities across Uganda. Despite earlier efforts in predicting seismic hazard in Uganda, there is no comprehensive study published on earthquake-related risks across the country. Whilst losses during the previous earthquakes were still compar-atively low, damage due to future earthquakes are likely to escalate considerably because of the proliferation of a largely substandard building stock coupled with rapid population growth and urbanisation. As a first step towards building an earthquake risk and resilience framework for Uganda, this work employs the probabilistic event-based risk calculator of OpenQuake-engine to holistically assess potential losses resulting from future earthquakes. Using a fault-oriented spatially distributed seismicity approach, a logic tree is implemented to minimise the associated epistemic uncertainties and site conditions are modelled using the shear wave velocity in the upper 30m of soil across Uganda. The building stock is largely inferred and projected from the 2014 national population and housing census and analytical vulnerability curves are selected from the GEM global database. The analysis of earthquake ruptures, hazard maps, loss exceedance curves, mean annual loss maps and aggregated asset loss statistics indicate that western Uganda is prone to the highest risk. These findings will be a huge step towards the urgent need to update the Uganda Seismic Design Code, strategically plan land use patterns, optimise earthquake insurance pricing and improve the National Policy for Disaster Preparedness and Management.
Teachers’ Autonomy in Adapting Pedagogical Practices for Effective Implementation of the Secondary School Competency-Based Curriculum in Uganda
(Gitoya Centre for Academic Research and Dissemination, 2024-12) Mary Teophira Ocheng Kagoire; Moses Wambi; Alfred Buluma; Wycliff Edwin Tusiime; Emmanuel Humphrey Gusango; John Senkumba
This study intended to explore teachers' opinions on how much they used their autonomy to adapt their pedagogical practices as they implement the competency-based curriculum. The study used an online snowball sampling strategy, which involved sharing an online survey questionnaire with teachers on the authors' social media platforms, such as WhatsApp and emails, requesting participants to further share it in their networks. One hundred ninety-three nationwide secondary school teachers for seniors one to four volunteered to participate in the study. The study adopted the cross-section design, grounded in the positivist paradigm, using quantitative data collection and analysis methods. The study findings led the researchers to conclude that although teachers’ autonomy positively triggered their intrinsic motivation to innovate and contextualize the curriculum during the pre-active phase, they are yet to adapt to new pedagogies expected in implementing a competency-based curriculum. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education and Sports as well as school administrators institutionalize the teachers’ use of their autonomy to adapt the competency-based curriculum in their school context.
Teachers’ Perception on Implementing the Revised Lower Secondary Curriculum in Selected Schools in Uganda: A Focus on Emerging Issues and Coping Strategies
(European Institute of Knowledge and Innovation, 2024-03-09) Moses Wambi; Mary Teophira Kagoire Ocheng; David Were; Alfred Buluma; Wycliff Edwin Tusiime; Michael Balituumye
This study explored teachers’ perception on the implementation of Comptency-based Curriculum (CBC) in lower secondary schools in Uganda that was rolled out in 2020. The shift from the Knowledge-Based Curriculum (KBC) to CBC caused a cultural shock to those who had been nurtured in a purely teacher-centred curriculum! Teachers got challenged over their authority and autonomy in the delivery of instruction. Discussion was centred on teachers’ readiness to implement; pedagogical competences to plan, facilitate and assess CBC. In this phenomenological study, data was collected from 12 randomly selected secondary schools in urban, semi-urban and rural areas of Uganda. The population comprised teachers of Lower Secondary, Directors of Studies and Headteachers. Data was analyzed qualitatively through codes and themes and reported thematically, backed with verbatim quotations and statements from participants. Majority of the teachers were struggling with gaps in planning and content delivery, CBC stimulated hands-on-learning, teachers’ preparedness was considerably low due to lack of prior training, ICT integration was still an uphill task, majority of teachers were still stuck to traditional methodologies. CBC is too demanding and ambitious! NCDC should, therefore, design retooling packages for continuous capacity building, schools should promote peer mentorship, collaboration and Network initiatives.
Constructivists’ Teacher-Preparation Strategy for Crossover to the 21st Century: A Case of Eastern Uganda
(Global Publication House, 2024) Emmanuel Humphrey Gusango; Mary Teophira Kagoire Ocheng; Moses Wambi; Alfred Buluma; Wycliff Edwin Tusiime
This study aimed to explore the constructivists' teacher-preparation practices in selected Teacher Training Institutions (TTIs) in Eastern Uganda as leverage to derive a strategy that enables crossover to the 21st Century. A qualitative research design using purposively sampled Primary Teachers Colleges and 15 participants informed the study. Data were collected using multiple in-depth interviews and observations and analyzed following Moustakas's (1994) procedure. Data analysis and results revealed that teacher educators continue to rely on traditional approaches in instruction and supervision of school practice. This phenomenological study established the lived experiences of teacher educators and students in light of constructivists’ teaching. Colleges are nascent in implementing modern constructivist practices in education moving away from being stuck to traditional instructional practices and the lack of motivation and knowledge among teacher educators to adopt modern approaches. This research study adds to the existing pool of knowledge, suggesting how constructivist’ teaching can support teaching effectiveness and promote students’ learning by amplifying the need for pedagogical enhancement and digital fluency through integrating ICT and reflective practice in instruction. The study recommends establishing and setting up a Reflective Practice Laboratory at the Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE)- Another Degree Awarding Institution in Uganda, and the affiliated Teacher Training Institutions (TTIs) for Teacher Educators and trainees’ induction on several constructivist’ practices that include systematic reflection, clinical supervision, use and integration of ICT and other interventions in congruence with the Education Agenda 2063 and 21st Century Skills.
The ‘Self’ of Hearing-Impaired Learners and their Transition from Primary to Post-Primary Education in Uganda
(East African Nature & Science Organization, 2024-08-12) Bonaventure Wasswa Ssebyanzi; Mary Kagoire Ocheng
In Uganda, post-primary education is one of the milestones in a child’s education. It is characterized by many challenges, particularly faced by learners with hearing impairments attempting to transition from primary to post-primary level. The transition has long been recognized as one of the most challenging issues for learners with hearing impairments, yet it has not been resolved by impeccable empirical scrutiny. This quagmire prompted the researcher to use a phenomenological investigation to explore the significant self-concepts affecting the learners’ transition from primary to post-primary studies. Interviews and group discussions with randomly selected learners who had joined and those who had failed to proceed to post-primary schools were involved. Also, corroborative views and opinions were obtained from preferred teachers and parents in interviews and discussions. It was discovered that the transition of learners with impaired hearing from primary to post-primary level was substantially influenced by family socioeconomic status, gender, age, health, and the learner’s cultural issues – validating the applicability of Schlossberg’s Theory of Transition to provide person-centered answers to transition deterrents, inhibiting the learners from joining and or staying in postprimary schools. It was recommended that self-advocacy training at the primary level be enhanced to help learners develop the skills they need for confidence growth in their abilities before, during and after the transition to post-primary educational institutions.

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