What is Master of Education

Quality institutional support and student-faculty interaction are critical to effective research engagement and efficient completion among higher education students. However, the research engagement of many postgraduate students in Uganda is characterised by low completion rates, longer stay on the journey, and high drop-out among others. In this interpretative phenomenological qualitative study using focus group discussions among Master of Education cohorts of 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 and seven key informant interviews among research advisors in Ugandan universities, the author explored gaps in institutional support and student-faculty interaction that negatively affected the students' research engagement. Findings revealed wanting institutional support in resources, operating procedures, organisation and communication, supervision, curricula, and student financing. Student-faculty interaction gaps included supervisor absenteeism and emotional and behavioural dereliction. Strategies to fix the gaps were also solicited. Recommendations for policy and practice were advanced.