Journal
Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research
MJAAR
Nurturing Purposeful Entrepreneurs: A Dual-Curriculum Model for Guiding Ugandan Teens Beyond Academic and Societal Pressures
Dr. Arinaitwe Julius, Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara
| Journal | Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research (MJAAR) |
| Volume / Issue | Vol. 5, No. 2 |
| Published | 28 February 2026 |
| ISSN | 3006-6417 |
Abstract
Background: Uganda's youth face mounting pressures from examination-focused education systems and societal expectations that prioritize traditional career paths while undervaluing entrepreneurship, resulting in graduates who lack purpose, practical skills, and confidence to pursue meaningful ventures despite a critical need for job creation through enterprise development. Objective: This study developed and evaluated a dual-curriculum model integrating purpose discovery and entrepreneurship education with conventional academic learning to nurture purposeful entrepreneurs among Ugandan teenagers. Methods: A mixed-methods quasi-experimental design was employed across six secondary schools in central Uganda from January to December 2024, involving 480 students aged 14-17 years (240 intervention, 240 control) selected through stratified random sampling. The 12-month intervention consisted of weekly purpose-discovery workshops utilizing the Stanford Purpose Project framework, bi-weekly entrepreneurship training modules covering opportunity identification, business planning, and financial literacy, and mentorship sessions with local entrepreneurs, all integrated alongside regular academic coursework. Data were collected through pre-test and post-test assessments, structured questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, and academic records. Quantitative analysis included univariate descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses using independent t-tests and chi-square tests, Pearson correlations examining relationships among variables, and multivariable regression models identifying predictors of entrepreneurial intentions while controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and academic confounders, with difference-in-differences analysis estimating causal intervention effects. Results: Baseline characteristics were well-balanced between groups (all p>0.05), with participants demonstrating low initial purpose scores (mean≈42/100), low entrepreneurial self-efficacy (mean≈38/100), and high perceived academic pressure (mean≈77/100). Post-intervention bivariate analyses revealed statistically significant differences favoring the intervention group across all primary outcomes: purpose score (mean difference=26.2 points, p
Keywords
Purpose discovery
entrepreneurship education
dual-curriculum model
Ugandan teenagers
academic pressure
youth development
Cite This Article
Dr. Arinaitwe Julius & Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara (2026). Nurturing Purposeful Entrepreneurs: A Dual-Curriculum Model for Guiding Ugandan Teens Beyond Academic and Societal Pressures. Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research, 5(2). https://journals.miu.ac.ug/pages/article.php?article_id=149
More in This Issue
View full issue →
11
The Effect Of Private Sector Funding On The Quality Of Education In Secondary Schools In Buyende District, Uganda.
Private sector funding
education quality
secondary schools
Buyende District
12
The IMRaD Anachronism: Reimagining Scholarly Communication for the Age of AI and Information Velocity
IMRaD format
scholarly communication
artificial intelligence
13
The Incarceration Generation: Analyzing the Overrepresentation of Youth in Ugandan Prisons and Proposing a Multisectoral Way Forward
Youth incarceration
juvenile justice
criminal justice reform
pretrial detention
14
The Isolated Philosopher-King: A Critique of the Asocial Individualism in Kohlberg’s Post-Conventional Morality
Kohlberg’s Post-Conventional Morality