Dissertationen zum Thema „Education, Higher – Uganda“

Conferencia realizado del 12 al 14 de setiembre en Lima, Peru del 2012 en el marco del 15º Simposio Internacional de Tesis y Disertaciones Electrónicas (ETD 2012). Evento aupiciado por la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM) y la Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC).
Objective: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the progress so far made by Uugandan universities in establishing Institutional Repositories (IRs) Methods: A questionnaire was designed and distributed among the member institutions of the Consortium of Uganda Uuniversity Librarries (CUUL). Data received from the questionnaires was augmented by osite visits, discussions and interviews with the university libraries. Results: Despite numerous benefits associated with IRs, few institutions have established IRs in Uganda due to certain barriers. This paper argues that although these imbalances are manifested, opportunities still exists for the establishment of IRs for national development. Recommendations: The paper emphasizes the need for partnerships with the different stakeholders in the planning and developing institutional repositories. Conclusions: Insitutional repositories should be considered as principal benchmarks of digital scholarship. Originality/value – It is believed that higher institutions of learning and communities would benefit substantially from establishing IRs. However, it can only be possible with well developed infrastructure, increased funding, coordination and advocacy.

Since independence in 1962, the education system in Uganda has comprised four levels under the control of the Ministry of Education and Sports, namely, the pre-school, primary education, post-primary education and higher education. In 1986, the National Resistance Movement formed a series of commissions to investigate the functioning of the Ministry of Education and Sports. Subsequently, the Education Policy Review Commission was established and made the recommendation to universalise primary education. In 1996, the President announced free education for all with the main components including the provision of free education for a maximum of four children per family, and the removal of school fees in primary schools from grades one to seven. The main goal was to provide for the minimum necessary facilities and resources to enable all Ugandan children of school-going age to enter and remain in school until the primary cycle is completed. However, the implementation of Universal Primary Education in Uganda has been met with various challenges. The current planning and organising framework does not support its implementation with communication and coordination challenges cited as most problematic. This study focuses on proposing a planning and organising framework that will address the issues regarding policy implementation, coordination and communication. Specifically, the study will focus on:

a) describing the internal and external environment within which Universal Primary Education in Uganda is implemented; b) exploring the planning and organising challenges hindering the implementation of Universal Primary Education in Uganda; and c) proposing a comprehensive planning and organising framework to support the implementation of Universal Primary Education in Uganda.

The study employs a qualitative approach and data is collected through the use of an extensive literature review supported by qualitative interviewing of key role-players employed by the Ministry of Education and Sports in Uganda. International best practices are used to determine the planning and organising requirements for successful implementation. The study proposes the establishment of a Department of Primary Education responsible for ensuring the appropriate involvement of all role-players in the planning and organising functions. The establishment of such a department will ensure that monitoring and evaluation, accountability of finances and effective communication are achieved. By placing emphasis on the planning and organising requirements for implementation, the aim of providing free education to all Ugandan children might be achieved. Copyright
Dissertation (MAdmin)--University of Pretoria, 2010.
School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA)
unrestricted

Educational institutions are known to be at the heart of complex computing systems in any region in which they exist, especially in Africa. The existence of high end computing power, often connected to the Internet and to research network grids, makes educational institutions soft targets for attackers. Attackers of such networks are normally either looking to exploit the large computing resources available for use in secondary attacks or to steal Intellectual Property (IP) from the research networks to which the institutions belong. Universities also store a lot of information about their current students and staff population as well as alumni ranging from personal to financial information. Unauthorized access to such information violates statutory requirement of the law and could grossly tarnish the institutions name not to mention cost the institution a lot of money during post-incident activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the information security practices that have been put in place by Research and Education Network of Uganda (RENU) member institutions to safeguard institutional data and systems from both internal and external security threats. The study was conducted on six member institutions in three phases, between the months of May and July 2011 in Uganda. Phase One involved the use of a customised quantitative questionnaire tool. The tool - originally developed by information security governance task-force of EDUCAUSE - was customised for use in Uganda. Phase Two involved the use of a qualitative interview guide in a sessions between the investigator and respondents. Results show that institutions rely heavily on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems and services and that all institutions had already acquired more than three information systems and had acquired and implemented some of the cutting edge equipment and systems in their data centres. Further results show that institutions have established ICT departments although staff have not been trained in information security. All institutions interviewed have ICT policies although only a few have carried out policy sensitization and awareness campaigns for their staff and students.
TeX

Anthropology
Ph.D.
My dissertation "'If books fail, try beauty': Gender, consumption, and higher education in Uganda," explores students' romantic entanglements at Uganda's Makerere University (the "Harvard of Africa") in order to illuminate emerging processes of value creation in the context of controversial market-based education reforms. Each chapter of my dissertation (in addition to the Introduction and Conclusion) speaks to an underlying question: Why do educated, financially stable young women engage in sexual transactions that incur significant biomedical and social risk? Ultimately, I demonstrate how these reforms - in opposition to their gender equality aims - compel novel sexual and consumption practices that undermine female students' opportunities for success. The aims of my dissertation are three-fold. First, I analyze the interlinked sexual and consumption practices of an emerging demographic group in a post-structural adjustment economy; namely, young, educated, unmarried women. Because they occupy this novel life stage, female students are structurally positioned to be a particularly revelatory group for examining the relationship between institutional restructuring and transforming gender, class, and generational norms in East Africa. Second, this project provides a crucial counterpoint to the bulk of Africanist literature that conflates "youth" with "young men." In doing so, my analysis generates insight into how young women navigate the challenges and opportunities wrought by higher education reform. Third, by taking seriously the prevalence of HIV on African university campuses, this project produces useful knowledge about cross-generational sex and multiple concurrent partnerships - practices that directly contribute to disproportionate rates of HIV among young African women (as opposed to men).
Temple University--Theses

The purpose of this study was to develop and empirically test a hypothetical model of factors impacting performance of training institutions in Uganda in order to establish their statistical significance. The liberalisation of the education sector in Uganda, which has led to the rapid growth in the establishment of private sector higher education institutions in the country, now necessitates empirical and theoretical research into the factors impacting performance of these training institutions. The mission of higher education training institutions is to constantly create a critical academic community to debate national issues and to generate relevant knowledge for the country’s economic growth and development. The study investigated and analysed how the independent variables (individual-, institutional- and external) impact institutional performance (dependent variable). The study reviewed literature in the areas of individual-, institutional- and external factors supported by Wei’s (2006), Mackenzie-Phillips (2008), Burke-Litwin (1994), Lusthaus, Adrien, Anderson and Carden (1999) and The Jain (2005) models as presented in section 6 of chapter one. The hypothetical model developed was based on the models mentioned. The study sought the perceptions of managers and utilised the quantitative research paradigm. A survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire distributed to managers in both public and private training institutions in Uganda. The final sample comprised 488 respondents. Data was collected in 2012 over a period of four months. The returned questionnaires were subjected to several statistical analyses. The validity of the measuring instrument was ascertained using exploratory factor analysis. The Cronbach’s alpha values for reliability were calculated for each of the factors identified during the exploratory factor analysis. In this study, correlation and exploratory factor analysis, the KMO measure of sample adequacy and Bartlett’s test of sphericity and regressions were the main statistical procedures used to test the appropriateness of data, correlation and significance of the relationships hypothesised between the various independent and dependent variables. The study identified nine independent variables as significantly impacting the performance (dependent variable) of training institutions in Uganda. Three statistical significant relationships were found between the individual factors: knowledge acquisition, role identity, employee empowerment and performance of training institutions in Uganda. Four statistical significant relationships were found between the institutional factors: strategic intent, management capabilities, organisational resources, organisational culture and performance of training institutions in Uganda. Two statistical significant relationships were found between the external factors: political/legal, stakeholders and performance of training institutions in Uganda. The study also found five statistically insignificant variables. It was found that managers in training institutions in Uganda should encourage employees to assess their own performance. Managers should formulate a policy on transparency and practice open communication using the right communication channels. Training institutions in Uganda should consider having organic and flatter organisational structures with a wider span of control. Managers should regard economic variables such as inflation rates and tax obligations when planning and drawing up budgets as this will impact their profitability. There is a need in Uganda to collaborate with and forge close relationships with international training institutions and global partners to become more globally competitive. The study has provided general guidelines at individual level how to best utilize employees to improve performance of training institutions in Uganda. Furthermore, general operational guidelines at institutional level for improving performance of training institutions have been given for such institutions to become and remain competitive in the global market place. The study has also highlighted general guidelines regarding managing external environmental factors to assist in improving performance of training institutions in Uganda.

Magister Administrationis - MAdmin
The study of student politics in Africa has evolved in the last decade from a focus on non-institutionalised student activism and student movements to institutionalised student political participation in institutions of higher education. Thus it followed a development route in which student leadership had to find new ways in which to organise their movements in institutional, national and continental political organisations to influence policy and remain relevant in students’ lives. Since this study focuses on one particular dimension of this change, the study seeks to understand the relationship between student leaders in Makerere University, Kampala, and political parties in Uganda. The specific focus of the study is on highlighting the reasons for establishing and maintaining the relationship; the arrangements necessary for the relationship to exist, and how the relationship impacts on the ability of student leaders to represent students’ interests. Following an analysis of the relevant literature in line with the topic, it was decided that a mixed methods approach would be suitable for the study. Hence in-depth interviews were conducted with student leaders and leaders of national political parties and an online survey targeting all undergraduate students at Makerere University was done (as part of a larger study). Theoretically, the study adopted a framework originally proposed by Schmitter and Streeck (1999), and adapted it to study the relationship between student leaders and political parties, drawing also on the insights of studies that had previously used adaptations of the same framework to study student leadership in other contexts. The study found a continuing historical relationship between student leaders of Makerere University and political parties in Uganda. It found that a significant number of students are members of a political party, whereby student leaders are most likely not only to be ordinary party members, but party leaders. Political parties use the student guild elections to recruit new members. As part of being members of a political party, student leaders tend to be more influential in weak political parties, in contrast to a ruling party which is more influential in student politics given its ability to provide access to government resources. Moreover, the relationship is such that student leaders from Makerere University are most likely to end up in powerful political positions in the country (e.g. Byaruhanga, 2006; Mugume and Katusiimeh, 2014); this situation corresponds to the reasons that student leaders give for establishing relationships with political parties in the first place, as most student leaders have future political ambitions. The most influential organisations in student politics appear to be political parties, followed by cultural groups on campus. The study also highlights weaknesses in formal institutional governance structures given that student leaders believe their problems are better addressed in personal networks with members of university management staff than through the committee system. The relationship between student leaders and political parties generally leads to positive developments such as student leadership training in democratic politics; consequently they are even able to satisfy their personal interests in the process. It is further argued that students who are not in leadership positions mostly gain indirectly from the benefits that student leaders may derive from their relationship with political parties. For example, student leaders may govern their organisation better. However the evidence also strongly shows that such indirect gains are highly compromised in cases where student leaders have future political ambitions, as they may sacrifice the students’ interests in order to maintain their good reputation in the party. Since most student leaders aspire to be politicians in future, the study concludes by acknowledging that the relationship between student leaders and political parties has some positive consequences to students not involved in leadership, but they are outweighed by negative consequences. Hence it is argued in the conclusion that, taking into account the scope of this study, the relationship is largely a distraction to the student leaders rather than assisting them in enhancing their ability to represent students’ concerns.

The emerging social collaborative technologies such as Facebook and Twitter are greatly influencing the evolution of e-learning in higher education. As these technologies become more easily available to students and lecturers, the approach to e-learning continues to evolve leading to a social collaborative e-learning (SoCeL) model. SoCeL involves social interactions and collaborations among students and lecturers in order to make it easy for them to construct and share knowledge. They exchange ideas and share their own digital products using these technologies to facilitate learning. Studies have however, shown that using social collaborative technologies in the learning process has not always had definite success. This may be attributed to lack of a framework to guide effective integration. The perceived absence of suitable frameworks is addressed in this work by developing frameworks to guide effective integration of SoCeL. This empirical study follows the requirements engineering process and uses a mixed methods approach involving case study and human-computer interaction ethnography to explore the environment in which social collaborative technologies are adopted in two universities in Uganda. Data were analysed using qualitative and quantitative approaches to establish requirements for SoCeL effective integration. The findings of this study are grouped in two broad areas: learning environment and adoption of social collaborative technologies. Based on these findings, the SoCeL environment framework and SoCeL adoption frameworks were developed. These provide the basis on which important recommendations are made. In conclusion, the thesis argues that SoCeL can be effectively integrated in higher education if the learning environment focuses on an integrated design. The design should bring together: informal learning, social networking and learning management.

The World Bank is one of the most dominant influences in higher education policy in Sub Saharan Africa. Throughout the 1990s, the Bank consistently asserted that a reduced role of the state in providing and organising educational services, and a greater reliance on pricing systems in the allocation of those services would have a positive effect on both equity and efficiency in higher education. Critics of this approach countered that the Bank's neo-liberal framework was inappropriate to the provision of a public good such as education and that, in particular, the introduction of user charges was risky, inequitable and inefficient. This thesis explores these claims and counterclaims through an exploratory case-study of Makerere University (Uganda). Its particular focus is on the introduction of a series of cost-sharing measures, most notably the acceptance of 'privately sponsored students' to the University from the mid-1990s onwards. The thesis examines what impact these initiatives have had on questions of equity and efficiency within the institution, while also interrogating their sustainability. Using a series of semi-structured interviews with senior university and government officials, as well as official university documents and World Bank reports, the major changes to student financing at Makerere are studied and described. The impact that the changes have had on the question of efficiency, equity and sustainability are analysed, using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, including a series of semi-structured interviews with senior academics and administrators; focus discussion groups with students; and a student survey (n 1,030). It is demonstrated that the major effect of the changes to student financing has been the rapid increase of students being able to come to Makerere, as well as the associated increase in resources which these students have brought with them to the institution. It is argued that the injection of new resources has positively affected the efficiency of the university, but that increasing concerns are being raised about equity, as the poor are disproportionately excluded from the opportunities offered by the new funding approach. It is suggested further that the heavy reliance on extended family networks for financing ultimately raises questions about the sustainability of the new programmes. Much of the debate over the financing of higher education has been underpinned by the concern that the way in which a higher education system receives funding has a powerful influence in determining what it does - in particular the impact that a shift away from public funding will have on the sector's contribution to national development. It is concluded here that that the way in which the debate over the financing of higher education is currently constructed encourages an overly economistic view of the sector and its role. It is argued that higher education is especially unsuited to this role. The case study demonstrates that currently there is less to be gained from being dogmatic about the role of either the state or the market, than a greater acceptance that failures of either can result in distorted development. Policy implications point towards a greater understanding of the need to identify what is the most appropriate role for each to play to complement one another in a given context. This is needed so that a particular mix is not at the expense of either equity or efficiency, and to ensure that mix remains sustainable.

A mixed methods research focusing on the feminist perspective was applied using an adaptation of Bronfrenbrenner’s (2005) ecological cycle to investigate the causes and appropriate responses to the underrepresentation of the Ugandan Muslim Woman in the field of higher education. The premise of the study was based upon human rights. The UN Millennium Development Goals Report (2007) suggested that despite the leaps and bounds female emancipation groups were taking toward a free, fair and equitable environment toward education, women still fared poorly in accessing higher education. Equality of access to and attainment of educational qualifications was necessary if more women were to become agents of change since education for girls was argued to be the single most effective way of alleviating poverty (King 1993). However, "Traditional cultures and sexist stereotypes diffused by media and religious extremists often affect girls' access to education; dropout rates and professional or higher education opportunities" (UN Report 2003). Notwithstanding Uganda’s affirmative action policies that openly favoured women’s progress in education, various factors adapted from Bronfrenbrenner’s ecological cycle (2005) were found to combine to lower the academic performance and aspirations of girls even when they did remain in school. An online questionnaire and semi structured in depth interviews captured women’s voices at Makerere University, Uganda and these were qualitatively analysed and coded into themes which were identified as enablers, barriers and strategies adapted by Muslim women in their pursuit of higher education. Interestingly enough religion and culture were perceived as both barriers and enablers depending on the attitudes and perceptions of different families. It is hoped that the findings of this study would subsequently make a significant contribution, so that women’s education is more effectively represented as a means towards achieving targets set by several mandates including the Millennium development goals (MDG’s), Education for All (EFA) and Widening Participation into higher Education.

This research synthesizes data and presents it using mapping software to help to identify potential site locations for community-centered higher education alternatives and more traditional junior-level colleges in Uganda. What factors can be used to quantify one site over another for the location of such an institution and if these factors can be isolated; why should they be used by local authorities? the variables are secured from the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ), Afrobarometer, census data, as well as technology reports and surveys. These variables are reduced, grouped and mapped to help determine the best location for a junior-level college. the use of local expert opinion on geopolitical, economic, and educational situations can be interfaced with the database data to identify potential sites for junior-level colleges with the potential to reduce the failure rate of such post-secondary school ventures. These data are analyzed in the context of reported higher education policies and outcomes from the national ministries, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), quality assurances agencies in the region, the World Bank, and national datasets. the final product is a model and tool that can be used by local experts to better select future sites to expand higher education, especially in rural areas in the least developed countries.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the CRPD) guarantees disabled people a right to education without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunities. Uganda is a State Party to the CRPD. This research, examines the extent to which Uganda is realising a right to education for disabled people in higher education as per the UN human rights law obligations. To that effect, the research through an empirical study, analyses how the current Ugandan disability law implements the UN human rights law obligations in higher education, its effects on policy for disabled people and the effects of those policies on the lives of disabled people in higher education. This study reveals that, while Uganda has proliferation of disability legal provisions, their ideals have not yet being adequately translated to the reality of disabled people in the institutions of higher education. This is attributed to: the social-economic factors impinging on the realisation of education as a right, including factors hindering the realisation of disability rights in the country; limited enforcement of the disability legislation generally in the country, and in particular in higher education; and limited awareness about disability discrimination and in turn limited disability mainstreaming in higher education. As a result, institutions of higher education are generally challenged in providing equal opportunities for disabled people. Thus, there is limited inclusion of disabled people in higher education in Uganda. In light of that finding, this research recommends higher education sector to undertake strategic interventions that seek to effectively implement the disability legal framework and as well as enhancing non-legal mechanisms to bringing about equal opportunities for disabled people in higher education. These interventions include increasing disability awareness and disability mainstreaming in the institutions of higher education, government organs with statutory mandate over higher education and development partners directly supporting higher education. The study also recommends that another way to build the internal capacity of higher education institutions on disability inclusion is through undertaking emancipatory disability research with them as that has an empowering effect on the participants.

In a world that is now a global village, enterprising individuals, especially from Third World countries, who make it to greener pastures do not leave their children behind. But with a long list of barriers to academic achievement associated with immigrant and minority students in American high schools, an understanding of the experiences and barriers to academic achievement of immigrant high school students from Uganda and other countries becomes inevitable if those students are to be helped by their school administrators, teachers, counselors, and parents to graduate from high school. This study utilized a qualitative approach from the perspective of Ogbu's cultural ecological theory about immigrant and minority students. The study took place in Southern California. Each of the ten Ugandan immigrant students (identified by pseudonyms) was interviewed for 30 to 45 minutes. The participants' responses to the 14 interview questions were voice-recorded, transcribed, interpreted, coded, and categorized into themes. Study findings suggested that: Ugandan immigrant students were not without obstacles in their American schools. Ugandan immigrant students struggled with adjusting to a new school system where they were asked to repeat grades. They endured negative peer evaluation, found communicating in English problematic, and were threatened by youth gangs. However, the perceived barriers to the academic achievement of Ugandan immigrant students did not prevent them from doing well in their schools in Southern California. The success of Ugandan immigrant students in spite of their perceived barriers to academic achievement in American schools was attributed to their life and school experiences in Uganda (prior to immigration) that prepared them to face barriers with resilience.

Measles remains a major global public health problem. Attainment of high population immunity to measles through vaccination is necessary to control this disease. Children infected with HIV infection often experience secondary measles vaccine failure by 2 years of age, making them susceptible to measles. It is not clear whether HIV-infected children on Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment (HAART), older than 2 years, have a higher risk of measles than HIV-uninfected children. This retrospective cohort study, guided by the proximate determinants framework, was conducted to compare the risk of measles between HIV-infected children on HAART (exposed) and HIV-uninfected peers (unexposed). The age group with the highest measles susceptibility in the exposed children, which could inform timing for revaccination, was investigated. The role of age at initiation of HAART, low CD4+ count, and undernutrition as predictors of the risk of measles in the exposed children was examined. Univariate, bivariate, and binomial logistic regression analytical procedures were used in data analysis. Results showed no significant difference in the risk of measles between exposed and unexposed children. The age groups 5 to 9 years and 2 to 4 years were the first and second most affected by measles among the exposed children. Undernutrition (stunting) was a significant predictor of measles in exposed children (odds ratio of 4.14, p = 0.02), while age at initiation of HAART and CD4+ count prior to measles exposure were not. The study findings provide evidence to inform vaccination policy and nutrition care for HIV-infected children on HAART in Uganda, so as to reduce their risk of measles illness and mortality, thus contributing to positive social change for the children and the country.

This case study investigated teachers’ perceptions of contextual influences on their instruction and student engagement on sexuality discourses within four selected schools in Kampala, Uganda. The question that guided the study was: What and how are the contextual factors as perceived by health education teachers in Uganda influencing classroom discourses on sexuality? The research is grounded within two relevant theoretical frameworks; constructivism and the conceptual change theory (CCT). Constructivism acknowledges that individuals have preconceived notions rooted in their social, cultural and historical backgrounds, and CCT enables teachers to develop strategies that allow learners opportunities to reexamine their preconceptions about phenomena with a view of aligning them with canonical science. Through a narrative methodological approach, teachers narrated their stories based on their lived classroom experiences. Data sources included researcher’s field notes, e-mail correspondences, semi-structured questionnaires, and audio recordings of the teachers’ narratives. The data corpus was analyzed following intense dialogic analysis procedures, which encompassed elements of thematic and structural analytical methods as well as other broad interpretive dimensions such as how talk among speakers is dialogically produced. The findings revealed that while there is some form of sexuality education in schools and while teachers are very enthusiastic about its implementation, it is largely constrained by a plethora of contextual factors. Four themes that best addressed the inquiry were identified: 1) Dilemmas around navigating conflicting social stances; 2) Competing dichotomies with regards to adolescent sex health provision; 3) Teachers’ inadequate training to play the envisioned roles as sexuality educators; and 4) Relegation of Sex Health Education (SHE) to extracurricular status undermines its value and potential. The teachers therefore have a steep task to continue searching for appropriate pedagogical approaches to diffuse these dilemmas. This thesis provides a nuanced approach to understanding the practical realities and complexities involved in designing a framework for SHE delivery in schools, and also suggests various approaches teachers can employ to bring about meaningful learning.
Education, Faculty of
Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of
Graduate

University education is ideally expected to significantly expand higher education capabilities among students. Yet, if left unchecked, university education processes can under-equip students in terms of higher education capabilities. In the last one and a half decades, public university education in Uganda has been rapidly growing in terms of student enrolment and course completion. However, the higher education capability levels among students and consequently new graduates (2001-2010) have apparently been declining, especially in terms of practical reason, sociality and participation, learning dispositions, and science and technology. The current study analyses why the new graduates of public universities in Uganda are seemingly deficient in higher education capabilities. Data for analysis were mainly collected from 221 stakeholders of two public universities, namely Makerere University and Mbarara University. The analysis focused on respondents’ perceptions of the three sub-variables of university education, namely curriculum content, teaching processes, and learning processes. Through regression analysis, it was established that these sub-variables jointly predict higher education capability expansion among students in Uganda by 81.2%. Meanwhile, results from qualitative analyses suggest that the curriculum content of public university education is at an acceptable standard and, therefore, a minor cause of higher education capability deficiency among students. However, the teaching processes are perceived as ineffective since lecturers mainly use non-participatory approaches, teach fewer sessions than timetabled, and engage ‘liberal’ quality assurance measures that are open to abuse. Moreover, the learning approaches of some students seem to be surface in nature and the students’ levels of research learning and practice are low. Hence, the study conclusions suggest that low levels of higher education capabilities among students or new graduates in Uganda are largely due to ineffective teaching and learning processes at the two public universities studied. Consequently, the study recommends that, in a bid to enhance higher education capability expansion among students, public universities should focus on improving teaching processes and learning processes, particularly on staff pedagogical skills, commitment, quality controls, and reducing the number of students enrolled in most university courses.
Development Studies
D. Litt et Phil. (Development Studies)

Knowledge management and organisational learning have received much attention in recent times, owing to the increased recognition which has been accorded knowledge as a source of organisational success and sustainability. Researchers and practitioners have become increasingly interested in striving to understand how the two notions can be harnessed in order to attain that success. However, while it seems clear that both knowledge management and organisational learning have the same goals, that is to nurture and harness knowledge resources, the concepts have tended, in the past, to be regarded independently of each other, with parallel strategies having been implemented for each. Such an imposed separation has, at times, resulted in resource duplication and unsatisfactory outcomes for the organisations concerned. The current study examines the nature of the relationship between knowledge management and organisational learning in higher educational institutions in Uganda, with the aim of providing a unified framework for understanding how the above-mentioned knowledge-based concepts relate to each other. A mixed methodology approach was applied to achieve the set objective. Quantitative data were collected using questionnaires from 270 respondents, employed at six higher educational institutions (comprising four universities, one management development institute, and one business school). Qualitative data, in contrast, were collected by means of interviews which were conducted with 13 key informants from three different institutions. Analytical techniques of correlation analysis, regression analysis and canonical correlation analysis were applied to the quantitative data, while content analysis procedure was applied to the qualitative data. Empirical evidence confirmed that knowledge management and organisational learning have an interdependent relationship, which is manifested in two main dimensions, namely the institutional strategic focus and people (human resources) focus. Based on such dimensions, the study proposes a re-conceptualisation of the linkage between knowledge management and organisational learning, aimed at evolving the two concepts into a single organisational knowledge sustainability concept in higher educational institutions. Such a joint concept emphasises the effective utilisation of existing knowledge, while, at the same time, focusing on the importance of continuous learning for acquiring new knowledge to meet future organisational knowledge requirements. In addition, empirical evidence from this study show that knowledge management practices play an important role in promoting learning at various levels of the organisation. The study concludes that knowledge management has not been fully integrated in the strategic agenda of most higher education institutions in Uganda and much internal knowledge is not properly harnessed for the benefit of such institutions. The study recommends that, in the current information age, higher education institutions in Uganda should prioritise both knowledge management and organisational learning by implementing strategies aimed at exploiting existing knowledge, as well as at exploring new knowledge. Lastly, recommendations for future research are presented.

The design of any information management system (IMS) requires a clear strategy for its integration into the environment for which it is intended. Information management has been addressed in the objectives and plans of the Government of Uganda since independence in 1962, with varying degrees of success. The extensive changes that have taken place in the last few decades in Ugandan higher education have led to increased demands for managing student information. In turn a strategy for proper coordination of such data is necessary. The major aim of this study was to design such a strategy. The research therefore attempted to investigate the current state of the management and coordination of student information in Uganda. The needs and requirements of a student information management system (SIMS) and strategies for its integration in higher education programmes were established. The study carried out in the education sector was conducted using a qualitative research framework that provided a coherent set of propositions which explains the phenomenon of a SIMS. The researcher purposively selected the respondents (including key informants, administrators and student leaders) in this sector, who included people involved in the capture, storage, management and use of student information in various institutions in the given sector. Observably, the current state of the SIMS lacks a strategy to keep track of student information in Uganda. It was established that to ensure tracking of such data in the country, an identification system with standardised procedures in a coordinating structure is required together with a clear strategy for utilising the existing structures in the education sector. To design a strategy of this kind, a proposed framework for an integrated SIMS defined the principles, environment and contextual boundaries in terms of which the design is created. It defines the structure of a national student identification system and its coordination in the education sector in Uganda. Strategies for ensuring the sustainability of such a system and its implications for the socio-economic environment of higher education are considered.
Information Science
D. Lit. et Phil. (Information Science)

Title on printed copy differs slightly from ETD. Title on printed copy: A critical analysis of HIV/AIDS policy development and implementation at selected Ugandan universities
The main objectives of the study were to analyse the process involved in HIV/AIDS policy development and implementation at two selected universities in Uganda. The rationale for the study was to describe the policy development process and to identify how such institutional policies can be planned, operationalised, monitored and evaluated. The study used a qualitative approach which involved key informant interviews and focus group discussions. The selected institutions were Makerere University Kampala (MUK)and Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST). The findings show that MUST have a comprehensive HIV/AIDS Institutional Policy (HIP) which followed several stages during policy development. The basic stages identified were policy formulation, policy adoption, policy implementation and policy evaluation. The findings also show that MUST have a comprehensive implementation plan. In contrast, MUK had no record of the HIV/AIDS institutional policy development process. However, MUK had implemented the policy successfully through the University Hospital and Gender Mainstreaming Division.
Social Work
M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)