Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research

Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research (MJAAR)

The Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research (MJAAR) is a peer-reviewed online journal published monthly. The ISSN for the MJAAR Digital Library is ISSN: 3006-6417 (Online). MJAAR is a highly selective journal that covers a wide range of topics, catering to a broad audience interested in academic and applied research across various fields. MJAAR offers numerous advantages designed to enhance research skills and advance academic careers. Publishing in scholarly journals plays a critical role in career progression within academia. Author Benefits Specific to MJAAR Publications: Fast and Efficient Paper Publishing Process: Authors can expect a smooth and timely publication process. Indexing in Prominent Databases: MJAAR is listed in notable platforms such as Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Scirus, get CITED, and others. Expert Peer Review Panel: We are honoured to have a highly respected team of academic reviewers from leading universities around the world. Open Access Journal: This ensures wide visibility and promotion of your published work. MJAAR is managed by a distinguished Board of Editors and is supported by an international review board comprised of prominent academics and professionals from renowned universities, colleges, and institutions across Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. To ensure the highest quality standards, all manuscripts submitted to MJAAR undergo a stringent review process, which includes blind reviews by one or more members of the international editorial review board, followed by an in-depth evaluation by MJAAR editors. We are committed to supporting our authors in excelling across all areas of academic and applied research.

Latest Articles

Browse the latest peer-reviewed publications from Metropolitan International University Journals.

Importing Discipline? A Critical Examination of Behavioral Adaptation Among African Sojourners in Dubai and Implications for Cross-Cultural Policy Transfer

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Musiimenta Nancy2

Published on 01 Jan 1970

This study critically examined the nature, mechanisms, and durability of behavioral adaptation among African sojourners in Dubai, and assessed implications for cross-cultural policy transfer debates. Using a mixed-methods design, the research surveyed 847 current African sojourners in Dubai and 412 returnees across five African countries (Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Uganda) between January and October 2024, supplemented by 64 semistructured interviews. Quantitative measures assessed behavioral compliance across traffic, workplace, public conduct, and civic responsibility domains, alongside constructs measuring perceived enforcement intensity, fear of consequences, norm internalization, and intentions for behavioral maintenance.

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The Unsteady Pulse: Voter Discipline and Electoral Violence in Uganda's Historical Context

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Ahumuza Audrey2

Published on 01 Jan 1970

Electoral violence has become a defining characteristic of Uganda's political landscape, undermining democratic development and perpetuating authoritarian governance despite the formal restoration of multiparty politics in 2005. This study examined electoral violence as a systematic mechanism of voter discipline within Uganda's historical context, tracing its evolution from the post-independence period through contemporary electoral cycles and analyzing its strategic deployment, impacts, and implications for democratic consolidation. Employing a mixed-methods research design, the study combined historical analysis of archival documents and electoral records spanning 1962 to 2023 with quantitative survey data from 1,847 respondents across ten districts representing Uganda's four major regions, complemented by 48 in-depth interviews with key informants including electoral officials, political actors, civil society leaders, and violence victims.

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Beyond GDP: An Examination of Uganda’s Economic Growth and the Lag in Subjective Well-Being Gains

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Dr. Ariyo Gracious Kazaara2

Published on 01 Jan 1970

This study examined the paradoxical relationship between Uganda's sustained economic growth and the persistent lag in subjective well-being improvements among its citizens. Using a cross-sectional research design, secondary data from the Uganda National Household Survey and Afrobarometer surveys (2005-2023) were analyzed, comprising 15,000 households and 25,000 individual respondents. Univariate, bivariate, and binary logistic regression analyses were employed to assess trends in GDP growth and well-being indicators, identify determinants of subjective wellbeing, and examine differential impacts across population subgroups.

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The Primacy of Religious Explanatory Frameworks in African Contexts: A Critical Analysis of Potential Socioeconomic Ramifications

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Musiimenta Nancy2

Published on 01 Jan 1970

Background: Religious explanatory frameworks predominate in African contexts, where spiritual, divine, and supernatural causation often serve as primary lenses for interpreting socioeconomic phenomena including health, poverty, education, and economic outcomes. While religion provides undeniable spiritual and social benefits, concerns have emerged regarding potential socioeconomic ramifications when religious attributions eclipse empirical, structural, and systemic analyses of social challenges. Objective: This study critically analyzed the relationship between religious explanatory primacy and socioeconomic outcomes in African contexts, examining mechanisms through which religious attribution patterns influenced development trajectories.

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Critical Pedagogy and Neocolonial Curricula: A Postcolonial Interrogation of Foreign-Engineered Education Reforms in Africa

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Ahumuza Audrey2

Published on 01 Jan 1970

Purpose: This study critically examined the neocolonial dimensions of foreign-engineered education reforms in Africa through a postcolonial lens, analyzing structural mechanisms through which externally-driven interventions perpetuate epistemic violence, reproduce dependency relations, and marginalize indigenous African epistemologies while exploring counter-hegemonic pedagogical alternatives. Methodology: A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design was conducted between January 2023 and August 2024 across five African countries (Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, and South Africa). The quantitative phase surveyed 1,847 educators, curriculum developers, and educational administrators using validated instruments measuring neocolonial influence, epistemic violence, curriculum sovereignty, cultural identity erosion, and pedagogical resistance.

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From Fatalism to Agency: Reversing the Civic Expectancy-Prayer Paradigm in African Development

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara2

Published on 01 Jan 1970

Background: Persistent underdevelopment across African nations has been increasingly attributed to a "civic expectancy-prayer paradigm" wherein populations exhibit passive reliance on divine intervention, external assistance, or government benevolence rather than active civic engagement in addressing collective challenges. While religiosity remains central to African cultural identity, the predominance of prayer as a primary response to development problems, often excluding concrete civic action, raises questions about the cultural and psychological foundations of sustainable development. Objective: This study examined the relationship between religious orientation, civic agency, and development outcomes in African contexts, identifying psychological and social mechanisms through which the civic expectancyprayer paradigm operates and exploring pathways for its reversal.

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From Tolerance to Acceptance: Integrating the Virtues of Acceptance and Respect into the National Curriculum of Uganda

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Ahumuza Audrey2

Published on 01 Jan 1970

This mixed-methods study examined the integration of acceptance and respect virtues into Uganda's National Curriculum and developed an evidence-based framework for comprehensive curriculum reform. Conducted between January and June 2024 across Uganda's four regions, the research involved 480 participants including curriculum developers (n=30), head teachers (n=50), teachers (n=250), and students (n=150) from 50 primary and secondary schools selected through stratified random sampling. Data collection employed document analysis, semi-structured questionnaires, classroom observations, and key informant interviews, with quantitative data analyzed using univariate statistics, bivariate tests (chi-square, t-tests, correlations), and binary logistic regression to identify predictors of effective integration.

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Human Resource Administration And Transformation Of Non-Governmental Organizations: A Study Of All Saints Church Kampala

Authors: Akamwesiga Godwin

Published on 01 Jan 1970

The study examined the relationship between recruitment and selection practices and institutional development at All Saints Church, Nakasero, Kampala. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 114 respondents comprising staff, volunteers, and church leaders. The findings revealed that structured recruitment processes significantly enhanced organizational capacity, with 78.

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Impact of Digital Payment Systems on Small Retail Business Growth: Case Study of Digital Payment Adoption Among SMEs in Kampala Central Business District

Authors: Dr Ariyo Gracious Kazaara1 , Kabanda Richard2

Published on 01 Jan 1970

Digital payment systems represented transformative financial technologies reshaping retail business operations and growth trajectories. This study examined the impact of digital payment systems on small retail business growth among SMEs in Kampala Central Business District, Uganda. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design using mixed methods approaches.

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The Telecommunications Paradox: Examining Mobile Data Expenditure Patterns Amid Economic Hardship in Uganda

Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1 , Dr. Ariyo Gracious Kazaara2

Published on 01 Jan 1970

Uganda has experienced rapid telecommunications growth with mobile penetration exceeding 65%, coinciding with significant economic challenges including high inflation and widespread poverty affecting approximately 30% of the population. A paradox has emerged whereby mobile data consumption and expenditure persist or increase despite economic hardship, with households allocating substantial income portions to connectivity while struggling to meet basic needs.

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