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Land use/cover change and its implications on carbon stocks in the urban green spaces of Mbarara city
No full textxii, 77 p. : ill. (col.) ;Urban land use/cover change-driven effects on carbon stocks and emissions have become a critical concern for the attainment of sustainable urban development. Yet, the historical, current and future land use/cover changes and subsequent impact on carbon stocks in urban green spaces have not been well documented in the rapidly expanding cities in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to investigate the spatial-temporal land use/cover change and its impact on carbon stocks in urban green spaces in Mbarara city by; (i) examining the spatial-temporal changes in LULC between 2013 and 2023; (ii) quantifying current and historical carbon stocks in the different green spaces; and (iii) predicting LULCC and carbon stocks for 2043. To examine the LULCC, the study used satellite data from the USGS Earth Explorer for the series 2013, 2018 and 2023. Iso-Cluster and Maximum likelihood classification were used for image analysis in ArcGIS 10.8 version, and six LULC classes were identified; built-up areas, bushland, cropland, grassland, tree plantations and wetland. To determine the AGC, field measurements of tree DBH and height were taken and a destructive approach was used for the grass and herbaceous vegetation. Samples were taken to the laboratory for carbon content analysis. In addition, the LULC for 2043 was predicted using the CA-Markov model and future carbon stocks were computed following the IPCC guidelines. The findings revealed that built-up areas and tree plantations steadily increased in spatial extent by 11.8% and 0.3 % respectively while grassland, cropland, bushland and wetland decreased by 6.9, 4.2, 0.8 and 0.3% respectively by 2023. In addition, the built-up areas experienced the highest net gain while grassland experienced the highest net loss. Still, the total aboveground carbon stocks in green spaces were 73.40, 72.27 and 75.44 Gg for 2013, 2018 and 2023 respectively, the increase largely driven by an increase in the area under tree plantations. This study predicted LULCC, which shows, that by 2043, built-up area will cover 49.5% (21,1830 ha). As compared to the year 2023, built-up will increase by 33.9% while the area under grassland, bushland, cropland tree plantations and wetland will decline by 21.9, 7.7, 1.0, 1.4 and 1.9 % respectively. Consequently, the predicted LULCC are expected to cause a reduction in AGC storage of 38.55 Gg by 2043 resulting from the decrease in green spaces, especially tree plantations and grassland. It is evident that the explosion of built-up areas will persist at the expense of green spaces negatively affecting carbon storage. This highlights the need by city management to prioritize ecological protection and increase tree planting along all roads and public spaces to enhance carbon storage
Teachers’ music performance skills and the implementation of the new lower secondary school performing arts curriculum in selected schools in Bushenyi, Uganda
No full textxii, 106 p. : ill. (col.) ;This study was about how Music teachers’ performance skills would influence learning of Performing Arts in secondary schools in Bushenyi district, Western Uganda in ways that are prescribed in the New Lower Secondary School curriculum. The study was guided by three objectives: To find out the teachers’ music performance skills that affect the effectiveness of teaching different components of new Lower Secondary School Performing Arts curriculum as required to implement the new Lower Secondary School Performing Arts curriculum, to find out the specific challenges that music teachers face when teaching specific components of the new Lower Secondary School Performing Arts curriculum, to suggest practical solutions to the challenges faced by the teachers of Performing Arts when teaching specific components of the new Lower Secondary School Performing Arts curriculum. The researcher incorporated both Phenomenological and Ethnographical research designs to collect qualitative data using documentary analysis, observation, interview and focus group discussion. The study used the thematic content analysis to analyze data. This involved summarizing and noting the frequency of participants’ responses and observed accuracies.
It was found out that teachers of performing arts need to have a combination of competences in order to implement the new Lower secondary School Performing Art curriculum. These, among others include pedagogical skills such as knowledge to interpret the curriculum, ability to structure the teaching and learning processes well, practical competences of reading staff and solfa notes, writing melodies, organizing learners to compose their own melodies, engaging learners, demonstrating to the learners. Besides inadequate music skills, limited instructional resources, serious lack of support from school management to teachers, lack of practical performance skills were some of the major challenges teachers of Performing Art.
The study recommended that as a matter of solutions to the challenges teachers of Performing Art face, teachers need to be retooled to equip them with relevant Performing Arts skills, school heads need to support Performing Art teachers and students with appropriate equipments and materials.
The study concluded that, a combination of professional pedagogical and performance music skills were necessary for teachers to implement new Lower Secondary School Performing Art curriculum.
The professional skills included; interpretation of the curriculum and structuring teaching, whereas performance skills included playing different music instruments, singing, listening, pitching, rhythm keeping, demonstration, directing as well as music writing in both solfa and staff
Rewards and teachers’ performance in government-aided primary schools in Kira municipality, Wakiso district, Uganda
No full textxi, 65 p. ;This study examined the relationship between rewards and job performance of teachers in government-aided primary schools in Kira Municipality Wakiso District, Uganda. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between basic pay and job performance, determined the relationship between employee recognition and job performance of teachers, and established the relationship between job security and job performance. The study was underpinned by Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory of 1959. The study adopted cross-sectional research survey design on a sample of 122 respondents that is 105 for the questionnaire and 17 for interviews. Data were collected using a questionnaire and an interview guide. Data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data analysis was done at univariate, bivariate and multivariate levels. Univariate involved computing descriptive statistics that were frequencies, percentages and means. Bivariate and multivariate analyses included correlation and regression analyses respectively. Qualitative data was done using content analysis. Both the quantitative and qualitative results indicated that basic pay, employee recognition and job security had a positive and significant influence on job performance. It was concluded that basic pay is paramount for job performance of teachers, recognition of teachers is imperative for their job performance, and job security is imperative for job performance of teachers. Therefore, it is recommended that government and others involved in the management of primary schools should devise means of enhancing teachers’ remunerations, should always recognize outstanding teachers, and should provide job security to enhance job performance of primary school teachers
Student gender and support by compassion international influences achievement goal orientation among adolescents in south-western Uganda
No full textThe adoption of achievement goal orientation is a crucial factor in
shaping an individual's attitudes and behaviours towards learning. The
aim of this study was to investigate the impact of gender and support from
Compassion International on the adoption of achievement goal
orientation (AGO). The study used parallel mixed methods approach to
sample 510 adolescent students aged 12 -21 years were included in the
study. Both Compassion International support beneficiaries and nonbeneficiaries were recruited for the study. The Mann-Whitney Test for
Differences yielded statistically significant findings regarding the
adoption of achievement goal orientation in relation to gender and
support from Compassion International. Mann-Whitney U Test was used
because it was suitable for comparing overall distribution of participants
across gender and Compassion International support since the numbers
of respondents within each of the two categories were not uniformly
distributed. The adoption of mastery approach (MAP) and performance
avoidance goals (PAV) was found to be predicted by Gender, whereas
mastery goals (approach and avoidance) and performance approach goals
(PAP) were predicted by support from Compassion International. The
findings of the study offer valuable insights into the possible genderbased discrepancies in achievement goals orientation and underscore the
significance of compassion support in promoting achievement goal
orientation that results in self-skill enhancement. This information can
serve as a valuable resource for educators, parents, and policymakers in
formulating effective approaches that tackle gender-based disparities as
well as integrating external support initiatives by non-governmental
organisations within the educational framework to foster fair and
enduring educational outcomes
Determinants of balance of payments among countries in eastern Africa
No full textxi, 36 p. ;Balance of Payments plays a crucial role as an economic indicator, giving valuable perspectives on economic exchanges of a nation on the global stage. Despite its significance, numerous African nations consistently grapple with deficits in their BOP, lacking clear explanations for such shortfalls. This dissertation employs fixed effects and random effects estimations to investigate the determinants of BOP, focusing specifically on Eastern African countries. Drawing upon data from World Bank development indicators spanning from 1991 to 2021, the study utilizes various econometric techniques to discern underlying trends. Key findings reveal that foreign direct investments exert a positive influence on BOP, while money supply, gross domestic product and trade openness exhibit negative impacts.
Specifically, foreign direct investments emerge as statistically significant drivers, suggesting the need for policies that encourage and facilitate their inflow. In light of these results, fostering an environment conducive to foreign direct investment through incentives, infrastructure investment, and the establishment of favorable legal frameworks are recommended. Additionally, certain variables were found to have negligible impact on BOP, underscoring the importance of focusing efforts on factors proven to be statistically significant
Impact of research on maize production challenges in Hungary
No full textP. (1-14) ;Maize (Zea mays L), as a major cereal crop produced in Hungary in addition to wheat, attracts enormous research from both educational and non-educational institutions. Research is aimed at addressing the key abiotic, biotic and social economic constraints. The stakeholders and institutions involved in research are spread all over Hungary. Currently, no review has been done to comprehensively reveal the trend of maize research in Hungary, as well as key players such as institutions, universities, industry and researchers. Hence, this bibliographic review was conducted to: i) identify the major research institutions and their contribution towards maize research in Hungary; ii) evaluate the major maize research areas in Hungary between 1975 and
2022. Literature search was conducted in Web of Science (WoS) database using keywords; ‘maize’ OR ‘maize’ + ‘Research’ + ‘Hungary’. Bibliometric analyses were performed using the VOSviewer software. Changes in the publication trend of documents was tested using Mann Kendall Test. A total of 947 publications related to the topic were published by 441 institutions between 1975 and 2022. There was a significant (p = 0.001) positive increase in the number of published documents. Hungarian Academy of Science (210 documents) and University of Debrecen (132 documents) recorded the highest number of publications contributing 58.7% of the maize research literature in Hungary. The major research areas included: increasing maize yield, hybrid
development, pests and diseases, irrigation, fertilization (nitrogen), drought, temperature, gene expression and climate change. The increasing number of published documents signifies an improved response to addressing maize production challenges through research in order to boost its productivity
Compressive strength of concrete produced using aggregates from selected types of rocks in Uganda
No full textxii, 89 p. ;This study was on determining the compressive strength of concrete made of granite, quartzite and sandstone aggregates of three aggregate sizes of 6.3 mm, 10 mm, and 14 mm and using three cement, sand and aggregate mixture ratios of 1:3:6, 1:2:4, and 1:1:2. This was to find out the effects of mixture ratios, aggregate sizes and aggregate types on compressive strength of the concrete.
The samples of concrete were cured for 14 days and then a compression test machine was used to determine the compressive strength of the samples. The average compressive strength of granite concrete of mixture ratios 1:3:6, 1:2:4 and 1:1:2 were 8.56, 19.10 and 32.59 MPa respectively. The mean compressive strength of quartzite concrete of mixture ratios 1:3:6, 1:2:4 and 1:1:2 were 8.78, 17.57 and 31.22 MPa respectively. The average compressive strength of sandstone concrete of mixture ratios 1:3:6, 1:2:4 and 1:1:2 were 9.71, 20.75 and 33.58 MPa respectively. The mean compressive strength of granite concrete of aggregate sizes 6.3, 10, and 14 mm were 18.77, 19.62, and 21.87 MPa respectively. The mean compressive strength of quartzite concrete of aggregate sizes 6.3, 10, and 14 mm were 17.93, 18.95, 20.71 MPa respectively. The mean compressive strength of sandstone concrete of aggregate sizes 6.3, 10, and 14 mm were 19.49, 21.01, 23.21 MPa respectively. The results have revealed that the compressive strength of granite, quartzite and sandstone concrete increased with increase in cement aggregate ratio. Mixture ratio 1:1:2 produced the highest compressive strength of concrete and mixture ratio 1:3:6 produced the lowest compressive strength of concrete. The results have further revealed that compressive strength of the three rock types increased with increase in size of aggregate. The difference in the compressive strength for the three different types of rocks was negligible. Therefore, mixture ratios and aggregate sizes affect concrete compressive strength but rock types used did not affect the compressive strength of concrete samples. Builders and engineers who wish to construct structures should mind most about the aggregate size and mixture ratio than the granite, quartzite or sandstone aggregates used
Analysis of the AU–EU Relations Under the AfCFTA Framework in a Neoliberal Context
No full textThis chapter contributes to the plethora of neoliberal evidence that addresses itself to the fundamental regional integration political and economic anxieties, specifically focusing on AfCFTA processes. Employing a political economy approach to qualitatively analyze the AU–EU relations, the chapter analyzes these exchange processes in the context of rampant capitalism effectively ushered in Africa from the late 1980s. We demonstrate that the AfCFTA takeoff in 2021 might not quickly bring easy continental trade leap forward mainly due to uneven returns’ distribution dynamics, structural and logistical AfCFTA challenges and the inevitable neoliberal paradoxes set to adversely shape the agreement’s functionality. We, thus, argue that the integration forces within the AfCFTA parties continue to shape the emerging AU–EU relations, nevertheless, with overall progressive indicators to Africa’s industrial revolution. However, these promises are dependent on appropriate policy options undertaken particularly in the next AfCFTA rounds of negotiations. For AfCFTA to become an effective mechanism for promoting productive AU–EU relations, the analysis recommends profound reconstruction of the agreement provisions in the next rounds of trade discourses to ensure a universally profitable trade regime for all partners
Improved contact stability for admittance control of industrial robots with inverse model compensation
No full textIndustrial robots have increased payload, repeatability, and reach compared to collaborative robots, however, they have a fixed position controller and low intrinsic admittance. This makes realizing safe contact challenging due to large contact force overshoots in contact transitions and contact instability when the environment and robot dynamics are coupled. To improve safe contact on industrial robots, we propose an admittance controller with inverse model compensation, designed and implemented outside the position controller. By including both the inner loop and outer loop dynamics in its design, the proposed method achieves expanded admittance in terms of increasing both gain and cutoff frequency of the desired admittance. Results from theoretical analyses and experiments on a commercial industrial robot show that the proposed method improves rendering of the desired admittance while maintaining contact stability. We further validate this by conducting actual assembly tasks of plug insertion with fine positioning, switch insertion onto the rail, and colliding the robot end effector with random objects and surfaces, as seen at https://youtu.be/8XfkdHEdWDs
Information communication technology and pre-service teachers’ academic performance in science subjects : a case of primary teachers’ colleges, Iganga district, Uganda
No full textxv, 130 p.The study investigated the relationship between use of Information Communication Technology and pre-service teachers’ academic performance in science subjects: A Case of Primary Teachers’ Colleges in Iganga District, Uganda. The objectives of the study were to; explore the ICT resources available to facilitate the teaching/learning of Science subjects in Primary Teachers’ Colleges, to examine pre-service teachers’ interest towards use of available ICT resources in Science subjects in Primary Teachers’ Colleges and to establish the relationship between the use of available ICT resources and pre-service teachers’ academic performance in Sciences in Primary Teachers’ Colleges in Iganga District. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted and the study employed qualitative and quantitative data collection methods and used correlation and descriptive approaches. From the questionnaires and interviews, a response rate of 95.2% was obtained from a sample of 229 respondents. Key findings showed that among the types of ICT equipment owned by pre-service teachers were laptops, Personal Computers, Desktop computers and smartphones for use in ICT lessons among others. The study found out that pre–service teachers had interest in using ICT to do given class assignments, this was achieved by use of computers, phones, internet among other ICT resources to do given Science assignments. According to pre service teachers, ICT eases the process of doing assignments and it also helped in research to ease the attempt of assignments in Science subjects. ICT also eased communication whereby fellow students communicated among themselves and also communicated to tutors concerning their Science studies using emails, whatsApp, facebook, google among others. On the relationship between the use of available ICT resources and Pre-service teachers’ academic performance in Sciences in Primary Teachers’ Colleges, the study found out that at Bishop Willis Core PTC, a weak positive correlation as per Spearman’s correlation coefficient of r=0.174r = 0.174r=0.174 (p = 0.026), suggesting that access to functional computers and other ICT resources was positively associated with academic performance. In Walugogo PTC, a strong negative correlation, r=−0.669r = -0.669r=−0.669 (p = 0.000), indicating that the number of functional computers was associated with lower academic performance. The regression analysis revealed that Bishop Willis Core PTC demonstrated a strong relationship with an R2R^2R2 of 0.798. The presence of a well-equipped computer lab had a significant positive effect on academic performance (p < 0.001).While using ICT to facilitate teaching also contributed positively to academic performance (p = 0.003), the number of functional computers was not a significant predictor (p = 0.109. In Walugogo PTC, a moderate relationship with an R2R^2R2 of 0.647 was found. Similar to Bishop Willis, the availability of a well-equipped computer lab was significantly associated with better performance (p < 0.001), but neither ICT integration in teaching (p = 0.720) nor the number of functional computers (p = 0.339) significantly influenced academic outcomes. It was concluded that ICT plays a very important role in improving the academic performance in science subjects since it encourages research among the students, saves time, facilitate teaching and learning through creative presentations with simple animation functions among others but it is not an ultimate predictor. It was recommended that government should encourage and implement the use of ICT resources by tutors and pre-service teachers in the public and private Primary Teachers’ Colleges not only in ICT teaching but also in Science subjects so as to make teaching and learning an easy and enjoyable process. The pre-service teachers should be acquainted with the skills and competences to teach using ICT infrastructure. They need to be acquainted with online assessment, conducting online classes and giving feedback to the learners to improve academic performance in science subjects. The teacher trainers (tutors) need to integrate the limited available ICT resources in their teaching/learning process