Predictors of students attitudes towards changes in fees policy in Makerere University.

Abstract

In recent decades, there has been a growing negative attitude among students toward changes in the fees policy in Makerere University. This paper examines the possible reasons as to why this is so. Accordingly, while considering the said changes in fees policy as innovation into the same policy, the theory of perceived attributes (PTA) of innovation adoption by Rogers was adopted to guide the study. Rogers postulated that people would easily adopt a given innovation if: 1) It carried some perceived relative advantage over an existing status quo; 2) It was perceived to be compatible with existing value systems and best practices; 3) It was perceived to be simple; 4) It was perceived to have the possibility of being tested; and 5) It was perceived to offer results that were observable. The study hypothesized that students of Makerere University would accept or reject changes in fees policy depending on the aforementioned five attributes of innovation adoption: perceived relative advantage, perceived compatibility, perceived complexity, perceived trialability and perceived observability. Analysis of the findings was conducted and results supported the hypothesis thus; perceived relative advantage, perceived compatibility, perceived complexity, perceived trialability and perceived observability in the changes of the fees policy were responsible for the negative attitudes students hold towards the same changes in Makerere University.