Research and Advances in Education

Equitable Power Dynamics, Transactional Relationships, and Mutual Learning as Correlates for Transforming Higher Education in Uganda: A Case of Kisubi University

Kikomeko Joseph, Dr. James Kizza, Dr. Muweesi Charles — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This academic paper explores the interrelationship between equitable power dynamics, transactional relationships, and mutual learning as key correlates for transforming higher education institutions (HEIs) in Uganda, with a specific focus on Kisubi University. The objective of the study is to investigate how the evolution from transactional arrangements to relational partnerships can foster co-creation, mutual trust, and sustainable transformation in university governance, pedagogy, and stakeholder engagement. Anchored in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Uganda’s Vision 2040, and National Development Plan IV, the study adopts a qualitative case study approach using secondary data, institutional reports, and documented interviews. The findings reveal that traditional hierarchical power structures and transactional mindsets constrain inclusive transformation, whereas equitable power sharing and mutual learning catalyze institutional innovation, academic freedom, and stakeholder ownership. The study concludes that embedding co-creative relational frameworks within university systems enhances institutional responsiveness, inclusivity, and resilience. Recommendations include policy reform for governance equity, redefinition of institutional partnerships, and enhanced pedagogical autonomy. The findings offer practical and policy-oriented insights into restructuring Uganda’s higher education landscape through relational, inclusive, and empowering models of engagement.

Reform Pathways for the Examination and Admission System of International Graduate Students in China: A Sino-American Comparative Perspective

Zhiyuan Sun — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Over the seven decades since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, China’s education for international students has passed through five developmental stages, entering a phase of rapid expansion after the launch of reform and opening up. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the share of international students enrolled in degree programmes—especially postgraduate programmes—has risen continuously, while their disciplinary distribution has extended from language-related fields towards non-language fields. Drawing on lessons from a comparison with the United States and on China’s own conditions, the examination and admission system for international students should be adjusted and refined. At the macro level, the reform principle of separating admission from examination functions should be upheld; at the micro level, the language proficiency examination system should be further standardised and a corresponding academic aptitude examination system established, so as to raise the overall quality of the selection and training of international graduate students in China.

A Mathematical Model for Predicting Teacher Training Demand in Kenya

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Since independence in 1963, Kenya has expanded teacher training through teacher training colleges, universities, and postgraduate programs in response to rising enrollment, curriculum reforms, and changing educational needs. Despite this expansion, Kenya continues to face mismatches between the supply of trained teachers and the employment capacity of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), between supply and demand by subject combination, and between supply and regional deployment. Currently, nearly 40% of university students in Kenya enroll in education- related programs. Of these, less than 10% are absorbed immediately after graduation. The majority wait for up to ten years or more to be employed. Hence, there is a backlog of about 350, 350,000 unemployed teachers. Simultaneously, the country is short of teachers for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)- related subjects. This shortage is likely to be magnified as 60% of all senior school students are required to take the STEM pathway. Equally, there is a mismatch between the supply and the regional distribution of teachers, with some regions experiencing an acute shortage while others have an oversupply. This study develops a mathematical model for predicting teacher training demand in Kenya by integrating historical trends in learner enrollment, teacher recruitment, pupil–teacher ratios, attrition, infrastructure, regional disparities, and the requirements of the Competency- Based Education (CBE) framework. The study therefore recommends a transition from supply- driven to demand- driven teacher education through dynamic enrollment caps linked to projected recruitment capacity, subject- specific quotas prioritizing STEM and technical fields, county- based recruitment planning, and alignment of teacher training with infrastructural expansion and CBE demands. The study concludes that sustainable teacher workforce planning in Kenya requires integrated forecasting mechanisms linking teacher education, labor market demand, fiscal capacity, infrastructure, and regional equity.

Continuing Professional Development for Filipino Educators: A Systematic Literature Review on PLCs, Reflective Practice, and In-Service Training Models

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Continuous professional development (CPD) under Philippine law and teaching professionalism standards remains underexplored in the literature. The present study synthesizes existing research on CPD for Filipino teachers, its relation to professional communities and learning-enhancement practices, and teachers’ professional development. The PRISMA procedure was used to accurately extract data from a small Scopus dataset. In summary, the study analyzed 177 sources in two stages. 61 empirical studies published or soon to be published were selected for the analysis. Four main themes have been highlighted: (a) While in-service training is fundamentally episodic, lecture-based, and weakly evaluated, needs-based, experiential, and technology-driven training courses are beginning to surface; (b) Professional learning communities, Learning Action Cells, and lesson study are collaborative models that foster collegial and pedagogical progress factor, but performance is hampered by workload issues, leadership dilemmas, and Filipino culture, especially in terms of pakikisama and hiya; (c) while reflective practice can be enriched by means of mentoring during practicum, feedback, and action research, it is never organized or maintained; and (d) the pre-service-in-service continuum lacks coherence and research capacity.

Negotiating Education Amid Insurgency: Community Agency, Resilience, and Coping Mechanisms in Muyuka Sub-Division, Cameroon

ACHALE FIDELIA AGBOR — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The prolonged insurgency in Cameroon’s North-West and South-West Regions has profoundly disrupted formal education, exposing children and educational institutions to insecurity, displacement, economic hardship, and psychosocial distress. This study examines how communities in Muyuka Sub-Division have responded to the disruption of formal schooling, with particular attention to community agency, resilience, and coping mechanisms. The study adopts a qualitative approach to examine the ways in which parents, teachers, community leaders, and other local actors negotiate educational continuity amid conﬂict. The findings reveal that insurgency has disrupted school attendance, teaching and learning, teacher availability, educational infrastructure, and children’s psychosocial well-being. Nevertheless, communities have demonstrated considerable agency by mobilising social networks, local resources, alternative learning arrangements, informal teaching, remedial education, psychosocial support, and other adaptive strategies. These mechanisms have helped sustain educational opportunities and mitigate some immediate consequences of prolonged school disruption. However, their effectiveness remains constrained by insecurity, inadequate resources, limited infrastructure, uneven access, and the absence of stable institutional support. The study therefore argues that community-based educational responses should be understood as important but inherently limited mechanisms of resilience rather than substitutes for formal education or State responsibility. Sustainable educational recovery in Muyuka requires a complementary approach that strengthens community initiatives while restoring educational infrastructure, supporting teachers, expanding psychosocial services, improving security, and ensuring sustained institutional and financial investment. The study concludes that meaningful educational recovery in insurgency-affected communities depends on transforming community resilience into a supported component of a broader, inclusive, secure, and sustainable educational recovery framework.

Awareness, Perceived Benefits, and Skill-Erosion Concerns Regarding Generative AI Among Higher Education Students

Mon, 09 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This research aimed to assess awareness of generative AI limitations, highlight its advantages, and identify potential threats from misuse, focusing on differences in opinions between future educators and students from non-education fields. The data were collected through surveying 931 undergraduate students of a private university in the Philippines. The researchers used a comparative-correlational research design with a qualitative strand. The study found moderate awareness of generative AI’s limitations (M = 3.31, SD = 0.94) and a moderate-to-cautious attitude toward its implementation (M = 3.15, SD = 0.87). Education students showed higher awareness than students from other majors (d = 0.40), while differences in usage, perception, and fear of skills deteriorating were negligible (d = 0.14–0.25) and, to some extent, neutralized in robustness checks. Differences between genders and years of study in perceptions were minor. The findings suggest that future teachers’ curricula should include a course on AI literacy and emphasize developing critical thinking skills to prepare students for implementing generative AI solutions in teaching practices.