Browsing by Author "Galenda, Safina"

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    Experiences of Female Scientists in Research Networks in STEM fields in Public Universities in Uganda
    (International Journal of Advanced Research, 2024) Galenda, Safina
    Research networks are inevitable for female scientists in STEM fields, where research is carried out in teams in higher education. They promote privileged access to relevant knowledge and support from peers due to social connections. This qualitative study set out to explore the experiences of female scientists in research networks in STEM fields in public universities in Uganda. The study's population encompassed female scientists in research networks in STEM fields in public universities in Uganda that included Makerere University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Gulu University and Busitema University. In respect to this study, my participants were selected in the STEM fields in public universities in Uganda. Female scientists in research networks were selected in the hard pure and hard applied disciplines as classified by Becher and Biglan's typology of academic disciplines of 1973. From their classification of academic disciplines, the STEM fields belong to the hard pure and hard applied disciplines. This study was anchored on the existential phenomenology by Martin Heidegger in the interpretive worldview. Both semi-structured interviews and document check data collection methods were used in this study. A sample size comprising of eight female scientists in research networks in STEM fields in public universities in Uganda were interviewed. Data were thematically analysed where clustering into catergories and emerging sub-themes were developed to form themes. This study concludes that those female scientists in research networks had positive experiences such as funding, networking, research skills, career growth, conferences, mentoring, and negative experiences like hectic schedules and delayed funding. The findings that emerged from the study indicated positive experiences with the research networks, which enabled them to win research grants, projects, and postdoctoral fellowships successfully. Those female scientists believed that their inter-institutional, national, regional, and international interactions and engagements spurred excellent opportunities for them in their universities. This was because they were exposed to top-notch scientists in their disciplines. This study, therefore, recommends to the management of public universities in Uganda to establish formal research networks and strengthen the existing informal research networks
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    Exploring How Female Scientists are Uplifted in Research Networks in STEM Fields in Public Universities in Uganda
    (East African Journal of Education Studies, 2024) Galenda, Safina
    Participation in research networks is inevitable for the female scientists in the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields because they provide a platform for collaborative activities. New research communities of women are created to support each other through mentoring, advancing shared research interests, co-organizing conferences with men, participating in the editorial and the publications. It was on this basis that this study explored how female scientists were uplifted by research networks in STEM fields in public universities in Uganda. This study was anchored on the existential phenomenology by Martin Heidegger in the interpretive world view. Eight female scientists in research networks in STEM fields in public universities in Uganda were interviewed and they were selected from the hard applied and hard pure disciplines as classified in Becher and Biglan’s typology of academic disciplines. Using thematic analysis, two themes such as research collaboration activities and capacity development emerged in this study. This qualitative study set out to explore how female scientists were uplifted in research networks in public universities in Uganda.The public universities included Makerere University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Gulu University and Busitema University. Both semi-structured interviews and document check data generation strategies were used in this study. In semi-structured interviews, a sample comprising eight female academics with not less than five years in research networks in public universities were selected, while documents such as the annual reports and strategic plans were used. This study concludes that research networks are uplifting the female scientists in STEM fields in public universities in Uganda because they were internationally exposed, networked, funded, research skills were strengthened, and progressed in career. This study concludes that it was important for female scientists to access physical and human resource in their research networks as this increased their research performance and outputs in STEM fields in public universities in Uganda. This study therefore recommends that, to uplift female scientists in research networks in STEM fields in public universities in Uganda, female scientists in the research networks and senior colleagues should act as ambassadors and mentors to young female scientists in STEM fields