QUESTION ONE (Compulsory) (25 Marks)

Uganda's education sector has undergone significant transformation since the COVID-19
pandemic. Public universities shifted to online and blended learning models, yet a 2024 report by
the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) revealed that over 60% of students in rural
areas lacked reliable internet access, leading to widening academic performance gaps.
Furthermore, mental health challenges, dropout rates, and reduced graduate employability have
been documented at alarming levels. Despite these developments, there is limited peer-reviewed
evidence on the long-term socio-academic consequences of the pandemic on university students
in Uganda, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Based on this scenario, formulate the following:

a) A suitable research topic (3 Marks)

b) A well-articulated problem statement (6 Marks)

c) Three specific research objectives (6 Marks)

d) Three research questions aligned with the stated objectives (6 Marks)

e) The significance of the study and its potential contributions to educational policy and practice
in Uganda (4 Marks)

QUESTION TWO (25 Marks)

A research team at Kyambogo University is studying the impact of mobile money services on the
financial inclusion of boda-boda riders (motorcycle taxi operators) in Kampala. To collect data,
the team uses three methods: a structured survey administered via tablets, focus group
discussions, and observation of riders at designated stages. During the pilot phase, the team
notices that many riders give overly positive responses during the survey when the team leader is
present (interviewer influence), some riders round up figures when estimating daily earnings
(response bias), and riders at the stage alter their normal financial behaviour when they notice the
observers (observer effect).
a) Critically analyze each of the three data collection challenges encountered by the research
team. Propose specific, practical strategies to minimize their impact, drawing on examples from
similar studies in East Africa or developing country contexts. (15 Marks)

b) Evaluate the three data collection methods used (structured survey, focus group discussion,
and observation) in terms of their strengths, weaknesses, and suitability for studying financial
inclusion among an informal urban workforce. (10 Marks)

QUESTION THREE (25 Marks)

Makerere University Business School (MUBS) has 8,000 undergraduate students enrolled across
six departments: Accounting (2,000), Marketing (1,500), Finance (1,200), Human Resource
Management (1,000), Procurement (800), and Entrepreneurship (1,500). A researcher intends to
study the relationship between students' use of digital learning tools and their academic
achievement. Given limited funding, only 400 students can be surveyed. The researcher must
ensure the sample is representative, feasible to collect within three weeks, and captures
variations across departments and year of study.

a) Recommend the most appropriate sampling technique for this study and justify your choice in
detail, referencing the constraints described. (5 Marks)

b) Describe how at least three different sampling techniques (e.g., stratified, cluster, systematic,
purposive) could be applied in this study. For each technique, discuss its suitability or
unsuitability, and the advantages and disadvantages it would present in the MUBS context. (15
Marks)

c) If stratified proportional sampling is adopted, calculate the number of students to be selected

QUESTION FOUR (25 Marks)

The Uganda Management Institute (UMI) has launched three new student support services: an
online academic coaching platform, a career mentorship programme paired with industry
partners, and a financial literacy workshop series. UMI's Academic Registrar wants to evaluate
whether these services have improved student retention rates, academic performance, and post-
graduation employment outcomes within the first year of implementation. You are appointed as
the lead researcher for this evaluation study.
Design a comprehensive research methodology for this evaluation. Your response must address
the following:

i. Appropriate research design and justification (4 Marks)

ii. Data collection methods and instruments (4 Marks)

iii. Sampling technique and sample size justification (4 Marks)

iv. Key variables to be measured (dependent and independent) (4 Marks)

v. Ethical considerations in conducting research involving students (5 Marks)

vi. Data analysis techniques and reporting approach (4 Marks)

QUESTION FIVE (25 Marks)

A study commissioned by the Ministry of Education Uganda evaluated the relationship between
teacher academic qualifications and the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) pass rates across
60 secondary schools in Eastern Uganda. Preliminary results showed that schools staffed by
teachers with Master's degrees reported significantly higher pass rates than those with Bachelor's
degree holders. However, further review of the data revealed that schools with Master's-qualified
teachers were predominantly located in urban areas, had better-stocked libraries, lower student-
teacher ratios, and received more government capitation grants. These variables were not
controlled for in the original study design.

a) Identify and discuss the potential ethical concerns that arise from interpreting and publishing
these study findings without adequately accounting for the confounding variables. Consider
issues of fairness, attribution of causality, and the risk of misdirecting educational policy. (12
Marks)

b) Propose at least three methodological strategies that the research team should have employed
to control for confounding factors and strengthen the validity of the study's conclusions. (13
Marks)
QUESTION SIX (25 Marks)

A Master's student at Uganda Christian University (UCU) is researching the influence of social
media marketing on the purchasing behaviour of urban youth in Uganda. The student identifies
50 relevant studies but notices that 35 of them were conducted before 2019 — prior to the major
growth of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and influencer marketing in Uganda. Only 8 studies focus
specifically on Sub-Saharan African consumers, and most of the remaining studies are from
North America and Europe. The student's supervisor advises that using predominantly outdated
and geographically irrelevant sources risks undermining the research's credibility and
applicability to Uganda's unique digital landscape.

a) Analyze at least four specific issues that may arise from the student's reliance on pre-2019 and
geographically misaligned literature in this study on social media marketing in Uganda. (12
Marks)

b) Recommend a systematic strategy the student can adopt to rebuild and strengthen the literature
review, ensuring it is current, geographically relevant, academically rigorous, and supportive of
the research objectives. How should the scarcity of Sub-Saharan African literature be handled?
(13 Marks)