21 research outputs found
Performance Management and Teacher Effectiveness in Primary Schools in Bulaago Coordinating Centre, Bulambuli District, Uganda
No full textThis study examined the influence of performance management on teacher effectiveness in primary schools in Bulaago Coordinating Centre, Bulambuli District, Uganda. Informed by the Goal Setting Theory, the measures of performance management were goal setting, performance appraisal, and career development. The measures of teacher effectiveness were content knowledge, personal conduct, pedagogical effectiveness, professional effectiveness, and classroom management. This study employed a correlational research design with a sample of 102 teachers. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). PLS-SEM results revealed that while goal setting and career development had a positive and significant influence on teacher effectiveness, performance management appraisal had a positive but insignificant influence on teacher effectiveness. The study concluded that goal setting is important for teacher effectiveness, improper implementation of performance appraisal makes it fail to enhance teacher effectiveness, and career development is necessary for teacher effectiveness. The recommendations of the study are to the effect that administrators should emphasise goal setting in the management of schools, should improve the way of implementing appraisal, and the Ministry of Education and Sports, and school administrators should support teacher career development to enhance their effectiveness
Wealth and learning achievement of pupils in primary schools in Uganda: Implications for government economic empowerment programs
No full textThis paper examines the possession of family wealth and its impact on the academic achievement of primary school students in Eastern Uganda. A correlational survey design was employed to analyse UWEZO secondary data collected from eight districts in the eastern region of Uganda, encompassing 6,302 children and 6,031 families. Descriptive statistics and Pearson chi-square tests were employed for data analysis. The findings indicate that socio-economic factors positively influence children\u27s literacy and numeracy achievements. Families possessing solar lighting, mobile phones, tables, chairs, textbooks, and a reliable source of water demonstrated higher proficiency in literacy and numeracy skills. It is likely that children in households with these possessions were able to engage in private study at home, given the conducive study environment, well-lit rooms, essential furniture, and access to textbooks. Furthermore, these children were more likely to receive additional tutoring after school and had access to the internet through mobile phones and computers, allowing them to access crucial educational information. Based on these findings, we recommend that the government provide sustainable livelihood options for struggling families
Assessing the State of Job Satisfaction of the Academic Staff for Quality Instruction Outputs in Uganda’s Private Universities
No full textThe paper assesses the current state of job satisfaction among the academic staff in tandem with the provision of quality instruction in Ugandan private universities. The main objective of the study was to establish the relationship between the state of job satisfaction of the academic staff and the corresponding quality of instruction to the students. The study was anchored on Herzberg’s Theory of the pragmatist research paradigm, and convergent parallel methods research approaches. The study employed a self-administered questionnaire (SAQ), interview guides, and focus group discussions (FGD) to collect data from 339 academic staff, 20 heads of department, and 12 Quality Assurance Officers. Additionally, correlation, regression, and thematic analyses were applied to establish the relationships between the predictor and outcome variables and to collect themes for qualitative data. The results showed no significant relationship between job satisfaction and quality instruction (r=.115, p=NS). Regarding the influence of job satisfaction on quality instruction, job satisfaction explained 1.3 % of the variation in quality instruction (R2 = .013). In conclusion, there was no significant relationship between job satisfaction and quality instruction, nor did job satisfaction influence quality instruction by the academics in Uganda’s private universities. It was highly recommended that private universities should provide better financial incentives to motivate the academic staff to improve the quality of instruction to student
The Status of Performance Management for Quality Instruction in Ugandan Private Universities
No full textThis paper presents the current status of performance management for quality instruction in private universities in Uganda. The key objective of the study was to establish the relationship between performance management and quality instruction in Uganda’s private universities. The study was grounded on the Goal Setting Theory, the pragmatist research paradigm, and convergent parallel methods. It used self-administered questionnaires, interview guides, and focus group discussions to collect data from 339 academic staff, 20 heads of department, and 12 quality assurance officers. Correlation, regression, and thematic analyses were applied to establish the relationship between the predictor and outcome variables and to glean themes for qualitative data analysis. The results showed a significant positive relationship between performance management and quality instruction (r=.47, p<0.01). In addition, it emerged that performance management contributed 40.8% of the change in quality instruction (R2 = .408). The conclusion held that performance management was a predictor of quality instruction in the selected private universities. Additionally, performance management caused a significant variation in the quality of instruction outputs in private universities. Thus, the university management should enhance its performance management efforts through tailored incentives for heads of department, improved facilities, performance appraisal, and better pay for the academic staf
Influence of Training in Determining Academic Staff Performance in Public Universities in Uganda
No full textIn an effort by public universities to improve on the performance of lecturers in Uganda, universities are implementing various human resource management practices. Despite this move, ineffective teaching, low research and publication continue to prevail, making it difficult for public universities to produce the needed human resources for national development. This study investigated the relationship between staff training and teaching and research outputs of academic staff in selected public universities. A mixed-method design using convergent parallel approach was employed to collect and analyse data from a population of 4 Vice-Chancellors, 4 Directors of Human Resources and 1127 full-time academic staff. Four universities were selected using purposive sampling based on year of establishment before 2011. Analysis of quantitative data collected was done using Pearson’s Correlation, linear regression and factor analysis. Qualitative data were analysed based on thematic content analysis. Results indicated a moderate positive correlation between staff training and academic staff teaching output (r=0.476, p<0.01), a weak positive relationship between staff training and research output (r=0.347, p<0.01). It was recommended, university management should reformulate policies that help staff exploit relevant training opportunities to improve on the teaching and research output in public universities. Universities should partner with other centres of excellence to provide continuous training for the academic staff in pedagogy and research output
Role of Financial Rewards in Enhancing Academic Staff Performance in Public Universities in Uganda
No full textThis article examined the financial reward practice implemented by universities to improve on the performance of lecturers in Uganda’s public universities. The main objectives of the research were to investigate the relationship between financial reward and teaching and research outputs of academic staff in selected public universities. A mixed method design using convergent parallel approach was employed to collect and analyse data obtained from the study. A sample of 299 participants was drawn from academic staff, directors of human resources, and Vice chancellors. Results indicated a weak positive relationship between financial reward and academic staff teaching output in public universities (r=0.282, p<0.01). There existed further a weak positive relationship between financial reward and academic staff research output (r=0.211, p<0.01). It would suffice to effect appropriate financial rewards to academic staff based on a living wage
Compensation Management and Employee Wellbeing of Academic Staff in Ugandan Private Universities during COVID-19 Lockdown
No full textThis study examined the impact of compensation management on academic staff\u27s employee well-being in private universities in Uganda during the COVID-19 lockdown. Two dimensions of compensation management considered were compensation determination and compensation administration. Employee well-being was studied in terms of psychological well-being, social well-being, workplace well-being and subjective well-being. This study used a cross-sectional design on a sample of academic staff from five private universities. Factor analysis was used to identify key items of compensation management and employee well-being, followed by descriptive, correlation and multiple regression analyses. Multiple regression analysis assessed the magnitude and strength of the impact of compensation management on employee well-being. The results supported the hypotheses on the influence of compensation determination and administration on employee well-being. Therefore, compensation determination and administration are important in enhancing the academic staff\u27s well-being in private universities in contingent situations such as COVID-19 lockdown. In managing compensation issues in contingent situations, managers of private universities should determine and administer compensation considering employees\u27 interests. This study adds to the scanty literature on compensation management and employee well-being. It identifies compensation management factors that organisations should consider to promote employee well-being in contingent situations
Teacher Support and Students’ Academic Resilience in Universal Secondary Education Schools in Luwero District, Uganda
No full textThis study investigated the impact of teacher support on students\u27 academic resilience in Universal Secondary Education schools in Luwero district, Uganda. Specifically, the study examined whether teacher investment of effort, positive regard, and accessibility significantly influenced students\u27 academic resilience, defined as perseverance, help-seeking, and positive affect. Using a quantitative approach and correlational research design, the study surveyed 324 students selected through simple random sampling. Data collection employed a self-administered questionnaire, and analysis involved structural equation modelling (SEM) using SmartPLS. The results revealed that teacher investment of effort, positive regard, and accessibility had a positive and statistically significant impact on students\u27 academic resilience. The findings suggest that teacher support, particularly positive regard, followed by investment of effort and accessibility, fosters students\u27 academic resilience. The study recommends that head teachers sensitise teachers to provide comprehensive support by creating a supportive learning environment that involves being invested in students\u27 academics, accessible, and showing positive regard. This study\u27s practical contribution lies in demonstrating how teacher support can promote students\u27 resilience, providing valuable insights for educators and policymakers
Teaching Approaches and Student Engagement in Secondary Schools in Arua City, Uganda
No full textThis study examined the relationship between teaching approaches and student engagement in secondary schools in Arua City, Uganda. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between constructivist teaching approaches and behaviourist teaching approaches with student engagement. This study adopted a correlation analysis as the basis for determining whether there was a relationship between the study variables. Data were collected from a sample of 341 students using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling were used to analyse data. Descriptive results revealed that while students’ engagement was moderate, teachers’ use of the constructivist approach was lower than student-centred approaches. Structural equation modelling using SmartPLS results revealed that constructivist teaching approaches positively and significantly predicted student engagement, while behaviourist teaching approaches negatively significantly predicted student engagement. This study concluded that the constructivist teaching approach promotes student engagement, and behaviourist teaching approaches do not enhance student engagement. It was therefore recommended that teachers should emphasise using constructivist teaching approaches, and teachers have to reduce the use of behaviourist teaching approaches. This article will be of value to both researchers and policymakers in the education sector in Uganda as it identifies appropriate teaching approaches that enhance the effective engagement of students. Therefore, it might inform policy-making on curriculum development and further researc
Didactic Infrastructure Management and Curriculum Implementation in Public Universities in Northern Uganda
No full textThis study investigated the levels of curriculum implementation and didactic infrastructure management in public universities in Northern Uganda. It evaluated the influence of didactic infrastructure management on curriculum implementation in public universities in Northern Uganda. It was hypothesised that didactic infrastructure management has no significant relationship with curriculum implementation in public universities in Northern Uganda. The study was guided by a pragmatic worldview and embraced a concurrent mixed-methods research design. The study used a questionnaire to collect quantitative data from 123 respondents. Qualitative data was collected from 26 participants through interviews. Furthermore, eight focus group discussions were conducted. The quantitative data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation coefficient analysis and multiple linear regression techniques, while thematic analysis techniques were used to analyse qualitative data. The study revealed that, generally, the levels of curriculum implementation were low and didactic infrastructure management was moderate. The study results showed that didactic infrastructure management had a significant influence on curriculum implementation in public universities in Northern Uganda. The null hypothesis that didactic infrastructure management has no significant relationship with curriculum implementation in public universities in Northern Uganda was rejected. The study concluded that didactic infrastructure management is significant for curriculum implementation. Therefore, it was recommended that public universities in Northern Uganda improve the management of their didactic infrastructure, such as libraries, sports facilities, and halls, to further enhance curriculum implementation, especially in areas of preparation for teaching, content delivery, and assessment of learnin
