Institute of Languages (INSTL)

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Browsing Institute of Languages (INSTL) by Author "Ocan, Johnson"

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    Constructs of Postcolonial Space and Identity in Women’s Fiction
    (East African Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 2025) Ocan, Johnson; Namara, Sharon; Kwizera, Gad; Ainemababazi, Norah
    This study examines women fictionists’ engagement with the interwoven themes of conflict trauma, the pursuit of education, and duplicity in Beatrice Lamwaka’s Butterfly Dreams and Monica Arac de Nyeko’s Jambula Tree. It argues that these authors construct narrative spaces which reflect contemporary realities where their heroines assert autonomy, reconstruct identities, inscribe painful memories, and confront postcolonial tensions in northern Uganda during the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency. Using textual analysis, the research interrogates the weight of postcolonial governance through critical concerns such as gender, post-traumatic stress disorder, armed conflict, educational aspiration, and sexuality—particularly in Uganda’s sociopolitical context, where same-sex relationships are criminalised. Findings indicate that women fiction writers employ the postcolonial framework to anchor their narratives in historical tragedy, advocate for sociopolitical transformation, affirm individuality, and pursue emancipation through the written word.
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    Depictions of activism at universities compared; Contexts for Political Engagement
    (International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences, 2025) Ocan, Johnson
    The goal of this study is to make a case that the campus of a university served as the venue for discussion, plan-ning, and mobilization. Campuses have come to represent the perfect arena of power where social demands are made and power battles are fought since they serve as a microcosm of society. The campus acted as both a micro-cosm of the outside world and a testing ground for ideas and activities before they were introduced to the entire public. In terms of approach the study used a documentary review to highlight the various experiences associated with student activism from three public universities in Uganda. Findings indicate that, the university has devel-oped into a setting for remaking society. The youth of Uganda in the 1990s sparked significant social transfor-mation and began a new chapter in human history. The movement stressed the significant position that higher ed-ucation institutions hold as centers of research, teaching, and community action. Since the freedom of thinking expressed inside the campus's physical seting gives humanity the vital inventiveness required to create a better and fairer world, the campus' privileged status should continue to be maintained. The study only included three public universities in Uganda, so it may not be feasible to extrapolate the results to other nations. Instead, it may be more practical to provide students with tailored learning support, let alone allow the university to grow organ-ically.
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    Experiences and Challenges Implementing Uganda's Revised English Literature Curriculum: Problematization of Colonization.
    (Kabale University, 2024) Ocan, Johnson
    Purpose: This study explores teachers' perspectives and challenges in implementing a competency-based English literature curriculum in Uganda after many years of British hegemony. This reflects on the roles and prestige of the English language as it evolved during colonial and postcolonial schools. Research methodology: The method used in this study focuses on secondary literature to refute the claim that the British forced English into Uganda while extinguishing native tongues. Results: According to the major results of the study, students in Uganda had the opportunity to enroll in kindergarten through university-level schooling, where English was the predominant medium of instruction. Limitations: The study's limitations suggest that, although the British gave English education more attention, they emphasized that national tongues should not be disregarded in favor of English. Following these investigations, the old English language curriculum has always had a tenuous connection with British political and economic interests in Uganda. Contribution: Regarding the contributions of the study, the overhaul of the curriculum was "overdue," according to Hon. Janet Museveni, Minister of Education, Sports and Science who stated in Parliament that the antiquated curriculum was anti-intellectual and opposed to cultural action. However, it is still challenging to put such a change into practice practically. This treatise simply states an ‘implementation gap,’ which is the difference between the intended and actual implementation of the competency-based curriculum.
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    The experiences and challenges of Doctoral Education in Public Universities compared
    (Journal of Social, Humanity, and Education/, 2023-02-08) Ocan, Johnson; Marus, Eton; Adyanga, Akena Francis; Ayiga, Natal
    Abstract Purpose: This article’s purpose is to explore the challenges and experiences PhD students in selected Ugandan state universities endure during their studies. Research methodology: The approach of the research focused on three public universities thus; Kabale University, Makerere University, and Gulu University. To explore these challenges, we undertook an extensive literature review of the external supervisors and evaluations of PhD students who attempted to submit their final dissertations. Results: The main findings of the results indicate that due to institutional, individual, and supervisory inefficiency, many students who enroll in their PhD programs at these universities are unable to graduate within the given timeframe. Limitations: The limitations of the study conclude that the problems addressed in this research and the suggestions presented provide the basis for improving university training programs and facilitating students, timely completion of the PhD program. Contribution: In terms of contribution, this research will improve scholarly writing and publication abilities, in addition to increasing the identity of doctoral education in Uganda. Evidently, there is no substantial work exploring the difficulties and challenges faced by PhD students in Uganda. Novelty: it is crucial to remember that when pursuing their PhDs, scholars are not just learning about the research topic, but are also developing fundamental skills in critical thinking, to construct their own knowledge within their own indigenous context, it is essential that they acquire the capacity to assess assertions, and evaluate arguments in a critical manner.
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    The Experiences and Challenges of Doctoral Education in Public Universities Compared.
    (Kabale University, 2023) Ocan, Johnson; Eton, Marus; Akena, Francis Adyanga; Ayiga, Natal
    Purpose: This article’s purpose is to explore the challenges and experiences PhD students in selected Ugandan state universities endure during their studies. Research methodology: The approach of the research focused on three public universities thus; Kabale University, Makerere University, and Gulu University. To explore these challenges, we undertook an extensive literature review of the external supervisors and evaluations of PhD students who attempted to submit their final dissertations. Results: The main findings of the results indicate that due to institutional, individual, and supervisory inefficiency, many students who enroll in their PhD programs at these universities are unable to graduate within the given timeframe. Limitations: The limitations of the study conclude that the problems addressed in this research and the suggestions presented provide the basis for improving university training programs and facilitating students, timely completion of the PhD program. Contribution: In terms of contribution, this research will improve scholarly writing and publication abilities, in addition to increasing the identity of doctoral education in Uganda. Evidently, there is no substantial work exploring the difficulties and challenges faced by PhD students in Uganda. Novelty: it is crucial to remember that when pursuing their PhDs, scholars are not just learning about the research topic, but are also developing fundamental skills in critical thinking, to construct their own knowledge within their own indigenous context, it is essential that they acquire the capacity to assess assertions, and evaluate arguments in a critical manner.
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    Utilisation of Acoli Folktales for Mindset Modification in Post-LRA Incursions: A Sociological Perspective
    (Southern African Journal of Folklore Studies, 2025) Ocan, Johnson; Okumu, Charles
    This study explores the sceptre of Acoli folktales on mentality adjustment among the Acoli people of northern Uganda. The overarching terminus of the study was to analyse the implications of Acoli folktales in mentality adjustment in the post-Lord Resistance Army (LRA) infringements in Acoli land. This was accomplished by conducting a literature review of some selected Acoli folktales, with a quintessence on the underlying concepts such as deceit, boredom, boastfulness, rebellious-ness, and treachery. Like any other traditional edification, the traditional Acoli community has pre-served group cohesiveness and unconscious acceptance of customary codes articulated, and en-coded in 13 their oral narratives (myths, legends, and folktales) to ensure a peaceful life in the ge-nealogy and community. The study found that folktales have momentousness in kinfolk regulation. Furthermore, the study claims that a commune with a strong awareness of folktales and their impli-cations for mentality adjustment would view squabbles as an integral aspect of human existence and harmonious living and would hence avoid actions and inactions 19 that foster antipathy.