ANALYSING THE INFLUENCE OF LECTURERS’ PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN THE UNIVERSITIES OF UGANDA: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM NKUMBA AND KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITIES, UGANDA

The purpose of the study was to establish the influence of lecturers’ pedagogical practices on students’ academic performance in the universities of Uganda. The study delineated pedagogical practices in Kyambogo and Nkumba universities of central Uganda. The objective of the study was to analyse the influence of lecturers’ pedagogical practices on students’ academic performance in the selected universities of Uganda, using a sample of 334 randomly selected final-year students and purposively selected lecturers from the selected universities. The study utilised a convergent parallel mixed methods research design, an objective and subjective epistemological positioning and a dualism ontological stance. Findings from the correlation results revealed a significant positive, but moderately weak relationship between pedagogical practices and students’ academic performance in the selected universities of Uganda (r = 0.486, p = 0.000 < 0.05). Regression analysis results indicated that the pedagogical approaches, engagement/interaction and assessment practices, when combined as in the model, explained only 23.6% of the variation in students’ academic performance in the selected universities of Uganda (R2 = .236). The remaining (76.4%) may be explained by other factors which were not considered in the study. The study, therefore, recommended that Government of Uganda (GoU), through the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) of Uganda, and other supervisory bodies of higher education ought to give ample sensitization and training to the university lecturers on better adoption and application of appropriate assessment practices to enhance students’ academic performance in the universities of Uganda.  Article visualizations

Fertility Determinan in Sudan: Analysis of Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, 2014

Sudan has continuously reported high fertility rates. While the influence of both underlying and proximate determinants is well documented in various studies worldwide, there’s a lack of recent information on their influence on fertility in Sudan. Therefore, the objective of this study to examine the levels, patterns and determinants of fertility in Sudan. The analyses were based on 2014 Sudan Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (SMICS) data. The SMICS data is nationally representative data. The survey sampled 18,302 women across the country, collecting information on females aged 15-49 years. The analysis was based on the Bongaarts Model. Results show that post-partum infecundability has the largest effect in reducing fertility in Sudan (30.7 per cent or 4.7 birth) followed by marriage (27.5 per cent or 4.3 birth) and contraceptive (7.8 per cent or 1.2 birth). The findings of study shown also that significant differences between education, wealth, and place of residence. This means that the increase in education, especially higher education, improve the wealth status and living in urban areas seem to have a great influence toward fertility education in Sudan. Also, it agreed that there is a regional fertility differential associated with social and economic development in the different region and states. Therefore, in order to manage fertility in Sudan, policies and programmes should consider the effects of marriage, postpartum infecundity, contraception, education, and wealth on fertility. Lack of such targeted interventions, population growth will remain a challenge in Sudan. 

A CGE Analysis of the Short-run Welfare Effects of Tariff Liberalisation in Uganda

CGE modelling, tariff liberalisation, Uganda

Understanding University Support for Suicide Bereavement and Bereaved Experiences: A Phenomenological Study

In recent years, a multitude of literature have discussed the turbulent nature for young adults to navigate the difficulties of suicide bereavement with lack of support. This experience can be further cumbersome when the bereavement is co-occurring within an academic profession, such as attending university. This study explored three participants experience of suicide bereavement support at a university level, utilizing a phenomenological arts-based approach for inquiry. Data analysis revealed eight common themes that reflect the university students\u27 lived experiences of the phenomenon discussed: Acknowledgment of the communicated loss by faculty, provision of academic support, lack/absence of practice, reluctance, emotional response, non-faculty support, recall, omission. The findings within this study highlight the unique nature of arts expression and the use of it as a communicative tool to those experiencing a death loss. Results suggest a reluctance to disclose for fear of a further loss of professionalism within the University setting and the absence of a solidified grievance plan that left individuals feeling further unsupported. Furthermore, individuals spoke to a heightened need for meaning making of the experience to facilitate the bereavement process and a reliance on the self rather than community due to previous fears of disclosure. Our understanding of suicide bereavement would benefit from an inclusion of non-art affiliated participants, a wider sample size and individuals that associate outside of the female identification for a more diverse range of experiences

Can Volunteer Community Health Workers Decrease Child Morbidity and Mortality in Southwestern Uganda? An Impact Evaluation

BACKGROUND: The potential for community health workers to improve child health in sub-Saharan Africa is not well understood. Healthy Child Uganda implemented a volunteer community health worker child health promotion model in rural Uganda. An impact evaluation was conducted to assess volunteer community health workers' effect on child morbidity, mortality and to calculate volunteer retention. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Two volunteer community health workers were selected, trained and promoted child health in each of 116 villages (population ∼61,000) during 2006-2009. Evaluation included a household survey of mothers at baseline and post-intervention in intervention/control areas, retrospective reviews of community health worker birth/child death reports and post-intervention focus group discussions. Retention was calculated from administrative records. Main outcomes were prevalence of recent child illness/underweight status, community health worker reports of child deaths, focus group perception of effect, and community health worker retention. After 18-36 months, 86% of trained volunteers remained active. Post-intervention surveys in intervention households revealed absolute reductions of 10.2% [95%CI (-17.7%, -2.6%)] in diarrhea prevalence and 5.8% [95%CI (-11.5%, -0.003%)] in fever/malaria; comparative decreases in control households were not statistically significant. Underweight prevalence was reduced by 5.1% [95%CI (-10.7%, 0.4%)] in intervention households. Community health worker monthly reports revealed a relative decline of 53% in child deaths (<5 years old), during the first 18 months of intervention. Focus groups credited community health workers with decreasing child deaths, improved care-seeking practices, and new income-generating opportunities. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: A low-cost child health promotion model using volunteer community health workers demonstrated decreased child morbidity, dramatic mortality trend declines and high volunteer retention. This sustainable model could be scaled-up to sub-Saharan African communities with limited resources and high child health needs

La crise des économies maghrébines : les politiques redistributives en question

Sid Ahmed Abdelkader. La crise des économies maghrébines : les politiques redistributives en question. In: Tiers-Monde, tome 34, n°135, 1993. La réhabilitation de la demande (sous la direction de Jean-Marc Fontaine) sous la direction de Jean-Marc Fontaine. pp. 565-583

Institutions and Institutional Change in Zambia

Research has shown a positive correlation between extractive colonisation and low post-colonial economic growth. This paper provides case study research to explore the possibility that post-colonial extractive institutions were already present in pre-colonial times. In Zambia’s case this is indeed true. Extractive institutions existed in Zambia before colonisation, and colonisation certainly did not improve on them. The question whether countries like Zambia are doomed for failure is also considered, and it is concluded that an environment that allows experimentation is supportive of economic growth and development. With an authoritative regime during the Second Republic, feedback on policy decisions was limited and may provide more of an answer to bad post-colonial economic performance than extractive colonisation.Institutions, Institutional Change, Colonisation, Zambia

Where there is no doctor: can volunteer community health workers in rural Uganda provide integrated community case management?

Introduction: Integrated community case management (iCCM) involves assessment and treatment of common childhood illnesses by community health workers (CHWs). Evaluation of a new Ugandan iCCM program is needed.Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess if iCCM by lay volunteer CHWs is feasible and if iCCM would increase proportions of children treated for fever, pneumonia, and diarrhoea in rural Uganda.Methods: This pre/post study used a quasi-experimental design and non-intervention comparison community. CHWs were selected, trained, and equipped to assess and treat children under five years with signs of the three illnesses. Evaluation included CHW-patient encounter record review plus analysis of pre/post household surveys.Results: 196 iCCM-trained CHWs reported 6,276 sick child assessments (45% fever, 46% pneumonia, 9% diarrhoea). 93% of cases were managed according to algorithm recommendations. Absolute proportions of children receiving treatment significantly increased post-intervention: antimalarial for fever (+24% intervention versus +4% control) and oral rehydration salts/zinc for diarrhoea (+14% intervention versus +1% control).Conclusion: In our limited-resource, rural Ugandan setting, iCCM involving lay CHWs was feasible and significantly increased the proportion of young children treated for malaria and diarrhoea.Keywords: Uganda; maternal health; child health; community health worker; integrated community case managemen

‘MATRI-SUMAN’ a capacity building and text messaging intervention to enhance maternal and child health service utilization among pregnant women from rural Nepal: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

Background Capacity development of health volunteers and text messaging to pregnant women through mobile phones have shown improved maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes and is associated with increased utilisation of MCH services. However, such interventions are uncommon in Nepal. We aim to carry out an intervention with the hypothesis that capacity building and text messaging intervention will increase the MCH service utilisation. Method/design MATRI-SUMAN is a 12-month cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT). The trial involves pregnant women from 52 clusters of six village development committees (VDCs) covering 66,000 populations of Dhanusha district of Nepal. In the intervention clusters, Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) will receive capacity development skills through reinforcement training, supervision and monitoring skills for the promotion of health seeking behaviour among pregnant women and study participants will receive periodic promotional text messaging service about MCH components through mobile phones. A sample of 354with equal numbers in each study arm is estimated using power calculation formula. The primary outcomes of this study are the rate of utilization of skilled birth attendants and consumption of a specified diversified meal. The secondary outcomes are: four antenatal (ANC) visits, weight gain of women during pregnancy, delivery of a baby at the health facility, postnatal care (PNC) visits, positive changes in child feeding practices among mothers, performance of FCHVs in MCH service utilization. Discussion The intervention is designed to enhance the capacity of health volunteers for the promotion of health seeking behaviour among pregnant women and text messaging through a mobile phone to expecting mothers to increase MCH service utilization. The trial if proven effective will have policy implications in poor resource settings. Trial registration ISRCTN60684155, (https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN60684155). The trial was registered retrospectively