Browsing by Author "Mayengo, Nathaniel"

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Education-to-work transition among the youth in post-conflict settings: a review of the roles of individual agency, mental health, and psychosocial well-being
(Social sciences, 2025-06-25) Mayengo, Nathaniel; Namusoke, Jane; Kibedi, Henry; Amone-P’Olak, Kennedy
Education-to-work transition among war-affected youth in post-conflict settings is fraught with challenges, not least compounded by the little attention placed on individual agency and mental health. This review examines the debate on war-affected youth skilling programmes in post-conflict settings, which neglect the roles of individual agency and mental health in the education-to-work transition. Building on Albert Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory (SET) and the Cumulative Stress Hypothesis (CSH), the review presents an integrated approach to skills development for improving education-to-work transition among waraffected youth. According to SET, the development of self-efficacy is anchored on enactive mastery, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and physiological arousal. Moreover, individual agency factors such as motivation, aspiration, goal orientation, active efforts, and alignment of intentions with skills are protective factors for effective education-to-work transition, but they are also eroded by the adverse consequences of violent conflicts. Similarly, the CSH also suggests that the effects of exposure to protracted violent conflicts are cumulative and may lead, in turn, to a plethora of mental health problems in the aftermath of violent conflicts. Mental health problems like depression, anxiety, and PTSD are linked to, inter alia, behaviours such as aggression, substance abuse, and apathy, all related to poor employment outcomes. To increase the employability of young people affected by war, skills training institutions and work settings need to prioritise the mental health and individual agency of the youth, as well as skills acquisition for specific trades. Consequently, we propose an integrated model of reintegrating war-affected and vulnerable youth anchored on professional technical and vocational skills training; recognition of individual agency; provision of mental and psychosocial support; and life skills training, all nested within the local economic realities.
Institutional Support and Teacher Competence in Government-Aided Secondary Schools in South Western Uganda
(East African Journal of Education Studies, 2024-12-05) Arineitwe, Phiona; Kasule, George Wilson; Mayengo, Nathaniel
This study examined the influence of institutional support on teacher competence. In particular, the study investigated whether the influence of induction, continuous professional development and rewards had a significant influence on teacher competence in government-aided secondary schools. This quantitative study used correlational research. Data were collected from a sample of 329 teachers from secondary schools in southwestern Uganda. Data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The findings revealed that induction, continuous professional development, and rewards have a positive and significant influence on teacher competence. Based on the findings, it was concluded that induction, continuous professional development and rewards are important for teacher competence development. Therefore, it was recommended that The Ministry of Education and Sports, head teachers, and other stakeholders such as Boards of Governors should establish institutional support that facilitates the development of teacher competence through induction, continuous professional development, and rewards. The practical contribution of the study is that it identifies institutional factors that can help to promote teacher competence.
Organisational learning and teacher competence in Ugandan government-aided secondary schools
(East African Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 2025-06-01) Arineitwe, Phiona; Kasule, George Wilson; Mayengo, Nathaniel
This study examined the influence of organisational learning on teacher competence. Organisational learning was studied in the context of continuous learning, dialogue and inquiry, and team learning while teacher competence covered ethical competence, pedagogical competence, subject matter competence, and assessment and evaluation. The study population consisted of 3,873 teachers from six districts. The study employed the simple random sampling technique and Krejcie and Morgan's (1970) sampling table to determine the sample of 351 teachers, who participated in the study. The study utilised the advanced partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4, to uncover the relationships between variables. The findings revealed that continuous learning and dialogue and inquiry have a positive and significant influence on teacher competence. However, continuous team learning had an insignificant influence on teacher competence. Based on the findings, it was concluded that continuous learning and dialogue and inquiry are important for the development of teacher competence. However, team learning has less significance in enhancing teacher competence. Therefore, head teachers should implement organisational learning, specifically continuous learning and dialogue and inquiry. The practical contribution of the study is that it shows how organisational learning can be used to promote teacher competence.