| 1 |
Author(s):
Godwin Matthew Sabboh, Janet Arogundade.
Page No : 1-14
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The Rights and Responsibilities of Test Takers and the Introspection of Messick’s and Kane’s Approaches to Validity: The Untold Stories.
Abstract
Before the advent of educational standards, the rights and responsibilities of test takers were somehow oblique. This has led to a lot of arguments among educators, test administrators, academics, and others on how test takers should comport themselves and what they are expected to know before, during, and after taking any test and/or examination. It is against this background that this paper examined the rights and responsibilities of test takers and the introspection of Messick and Kane’s approaches to validity: the untold stories. The crux of this paper is that test takers are expected to know and identify their rights and responsibilities in any test they take in order to forestall any misconceptions about the misuse of their test scores. The 1999 and 2014 standards shed more light on the rights and responsibilities of test takers, which stood as a premise upon which many test takers, test administrators, and educators lay their claims on the use and interpretation of test scores. The paper also examined the intersection between test validity theories and the ethical imperatives that govern test use. Drawing upon Messick’s unified theory of validity which situates construct validity as encompassing consequential and value implications, and Kane’s argument-based approach to validation. The paper also explores how these frameworks articulate and support the rights and responsibilities of test takers. The study expatiates how fairness, access, transparency, and accountability are embedded within or marginalized by dominant validity frameworks using the conceptual-analytical method. It also examines the “untold stories” of test takers, most especially those from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds whose experiences reveal the practical challenges of operationalizing fairness in high-stakes testing. This paper contributes immensely to the ongoing conversation on shared vision for equitable and valid educational assessment practices. The paper recommended that the rights of test takers must be recognized, and they must be treated with courtesy and respect, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or other personal characteristics, as this would give room for fairness and inclusiveness in the use and interpretation of test scores.
| 2 |
Author(s):
Authority O. A. U..
Page No : 15-34
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Misuse of Nomenclature in Music Discourses: Reassessing the Roles of Musicians and Musicologists in 21st-Century Scholarship and Culture.
Abstract
This study interrogates the persistent conflation of professional identities between musicians and musicologists in contemporary discourse, illuminating the implications of the misuse of nomenclature within academic and cultural contexts. Grounded in qualitative content analysis, the research critically evaluates published texts, institutional documents, and expert commentaries to demarcate the distinctive roles, epistemic boundaries, and contributions of musicians and musicologists in the 21st century. Drawing from disciplinary identity theory and field theory, the investigation reveals that while musicians primarily engage in creative production and performative interpretation, musicologists operate within a research-oriented framework, generating theoretical, historical, and analytical insights. The findings indicate that terminological ambiguity not only distorts public and academic perceptions but also undermines disciplinary legitimacy and pedagogical clarity. Furthermore, the study highlights trends in hybrid professional identities and the challenges posed by interdisciplinary practices, especially in higher education and arts administration. The article concludes by advocating for a more nuanced nomenclatural paradigm that reflects the functional and epistemological distinctions between practitioners and scholars in music. Such a recalibration holds promise for curriculum reform, scholarly publishing, and professional accreditation, thereby fostering greater coherence in the global musicological landscape and advancing intellectual integrity across domains of music practice and research.
| 3 |
Author(s):
Bakari Muhammadu Sukare (Ph.D.), Abubakar Abdullahi.
Page No : 35-45
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Public Sector Ethics and Fight Against Corruption: Lessons from Nigeria’s Anti-Corruption Institutions.
Abstract
Corruption remains a major impediment to governance, as many African states continue to experience systemic corruption that weakens public service delivery, erodes citizen trust, and sustains poverty. Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous country, offers an important case for understanding the relationship between public sector ethics and the effectiveness of anti-corruption institutions. This study examines Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework, with particular focus on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), and the judiciary. The study employs a desk-based qualitative methodology, drawing on secondary data from scholarly literature, government documents, and institutional reports. Guided by Ethical Governance Theory, the analysis assesses how ethical norms influence institutional performance in the fight against corruption, while also identifying persistent challenges such as political interference, selective enforcement, inadequate funding, and weak judicial processes. The findings indicate that Nigeria’s anti-corruption institutions have achieved notable successes, including asset recovery and high-profile prosecutions. However, corruption remains pervasive due to entrenched patronage systems, limited institutional independence, and weak enforcement mechanisms. The study argues that ethical governance must extend beyond formal codes of conduct to become deeply embedded in institutional culture, supported by transparency, accountability, and active civic participation. The study concludes by drawing lessons for other African countries, emphasizing that sustainable anti-corruption efforts require strong ethical foundations, resilient institutions, and genuine political will. Nigeria’s experience highlights both the challenges and possibilities of advancing ethical governance across the continent.
| 4 |
Author(s):
Geoffrey Angela, Charles Muweesi (Ph.D.), Christine Margaret Okurut Ibore (Ph.D.).
Page No : 46-64
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Mapping Academic Integrity Policies with Student Academic Performance in Public Universities in Uganda: A Scoping Review.
Abstract
This empirical review examines how academic integrity policies influence student academic performance in Ugandan public universities, drawing on regional and international evidence. Studies consistently show that integrity—honesty, fairness, trust, respect and responsibility is positively associated with grades. However, weak or poorly implemented institutional and research integrity policies, combined with academic pressures and limited ethics training, fuel cheating, plagiarism and falsification, undermining learning outcomes and institutional credibility. Across African universities, only about one-fifth have publicly accessible research integrity policies, with notable regional gaps. International policy analyses indicate that existing frameworks are often punitive, legally dense, complex to access, and provide limited educational support. Complementary African and Ugandan studies further highlight that institutional management, disciplinary regimes and quality assurance practices strongly shape student discipline, responsibility and performance. The review concludes that Ugandan public universities should shift from narrow, punitive approaches to inclusive, educative and well-implemented integrity frameworks embedded within broader governance and student support systems.
| 5 |
Author(s):
Geoffrey Angela, Charles Muweesi (Ph.D.).
Page No : 65-82
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Empirical Evidence on Generational Characteristics in Public Universities: Professionalism, Work Life, and Lifestyle in the 21st Century Generational Differences in Professionalism, Work-Life Balance, and Lifestyle in Public Universities in Uganda: A Systematic Review.
Abstract
This manuscript synthesises empirical evidence on generational characteristics within and around public universities, focusing on professionalism, work-life balance, and lifestyle among academic staff and younger graduate employees. Generational cohorts differ in how central work is, their work values, expectations of work–life balance, and attitudes towards professional identity and careers. Evidence shows that Generation X and, especially, Millennials place less emphasis on work, value leisure more, and endorse a weaker traditional work ethic, while prioritising extrinsic rewards and individualistic orientations. Reviews also indicate that younger generations consistently value flexible working arrangements, work–life balance, and supportive environments, and are more likely to prioritise wellness, autonomy, and rapid professional development than older cohorts. Among Gen Z graduates and early-career employees, professionalism is increasingly linked to lifestyle preferences, including health, meaningful work, mobility, and work-life balance, which drive higher expectations for flexibility and a greater willingness to change employers. The review highlights implications for HR, leadership, and policy in public universities.
| 6 |
Author(s):
Geoffrey Angela, Margaret Kansiime Lubega (Ph.D.), Lydia Amongi.
Page No : 83-92
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The Relationship between Curriculum, Pedagogy, Andragogy and Assessment in the Competence-Based Education and Training in Ugandan Higher Education Context: An Empirical Review.
Abstract
Introduction: Competence-based education and training (CBET) has been widely embraced in Ugandan higher education to tackle concerns about graduate employability and skills gaps. However, the extent to which curriculum design, pedagogy/andragogy, and assessment are coherently aligned to foster competency development remains uncertain. Methods: An empirical review approach was employed to synthesise findings from qualitative and quantitative studies, policy documents, and institutional reports on CBET in Ugandan higher education and related East African contexts. Evidence was organised across four domains: curriculum, pedagogy/andragogy, assessment, and implementation outcomes, with particular focus on health professions, teacher education, and selected professional programmes. Results: The review reveals significant progress in defining competency frameworks and restructuring curricula around clear outcomes. Practice-oriented pedagogies, such as clinical placements, role-plays, and project-based learning, are increasingly adopted but remain constrained by large class sizes, resource shortages, and insufficient staff training. Assessment reforms include greater utilisation of criterion-referenced, formative, and scenario-based approaches, though high-stakes written examinations still predominate in many programmes. Alignment among curriculum, pedagogy/andragogy, and assessment is strongest where institutions invest in faculty development and structured workplace-based learning, and weakest in under-resourced settings and emerging disciplines. Key findings: First, curriculum reform alone does not ensure competency development; its success depends on congruent pedagogical and assessment practices. Second, andragogical principles, feedback, self-monitoring, and authentic tasks are most effective when integrated into systematic assessment frameworks. Third, gaps in teacher/lecturer assessment literacy and unequal resource distribution hinder consistent CBET implementation and aggravate institutional inequalities. Conclusion: CBET in Ugandan higher education has shifted discourse and formal curricula towards competencies, but implementation remains partial and uneven. Misalignment between curriculum goals, teaching practices, and assessment systems hampers the realisation of intended graduate competencies. Recommendations: The study advocates for sustained investment in staff development programmes focused on competency-oriented pedagogy and assessment, the development and refinement of discipline-specific competency frameworks, enhancement of criterion-referenced and workplace-based assessment systems, better resourcing of learning environments, and closer vertical alignment between secondary and higher education to facilitate coherent competence progression.
| 7 |
Author(s):
Enwuru Caroline Obiageri.
Page No : 93-102
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Bridging the Gap Between Curriculum Design and Classroom Practice in Nigeria.
Abstract
This study examines the gap between curriculum design and classroom practice in Nigerian secondary schools, with a focus on understanding the challenges that hinder effective curriculum implementation and identifying strategies to bridge this gap. Using a survey research design, data were collected from 198 teachers and educational administrators across five selected secondary schools—Federal Government College, Enugu; Queen’s College, Lagos; Government Secondary School, Kano; Christ the King College, Onitsha; and Anglican Grammar School, Ibadan—through structured online questionnaires administered via Google Forms. The data were analyzed using frequency tables, percentages, mean, and standard deviation to determine trends in teachers’ understanding of curriculum objectives, classroom practices, and the challenges they face. Findings indicate that while teachers generally have a high understanding of curriculum objectives, the actual implementation of learner-centered and practical teaching methods is moderate, largely due to large class sizes, inadequate instructional resources, and limited professional development opportunities. Respondents highlighted the importance of strategies such as in-service training, provision of instructional materials, collaborative teaching, and regular monitoring to improve curriculum enactment. The study concludes that bridging the curriculum-practice gap requires coordinated efforts at both teacher and systemic levels to enhance the quality and effectiveness of education in Nigeria.
| 8 |
Author(s):
Kalogeratos Gerasimos, Alexopoulos Christos.
Page No : 103-118
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The Digital Gender Gap: A Sociological Review of Research and Evidence.
Abstract
The digital gender gap, referring to systematic differences between women and men in their access to, use of, skills in, participation in, and outcomes from digital technol-ogies, represents an enduring form of inequality in modern information societies (Hat-tie, 2017;Williamson, 2017;Van Dijk, 2020). Although digital technologies have been widely adopted on a global scale, with connectivity infrastructures continuing to ex-pand, gender differences in digital engagement persist in various socio-economic and cultural settings (Alexopoulos & Christopoulou, 2018; Staikou et al., 2025). While physical access to digital devices or connectivity infrastructures is not an issue, the digital gender gap refers to multi-layered inequalities, which exist at resource, compe-tency, structural, and symbolic levels (Gee, 2007; Ertmer & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2013; Hattie, 2017).
The present article offers an extended, theoretically informed sociological overview of existing empirical research, particularly within the last decade, with special emphasis on: (1) conceptual definitions and theoretical frameworks (Williamson, 2017; Van Dijk, 2020); (2) empirical research on digital inequality patterns and typologies (Mou-relatos et al., 2024); (3) structural, institutional, and cultural factors (Kakavoula et al., 2026); (4) intersections with educational paths and labor market changes (Kalogeratos & Pierrakeas, 2024); and (5) policy implications and prospects for further interdiscip-linary research (Van Dijk, 2020; Theodorakopoulos et al., 2025).
| 9 |
Author(s):
Authority O. A. U. (Ph.D.), Nwaoha Christian.
Page No : 119-132
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Epistemic Reconciliation in Nigerian Air Force Musical Identity.
Abstract
This study addressed the limited understanding of how African military ensembles reconcile colonial musical legacies with indigenous knowledge systems and emerging ecological concerns, focusing specifically on the Nigerian Air Force Band. The research examined how the ensemble negotiated these intersecting pressures and why this process matters for contemporary debates on culture, identity, and sustainability. A qualitative ethnographic design was employed, drawing on performance transcripts, interviews, and archival materials from a purposive sample of 45 participants, including band members, community observers, and cultural policy stakeholders. Thematic and critical discourse analyses revealed that the band integrated African rhythmic and melodic idioms into its military repertoire, with 75 percent of observed performances incorporating indigenous elements, and that ecological motifs, although less frequent, were recognised by 70 percent of community observers as symbols of environmental awareness. Archival records showed a long term shift toward indigenous compositions, increasing from 10 percent in 1980 to 55 percent in 2025. These findings indicate that the ensemble actively reworked inherited musical structures, fostering epistemic reconciliation and strengthening cultural legitimacy. The study contributes new empirical evidence to debates on African military music, demonstrating that such ensembles function not only as instruments of state representation but also as agents of cultural resilience and ecological consciousness.
