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Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research

Resource Disparities and Their Effect on Competency-Based Curriculum Implementation in Refugee-Hosting Districts: A Quantitative Cross-Sectional Study Of Selected Refugee-Hosting Districts of Uganda

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Dr. Mategeko Betty2

Journal: Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research (MJAAR)

Volume/Issue: Volume 5 - Issue 7

Published: 31 Jul 2026


Abstract

This study investigated resource disparities and their effect on the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in refugee-hosting districts of Uganda, namely Yumbe, Adjumani, Kiryandongo, and Isingiro. The rollout of CBC across Uganda's lower secondary education system assumed a fairly uniform distribution of teaching and learning materials, adequately trained teaching staff, and functional physical infrastructure; however, districts that hosted large refugee populations experienced disproportionate strain on these resources due to rapid enrolment growth, underfunding, and logistical constraints associated with humanitarian settings. Guided by three specific objectives, the study examined the influence of disparities in teaching and learning materials, teacher staffing and training, and physical infrastructure on the depth and fidelity of CBC implementation. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was adopted, targeting teachers and head teachers drawn from a stratified random sample of 320 respondents across the four districts. Data were collected using a structured, pre-tested questionnaire anchored on a five-point Likert scale and were analysed using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical techniques, complemented by a bootstrapbased sensitivity analysis to test the robustness of the regression estimates. The findings revealed statistically significant disparities in resource availability across the four districts, with Yumbe and Adjumani recording markedly lower mean scores on all three resource domains compared to Kiryandongo and Isingiro. Bivariate analysis established strong, positive, and statistically significant correlations between each resource domain and CBC implementation, while multivariate regression confirmed that teaching and learning materials, teacher staffing and training, and infrastructure jointly explained approximately forty-six percent of the variance in CBC implementation scores, with all three predictors remaining significant after controlling for district-level and funding effects. The bootstrap sensitivity analysis corroborated the stability of these coefficients. The study concluded that resource disparities substantially undermine the uniform and effective implementation of CBC in refugee-hosting districts and recommended targeted, needs-based resource allocation, harmonised teacher deployment and training programmes, and deliberate infrastructural investment in the most disadvantaged districts.
Keywords

Resource disparities; Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC); curriculum implementation; refugeehosting districts; teaching and learning materials; teacher staffing and training; educational infrastructure; Uganda.

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