Incentives as Drivers of Pedagogical Innovation in Higher Education: Evidence from Uganda

Abstract

Pedagogical innovation has become a central concern for higher education institutions seeking to enhance teaching quality and graduate relevance amid increasing financial and managerial pressures. In Uganda, universities operate under contrasting public and private governance and funding regimes, yet empirical evidence on how incentive structures influence pedagogical innovation remains limited. Guided by the objective of determining the effect of incentives on pedagogical innovations in education at Muni University and Uganda Christian University, this study examined how institutional incentives shape innovative teaching practices across public and private university contexts. The study adopted a correlational research design within an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were collected first using structured questionnaires administered to a stratified random sample of 222 academic staff, including professors, senior lecturers, heads of departments, and faculty deans drawn from the two universities. This was followed by qualitative data collection through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and unstructured observations to contextualise and explain quantitative patterns. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 27, employing descriptive statistics and inferential techniques, including chi-square tests, logistic regression, and multilevel modelling. Qualitative data were thematically analysed using ATLAS.ti 9, and findings from both strands were integrated through triangulation. Quantitative results revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between incentives and pedagogical innovation (χ² = 18.64, p < .001). Logistic regression analysis indicated that academic staff who reported access to structured incentives were over twice as likely to adopt innovative pedagogical practices (OR = 2.31). Mean scores for pedagogical innovation were higher at the private university (M = 4.02, SD = 0.61) than at the public university (M = 3.47, SD = 0.68), reflecting institutional differences in incentive flexibility. Qualitative findings further demonstrated that while financial incentives mattered, recognition, professional development opportunities, and supportive leadership were equally influential in shaping innovative teaching. The study concludes that incentives are significant drivers of pedagogical innovation, though their effectiveness is mediated by institutional context. It recommends that Ugandan universities adopt balanced incentive frameworks that combine material and non-material rewards, supported by coherent management strategies and policy alignment to sustain pedagogical innovation across both public and private institutions.