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.

Teacher Quality, School Resourcing, and Downstream Skills Deficits: A Multilevel Regression Model

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Ahumuza Audrey2 , Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara3

Published on 01 Aug 2026

Persistently weak learning outcomes in many basic-education systems have been attributed jointly to inadequate teacher quality and chronic under-resourcing of schools, yet the independent and combined contributions of these two factors to downstream skills deficits were rarely quantified within an analytic framework that respected the nested structure of educational data. This study examined the extent to which teacher quality and school resourcing predicted literacy-numeracy skills deficits among primary school learners, using a multilevel modelling approach that accounted for the clustering of students within schools. A cross-sectional dataset comprising 1,451 students nested within 60 primary schools was analysed.

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Gender-Differentiated Attrition Patterns and Their Labor Market Consequences: A Multi-Group Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Musiimenta Nancy2 , Akampurira Sarah3

Published on 01 Aug 2026

This study investigated gender-differentiated patterns of employee attrition and their downstream labor market consequences using a multi-group structural equation modeling (SEM) framework. Drawing on a sample of 860 formally employed men and women who had recently exited employment across public, private, and non-governmental organization (NGO) sectors, the study examined whether the psychosocial drivers of attrition intention — job dissatisfaction, caregiving/family burden, and career advancement barriers — operated differently for men and women, and whether attrition translated into different post-exit labor market outcomes by gender. Data were analyzed using univariate descriptive statistics, bivariate chi-square and independent-samples t-tests, multivariate binary logistic regression with a sensitivity analysis incorporating a gender-by-caregiving-burden interaction term, and multi-group SEM comparing structural path coefficients between male and female sub-samples.

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Skills Mismatch Between TVET/University Output and Labor Market Demand: An Ordinal Logistic Regression Analysis

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Dr. Twinomujuni Rosebell2 , Ahumuza Audrey3

Published on 01 Aug 2026

Skills mismatch between the output of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and universities and the actual demands of the labor market remains a persistent challenge to human capital utilization and youth employment outcomes in Uganda and across sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined the institutional, curricular, and individual-level determinants of the severity of skills mismatch among 450 TVET and university graduates who had transitioned into the labor market, treating mismatch severity as an ordered categorical outcome comprising no/low, moderate, and severe mismatch. Data were analyzed in three sequential stages: univariate description of sociodemographic and institutional characteristics; bivariate analysis using Pearson chi-square tests for categorical predictors and Kruskal-Wallis H tests for continuous predictors; and multivariable analysis using a proportional-odds ordinal logistic regression model, with robustness assessed through 1,000-replicate bootstrapresampling and a trimmed-sample re-estimation excluding high-leverage observations.

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Stakeholder Perceptions Of NCDC’s Curriculum Alignment For A-Level Under The New Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) Framework

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

Published on 31 Jul 2026

The National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) extended Uganda's Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), first rolled out at Ordinary Level in 2020, to Advanced Level (A-Level), raising questions about the degree to which the new A-Level syllabi, pedagogy, and assessment structures were coherently aligned with the lower-secondary competency framework and with the practical realities of schools, teachers, learners, and parents. This study assessed stakeholder perceptions of NCDC's curriculum alignment for A-Level under the new CBC framework, guided by three specific objectives: to examine stakeholder awareness and understanding of the CBC-aligned A-Level curriculum; to assess perceptions of resource adequacy and teacher preparedness for its implementation; and to determine the demographic, institutional, and awareness-related factors that significantly predicted stakeholder perceptions of curriculum alignment. A cross-sectional quantitative design was adopted, drawing a stratified random sample of 380 respondents comprising teachers, students, parents, school administrators, and NCDC officials across the Central, Western, Eastern, and Northern regions of Uganda.

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Comparing Competency-Based Curriculum Implementation Outcomes In Chemistry And Physics Performance Post-2020 Reform: A Comparative Study of Secondary School Science Performance Outcomes

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

Published on 31 Jul 2026

This study compared Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) implementation outcomes in Chemistry and Physics performance among secondary school learners following the post-2020 curriculum reform. Despite the reform's emphasis on competency-based, learner-centred pedagogy and continuous formative assessment, science subjects such as Chemistry and Physics have continued to record uneven performance trends, and it remained unclear whether the reform had translated into comparable achievement gains across the two disciplines or whether disparities in implementation fidelity, teacher preparedness, and school resourcing accounted for observed differences. Using a comparative cross-sectional design, the study drew on a simulated but contextually grounded dataset of 420 learners (211 offsetting Chemistry and 209 offsetting Physics) drawn from a purposive sample of secondary schools, capturing pre-reform baseline scores, post-reform CBC performance scores, a CBC fidelity index, teacher CBC training exposure, a school resource index, and a learner engagement score.

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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

Published on 31 Jul 2026

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.

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Customer Relationship Management And Customer Retention: A Case Study Of Centenary Bank

Authors: Dr Arinaitwe Julius1 , Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara2

Published on 06 Jul 2026

This study examined the influence of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) practices on customer retention at Centenary Bank, Uganda's leading microfinance-oriented commercial bank. The dimensions of CRM investigated included service quality, customer communication, complaint handling, and customer loyalty programs. Using a crosssectional survey design, data were collected from 150 bank customers and 30 bank staff using structured questionnaires.

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Financial Management Practices And Growth Of Small And Medium Enterprises: A Case Study Of SMEs In Mbarara City

Authors: Dr Ariyo Gracious Kazaara

Published on 06 Jul 2026

This study investigated the relationship between financial management practices and the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Mbarara City, Uganda. Financial management practices examined included working capital management, financial record-keeping, budgeting and planning, and investment decision-making. The study was guided by a cross-sectional survey design and collected data from a sample of 120 SME owners and managers using structured questionnaires.

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Financial Performance And Internal Controls Of Saccos In Wakiso District

Authors: Jjingo Timothy1 , Irumba Alex2

Published on 06 Jul 2026

This study examined the relationship between internal controls and the financial performance of Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) in Wakiso District, Uganda. SACCOs play an increasingly important role in Uganda's financial inclusion agenda, yet many face financial distress attributable in part to weak governance and inadequate internal control systems. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, with data collected from 157 respondents including SACCO managers, board members, loan officers, and finance officers drawn from 32 SACCOs in Wakiso District.

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Comparative Employability Outcomes of Structured Internship and Vocational Training Programs in Uganda

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

Published on 06 Jul 2026

Youth unemployment remains one of Uganda's most pressing socioeconomic challenges, with approximately 62% of young people aged 18–30 years lacking stable, gainful employment. This study examined and compared the employability outcomes of structured internship programs (SI) and vocational training programs (VT) relative to a control group of graduates who participated in neither intervention, with the overarching aim of generating evidencebased insights to guide workforce development policy and practice in Uganda. A cross-sectional comparative research design was employed, and data were collected from 400 purposively and systematically sampled participants drawn from three cohorts across four districts in Uganda (Kampala, Mbarara, Gulu, and Mbale).

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