Title: Non-motivational factors affecting choice of program of study among students joining Higher Education in Uganda
Authors: Barbara Lynn Amanya, Doreen Akunda, James Tayebwa Bamwenda
Volume: 9
Issue: 3
Pages: 54-62
Publication Date: 2025/03/28
Abstract:
In Uganda, students pursue programs of study where they lack background knowledge of their career opportunities. Drawing from interviews and discussions held with students and staff, this study sought to establish the exact reasons behind the students' choice of programs of study and how non-motivational but influential factors affect students' choice of programs of study accessing higher education. The study used a cross-sectional survey methodology and analyzed data using qualitative and quantitative methods. A total of 201 randomly selected students completed a self-administered questionnaire, involved in 10 focus group discussions and five key informant interviews. The study found that student performance, higher education policy and access to information were among the non-motivational factors influencing student choices. The study recommends, therefore, that Institutions of higher learning or colleges should have a school-to-school outreach program focused on building the capacities of students to understand the programs, higher education should align its human resource training to its national development priorities and invest in training the human resources it needs based on the demands both by its public and private sectors, and higher education should re-integrate higher education to equip students with key practical skills that would help in strengthening the future industrial needs.