Abstract: Quality of university education is dependent on the role that members of academic staff perform in their curriculum and instructional tasks. In recent times, issues of burnout amongst members of the university faculty appears to be increasing. This paper analysed how job demands affected the performance of academic staff in private universities in Kenya. The study is anchored on job demand resources theory to explain how job demands influences workplace performance by employees. The study research design is descriptive. The target population for this study involved academic staff from 10 private universities in Kenya. The respondents were selected using stratified and purposive sampling technique. The data has been collected using questionnaire. Data analysis has been undertaken using descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis. The study has found out that job demands present amongst universities academic staff negatively affected their performances. The workload was high, job ambiguity was present and lecturers worked over time in order to complete tasks given. Further, they experienced burnout, mental fatigue and emotional distress due to the demands placed on their desks by their university management. The result effect of job demands was that instructional tasks were not undertaken to the professional standards resulting to subpar performance. The study recommends for private university management to consider employing additional lecturers (on contract basis) to manage the students admitted in their universities as a way of ensuring quality university education is provided.

Abstract: The study examines the progress and challenges encountered in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) particularly goal five – Gender Equality, focusing on women’s representation in leadership in a university setting. The study centers on Mountains of the Moon University (MMU), investigating the current status, identifying barriers, and proposing recommendations for advancing women’s participation in leadership roles. We applied interpretivism approach anchored on a case study design. We purposively chose middle and senior women holding or had held leadership positions at MMU. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with 16 women in leadership positions at MMU. We thematically analyzed data guided by themes on representation, policy promotion and implementation and outstanding challenges faced. The study reveals a significant underrepresentation of women in top executive roles at MMU, with women holding only about 15% of the university’s executive board positions despite constituting 25% of department heads. Women are more prevalent in humanities and social sciences faculties than in STEM disciplines, reflecting broader gender disparities across academic fields. Institutional policies promoting gender equality exist, but their inconsistent enforcement poses challenges, indicating a need for more robust implementation. Lack of mentorship programs and cultural barriers hinder women’s progress, emphasizing the importance of tailored support mechanisms and inclusive policies for advancing women in leadership roles. The study recommended development and enforcement of robust gender mainstreaming policies across board, mentorship programs, active support for gender equality initiatives and leadership development programs tailored specifically for women.

Abstract: This study compares the implementation of teaching practice in universities and colleges towards improving teaching competence to student-teachers in Arusha Region. The study employed mixed approach in which convergent parallel design was applied. Simple random, homogeneous and snowball sampling methods were used to sample 60 participants. Interview, questionnaire and documentary analysis were applied for data collection. Pre-field and during field activities were compared. The aspects specifically compared were practical skills, orientation course, assessment mode, supervision mode and duration of TP. Findings revealed that college student-teachers undergo more practical skills trainings like micro-teaching, single lesson practice and demonstration while university student-teachers receive little trainings on practical skills in teaching. The findings also revealed that university supervisors were not much effective in supervision, and assessment while colleges have strong supervision and assessment process as student-teachers are assessed twice by different supervisors, which is not practiced in universities. T-test results show that there is significant different in pre-field activities between universities and colleges. Therefore, teacher trainees are more effective prepared in teachers teaching colleges compared to universities. The study recommends that universities should adopt more practical and competent based trainings so as to empower student-teachers to gain relevant skills for teaching.

Abstract: Despite enormous development progress and a plethora ofknowledge on gender mainstreaming, assessments and evaluations demonstrate a significant gap in implementation, probably due to implementation-related issues. The purpose of the study was to examine the institutional human resource establishment towards gender mainstreaming in selected Universities in Kenya. The descriptive survey design was used on a sample of 371 respondents from four of the 37 targeted Kenyan public universities. Vice Chancellors, Deputy Vice Chancellors; Academics, Planning and Finance, Head of Procurement, Planning, Registrar Academics, Registrar Finance, Registrar Student Affairs, Registrar Sports and Games, Head of Departments, Deans of Students, Gender Department Chairpersons, and University Counselors were sampled using stratified, simple random and purposive sampling. The researcher consulted with the supervisors to guarantee the content validity of the research tools. The study used ‘split-halves’ and ‘internal consistency’ methods to measure reliability. The Key Informant Interview responses were reviewed, categorized, and presented in tables, pie charts, and graphs using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. The results were given in the form of frequency tables, percentages, and narration. The relationship between the variables was tested using Pearson’s Correlation and Multiple Linear Regression. The findings are expected to be useful in developing newer strategies for implementing gender mainstreaming, raising awareness through public seminars and workshops, providing new knowledge to scholars for research and library use, and serving as a guide for policymakers on key gender mainstreaming strategies, among other things.

Abstract: This study investigated the challenges facing post-graduate students in conducting research in Universities in Arusha Region. The study assessed the significance of post-graduate students to conduct research in universities and suggested the intervening measures to the challenges facing post-graduate students in conducting research in universities in Arusha Region. The theory of Communicative Exchanges in Supervision guided the study. Convergent mixed methods design was adopted whereby the researcher collected both quantitative and qualitative data, analyzed them separately, and then compared the results to see if the findings confirm or disconfirm to each other. Data were collected using the questionnaire and structured interview. The study targeted 600 master students and 34 post-graduate lecturers. The sample size consisted of 130 respondents (10 Postgraduate Lecturers and 120 Postgraduate students). The instrument was tested for reliability where Cronbach coefficient Alpha was found to correlate at r = 0.858.While the trustworthiness of instrument for collecting qualitative data was done by ensuring its credibility, transferability and dependability indicating that the instruments were fairly reliable for the study. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics in the SPSS version 25 and results were presented in charts, tables of frequencies and percentages. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically alongside research questions. The study revealed that Post-graduate research provides students with decision making and problem solving skills. The study suggested that research experts should disseminate enough knowledge and skills on research methodology to the post-graduate students and the number of research experts in universities in Arusha region should be increased.

Abstract: This conceptual study introduces the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic as a global burden that has disrupted peoples’ quality of life. The Kenyan government confirmed the first case of COVID-19 pandemic on 14th March, 2020, after the novel corona virus disease. One of the containment strategies put in place by the Kenyan government was the suspension of all learning activities and home confinement for all school going children and university students. The aim of this study was to find out the effects of the contextual concerns of covid-19 pandemic on the university students’ mental in Kenya. The review found out that the public health containment measures led to the closure of universities, which resulted to virtual learning, virtual graduation, loss of jobs as some companies shut down, movement to rural areas, lack of supplies, isolation, pornography, concerns on one’s own health and the health of loved ones, eating and sleeping disorders, all study levels and gender, knowledge of infected person, information technology exacerbated the situation of the students, Covid-19 contributed to general poor health and that vulnerable university students may have been worse hit. All these culminated into mental health issues as depression, anxiety, stress, sleep and eating disorder and loneliness. The study recommended that apart from the student counsellors, the universities also ought to engage the services of psychotherapists and psychiatrists where applicable in the fight against mental health related concerns among the students during COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract: All over the world, people in various societies are known to form associations that bring them together. University students form such associations which enrich their social, cultural and educational conformity. Members of students’ associations usually portray better self and collective discipline and less maladaptive behaviour. However, not much is known about the role regional-based associations in influencing specific students’ educational socialization outcomes. Thus, the study to answer the role of role of Regional- Based Students’ Associations on Educational Socialization Outcomes among Students in Selected Universities in Nairobi County-Kenya? Using a Mixed Methodology approach and a sample size of 268, the study employed stratified random sampling technique to come up with a sample representing both public and private universities, purposive sampling technique to come up with a sample of deans of students. The simple random sampling technique to come with a sample of individual associations’ members as respondents. Data was gathered using observation checklist and questionnaire for students and interview schedule for deans of students. The study found that most students (75%) like participating in regional-based associations’ activities. There was influence of regional-based associations on connecting with others, building self-esteem, behaviour conformity and career conformity. The deans of students affirmed that the associations help to identify and nurture students’ leadership skills.