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The study examined the strategies used by teacher educators in their teaching practices and gender integration in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The nature of the engagement of educational leaders and administrators in supporting teaching, learning and mainstreaming gender issues in teaching was also examined. A total of 165 sampled respondents were reached. This included 81 government officials and educational leaders (18 government officials and 63 educational leaders) and 84 tutors. The study used a concurrent mixed-method approach where the combined qualitative and quantitative data collection methodologies were applied to answer the study questions. The study data were collected directly from the project participants through semi-structured interviews and survey questionnaires. 60% of preprimary and primary tutors from Kenya demonstrated knowledge and skills in pedagogical practices compared to 13% from Tanzania and 20% from Uganda. The findings also revealed that most tutors do not think training and application of lifelong professional development strategies on key pedagogical aspects and content are essential for achieving a gender-responsive and inclusive training and support program. These key areas include support for gender-based violence victims, support for pregnant girls and mothers to continue education; gender-sensitive expectations towards girls' and boys' achievements; gender-sensitive expectations around girls' and boys' behavior, lesson demonstration, and lesson observation. The study recommends that there should be integration of gender issues in delivering training for the tutors of the colleges in East Africa. The training should focus on enhancing pedagogical practices and related educational leadership and management.

This inquiry explores the opinions of lecturers and students on the advantages and difficulties of switching from traditional face-to-face mode to online mode of delivery in Ugandan higher education institutions during and even after the COVID-19 pandemic. The study investigates participants' perspectives and experiences regarding the benefits and downsides of online learning. The study's results shed light on the advantages of online learning, such as its adaptability and accessibility, more learning chances, improved engagement and interaction, and promotion of self-directed learning abilities. The inquiry also reveals concerns with technology, pedagogical adaptation, motivation and engagement, evaluation and academic integrity, equity, and inclusiveness. Based on the findings, suggestions are made for improving online education in Uganda's higher education institutions, including investing in technological infrastructure, fostering pedagogical adaptation, encouraging student engagement and motivation, improving assessment procedures and academic integrity, promoting equity and inclusion, and continuously assessing and improving the online learning environment. These suggestions can help higher education institutions in Uganda maximize the advantages of online learning while minimizing its drawbacks, resulting in a more inclusive, interesting, and productive learning environment for students in online settings.

There is an increasing trend toward regionalization as higher education adapts to openness and globalization. In response, East African countries formed networks and partnerships that strengthened business, higher education, student and staff mobility, and research. This is because regionalization is embedded in East Africa's economy, politics, culture, and social norms. In addition, regionalization is influenced by internationalization and globalization. It promises development opportunities, although challenges are inevitable. This paper examines the contributions of regional student mobility to East Africa's development. We use neoliberal and world systems theories to illuminate the advantages and disadvantages of regionalizing higher education and explain how partner states can maximize opportunities and minimize challenges. Data was collected through convenience sampling of two hundred international students and two staff members in international students' offices. Data analysis revealed that the regionalization of East African higher education reflects historical power relations; it has benefits though founded on inequalities.

While there is a substantial body of leaving care research, the theorization of care leaving has been more limited. Only a few studies have incorporated a life course perspective, mainly in Global North contexts where life course perspectives may differ significantly from those in the Global South, including Africa. Drawing on findings from a feasibility research study, this paper contributes to the emerging international literature on theorizing care leaving by applying a life course perspective to the experiences of youth leaving care in four African countries. The paper highlights how life course can be a useful conceptual framework for understanding the experiences of care leavers with an emphasis on four core concepts: biography, linked lives, waithood, and agency. Implications for policy and practice are outlined with a focus on interdependence, participatory practice, biography, and cultural transition planning alongside efforts to redress systemic, oppressive barriers facing care leavers in society.

Liberalisation of higher education in Uganda meant opening its provision to the private sector, and also running a public-private mix model at public institutions. Consequently, the composition and needs of the student population at universities have changed due to flexibility in provision of study programmes and access routes. Students who had previously been excluded are also joining in increasing numbers. This article uses the feminist frameworks to equality and difference, discourses of integration and exclusion, and the concepts of Othering and Other to unpack equality of access, equity and inclusivity spaces of these new types of students. The aim is to contribute towards a learning agenda that promotes quality and sustainable educational development for all. We draw our findings from the voices of non-traditional students at a public university in Uganda. We validate these with voices of other germane actors to understand better the institutional policy and practice environments available to them. The equal opportunity provision has widened access for NTS but their equity and inclusivity spaces remain inadequately filled. To achieve sustainable inclusive and equitable quality higher education, we suggest a policy, practice and provision environment that promotes a transformative lifelong learning agenda.

Every country desires and aspires for an education system that caters for learners' physiological needs, belonging, love, self-esteem, security and self-actualisation at the top, which are rarely provided by a few countries. With a review focus on the Ugandan education system, several challenges related to the "education borrowing suggestions" as proposed by John Dewey have been attributed to creating an environment that has seen most graduates ending up unemployed, and with leadership challenges, inadequate funding, poor teacher perception, low research and innovations in higher institutions of learning, less involvement of the informal sector in development, low literacy levels, political interference among others. Thus this exploratory analytical-qualitative review focuses on John Dewey's teachings in his book "Education and Democracy"--specifically chapter 1, 'Education as Necessity for Life'--with attention on how education as an engine that empowers life, ensures independence through self-reliance, sustenance, freedom, and is syndrome-free to enhance appreciation of the contemporary trends in education--critical aspects that are extremely lacking within the current Ugandan education system and can impact on the future of education to the future of education as recommended in National Development Plan III (NDP III). Thus the review recommends that while reflecting on the state of the Ugandan education system, there is a need to revitalise the research and innovations in higher institutions, especially catering for an integral-education system with a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from primary school to university, involvement of the informal sector through skills education as proposed by the Ugandan Vision 2040 and NDP III, as well as addressing low literacy levels and providing adequate teaching and learning through quality and balanced funding from all relevant government agencies and development partners.

This study aimed to explore stakeholders' perspectives on the ethical considerations for returning individual pharmacogenomics research results to people living with HIV. A qualitative approach to investigation involved five focus group discussions with 30 Community representatives, 12 key informant interviews with researchers, and 12 in-depth interviews with research ethics committee members. In total, 54 stakeholders who were involved in pharmacogenomics research and HIV treatment and care contributed to the data collection between September 2021 and February 2022. The study explored five prominent themes: (i) defining the nature of research results to return to participants; (ii) preparing research participants to receive their results; (iii) obtaining informed consent for the return of results; (iv) opinions on health personnel to return the results to participants; and (v) opinions on how research results should be communicated to participants. Respondents identified various strategies for the return of individual results with minimal ethical risks including the setting up of a diverse and independent committee to undertake a risk-benefit assessment based on local context; ongoing discussions about the possible kinds of results and their implications throughout the study; and employing genetic counsellors to communicate results to participants. The strategies identified in this study should be further studied and independently verified.

In this comparative project, we analyze three policy documents that have guided genderbased higher education initiatives in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. Two research questions guided our work: (1) How do key policy documents conceptualize gender equity? and (2) How is gender equity discussed in relation to economic priorities and sociopolitical realities in each country? To address these questions, we conducted a critical discourse analysis of the following: Kenya's Education and Training Gender Policy in Kenya, Rwanda's Education Sector Strategic Plan 2018/19--022/23, and Uganda's Gender in Education Policy. Corroborating the work of other scholars, we found that all three documents shared (1) an increased commitment to gender equality, (2) persistent underrepresentation of women in higher education despite increased participation of women over time, and (3) markedly low gender parity in STEM disciplines. Our findings are significant because they confirm that there is a disconnect between stated policy goals and actual student outcomes, which limits institutional success and economic development. Additionally, our analysis highlights differences in the strength in commitment to gender equity in policy mandates in these three countries. This is a key issue which warrants further research attention.

Science process skills are the backbone of science, and innovations in this field. It is critical to inculcate such skills among learners at their early stages of learning science. This study reports on how using the mobile phone WhatsApp-supported instructional resources resulted in improvement in students' science process skills in chemistry, in the context of students in resource-constrained schools. The study adopted the quantitative research approach, taking on a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest non-equivalent group design. Particularly, Solomon's four group design was used, given its high internal and external reliability and validity. Data from a sample of 240 students selected from two experimental and two control schools were analyzed using the independent samples t-tests, to establish if there was a statistically significant difference in students' chemistry process skills test mean scores between the experimental and control schools. The study illuminated that the integration of WhatsApp-supported instructional resources outside the classroom setting and its use improved significantly the students' test scores on chemistry process skills in the experimental schools as compared to the control schools. This has implications for the use of accessible Apps to support teaching and learning in resource-constrained contexts.

This is an exploratory study considering instructional methods in mathematics education. The study examined misconceptions arising from selected assignments undertaken by sixty-five students. The students were attending a calculus mathematical course unit on limits of functions, in different academic areas offered at selected tertiary institutions in Western Uganda. In this study, forms of expressing ideas on limits of functions are considered as far as they facilitate access to underlying mathematical principles. We explored the use and application of tools for representing mathematical ideas to enhance students' conceptual understanding and problem solving skills. A small-scale pilot of interventions using readily available GeoGebra dynamical computer software was applied. The diagnostic assignment on limits of functions was used for data collection. The main objective was to examine whether or not students preferred the application of multiple representations to the analytic approach. The semi-structured interview protocol was also conducted to probe further and correlate students' responses and their problem-solving abilities. The results showed that multiple representations-based instructions significantly changed students' understanding of the limits of functions. The results promise better access and understanding of more abstract mathematical concepts and may support students' problem-solving abilities. The semi-structured interviews conducted indicated that multiple representations supported and, therefore, enhanced students' understanding and solving of the limits of functions. This study highly recommends that mathematics educators should adapt multiple representations-based instructions to enhance students' critical thinking, and problem-solving.

The 1998 UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education in Paris recommended that global higher education institutions should internationalize and reduce inequalities between developed and emerging countries. Since then, universities strive to incorporate an international dimension in their service. The aim was initially guided by the 20th century understanding of internationalization being just, fair, and an equitable process that promotes peace and mutual understanding. However, under the influence of the General Agreement on Trade in Services and competition, internationalization changed focus and became less inclusive. This paper explores inclusive international education in East Africa using narrative review methodology. Findings suggest that rather than promoting access and equity in higher education, internationalization, for example, excludes economically disadvantaged, disabled, and adult learners. Thus, in addition to internationalization at home, inclusive internationalization abroad strategies should be devised. Internationalization of higher education is more valuable if it translates into fair, just, and peaceful social systems.

The present study explored 285 11th-grade students' preconceptions, misconceptions, and errors in solving mathematics tasks by graphical method. A descriptive-explorative study design was adopted. Cluster sampling was used to select students from sampled secondary schools in eastern and central Uganda. Students' paper and pen solution sketches together with the task-based interviews were used to identify students' preconceptions, misconceptions, and errors in linear programming (LP). Students' responses were analyzed thematically and interpreted as students' learning gaps. The results indicated that students lacked proficiency in relating basic algebraic concepts and procedures to the mathematical language with which LP is conveyed. Generally, most students could not adequately use their previous knowledge and connect it to the learning and solving of LP tasks. Besides applying wrong mathematical algebraic concepts, students had difficulties interpreting and writing correct models (inequalities) from LP word problems. Misconceptions and errors were common and peculiar to and in individual student's solution sketches especially in applying the concepts of equations and inequalities to graphically solve and optimize LP tasks. Students held extremely weak concept images of graphing equations, and inequalities and their linkage to optimizing feasible regions. This research provides insight into the learning of mathematics word problems(LP) and recommends that mathematics educators should effectively apply students' preconceptions, misconceptions, and errors as opportunities for enhancing students' LP conceptual changes. For mathematical proficiency, suitable learning approaches, methods, and strategies should be adapted to address specific individual student's flawed conceptual and procedural knowledge and understanding. These approaches may guide educators in helping students to construct the connections between the old and the new knowledge.

This article presents a design-based research (DBR) methodology to develop a teacher professional development intervention that is aimed at helping teachers become designers of student-centred e-learning activities. The intervention was tested at Gulu University (GU) and Maseno University (MU), and a set of activities and tools, as well as six design principles, were recommended for future interventions. The findings suggest that becoming a designer requires teachers to transform their understanding of their practices and to develop teachers as designers (TasD) mindsets. Further research is needed to conceptualise these mindsets and to map and compare the epistemological traditions of learning, design and teaching practices.

This article and project perfectly illustrate community, connection, and collaboration across disciplines and institutions. As history has shown us, sometimes it is difficult to study abroad or offer cultural immersion opportunities for students when global catastrophes or geopolitics maketravel difficult. Instead, this project approximates cultural immersion through engaged learning projects and teleconferencing. Featured most proximately is a project that includes three communities (a Ugandan vocational school, a Kansas university, and a city library) and is interdisciplinary in practice. As an international community of learners, this project brings together people from different backgrounds and continents. Among other things, the projectallows its participants an opportunity to recognize the global community and shared humanity that we all belong to. Breaking down stereotypes and misperceptions creates space for learning from and about one another. One way to overcome geographic, political, and even catastrophicglobal health challenges may be to create engaged learning opportunities where students conduct investigations.

This study was conducted among in-service teachers working in secondary schools in Uganda before the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. The purpose of the study was to explore the technological competencies of in-service teachers to use technology-enhanced pedagogy in the implementation of secondary school curricula in Uganda. Using a cross-sectional survey and self-administered questionnaire, data were collected from a sample of 349 respondents. Collected data were entered into the SPSS 21 software program. We then used descriptive statistics of frequency counts and mean scores to conduct analyses of the responses to each question on the questionnaire. The findings revealed that 40.4% of participants had limited access to digital learning resources, 48.1% lacked the confidence to use digital pedagogies, 83.7% needed intensive professional development in the use of digital pedagogies and 59.7% had barely used technology-enhanced pedagogy. This study concluded that most of the in-service teachers were less skilled in the use of technology-enhanced pedagogies. The study recommended that teacher education institutions roll out professional development programs in online facilitation for in-service teachers.

This study was conducted to characterize the effectiveness of employing video recordings as a teaching tool in mathematics in higher education, with a bid to minimize direct teacher-student interactions. The research employed an experimental design, utilizing pre-tests and post-tests with a sample of 45 randomly selected first- and second-year mathematics students at Mountains of the Moon University. Video recordings were compared with alternative approaches, including online (Zoom) classes and self-study materials/handouts, to gauge their effectiveness in the absence of physical teacher-student interactions. Three experimental units were established, each undergoing learning of sequences via video recordings, online (Zoom) classes, or self-study printable materials/handouts. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS including percentages, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and independent sample t-tests. Results revealed the relevance of both tools in mathematics learning, with video recordings proving to be more effective and superior in enhancing understanding of the learned concepts compared to the alternative tools. The study recommends the incorporation of video recordings in mathematics teaching, particularly in situations where physical meetings between teachers and students are impractical.

Social emotional learning (SEL) has become a popular trend in the field of Education in Emergencies (EiE). Many SEL programs targeting refugee learners aim to help individuals develop skills that are necessary for learning and development, as well as mitigate the adverse impacts of crisis and displacement. While nearly half a billion USD has been invested in SEL initiatives for refugee and crisis contexts world-wide, little evidence exists about the impacts of SEL interventions with refugee communities. As 20% of all refugees globally reside in East Africa, and it is estimated that over 152 million African children live in active conflict zones, this study set out to qualitatively examine understandings, implementation, and implications of SEL interventions across actors engaging refugee communities in the region. The results expose tensions, challenges, and complex dynamics related to culture, power, and the complicated reality of implementing refugee education initiatives in East Africa. While further research into this area of inquiry is needed and proposed, these study findings provide a stronger understanding of the refugee education landscape in East Africa and its current insufficiencies through the example of SEL, and serve to inform other topical EiE interventions and the broader uptake of SEL by education systems globally.

This paper argues that access to quality education and skills development programs for refugees, returnees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) is not only one of the fundamental human rights that states and non-state actors have obligations to fulfill; it is also an integral part of sustainable development efforts which will have significant contributions to socio-economic transformation in host countries, countries of origin and countries of destinations in the event that refugees become migrant, which is sometimes the case. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) region, consisting of eight member states, namely, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda, host more than 13 million forcibly displaced people. This results from protracted and devastating conflicts; drought and famine and other natural or man-made calamities. Within the IGAD region, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan produce 80 to 90% of displacement due to protracted civil wars. However, almost all the member states have refugees, IDPs or migrants sheltered in their territories. Access to higher education among refugees, returnees and IDPs is very low at only 3% compared to 36% globally. The figure for Africa is still dismal, at less than 1%; and the same holds true for the IGAD region. In an effort to address this major challenge facing these population categories, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) convened a high level regional (Ministerial Conference) on refugee education held in Djibouti, 12-14 December 2017. That Conference adopted what is now called the Djibouti declaration and Plan of Action for refugee education in the IGAD region. The major purpose of this paper was is to outline the refugee situations in general and the state of higher education in the region in particular.

Despite evident efforts made, limited digital pedagogical practice among pre-service teachers has been noticed. The study sought to investigate pre-service teachers' perceptions of their technological, pedagogical, content capabilities; validate the digital pedagogy readiness model; and establish the influence of technological, pedagogical and content capabilities on pre-service teachers' digital pedagogy readiness. Mishra and Koehler's TPACK Framework (2006) formed the study's theoretical ground to derive the technological-pedagogical-content capability sub-constructs. A 30-item scale was used to collect data from 351 pre-service teachers of Kyambogo University. Descriptive statistical analysis was employed to establish the respondents' perceptions on the variables under study, while Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to validate the model and test the hypotheses. Findings revealed that pre-service teachers were in agreement regarding their perceptions of the capabilities; the hypothesised digital pedagogy Readiness model showed fit to the data; and. the influence of technological-pedagogical-content capability on pre-service teachers' digital pedagogy readiness was statistically significant. The study enriches existing literature on the role of TPACK in fostering teachers' digital pedagogy which is vital for the 21st century classroom. The findings are further useful to the Ministry of Education and Sports and affiliated agencies in fast tracking the implementation of the Education digital agenda.

This study was on the development and integration of digital games for mental health education in secondary schools. Mental health challenges are becoming common among the youthful population due to substance and drug abuse and depression. A team of 5 researchers and 10 secondary school teachers jointly designed a digital game for teaching and learning mental health lessons in schools. The game prototype was tested and implemented in 5 secondary schools in a period of six weeks. A total of 218 students used the games to take mental health lessons. Game-based learning was evaluated using a questionnaire with five measurements on a Likert scale. The results indicate that the learning process was supported by the students' experience of using digital games and their conscious attention when participating in game-based lessons. The adjusted r square value was 22.5%. Digital game-based learning is an effective tool for teenage mental health education in secondary schools.

The study examined the available approaches to improving gender parity in public secondary schools in Bugiri District. It specifically focused on the approaches put in place to improve gender parities in Public secondary schools, their effectiveness and challenges faced by stakeholder. The study was rooted in the interpretive paradigm and employed a qualitative methodology. Data were obtained from head teachers, teachers and students with the help of semi-structured interview guides that was triangulated with document checks and was analyzed thematically. Findings revealed that in schools where gender-related training was implemented, head teachers and teachers continued to partner with the communities in the provision of school facilities for girls (toilets and restrooms), learning materials, and also advising their children. According to findings, the ministry of education and sports typically advocates for programs that promote gender equality in schools. Further, for female students to feel comfortable and confident in their health while attending school, there are also organizations that produce reusable pads. People who are the victims of gender discrimination typically look for a forum to talk about their issues and need an unbiased listener. According to results, most of the secondary schools have started balancing activities among teachers, with male teachers taking on responsibilities towards female students and female teachers taking care of male students. The gender roles that have been established are still so distinct that many women are referred to as being in charge of the household duties. Conclusively, religious leaders do a lot to participate in the implementation of gender-responsive programs in schools. Most of the secondary schools have started balancing activities among teachers, with male teachers taking on responsibilities towards female students and female teachers taking care of male students.

This paper describes the role of regional institutions in translating regional policy instruments into practical action using the experience of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in training teachers for refugee and host community secondary schools in three pilot member states: Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda. The paper raises questions about the regional organizations could be engaged in developing commonly shared commitments and at the same time implement these policies. Using a participant observation method combined with textual and contextual analysis, the study outlined the results in terms of process, products and lessons achieved in the course of the teacher training process. Regarding the process, the paper highlights consensus building, needs assessment, selection of sites, teachers and trainers as well as development of training modules as important outcomes. The product involves the skill-sets acquired or capacities developed cultural materials and media products. The training initiative brought home useful lessons including the importance of the participatory approach and joint decision-making, the role of partnership, enabling leadership, effective coordination and flexibility in managing joint, multi-stakeholder programs. The paper concludes by articulating the need for further studies and scaling-up the teacher training covering member states that are not involved in the pilot phase.

Within the scope of this study, a psychoeducation program based on multicultural competencies and Berry's acculturation model was developed to improve the adjustment process of international students. In this study, an explanatory sequential design was used. The study group consisted of 34 international students who volunteered for the study. The quantitative results of the study indicated that the Culture-Based Adjustment Program significantly affected the personal and social adjustment of international students. However, it did not significantly affect the adjustment to the university environment, emotional adjustment, dating relationships, and academic adjustment. The qualitative analysis yielded five major categories: (a) expectations, (b) contributions, (c) evaluation of the program, (d) leader, and (e) suggestions. The findings of this study highlight the importance of psychoeducation programs in the adjustment process of international students.

In Uganda, limited agricultural extensionists have always hampered the capacity development efforts of farmers, necessitating partnerships with local and international organizations. This study assessed the progress made by the Iowa State University Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL) toward ending hunger in Uganda. The CSRL partners with Iowa State University Uganda Program and Makerere University in the capacity development of communities through interrelated livelihood education programs including agronomy, agroforestry, orchards, grain storage, and postharvest programs. We surveyed 454 households, of whom 48.2% had participated in extension education programs during the 2014-2018 assessment period. Primarily, these farmers trained mostly in micronutrient vegetable gardening, field agronomical practices, soils, composting, and postharvest/grain storage, least in land-use planning and marketing. The study found that trained households statistically significantly engaged in sack, keyhole, and kitchen gardening and used tarpaulins while drying crops. The study identified a general increase in trained households who cultivated grain amaranths, soybeans, common beans, high-iron beans, and groundnuts, probably due to training and provision of seeds of some crops by the program. Overall, most households engaged in the production of staple foods like sweet potatoes and cassava. Cultivation of cereals, millet, maize, and rice, was reduced between 2014-2017. The major challenges to crop production identified included soil infertility, striga weed infestation, and limited land (average of 3.54 acres). For sustainability, improving the monitoring implementation of agronomical practices is vital. Communities are encouraged to use the CSRL training centers as a hub for learning the principles of agronomy and postharvest management. These centers employ a mode of knowledge transfer and community empowerment, blending indigenous and scientific knowledge and involving the communities in planning education programs.

Purpose: To assess the potential of a paper diary for strengthening accountability in public agricultural extension services. Therefore a paper diary called 'Diary for Agricultural Extension Officers' was developed and tested in Uganda. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative case study research approach was applied for the development and assessment of the diary. Data were collected using focus group discussions and individual face-to-face interviews. Data analysis was conducted using the content analysis method. Findings: Paper diaries can strengthen accountability in public agricultural extension services by enabling alignment of the extension activities of the field agents to the goals of the extension service and to the needs of the beneficiaries, in addition to mitigating information asymmetry about the extension activities. However, the implementation of paper diaries requires sensitization of the beneficiaries on the need for verification and feedback. Practical Implications: This study is centred around addressing a practical problem of field agents' accountability and results have the potential to improve management of public services such as agricultural extension. Moreover, the findings could also be relevant for all types of organizations and service delivery methods. Theoretical implications: This study expanded the boundaries of the principal-agent theory by applying it to the accountability of agricultural extension services using paper diaries, which have hitherto not been widely applied. Originality/value: This study advances the debates of accountability and coordination of agricultural extension services by assessing the potential of a paper diary as the literature has to date assessed the potential of electronic diaries.

Previous studies have paid considerable attention to the impact on a child's primary education of attending pre-primary school. Researchers have asserted that early educational intervention can compensate for the effects of poverty and inadequate learning environments on child development and school success. This study analyzes the relationship between pre-primary education and student reading and mathematics achievement in the sixth grade, focusing on disadvantaged children, in countries that participated in the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) III project. The results show that the achievement of children who attended pre-primary education is higher than that of those who did not. The achievement of children who have many home resources for learning is better than that of children who have a few such resources. In almost all countries, disadvantaged children's achievement is increased when they attend pre-primary education. However, the contribution of pre-primary education to ameliorating social inequalities is different in the various contexts of different countries. These findings contribute to the discussion on the importance of early childhood care and education, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

Uganda hosts the largest number of refugees of any country in Africa. To protect the rights of refugees in the country, Uganda has designed policies regarding the right to quality education participation and freedom of expression. The authors' non-profit organization, Africa Education & Leadership Initiative (Africa ELI), works with refugee youth to increase their ability to achieve their dreams and reach their potential. However, refugee education in Uganda faces a number of challenges. Additionally, Uganda continues to have education policies that are not fully inclusive of refugees, such as the English-only policy that establishes English as the only language taught and valued within the school setting. The Wellbeing Club, was designed to support refugee and local Ugandan youth to help them build their resilience, voice, and expression. The Wellbeing Club is a powerful idea to support the wellbeing of learners, teachers, and, ultimately, the parents and community.

Early childhood education (ECE) is a key investment for improving learning and future outcomes. Yet, in the context of Uganda, it is not compulsory or free, which means that provision tends to be private, and hence there is limited access for children from disadvantaged families, particularly refugees. This article examines the level of access to, and learning outcomes from, ECE among refugees, compared to nationals, over time. Three findings are worth highlighting. First, refugee children were more likely to access ECE relative to nationals. Second, children who access ECE had increased learning outcomes relative to those who did not, with the largest difference observed among nationals with ECE. Third, over time, the benefits of ECE in terms of improved math and English test scores disappear. This article provides insights into the quality of ECE provision, particularly for refugee populations, and raises questions on the benefits of ECE as children progress through Ugandan schooling.

Early marriage and pregnancy hinder global commitment to attain gender parity in education. This article discusses educational challenges experienced by parenting college students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda. The study qualitatively assessed the effects of COVID-19 on the National Teacher Colleges' learning environment. On the reopening of schools after the lockdown, colleges were overwhelmed with an increased number of students who returned either pregnant or with young babies. Colleges were not prepared since pregnancy in college is prohibited through denial of on-campus accommodation and other services. Pregnant students were stigmatized, shunned and blamed for having engaged in immoral sexual behaviour and punished for their indiscretions. Pregnant and abandoned is structural gender-based violence that manifests in the physical, emotional, economic and social violence faced by pregnancy and parenting students, the young mothers are abandoned by their families and partners, and are denied child support and other student services. Future studies need to investigate the effects of such tormenting experiences of being abandoned on the academic performance and future parenting decisions of such girls.

Parent-child communication concerning sexual and reproductive health (SRH) has significant potential to reduce children's risky sexual behaviour. Despite these benefits, few parents communicate with their children about SRH issues in Uganda. Using multi-stage stratified sampling in a cross-sectional survey, we estimated the prevalence and investigated the factors that were associated with recent parent-child communication among 600 children (10-17 years) in border districts of Uganda (Busia and Tororo). Results indicated that 61% of children reported to having received parent-child communication on SRH. Communication was more likely to happen among children living in urban areas (OR=4.88; 95% CI=1.79-13.33), boys (OR=1.84; 95% CI=1.13-3.00), those aged 15-19 years (OR=2.59; 95% CI=1.51-4.46) and among children from households that owned a mobile phone (OR=2.11; 95% CI=1.05-4.21) than their counterparts. Parent-child communication was also higher among children who were comfortable discussing SRH issues (OR=27.12; 95% CI=16.02-45.89) and children from Tororo district (OR=2.34; 95% CI=1.36-4.01). The findings provide a rich understanding of the factors associated with Parent-child communication in the border districts of Uganda. These results provide a basis for policy enactment or revision regarding the encouragement of parent-child communication about SRH in Uganda.

The purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth understanding of the challenges Ugandan parents of children with autism face. Caring for a child with autism poses unique challenges to families and deserves tailor-made remedies. Autism is understudied in Uganda and Africa. This qualitative study reports on results from focus group discussions with six parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Uganda. Using thematic analysis, six themes were identified: Social Stigma, Lack of Support, Financial Burden, Children Need Basic Living Skills, Physical Discipline, and Resilience. Parents reported lack of support in multiple services addressing many life domains across the lifespan while continuously fighting for social stigma. The lack of support reverted parents to using physical discipline to manage behaviours, though parents also showed tenacity in the caregiving process. Parents require services from a multi-disciplinary team that caters to children and youth with ASD as well as their parental needs.

Agricultural studies mainly rely on quantitative research approaches. Despite growing interest in and uptake of qualitative, participatory, and visual methods due to their perceived advantages in gathering in-depth information and empowering participants, visual-digital research methods have yet to be largely applied. In our study on adaptation strategies to climate change among smallholder farmers in Uganda we compared different data collection methods, including: semi-structured interviews with manual note-taking, participatory impact diagrams, and adapted photovoice and cellphilm methodologies.

Purpose: We studied innovation processes in agriculture and nutrition to discuss a scaling approach that encompasses the technical, institutional, and behavioral dimensions of change. Approach: To understand dynamics across these dimensions, we analyzed farmers' innovation processes through two analytical lenses: farmer-centered and structural. Focus group discussions in Kapchorwa, Uganda, and Teso South, Kenya, looked at farmers' choices of innovations. Individual interviews and stakeholder workshops at both study sites increased understanding of the local innovation system. Findings: To address local challenges, strive for livelihood aspirations, and fulfill personal taste preferences, farmers selected and adapted practices promoted by a research project. A wide range of additional support providers encouraged farmers to develop innovations in agriculture, marketing, and nutrition. Practical implications: By promoting innovation as a process rather than an outcome, it is possible to address context-specific needs and enhance farmers' adaptive capacities. Scaling these processes necessitates the involvement of innovation support service providers in order to create an enabling environment for experimentation. Theoretical implications: Analytical dualism highlights the different roles of human agency and structures in innovation processes needed to design successful scaling strategies. Originality/value: This paper sets out a novel approach to understanding the increasingly discussed dimensions of scaling by linking them with concepts from innovation studies.

Background: Mentoring involves the informal conveyance of knowledge, social capital, and support, as perceived by the recipient to be pertinent to aspects of work, career, and personal or professional development. Students pursuing health-related courses need access to mentorship and its benefits during their formative academic and career states. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, many institutions have not fully embraced this despite the benefits of mentorship. Aim: The primary purpose of this study was to assess medical students' knowledge about mentorship and explore their attitudes and practices toward mentorship. Methodology: We held an online cross-sectional study utilizing a pre-tested self-reported questionnaire targeting health professional students in the faculty of medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST). The collected data were coded and summarized using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Results: Two hundred eighty-three (283) students participated in this study. Of this group, 79.9% were aware of mentorship, 61% were willing to commit 1-2 h a week for mentorship, and Zoom was the preferred mode of communication; 98.2% expressed the need for a structured student-led hybrid mentorship program. Conclusion: Mentorship at Mbarara University of Science and Technology was considered beneficial by health professions students in the Faculty of Medicine. Recommendation: Future studies should explore accessibility to mentorship and the effectiveness of existing mentorship processes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which promoting sense of community moderates the relationship between servant leadership style and socially responsible leadership (SRL) of public universities in Uganda. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted cross-sectional survey design to collect data at one point in time using self-administered questionnaires from 214 respondents to examine the relationship between servant leadership and socially responsible leadership with promoting sense of community as a moderator. The study used statistical package for social scientists (SPSS) PROCESS MACRO to establish clusters among the surveyed public universities and later a model was derived. Findings: The study found a significant moderating effect of promoting sense of community on servant leadership and socially responsible leadership. Implying that investment in promoting sense of community creates awareness about the socially responsible leadership in public universities. Practical implications: Managers of public universities need to pay keen interest in promoting sense of community to boost socially responsible leadership by building a strong servant leadership style through promoting sense of community for senior managers and leaders especially heads of departments, faculty deans and principals in public universities. Originality/value: This study contributes to socially responsible leadership literature by advancing the idea that SRL is an important resource that enhances through instituting servant leadership and promoting sense of community in a complex environment. Ideally, servant leadership and promoting sense of community is one of the drivers of customer value, efficiency and effectiveness of public universities.

This paper is based on the findings of a doctoral study that aimed to examine the role of continuing professional development (CPD) in enhancing digital transformation in selected university libraries in Uganda. One of the ways of effecting digital transformation is to continuously build the technological competencies of the librarians working in academic institutions through attending technology-related CPD. The study adopted a mixed methods approach with a convergent parallel design for collecting qualitative and quantitative data from six universities in Uganda. Quantitative data were collected from 76 librarians with a minimum degree-level qualification from the six selected universities. Qualitative data were obtained from six University Librarians working in these universities. The study findings indicated several challenges hindering librarians from participating in technology-related CPDs such as lack of management support, lack of personal interest, limited funding, and lack of opportunities, among others. The implementation of digital transformation within university libraries in Uganda was also reported to be beset by a lack of competent staff, limited management support, lack of funds, and technological gaps. Therefore, this paper presents a proposed model to address challenges hindering the digital transformation and the participation in technology-related continuing professional development activities within academic libraries. The proposed model is based on the study findings, and it draws from Watkin and Marsick's learning organisation model, andragogy theory, the technology-organisation-environment framework, and extant literature. The model will guide academic libraries in the implementation of a conducive environment to necessitate staff development and implementation of digital transformation.

Background: Mentorship is essential for education and career development in health-related fields, yet Sub-Saharan African universities often lack structured programs. To address this, the MedXMentor program was established at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) to provide structured mentorship to undergraduate health sciences students in Uganda. This paper outlines insights gained from implementing the MedXMentor hybrid mentorship program. Methods: Using a mixed-methods approach, the study employed the Kirkpatrick Model of Evaluation to assess mentees' reactions, learning, behavior, and goal achievement. Data were collected via Google Form surveys, feedback forms, mentoring logs, and session attendance records. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis provided a comprehensive understanding of the program's impact. Results: The program served 80 mentees, with 48 participating in one-on-one mentorship and 32 in group sessions. It enlisted 24 mentors, mainly from the medical field. Between April and September 2022, eight online group sessions were held, with an average attendance rate of 52%. These sessions focused on project planning, grant writing, and soft skills development, resulting in improved mentee comprehension and skill acquisition. Mentees reported an enhanced understanding of project planning, grant writing, communication, leadership, and teamwork. Their experiences were categorized into four themes: Mentor Engagement, Goal-Oriented Study, Skills and Professional Development, and High-Yield Mentor-Mentee Engagements. Conclusion and recommendations: Implementing the MedXMentor program proved effective in providing crucial mentorship and equipping students with vital academic and professional skills. The program highlighted its potential to bridge the mentorship gap in low-resource settings. By empowering future healthcare professionals in Africa, MedXMentor exemplifies how mentorship initiatives can drive significant advancements in healthcare education and practice.

To participate fully in the global knowledge economy, all countries require strong research and innovation eco-systems. This crucially depends on the efficiency of doctoral education and training. We examined the trajectory of doctoral education in Uganda over the past four decades focusing on number of doctoral awards and equity in regard to sex, STEM versus Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and private versus public providers. We collected data from all institutions providing doctoral education in Uganda through comprehensive review of documents. Our analysis of data revealed low capacity for doctoral education in Uganda. There was under production of doctorates depicted by the low number of doctoral awards; and inequalities in regard to sex, STEM versus Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and the public versus private providers. We argue that the trends in equity and number of doctoral awards translate into low number of researchers per million inhabitants, low number of researchers engaged in research and development (R&D), and gender disparity in researchers' participation in R&D. We conclude that the low number and inequalities in doctoral awards have deterring implications to the attainment of national development goals. We proffer desired trajectories for the future of doctoral education and training in Uganda.

In this paper, drawing on an extensive research project across three countries (VET Africa 4.0 Collective 2023), we produce an emerging argument that it is necessary to rethink and reframe VET logics and approaches in a warming future dominated by informality and mass unemployment. Currently, neither the formal VET college or workplace are adequately set up to provide the type(s) of VET that are in demand or needed for just transitioning and sustainable futures. We acknowledge the importance of political economy accounts in developing a richer understanding of VET, but suggest these are not sufficient for dealing with the existential and practical crisis of the climate emergency. We note that many scholars have sought to address this tension in the academic literature by adopting a political ecology account that reframes the theoretical and political challenge. This leads us to call for a political-economy-ecology account of VET. Although we acknowledge the limited nature of our approach here, we offer some thoughts for VET analysis with reflection on these theoretical issues applied to four cases studies from Uganda and South Africa of VET provisioning in oil, transport, water and food (which materially shape our cases).

Purpose: Multiple value chain challenges confront smallholder farmers, which necessitate context-specific solutions. Family resources, such as information and production inputs, are valuable assets for farmers. When properly used, farmers' family resources can help them in learning how to address value chain challenges. Yet, the learning in rural agricultural value chain literature still does not inform how family resources influence farmers' learning. Design/methodology/approach: Face-to-face interviews with 214 coffee farmers were used to investigate how family resources shape farmers' experiential learning process. The data was analyzed using PLS-SEM. Findings: Results show that family resources play a crucial role in farmers' experiential learning process, particular in reflecting on and addressing value chain challenges they are confronted with. Practical implications: Smallholder farms, as a collective and farmer-centered experiential learning context, can serve as a source of inspiration for extension agents bringing the paradigm shift from technology transfer to participatory advisory services to reality. Theoretical implications: The study contributes to experiential theory in the context of agriculture by advancing a model on how rural family support can function as a resource to change the mechanisms underlying farmers' experiential learning. Originality/value: The smallholder farm is a node in larger social learning networks (e.g. Innovation platform), where resources such as information, labor, emotional support, and production inputs, circulate.

This article examines how the philosophy of Ubuntu is reflected in assessment and feedback provision systems of Indigenous dance education in African communities. In environments where urbanization, globalization, digitalization, and existing traces of colonialism are contesting Indigenous epistemologies, examining how communities value and leverage Indigenous philosophies to teach Indigenous dances is necessary. I draw on hermeneutic phenomenological stories and my participant observations to reveal that the complex assessment and feedback mechanisms support individual growth and community connections as a basis for knowledge production and holistic education. Manifested in music, community connection, embodied observations, community values and ethics, communal participation, and peer support, the assessment and feedback are engrained in mutuality, dialogue, connection, care, open-mindedness, moral maturity, inclusion, belonging, embodied participation, and individual innovation as ethos of interhuman relationships and relationality. Insights are provided on how dance practitioners can approach creating, performing, teaching, and sharing dance as community-building experiences and interhuman connections.

Practical experience and first-hand insight into the school systems of other countries enables student teachers to cultivate global understanding. Teacher education programme in Sweden has four placements. Student teachers are encouraged to complete one of these abroad. The aim with this study is to examine student teachers' experiences of teaching primary school pupils in Uganda. The study underpins by the concepts of ethical literacy, the other and action readiness. Student teachers' reflections on their experiences deal with the emotions that are aroused in their process work of becoming a teacher. The results show that the experiences from teaching in a postcolonial school system were overwhelming for the student teachers involved. The study raises concerns about the incentives to develop future teacher qualities versus arranging internships abroad to develop students' personal growth.

Pedagogical reforms, specifically, the Thematic Curriculum and the Local Language Policy, have failed to improve literacy in Uganda despite a concerted effort from the Government of Uganda and its international development partners. This paper distills the major literacy programs used to scale up the reforms nationwide and summarizes what they did and their effects on the different components of reading. It concludes with a discussion on why the reforms and their intervention programs underperformed. It argues for a reform approach that ensures that the system has sufficient capacity to deliver the new content and pedagogy before implementation.

This collaborative co-authored article argues that performance is a portal that can connect 'infinite' and 'far' communities, and that portals can invite a sense of world-building through digital connections. For two months, a gold shipping container in Glasgow connected to other portals in Iraq, Rwanda, Mexico City, Palestine and Uganda for intimate performance encounters. Using performances created for the Climate Portals festival at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland during COP26 in November 2021, this article considers performance as a portal that provokes reconsiderations of space, place, and time.