Browsing by Author "Mugimu, Christopher B."

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    Individual Characteristics as Predictors of Program Completion of Ph.D. Students in Makerere University
    (East African Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 2023) Namutebi, Abishag; Mugimu, Christopher B.; Balojja, Tom Darlington
    The long time to obtain a Ph.D. degree has been a source of contention (Skopek et al., 2022), and graduate schools worldwide are working to reduce the long time to degree (Geven et al., 2018). This study examined individual characteristics as predictors of program completion of Ph.D. students at Makerere University. Anchoring in Tinto's Model of persistence, individual characteristics included socioeconomic status (SES), quality of relationship with family, studies-family balance, expectations, self-efficacy, grit, writing, and prior experiences. Using a mixed methods approach, both cross-sectional and phenomenological designs were used to collect data from 104 Ph.D. graduates through self-administered questionnaires while seven participants were interviewed. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data used thematic analysis. Descriptive statistics involved the calculation of the mean, while inferential analysis involved using a regression model. Thereafter, data was interpreted using a Joint Display Table. The results revealed that individual characteristics, namely SES and prior experiences, positively and significantly predicted program completion. However, the quality of relationship with family, study-family balance, expectations, self-efficacy, grit, and writing did not. Therefore, some of the findings agree with Tinto's Model while others do not, hence recommending that the management of universities should support Ph.D. students considering their differences in individual characteristics based on their SES and prior experiences. However, management should not prioritise the quality of relationship with family, study-family balance, expectations, self-efficacy, grit, and writing
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    Possibilities and Challenges of providing Continuous Professional Development in Pedagogy for Higher Education Staff in Africa: A case of Makerere University
    (Comparative & International Higher Education, 2010) Ezati, Betty Akullu; Mugimu, Christopher B.
    In recent years, most African governments have reduced their funding of higher education. Makerere University is not an isolated case. For instance, funding from the government has been declining since 1990 and student numbers have escalated. Prior to the 1970s, the university had a small population of about 2000 students. But from 1990, the population rose from less than 10,000 to the current estimated 40,000 students (Planning Department, Makerere University 2003). This increase in student numbers has created more challenges and attracted public concern about the capacity of Makerere University to provide quality education (Mamdani 2007), given the inadequate facilities, equipment and numbers of teaching staff. This fear points to problems with the curriculum, delivery methods, quality of the teaching staff, as well as the teaching and learning materials. In an attempt to restructure itself, its paradigm and ways of teaching, Makerere University started offering continuous professional development (CPD) in 2006. This involves changing students’ paradigm of learning as well as teachers’ paradigm of teaching. Specifically, the training aimed at enabling the teaching staff to accomplish four tasks: (1) gain insights into how people learn in order to structure instruction for optimal learning, (2) formulate course goals/objectives as a starting point for a constructive alignment, (3) choose and structure course content as well as teaching and assessment methods in relation to course objectives, and (4) choose and adopt interactive teaching methods that stimulate active learning.
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    Student-Centred Pedagogical Strategies and Academic Achievement of Students at Kyambogo and Makerere Universities
    (East African Journal of Education Studies, 2024) Ludigo, Harriet; Mugimu, Christopher B.; Mugagga, Anthony Muwaga
    The study investigated the relationship between student-centred pedagogical strategies and academic achievement at Kyambogo and Makerere universities. Data on a sample of 375 students was obtained using a questionnaire following the cross-sectional research design. Quantitative data were analysed using correlation and regression analyses. All student-centred pedagogical strategies were positively and strongly correlated with academic achievement. Nevertheless, all of the regression analysis outcomes—except those for learning facilitation, active learning, and authority sharing—were in line with the correlational results. According to the study's findings, lecturers should prioritize group learning, contextual learning, and student motivation overactive learning, authority sharing, and learning facilitation. It was recommended that lecturers focus more on group learning, contextual learning, and learner motivation rather than active learning, authority sharing, and learning facilitation