Public university education : an analysis of capability expansion among students in Uganda

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 StudiesD. Litt et Phil. (Development Studies

Understanding Policies, Projects, Initiatives & Strategies as a Valuable Source of Research Data in Educational Context

Policies, Projects, Initiatives, and Strategies (PPIS) are often developed and implemented in education to improve educational outcomes in the country and the globe. While these efforts are typically evaluated using various metrics, there is growing interest in using PPIS as a research data source to gain insights into their development and impact. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the existing literature on the use of PPIS. We begin by defining PPIS and describing the four components (Policies, Projects, Initiatives, and Strategies) while highlighting the significance of using PPIS data. We then review selected studies that have successfully used PPIS as a research data source, including examples from developed and developing countries. We also provide a thorough review of previous research studies that used PPIS data; practical guidance on how researchers can access and analyze PPIS data; the legal and ethical considerations and emerging trends that must be considered. Finally, utilizing PPIS data can inform decision-making and policy development in the field of education, which can promote positive change. Therefore, researchers need to consider utilizing PPIS data to gain insights into policy implementation and effectiveness, ultimately improving educational systems and outcomes. Keywords: Policies, Projects, Initiatives & Strategies (PPIS), Source of Research Data, Education Research DOI: 10.7176/JEP/15-4-06 Publication date:March 31st 202