Browsing by Author "Aciro,Rosalba"

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    Exploring the Determinants of Entry Grades and Challenges Faced by Students Admitted to Public Universities in Uganda through Direct Entry Schemes?
    (African Higher Education, 2025) Aciro,Rosalba; Oriangi,George; Openjuru, George Ladaah; Onen, David; Rasmussen,Palle; Ezati,Betty Akullu
    Entry into public universities in developing countries is highly competitive, presenting significant opportunities for aspiring students. While existing research primarily focuses on determinants of academic performance during university studies, there is limited exploration of factors influencing entry grades and challenges faced by students while at the university. Using the Input-Transformation-Output model, this research examines determinants of students’ entry grades and challenges encountered by students in Gulu University in Northern Uganda and Makerere University in Central Region. Data on determinants of students’ entry grades and insights into challenges faced by students while at the university were collected using key informant interviews and analysed using content analysis. Findings revealed that the programme of study, entry scheme, selection criteria, entry academic performance, and intake capacity determined students’ entry grades. Students face numerous challenges, including inadequate facilities for those with disabilities, difficulties balancing academics with co-curricular activities, lack of career guidance, financial constraints, insufficient learning materials, limited internet access, high student-teacher ratios, and social obstacles. The study highlights the complex determinants of entry grades and the diverse challenges faced by students in Ugandan public universities and proposes targeted interventions to address these issues, thereby fostering academic success and equitable opportunities for all students.
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    The Relationship between Entry Grades of Students Admitted to Public Universities in Uganda under Direct Entry Schemes and Their Academic Performance: Implications for Admission Policies
    (East African Journal of Education Studies, 2023-04-21) Aciro,Rosalba; Oriangi,George; Onen,David; Malinga, Geoffrey; Ezati,Betty.A; Openjuru,George.L
    Although studies on relationships between entry qualification and academic performance show that students who excelled academically in entry qualification often perform better than those with low entry qualification in subsequent examinations, this argument has been questioned. This study explored the relationship between entry grades of undergraduate students and academic performance in public universities in Uganda in the first and final years of their studies. A retrospective cohort analysis of data for undergraduate students of Gulu and Makerere Universities using a sample of 2825 academic records from 2013- 2016 was conducted. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis wereused for analysis. Results revealed a significant relationship between entry scores and students’ academic performance for those admitted on national merit, district quota, affirmative action schemes and private sponsorship schemes in four university programs. However, there was no significant correlation between entry scores and students’ academic performance in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programs. Although male students joined with lower grades than females, their performance in the final year was better than their female counterparts. Therefore, this study confirms that the entry qualification score predicts academic outcomes in the early and exit stages of the university. These findings support the current Government entry criteria for public universities, provide important information for the admission committee decisions, and may have implications for admission policies. However, the lack of a significant correlation between entry qualification scores and students’ academic performance in Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery could indicate the need to revisit admissions criteria for this program. Future studies should go beyond the commonly used GPA to measure academic performance by including noncognitive factors such as practical skills, clinical skills, and professionalism. Furthermore, the role of background and sociodemographic factors in influencing