Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research

Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research (MJAAR)

The Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research (MJAAR) is a peer-reviewed online journal published monthly. The ISSN for the MJAAR Digital Library is ISSN: 3006-6417 (Online). MJAAR is a highly selective journal that covers a wide range of topics, catering to a broad audience interested in academic and applied research across various fields. MJAAR offers numerous advantages designed to enhance research skills and advance academic careers. Publishing in scholarly journals plays a critical role in career progression within academia. Author Benefits Specific to MJAAR Publications: Fast and Efficient Paper Publishing Process: Authors can expect a smooth and timely publication process. Indexing in Prominent Databases: MJAAR is listed in notable platforms such as Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Scirus, get CITED, and others. Expert Peer Review Panel: We are honoured to have a highly respected team of academic reviewers from leading universities around the world. Open Access Journal: This ensures wide visibility and promotion of your published work. MJAAR is managed by a distinguished Board of Editors and is supported by an international review board comprised of prominent academics and professionals from renowned universities, colleges, and institutions across Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. To ensure the highest quality standards, all manuscripts submitted to MJAAR undergo a stringent review process, which includes blind reviews by one or more members of the international editorial review board, followed by an in-depth evaluation by MJAAR editors. We are committed to supporting our authors in excelling across all areas of academic and applied research.

Latest Articles

Browse the latest peer-reviewed publications from Metropolitan International University Journals.

Parental And Community Understanding of Competency-Based Curriculum as A Predictor of Learner Support at Home: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Dr. Mategeko Betty2 , Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara3

Published on 03 Aug 2026

This study examined parental and community understanding of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) as a predictor of learner support at home, using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The Competency-Based Curriculum, introduced to shift basic education away from rote memorization toward the development of practical, transferable competencies, places substantial new demands on parents and communities as co-facilitators of learning beyond the classroom. Despite considerable investment in curriculum reform, learner support at home has remained inconsistent, and existing literature offers limited quantitative evidence on how parental and community understanding jointly shape home-based learning support.

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Teacher Preparedness and Fidelity of CBC Implementation in Secondary Schools: An Ordinal Logistic Regression Analysis

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Dr. Twinomujuni Rosebell2 , Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara3

Published on 03 Aug 2026

This study examined the extent to which teacher preparedness predicted the fidelity of implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in secondary schools, using an ordinal logistic regression approach. The Competency-Based Curriculum, rolled out in lower secondary education to shift instruction away from rote content coverage toward the development of generic and subject-specific competencies, places considerable demand on teachers who must translate its philosophy into classroom practice with fidelity. Guided by a cross-sectional survey design, the study drew a sample of 320 secondary school teachers and measured fidelity of CBC implementation as a three-level ordinal outcome (Low, Moderate, High), alongside a composite teacher preparedness score and a set of covariates comprising in-service CBC training attendance, academic qualification, teaching experience, school location, access to teaching and learning materials, and average class size.

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Decentralization, Local Government Oversight Gaps, and Corruption Risk: A Systematic Literature Review

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara2 , Ahumuza Audrey3

Published on 03 Aug 2026

Decentralization reforms have been promoted for four decades as a route to more responsive, efficient, and accountable government. Yet a substantial and growing body of research finds that transferring fiscal, administrative, and political authority to subnational governments frequently outpaces the parallel transfer of oversight capacity, creating gaps that local elites and officials can exploit. This article presents a systematic literature review of the relationship between decentralization, local government oversight gaps, and corruption risk.

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Citizen Trust in Parliament as a Function of Oversight Visibility and Media Coverage: A Mediation Analysis with Media Exposure

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara2 , Nabaasa Desire3

Published on 03 Aug 2026

Public trust in parliament is a cornerstone of democratic legitimacy, yet in many emerging democracies this trust remains persistently low despite the existence of formal legislative oversight mechanisms. This study examined citizen trust in parliament as a function of oversight visibility and media coverage, and specifically tested whether media exposure mediates the relationship between the visibility of parliamentary oversight activities and the level of trust citizens place in the institution. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was adopted, drawing a sample of 420 adult citizens selected through multistage stratified random sampling across four regions.

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Political Will, Institutional Independence, And Anti-Corruption Enforcement Outcomes. A Structural Equation Modeling

Authors: Dr. Mategeko Betty1 , Ahumuza Audrey2 , Dr. Twinomujuni Rosebell3

Published on 03 Aug 2026

This study investigated the structural relationships among political will, institutional independence, and anticorruption enforcement outcomes within Uganda's anti-corruption institutional ecosystem, and further tested whether resource adequacy mediated the pathway between institutional independence and enforcement outcomes. Guided by principal-agent and institutional theories of anti-corruption governance, the study adopted a cross-sectional quantitative design and drew a sample of 384 respondents from six categories of anti-corruption actors, namely the Office of the Inspectorate of Government, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, the Uganda Police Force's Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Directorate, the Judiciary's Anti-Corruption Division, the Auditor General's Office, and civil society anti-corruption watchdog organisations. Data were collected using a structured, pretested questionnaire employing five-point Likert-type indicators for political will, institutional independence, resource adequacy, and enforcement outcomes, each demonstrating strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.

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The Role Of Organic Farming In Enhancing Soil Fertility And Crop Productivity In Uganda: A Case Study Of Kirewa Sub County, Tororo District

Authors: Owori Daniel Loyo1 , Natukunda Charles2

Published on 03 Aug 2026

This study examines the role of organic farming practices in enhancing soil fertility and crop productivity among smallholder farmers in Kirewa Sub County, Tororo District, Uganda. Declining soil fertility, driven by continuous cultivation, limited fallowing, and heavy reliance on synthetic inputs, has emerged as a major constraint to smallholder productivity in many parts of Uganda. Organic farming encompassing practices such as composting, crop rotation, use of animal manure, and agroforestry is widely promoted as a sustainable alternative capable of restoring soil health while maintaining yields.

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Legislative Oversight Capacity and Perceived Corruption Levels: A Cross-District Analysis

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Akampurira Sarah2 , Nabaasa Desire3

Published on 01 Aug 2026

This study examined the relationship between legislative oversight capacity and perceived corruption levels across district local governments in Uganda, responding to persistent concerns that formal council oversight structures established under the decentralization framework have not translated into commensurate reductions in perceived corruption. A cross-sectional analytical design was adopted, drawing a sample of 653 respondents, comprising district councilors, technical staff, and civil society representatives, nested within 42 purposively and randomly selected districts spanning the Central, Eastern, Northern, and Western regions. A composite Legislative Oversight Capacity Index (LOCI) and a Perceived Corruption Index (PCI) were constructed and analysed using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical techniques, culminating in a mixed-effects linear regression with a district-level random intercept, and complemented by a battery of sensitivity analyses.

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Effectiveness of Parliamentary Committees in Curbing Public Fund Mismanagement: A Cross-Sectional Study of Public Sector Entities in Uganda

Authors: Dr. Twinomujuni Rosebell1 , Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara2 , Ahumuza Audrey3

Published on 01 Aug 2026

This study examined the effectiveness of parliamentary committees in curbing public fund mismanagement among public sector entities in Uganda, motivated by the persistent recurrence of adverse Auditor General findings despite the existence of an elaborate parliamentary oversight architecture centred on the Public Accounts Committee and the Committee on Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises. Adopting a cross-sectional quantitative design, structured questionnaires were administered to 360 accounting officers, internal auditors, and finance officers drawn from ministries, departments, agencies, and local governments across the health, education, works and transport, and local government sectors, capturing organizational covariates, a composite measure of parliamentary committee oversight intensity, and a composite 0-100 Fund Mismanagement Index (FMI). Data were analysed in three stages: univariate description of sample characteristics; bivariate comparison of FMI between high- and low-oversight entities using independent-samples t-tests, chi-square tests, and Pearson correlations; and propensity score matching with Rosenbaum bounds sensitivity analysis to derive a quasi-experimental estimate of the oversight effect net of observed confounding.

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Regional And Urban–Rural Disparities in Pipeline Attrition and Employability: A Three-Level Mixed-Effects Regression Analysis of Higher Education Transitions in Uganda

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Ahumuza Audrey2 , Nabaasa Desire3

Published on 01 Aug 2026

Persistent regional and urban–rural disparities in the transition of higher education students from enrolment to graduate employment have remained a central concern for education planners in Uganda and comparable Sub-Saharan African settings. This study investigated regional and urban–rural disparities in pipeline attrition and graduate employability, and quantified the extent to which variation in employability outcomes was attributable to individual, institutional, and regional levels of influence. A cross-sectional, multilevel quantitative design was adopted, drawing on a simulated but contextually grounded dataset of 1,200 students nested within 60 higher education institutions, which were in turn nested within four administrative regions of Uganda (Central, Eastern, Northern, and Western).

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Vocational Training Uptake as a Response to Academic Pipeline Attrition: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Authors: Dr. Mategeko Betty1 , Ahumuza Audrey2 , Dr. Twinomujuni Rosebell3

Published on 01 Aug 2026

Academic pipeline attrition, whereby learners exit formal secondary or tertiary education before completion, remains a persistent challenge across many low- and middle-income education systems, and vocational training (VT) has increasingly been promoted as a structured re-entry pathway for such learners. This study applied propensity score matching (PSM) to examine whether uptake of vocational training among academically attrited youth was associated with improved employment, income, and skills-certification outcomes, while accounting for selection bias arising from non-random enrolment into vocational programmes. A cross-sectional analytical design was used, drawing on a simulated cohort of 620 youths who had exited the academic pipeline, of whom 211 (34.

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