THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT POLICY IMPLEMENTATION IN STRENGTHENING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRATEGIC PLANNING MECHANISMS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MBALE, UGANDA

Richard Wemesa, Sabiiti Mulema, Brian Kato, Joshua Wabwire, Samuel Njiri, James Sika, Carren Akoth Olendo

Abstract


This study sought to investigate the role of government policy implementation in strengthening the relationship between strategic planning mechanisms and academic performance outcomes in Public Secondary schools in Mbale. To examine the role of government policy implementation in strengthening the relationship between strategic planning mechanisms and academic performance outcomes, the study employed a correlational study design and followed a quantitative research approach. Descriptive analysis was employed to analysis was employed to analyze the data. Data was collected by use of document analysis guidelines, interview schedule. Reliability was tested using the test-retest method with a two-week interval, involving a pilot group representing 10% of the study population. Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (R) was used to determine reliability, with Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.709 and 0.757 for the principal questionnaire, 0.803 for the BOG questionnaire, and 0.706 for the teacher questionnaire. Government policy implementation significantly strengthened academic performance outcomes, explaining a substantial proportion of variation in UCE results (R = .620, R² = .385, p < .001). The study findings may  inform policymakers and education planners on the effectiveness of government policy implementation in reducing rural–urban performance disparities, thereby supporting equitable distribution of educational resources and improved UCE pass rates.

Keywords


government policy, strategic planning, academic performance

Full Text:

PDF

References


Akena, W., Muwanga, N., & Kisaakye, P. (2020). The Capitation Grant System in Uganda: Enhancing Access but Compromising Quality?. Journal of Education Policy, 35(4), pp. 456-472.

Alhassan, A. M. (2025). Teachers’ implementation of inclusive education in Ghanaian primary schools: An insight into policy and practice. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal 1(20). https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.12.124

Bain, A., Walker, A., & Chan, A. (2021). Reimagining school improvement: Systems theory and leadership practice. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429282656

Chapman, D.W., Barakat, S., & Aflouka, M. (2016). The Educational Decentralization in Uganda: Challenges and Opportunities. International Journal of Educational Development, 49, pp. 112-120.

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Research_Design.html?id=335ZDwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y

De Kemp, A. (2011). Universal Secondary Education in Uganda: Blessing or Curse? Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.2304/rcie.2011.6.1.62SAGE Journals

Dwomoh, G., Osei, D. A., & Boateng, E. (2023). Impact evaluation of the Free Senior High School education policy on students' academic performance. Africa Education Review, 20(1), 45-60. Retrieved from https://diwa.gimpa.edu.gh/service/impact-evaluation-of-the-free-senior-high-school-education-policy-on-students-academic-performance/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Elmore, R. F. (1980). Backward mapping: Implementation research and policy decisions. Political Science Quarterly, 94(4), 601–616. https://doi.org/10.2307/2149628

Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Pitman. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Strategic_Management.html?id=4PUJAQAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y

Gall, M. D., Gall, J. P., & Borg, W. R. (2007). Educational Research: An Introduction (8th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Educational_Research.html?id=l9JfQgAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

Hanushek, E.A., & Woessmann, L. (2015). The Knowledge Capital of Nations: Education and the Economics of Growth. MIT Press. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt17kk9kq

Kasozi, A. (2020). The Impact of Policy on Teacher Motivation and Strategic Planning in Ugandan Schools. Journal of Educational Policy, 14(3), pp. 345-360.

Kellaghan, T., Greaney, V., & Scott Murray, T. (2017). Using Assessment to Improve Education in Developing Countries. In: The Impact of Educational Testing on Policy and Practice. Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 123-145.

Khan, L. (2021) Growing enrolment, static resources: Changes in school resources and infrastructure in relation to enrolment trends in Rwandan secondary schools. (2021). REAL Centre, University of Cambridge. Retrieved from https://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/centres/real/publications/Growing%20enrolment%2C%20static%20resources-%20Changes%20in%20school%20resources%20and%20infrastructure%20in%20relation%20to%20enrolment%20trends%20in%20Rwandan%20secondary%20schools.pdfeduc.cam.ac.uk

Kivirauma, J., & Ruoho, K. (2007). Excellence through special education? Lessons from the Finnish school reform. International Review of Education, 53(3), 283–302. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-007-9044-1

Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques (2nd ed.). New Delhi: New Age International Publishers. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Research_Methodology.html?id=8c6gkbKi-F4C&redir_esc=y

Krejcie, R.V. & Morgan, D.W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), pp. 607–610. Retrieved from https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1971-03263-001

Kumar, R. (2011). Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.

Lee, H.-W. (2014). Proactive educational reforms in South Korea: Schools for Improvement and multicultural education. Revue internationale d’éducation de Sèvres, (HS-2). https://doi.org/10.4000/ries.3897

Levin, B. (2010). How to change 5,000 schools: A practical and positive approach for leading change at every level. Harvard Education Press.

Lwanga, C.K., Ssewanyana, S., & Nakafeero, A. (2023). Challenges in Policy Implementation in Ugandan Education: A Case Study of Mbale District. African Journal of Educational Management, 15(1), pp. 45-60.

Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) (2019). Education Sector Strategic Plan 2019–2023. Kampala: Government of Uganda.

Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) (2020). Teacher Deployment and School Staffing Report 2020. Kampala: Government of Uganda.

Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) (2022). Education Sector Strategic Plan 2021-2025. Kampala: Ministry of Education and Sports.

Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) (2022). National Assessment of School Strategic Plans. Kampala: Government of Uganda.

Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES). (2021). Education and Sports Sector Annual Performance Report 2020/2021. Kampala: MoES.

Ministry of Education and Sports (2019). Education Sector Strategic Plan 2019–2023. Kampala: Government of Uganda.

Ministry of Education and Sports. (2015). Education and Sports Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) 2016–2020. Retrieved from https://www.globalpartnership.org/node/document/download?file=document%2Ffile%2F2020-7-Uganda-ESP.pdfGlobal Partnership for Education

Ministry of Education and Sports. (2017). Education and Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2017–2020. Retrieved from https://www.globalpartnership.org/content/education-and-sports-sector-strategic-plan-2017-2020-ugandaGlobal Partnership for Education

Ministry of Education and Sports. (2018). A Teacher Incentive Framework (TIF) for Uganda. Retrieved from https://radixconsults.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/A-TEACHER-INCENTIVE-FRAMEWORK-IN-UGANDA.pdfradixconsults.com

Ministry of Education Kenya. (2024). Final revised TOR for CBC. Retrieved from https://www.education.go.ke/sites/default/files/2024-04/Final%20revised%20TOR%20for%20CBC.pdfMinistry of Education Kenya

Ministry of Education. (2019). Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP). Retrieved from https://millenniumedu.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GES-PRESENTATION-ALD.pdfMillennium@EDU SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION

Ministry of Education. (2024). Education Sector Strategic Plan 2024-2029. Retrieved from https://www.minecofin.gov.rw/index.php?eID=dumpFile&f=113412&t=f&token=b81dd78dfa09db634dd2202d668c7288ec3894afMinistry of Education Rwanda+2minecofin.gov.rw+2Ministry of Education Rwanda+2

Mitchell, R.K., Agle, B.R. & Wood, D.J. (1997). Toward a theory of stakeholder identification and salience. Academy of Management Review, 22(4), pp. 853–886. https://doi.org/10.2307/259247

Mugenda, O.M. & Mugenda, A.G. (2003). Research methods: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. Acts Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Research_Methods.html?id=4WyrAAAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

Muhamad, A., & Rajab, W. G. (2025). An investigation of the implementation of inclusive education policy in Central Uganda. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science. https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.90600005

Murnane, R.J., & Cohen, D.K. (2018). Policy, Incentives, and Teacher Motivation. In: The Handbook of Education Policy Research. Routledge, pp. 456-472.

Obong, Q. (2021). The Impact of USE Policy on School Enrollment and Teaching Quality in Mbale District. Journal of Educational Policy in Africa, 12(2), pp. 123-138.

Oduor, G., Wambua, L., & Muthoni, J. (2021). Competency-Based Curriculum in Kenya: Impact of resources on implementation of the programme. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 5(9), 123-130. Retrieved from https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/competency-based-curriculum-in-kenya-impact-of-resources-on-implementation-of-the-programme/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

OECD (2019). PISA 2018 Results: What School Life Means for Students’ Lives. Paris: OECD Publishing.

OECD. (2018). Implementing education policies: Realising the potential of digital technologies. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264298705-en

OECD. (2019). Learning in rural schools: Insights from PISA, TALIS and the literature. OECD Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2019/03/learning-in-rural-schools_75ae062d/8b1a5cb9-en.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Oketch, M., & Ngware, M. (2019). Quality of Education and School Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Kenya and Uganda. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 27(50), pp. 1-22.

Oketch, M., & Rolleston, C. (2018). Equity in Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review of Research Evidence. In: Handbook of Education Systems in East Africa. Springer, pp. 213-234.

Orodho, J. A. (2005). Elements of Education and Social Science Research Methods. Nairobi: Masola Publishers.

Orodho, J. A. (2008). Techniques of writing research proposals and reports. Masola Publishers.

Riddell, A. (2018). Secondary Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Policies and Progress. In: Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Comparative Analysis. Springer, pp.101-120.

Sabatier, P. A. (1986). Top-down and bottom-up approaches to implementation research: A critical analysis and suggested synthesis. Journal of Public Policy, 6(1), 21–48. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0143814X00003846

Smith, J. (2018). Strategic Planning in Education: A Global Perspective. New York: Routledge

Tan, C. (2018). Singapore’s School Excellence Model and student learning: Evidence from PISA 2012 and TALIS 2013. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 17(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-017-9225-0

Thajane, S. B., & Masitsa, M. G. (2021). An investigation into policy implementation by primary school principals in the Free State province. South African Journal of Education, 41(Suppl. 2). https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v41ns2a1960

Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), 2020. National Population and Housing Census 2020: Mbale District Report. Kampala: UBOS.

Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) (2021). Education and Socio-Economic Profile of Eastern Uganda. Kampala: UBOS.

Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS). (2020). National Population and Housing Census Analytical Report: Education and Literacy. Kampala: UBOS.

Uganda Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Statistical Abstract. Retrieved from https://library.health.go.ug/sites/default/files/resources/UBOS%20Statistical%20Abstract%202021.pdf

Uganda Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) (2022). Annual performance report. Kampala: MoES.

Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) (2021). Annual Assessment Report 2021. Kampala: UNEB.

Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) (2021). Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) Results Analysis 2021. Kampala: UNEB.

Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) (2022). UCE Results Analysis Report 2022. Kampala: UNEB.

Uganda National Examinations Board. (2023). 2023 Summary Report. Retrieved from https://uneb.ac.ug/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2023-SUMMARY-REPORT.pdfUNEB+1UNEB+1

Uganda Radio Network. (2018). Education Ministry Launches the National Teacher Incentive Framework. Retrieved from https://ugandaradionetwork.net/story/education-ministry-launches-the-national-teacher-incentive-frameworkUganda Radionetwork

UNEB. (2021). Uganda National Examinations Board report. Kampala: UNEB.

UNESCO. (2021). Global Education Monitoring Report 2021: Non-State Actors in Education. Paris: UNESCO Publishing.

UNESCO. (2022). Education in Africa Report 2022: Statistical Overview. Paris: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

UNESCO. (2000). Participation and Participatory Planning in Educational Systems. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000005582

UNESCO. (2000). Participation and participatory planning in educational systems. Paris: UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000005582

UNESCO. (2000). Participation and participatory planning in educational systems. Paris: UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000005582

UNESCO. (2015). Education for All 2000–2015: Achievements and challenges. Paris: UNESCO Publishing. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000232205

UNESCO. (2023). Education Finance Watch 2023. UNESCO Publishing. Retrieved from https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/83e58d3341493b223668bb9d6cb7e9c2-0140022023/related/EFW-2023-Report-oct9v2.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

World Bank (2018). Uganda: Service Delivery with More Equity, Efficiency and Accountability. World Bank Group.

World Bank. (2018). World Development Report 2018: Learning to Realize Education’s Promise. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.

World Bank. (2019). Uganda: Strengthening Education Quality through Improved Monitoring and Evaluation. Washington, DC: World Bank.

World Bank. (2020). World Development Report 2020: Learning to Realize Education’s Promise. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.

World Bank. (2021). Improving Education Outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons from Uganda. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.

World Bank. (2022). Uganda Economic Update: Investing in Uganda’s Youth for Recovery and Resilience. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.

World Bank. (2010). Achieving world-class education in Brazil: The next agenda. World Bank Publications. Retrieved from https://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/993851468014439962/pdf/656590REPLACEM0hieving0World0Class0.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

World Bank. (2017). Teacher Development Programme In-Service Training Impact Evaluation in Nigeria. Retrieved from https://microdata.worldbank.org/index.php/catalog/3413Microdata Library+1Microdata Library+1

World Bank. (2018). World Development Report 2018: Learning to realize education’s promise. World Bank Publications. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1096-1

World Bank. (2020). Uganda Teacher and School Effectiveness Project. Retrieved from https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/450291601994860375/pdf/Uganda-Teacher-and-School-Effectiveness-Project.pdfWorld Bank

World Bank. (2021). Malawi Education Sector Improvement Project (MESIP). Retrieved from https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/134201651499886937/pdf/Malawi-Education-Sector-Improvement-Project.pdfWorld Bank+1World Bank+1

Zikalala, N. P., & Ntshangase, T. C. (2025). Curriculum implementation: A systematic literature review of practices and challenges of using pacesetters in South African rural primary schools. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 24(8), 418–443. Retrieved from https://ijlter.org/index.php/ijlter/article/view/13519




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v13i4.6623

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2026 Richard Wemesa, Sabiiti Mulema, Brian Kato, Joshua Wabwire, Samuel Njiri, James Sika, Carren Akoth Olendo

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright © 2015-2026. European Journal of Education Studies (ISSN 2501 - 1111) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library (Biblioteca Nationala a Romaniei). All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms. All authors who send their manuscripts to this journal and whose articles are published on this journal retain full copyright of their articles. All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).