Schools In Uganda Research Articles

Application of interactive software in classrooms: a case of GeoGebra in learning geometry in secondary schools in Uganda

The incorporation of subject-specific technologies in teaching and learning mathematics has been extensively investigated in different areas outside Uganda. The benefits are extensive, although the adoption of these technologies has been threatened by teachers needing help to apply them effectively for instruction. While this alone would aptly justify a comprehensive assessment of its applicability on the local scene, the post-COVID-19 era dynamics escalated its urgency and relevance. Thus, third-year pre-service mathematics teachers’ knowledge and aptitude to use GeoGebra in teaching and learning geometry were developed in this study. In addition, the consequence of using this software on students’ achievement in geometry was investigated using a quantitative research approach. Ninety-four third-year pre-service mathematics teachers completed a three-week intensive capacity-building workshop using GeoGebra. Their self-ratings on their technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) before and after the training were measured using a self-administered questionnaire. A total of 406 students from four schools in Central Uganda participated in the quasi-experiment, with 199 and 207 students assigned to the experimental and control groups, respectively. Pre- and post-achievement tests were meted out to the students. While descriptive statistics showed a positive change in the teachers’ technological knowledge (TK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), technological content knowledge (TCK), and TPACK, independent samples t-tests revealed a substantial difference in the post-test mean scores between the two groups since the experimental group students outshone those in the control group. These findings are consistent with global literature, and thus, schools in Uganda should adopt the use of GeoGebra through a continuous capacity-building approach, while considering the challenges and limitations associated with the software.

Poverty Reduction and Family Functioning: Results from an Experimental Study in Sub-Saharan Africa

The study tests the effect of poverty-reduction intervention on family functioning reported by AIDS-orphaned children in extended families in Southern Uganda by asking two questions: (1) based on children’s reports, how does poverty reduction intervention affect family functioning? and (2) to what extent do these effects vary by a child’s gender and orphanhood status? Informed by the social causation theory, family stress model, and asset theory, the study aims to address the existing knowledge gap on effects of poverty reduction interventions on family functioning in low-income families caring for AIDS orphaned children in Uganda. We ran multilevel regression models using longitudinal data collected in a cluster-randomized controlled trial from N = 1410 children (n = 621 boys and n = 789 girls) recruited from 48 rural primary schools in Uganda. Survey data was collected every 12 months over the course of 5 years. The average age of children at enrollment was 13 years. We found significant positive effects of the intervention on family cohesion, family communication, and child-caregiver relationship. Effects vary by child’s gender and orphanhood category. Intervention improves family communication for boys, while improving family cohesion and quality of child-caregiver relationship for girls. Single maternal orphans reported improved family communication, while single paternal orphans reported improved child-caregiver relationship. Poverty reduction interventions are important to improve family functioning for low-income families. Variations by child’s gender and orphanhood status have not been reported in previous studies, and our findings underscore the importance of continued research in this area.

Assessing Nurse Educators' Competencies for Adopting Blended Learning in the Skills Labs in Uganda's Public Nursing Schools

Blended learning has become an integral part of nursing education, offering a blend of online and face-to-face instruction that enhances learning experiences, particularly within skills labs. However, the effectiveness of blended learning largely depends on the competencies of nurse educators in utilizing digital tools and methodologies. This study assessed the competencies of nurse educators in Uganda's public nursing schools concerning blended learning adoption. Data was collected from 40 randomly selected nursing educators in 4 public nursing schools in Uganda The findings indicate significant inadequacies: only 25% are proficient with Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Moodle, 20% can effectively use platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams for synchronous sessions, 30% are adept at using social media platforms such as WhatsApp and YouTube for informal learning and networking, and merely 12.5% are proficient in using television videos as supplementary educational resources. These results highlight a critical need for targeted professional development and training programs to enhance the digital competencies of nurse educators. Addressing these gaps is essential for the effective implementation of blended learning, ultimately aiming to improve the quality of nursing education in Uganda and foster the development of skilled nursing professionals.

Organizational compassion, employees' mental health, commitment and engagement in the context of COVID-19: a serial mediation analysis

PurposeThe study examines the effects of organizational compassion during the COVID-19 pandemic on teachers' mental health and, consequently, their commitment and work engagement. The study tests a serial mediation model for the effects of organizational compassion on employee engagement via mental health and the three components of organizational commitment.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional sample (N = 436) completed an online questionnaire towards the end of the prolonged lockdown of schools in Uganda (2021–2022). Serial mediation analysis in PROCESS Macro was employed to test the hypotheses.FindingsAs hypothesized, organizational compassion was significantly related to teachers' mental health, the three components of organizational commitment, and employee engagement. A double mediation path of the effects of organizational compassion on employee engagement via mental health and affective commitment was significant.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight how organizational compassion benefits employees’ psychological health and work attitudes and behavior. The findings draw attention to the need to design compassion practices that boost the emotional value of organizational compassion to the individual over the economic and normative value.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the literature on organizational compassion outcomes by focusing on employee engagement and the underlying mediating mechanisms. The study is also one of the few that has examined the effects of organizational compassion on the three components of organizational commitment.

A comparative study on assessment methods used by high school teachers in Uganda and Turkey

Assessment and evaluation are crucial to improving educational quality. Examining the opinions of teachers from various countries on in-class assessments can significantly enhance education systems. Similarities and differences in Uganda’s and Turkey’s educational systems justify comparing them. This study aimed to examine and compare the assessment methods used by teachers working in high schools in Uganda and Turkey to determine student achievement. The researcher administered the questionnaire to 119 Ugandan and 85 Turkish high school teachers working in public and private schools in both countries. The researcher used Casual comparative research. The Mann–Whitney U test was used for data analysis. The findings show that Turkish teachers use many in-class assessment methods more often than Ugandan teachers. Compared to Turkish teachers, Ugandan teachers view themselves as more capable of giving student feedback but less competent in taking measures to increase objective scoring. The article outlines further findings and provides recommendations.

Experiences of Sexuality Education Educators in Secondary Schools of Mbarara Municipality, Uganda

While schools in Uganda have sexuality education implementation programs in place, adolescents enrolled in school continue to have considerable concerns about sexuality. This indicates that there is still a gap in the teaching of sexuality education. Understanding, that the pursuit of excellent educational outcomes cannot understate the significance of educators. The objectives of the study were to understand how teachers have influenced the implementation of sexuality education in schools and to understand their influence. We explored their sexuality education teaching experiences. For this study, we purposively sampled 12 teachers from six secondary schools in Mbarara Municipality. These were classroom teachers teaching Biology, Christian Religious education, and Literature, subjects in which topics about sexuality are included. Others were male and female senior teachers in charge of guidance and counselling; and teacher patrons to sexuality learning-related activities outside the classroom. Data was transcribed and analyzed through thematic coding of opinions, feelings, and practices of teachers. Results indicated that the majority of teachers experience discomfort when teaching this subject. To most teachers, this discomfort was attributed to 1. Lack of proper training. 2. Others had strong cultural values and beliefs that made them uncomfortable teaching about sexuality in open places like the classroom. 3. Another minority, were not consulted before being appointed into counselling positions, therefore did not feel obliged to take on the assignment. 5. Lack of instruction materials. 6. Findings also revealed that students are not comfortable learning from their teachers, whom they consider as “second parents” and hence they join and learn more from peers and other adults. 7. While all students, learn about sexuality, only a few teachers are assigned this duty, this has created a teaching burden due to the low teacher-student ratio especially for duties like guidance and counselling and patronising of sexuality education programs. Thus, we deduced that SE was being jeopardised by teachers' inefficacy, attitude, and low teacher-student ratio, and interaction of informal peer educators. We concluded that sexuality education educators, are most effective when they are equipped with skills, their consent to participate is sought, the education does not interfere with their values and when they do not carry an overload of assignments. From the findings, it was also evident that teachers are not the best choice schools should use to guide and counsel students about sexuality. Peers and medical personnel are preferred to teachers. Hence, when the identified gaps are attended to sexuality education will be more efficient to protect and keep skills with adolescents undergoing this education. To improve teacher performance, we recommend that schools assist their teachers in pursuing SE training, seek teachers consent before appointing them into SE educating or counselling positions, support them and offer teaching materials. The low teacher-to-student ratio be resolved by assigning more teacher educators SE roles. Our findings indicate that students feel more at ease studying with their peers than with teachers; hence, we recommended increasing the amount of supervised peer-to-peer SE learning in schools. We also discovered that students value media education, thus we recommend that schools offer more adult-guided media literacy instruction.

Confronting Challenges Facing Teachers in Implementing Competency-Based Curriculum in Uganda: A Case of Secondary Schools in Gulu City

This paper investigated the challenges facing teachers in implementing a competence-based curriculum in secondary schools in Uganda. The study employed a qualitative research approach that utilised a case study research design. The sample of the study included 50 teachers who were randomly selected, 4 heads of schools, and 4 education officers who were purposefully selected from 4 public secondary schools found in Gulu City, Uganda. Observations and interviews were used to collect the required information. The findings established that teachers faced a variety of challenges that impeded the effective implementation of a competence-based curriculum in teaching and learning. The researcher also noticed that teachers face a big problem in the implementation of competency-based curricula: insufficient training of teachers and limited engagement of teachers in workshops and seminars that would help enrich them with some skills. So, in a sense, the implementation of CBC started without enough teacher training. Poor infrastructure in schools, limited numbers of housing facilities for teachers, no recommended teaching materials given to teachers, too many students in the classroom, and high computer illiteracy rates among teachers limited the success of CBC implementation in Uganda, especially in government-aided secondary schools. Based on the results of the study, the researcher recommended the following strategies to improve the implementation of CBC in secondary schools in Uganda: revamping teacher professional development; in order to effectively facilitate learning and engage with contemporary learners, teacher educators must be with teaching teachers; establish a robust plan for ongoing constructive interactions by NCDC with all other stakeholders; provide timely resources; and invest enough in schools so that they can deliver the right curriculum. Ensure regular inspection; the inspection role should be equipped to ensure the consistency of the curriculum. Teachers should encourage and practice more project-based learning and also harmonize and implement the language of instruction and evaluation policy clearly to avoid confusion among teachers

The Relationship Between Young Children’s Influence and violence against children in Selected Bugiri Primary Schools in Uganda

The Relationship Between Young Children’s Influence and violence against children in Selected Bugiri Primary Schools in Uganda

Influence of Headteachers' Transformational Leadership Attributes on Academic Performance: A Case of Private Secondary Schools in Uganda

School demographics have changed in recent decades, and so has the type of leadership needed to successfully lead the rapidly changing schools of this Century. School leadership shapes all other variables such as good curriculum, quality teaching, and academic performance. This study was carried out in selected private secondary schools in Uganda. After the realization that investment in private secondary schools exposed the decline of previously well-performing public schools and contributed to the rise of some private schools. The aim was to establish the influence of transformational leadership on academic performance in private secondary schools among other influencers of school effectiveness. A multi-leadership questionnaire was used to gather information from 276 schools, 425 teachers and Directors of studies in the central region of Uganda because this region has the majority of performing, average and underperforming schools. It also has schools in Urban, Rural and semi-urban and it is considered to be the epicentre of educational institutions in the country. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the influence of headteachers’ transformation leadership attributes on academic performance at UCE and UACE in private schools for the year 2017-2019. The findings indicated that the headteachers’ transformational leadership attributes of Idealized influence and Inspirational motivation influence academic performance with standard beta coefficients of 0.154 and -0.140 which suggested that that a unit increase in Idealized influence increases academic performance at UCE by 15.4% in private schools in Uganda while a unit increase in Inspirational motivation decreases academic performance at UCE by 14.0%. At UACE idealised influence and Intellectual stimulation were found to have a significant relationship with UACE performance in private secondary schools in Uganda. The standardized beta coefficients for Idealized influence and Intellectual stimulation were -0.144 and 0.129 respectively suggesting that a unit increase in Idealized influence decreases academic performance at UACE by 14.4% in private secondary schools in Uganda while a unit increase in Intellectual stimulation increases academic performance at UACE by 12.9%. The study concludes that transformational leadership has a significant influence on academic performance in private secondary schools. The study recommends that policymakers and investors in Uganda's Education System should closely monitor the school's alignment with the transformational leadership practices for sustainable academic performance in private secondary schools

Wealth and learning achievement of pupils in primary schools in Uganda: Implications for government economic empowerment programs

This paper examines the possession of family wealth and its impact on the academic achievement of primary school students in Eastern Uganda. A correlational survey design was employed to analyse UWEZO secondary data collected from eight districts in the eastern region of Uganda, encompassing 6,302 children and 6,031 families. Descriptive statistics and Pearson chi-square tests were employed for data analysis. The findings indicate that socio-economic factors positively influence children's literacy and numeracy achievements. Families possessing solar lighting, mobile phones, tables, chairs, textbooks, and a reliable source of water demonstrated higher proficiency in literacy and numeracy skills. It is likely that children in households with these possessions were able to engage in private study at home, given the conducive study environment, well-lit rooms, essential furniture, and access to textbooks. Furthermore, these children were more likely to receive additional tutoring after school and had access to the internet through mobile phones and computers, allowing them to access crucial educational information. Based on these findings, we recommend that the government provide sustainable livelihood options for struggling families.

Teachers’ Perception on Implementing the Revised Lower Secondary Curriculum in Selected Schools in Uganda: A Focus on Emerging Issues and Coping Strategies

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.

The Social- Economic Implications of COVID-19 Pandemic on Parents’ Income and Pupils Learning in Iganga District, Uganda

Globally, COVID-19 outbreak had a significant impact on the social-economic implications of parents' income and students' learning. Many school employees lost jobs and students dropped out of school in Uganda as a result of the varied social and economic effects of COVID19. A descriptive design was used to determine the effects of Social- Economic Implications of COVID-19 Pandemic on Parents' income and Pupils learning in Iganga. In-depth interviews were conducted with some selected respondents in 9 sampled primary schools in Iganga District. With the help of teachers, a random sample of 18 pupils was taken from the sampled schools and interviewed. Subsequently with the assistance of local leaders, parents were interviewed in their communities. Content analysis was used to obtain related data to the effects of social economic implications of covid19 pandemic on parent’s income and pupil’s learning. Government and civil society organization reports were among the materials examined. The findings revealed that there was changing economic situation as a result of COVID19 that affected pupils' access to different learning opportunities such as inadequate resources and knowledge about the use of digital technologies. Some of the socioeconomic challenges that affected pupils' learning and parents' income were inadequate time given to pupils learning and inadequate professional trained teachers to handle online teaching and learning. It is recommended that the government should provide more funding as well as clear, detailed, and consistent guidance to help head teachers and teachers to manage the gaps created by COVID19 on pupils' learning in Primary schools.

Identification of Career Needs and Dual Career Development Among Students in Secondary Schools in Uganda

The research looked at the influence of identification of career needs on dual career development among students. The study adopted a descriptive survey design, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The target population of study was 360 and a sample size of 186 people who included students who had participated in games and sports, directors of studies, career guidance teachers, games teachers, sports officers, headteachers and deputy headteachers. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire and interview method. The findings revealed that for identification of career needs and dual career development, R2 = .297, F=77.304, Sig= .000 < .05 for academic career while for sports career R2 = .072, F=14.184, Sig= .000 < .05, thus identification of students' career needs had a higher magnitude of influence for academic than for sports career development; thus to be able to support students in identification of career needs, the teachers should be trained and empowered with the requisite information about the various careers available

Relationships Between Children’s Literacy Comprehension and Their Achievement in Numeracy and Ethno-Math at Lower Primary Schools in Uganda

The article examined the relationships between children’s literacy comprehension and their competence/achievement in numeracy and Ethno-math at lower primary schools in Uganda using the UWEZO UGANDA (2021) secondary dataset collected by a cross-sectional survey design from a sample of 14,553 pupils. The quantitative data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment of correlation coefficient and regression analyses to establish the relationship between children’s literacy comprehension and their competencies in numeracy/ethno-math. Findings showed that there was a statistically significant relationship (r = 0.539, p < 0.001) between letter recitation and number recognition, literacy level in English and numeracy level (r = 0.768, p < 0.001), numeracy level and ethno-math (r = −0.612). Although findings show a positive relationship between letter recitation and number recognition, literacy level in English, and numeracy level, there is a negative relationship between numeracy level and ethno-math. The study concluded that children’s ability to recite letters positively influences their ability to recognize numbers. Furthermore, children’s ability in literacy comprehension positively influences their abilities in carrying out numeracy. It was also concluded that children’s ability to work out ethno-math does not necessarily mean their ability to carry out numeracy.

Adapting a complex violence prevention intervention: a case study of the Good School Toolkit in Uganda

BackgroundAdaptation is a key strategy to extend the reach of evidence-based interventions to prevent violence in new populations, but there is a dearth of practical case examples. The Good School Toolkit was developed by Ugandan NGO Raising Voices for use in primary schools (GST-P). We describe our systematic approach to adapting the GST-P for use in secondary schools in Uganda, and reflect on the utility of the process as well as limitations of existing adaptation frameworks.MethodsWe adapted the GST-P in four phases, which included: I) clarifying the logic model and core intervention components using a streamlined process; II) conducting formative research (cross-sectional survey, focus groups, etc.) to understand the new population; III) selecting and preparing new intervention components and modifying existing intervention components; and IV) pretesting new intervention components with teachers and students in Uganda.ResultsWe identified core components using a logic model. Formative research showed results largely in line with our apriori hypotheses. Teacher violence remained highly prevalent in secondary versus primary schools (> 65% of secondary students reported past year exposure), while peer violence significantly increased (secondary = 52% vs. primary girls = 40%, P < 0.001; secondary = 54% vs. primary boys = 44%, P = 0.009) in secondary versus primary schools. Significantly more secondary girls (51%) than secondary boys (45%) reported past year dating/intimate partner violence (P = 0.03). Inequitable, gendered educational practices emerged as a salient theme, perceived to heighten female students’ vulnerability to violence. In light of these findings, we made several adjustments to the adapted intervention. We strengthened existing teacher and peer violence intervention components. We also developed, pretested and revised new program components to prevent dating violence and promote ‘gender fairness in schools’. Finally, original activities were modified to support engagement with school administration and promote increased student agency in secondary schools.ConclusionsBased on our experience, it was difficult to apply mechanistic models to clarify the intervention logic of the GST-P, a complex multicomponent intervention, and simpler methods may be sufficient. Our team had high levels of contextual knowledge before the adaptation, and formative research to understand the new target population provided only limited additional insight. In similar situations, a simplified approach to mapping the core intervention components, qualitative research to understand the new target population, and pre-testing of new intervention components may be the most informative elements of systematic adaptation processes.

Applying ADDIE Model to Develop Multimedia Lessons for Adolescent Reproductive Health Education in Uganda

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a multimedia application intervention for adolescent sexual reproductive health education in secondary schools in Uganda. The lack of access to quality reproductive health education and services, exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, contributes to unplanned pregnancies, health complications, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) among adolescents in Uganda. Researchers and teachers collaborated to create multimedia lessons covering topics such as sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and SGBV for adolescents in participating schools. The educational content and format were co-designed to better incorporate the local context and address priority issues by involving end users of the software (adolescents and their teachers) as content contributors during the development phase. The innovative multimedia application was developed using the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model. A student manual was also created as a teaching tool, providing educators with lesson introductions and guiding questions for post-lesson group discussions. The manual includes a simplified print version of the educational content, ensuring that students and teachers in schools without ICT resources can benefit from the intervention. Questionnaires were developed and administered to 14 Results indicate that all 14 trained teachers demonstrated improved knowledge about the use of multimedia applications to deliver adolescent-friendly sexual reproductive health (SRH) education. Additionally, all 14 teachers self-reported that the multimedia application is a feasible and acceptable method to deliver adolescent-friendly SRH education.

Headteachers' Transformational Leadership and its Influence on Academic Performance: A Case of Public Secondary Schools in Uganda

Leadership style is an important aspect of students' academic performance in schools. Transformational leadership style is associated with students' academic achievement in Uganda's public secondary schools. The aim of this paper was to examine the influence of transformational leadership attributes on academic performance in public secondary schools in Uganda. Specifically, the study investigated the influence of transformational leadership attributes on academic performance at UCE and UACE in public secondary schools. The research was underpinned by the transformational leadership theory pioneered by James McGregor Burns and supported by Bass. The study was anchored on the positivism philosophy and guided by a correlation survey design with a quantitative research method. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 163 public secondary schools from a total sample of 253 public secondary schools, registered with the Ministry of Education and Sports in Uganda's central region. Primary data was collected using structured questionnaires. Data was analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics. Hypothesis testing was done at 5% significance level using the multiple linear regression model. The study established that transformational leadership is a significant predictor of academic performance both at Uganda Certificate Education (Ordinary level) and Uganda Advanced Certificate Education (Advanced level) through idealised influence, intellectual stimulation, individualised consideration, and the control variables. The study concludes that transformational leadership has a significant influence on academic performance. The study recommends that policymakers and strategists in Uganda's Education Ministry should closely monitor the school's alignment with the transformational leadership practices of head teachers for sustainable academic performance in public secondary schools

Learning to Teach by Practice: Pre-service Teachers’ Experiences of Using Poetry Memorization, Dramatization and Recitation Pedagogy

In Uganda, poetry is a key genre in the Literature in English curriculum at the secondary and higher institutions of teacher education. However, many teachers, especially the novices, struggle with the teaching of poetry in secondary schools in Uganda. Current approaches to teaching support learner-centered pedagogy where learners are facilitated to fully participate in scaffolding their own interpretations of the subject content. Individual in-class poetry recitation is one such activity used to teach, and taught to, pre-service teachers of poetry because it promotes their participation and their general attitude towards poetry. In this paper, we present findings from a study about Makerere University pre-service teachers’ experiences of using individual in-class poetry recitations as a learner-centered strategy for teaching poetry. The research was carried out amongst one cohort of finalist teacher trainees of English and Literature using lecture observation, interviews and open-ended questionnaire research methods. A thematic analysis of the data revealed three themes that summarize their experiences with memorization, recitation and dramatization of poetry: recitation: facing the class; and pedagogical reflections. As we present these themes, we also draw some pedagogical implications for poetry classes from the actual recitation experiences of teacher trainees who participated in this study.

Can public private partnerships help deliver universal secondary education? The case of Uganda

ABSTRACT Governments worldwide are facing pressure to increase access to secondary school. In Uganda, the government introduced a fee-free policy in 2007 to address this issue. In an effort to make it more affordable, the government partnered with non-state schools to form public-private partnerships (PPPs). PPPs are seen as a cost-effective way to increase school supply, but they have also been associated with negative equity implications. This paper uses a theory of change approach to examine how paying tuition fees for eligible students in PPP and state schools has helped extend access to secondary school in Uganda. Analysis of the Ark Secondary Schools Survey and Focus Group data reveals that the policy did not remove the financial and structural barriers for many students. Key informant interviews shed further light on the ways in which the policy has in fact reinforced existing patterns of exclusion.

Mental Health Education in Secondary Schools in Uganda. Strategies to use and Way Forward.

Mental Health Education in Secondary Schools in Uganda. Strategies to use and Way Forward.