International Journal of Qualitative Research

Towards an Inclusive Climate Governance System: Indigenous Knowledge and State Policy Synergies in Rural Zimbabwe

Shingirai Mugambiwa — 2026-03-30

Climate governance in rural Zimbabwe confronts multifaceted challenges as communities grapple with intensifying climate impacts, namely irregular rainfall and extended droughts, each of which undermines livelihood security, agricultural output, and food availability. This paper examines the synergies between IKS and state climate policies in the Mutoko District, illuminating the transfer of indigenous wisdom across agricultural planning, ceremonial observances, and adaptive practices. The paper employed an exploratory qualitative framework anchored in participatory inquiry and grounded theory. Data was gathered through in-depth interviews, focus group dialogues, and key informant interviews with a diverse sample of farmers, elders, traditional leaders, and extension officers. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze data, and the findings established that traditions such as rainmaking ceremonies and the veneration of ancestors cultivate social unity and validate the authority of indigenous governance, while youth-led collectives increasingly intertwine traditional ecological wisdom with mobile and digital media, generating hybrid frameworks that elevate adaptive capacity. The analysis therefore articulates that an authentically inclusive climate governance framework in Zimbabwe necessitates the formal legitimization of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, the establishment of deliberative platforms that facilitate co-learning, and sustained, directed investments in educational initiatives that ensure cultural and technical continuity across generations. The research concludes that addressing epistemic divisiveness and integrating participatory, culturally relevant governance procedures in semi-arid rural areas is essential for enhancing resilience and supporting the communities impacted.

A Phenomenological Study of School Heads' Lived Experiences Between Teaching-Learning and School Administration

Jhonie D. Gumilao — 2026-03-30

This hermeneutic phenomenological study delved into the lived experiences of school heads in the Department of Education, Region IX, Philippines, as they navigated the dual imperatives of instructional leadership and school administration. Framed by the MATATAG Agenda and the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSSH), this research addressed a gap in understanding the personal, emotional, and meaning-making aspects of educational leadership in the Philippine context, using a hermeneutic-phenomenological research design. Through in-depth interviews with 7 school heads from DepEd Region IX, the study uncovered the essence of their leadership as a dynamic, often tense, process of orchestrating harmony. Three constitutive themes emerged: (1) The Duality of Role and Identity: A Constant Tug-of-War; (2) The Moral Compass: Navigating Pressures Through Foundational Values; and (3) The Hermeneutics of Policy: Translating Abstract Directives into Lived Reality. The findings revealed that effective leadership transcended mere compliance with standards; it was an interpretive, value-laden practice that created coherence and fostered growth in the face of systemic challenges. Recommendations were offered for refining policy, developing leadership development programs, and conducting future research.

Women in Leadership: A Critical Reading of Khnata Bint Bakkar’s Role in Moroccan History

Ahmed Lehfid — 2026-03-30

The present article investigates the life, political contributions, and historical significance of Khnata Bint Bakkar, a prominent female figure in Moroccan history. The study addresses the problem of women’s historical underrepresentation in political narratives and examines how Khnata Bint Bakkar navigated and exercised agency within a male-dominated political sphere. Based on a qualitative research approach, the study employs content analysis of the documentary episode on Khnata Bint Bakkar from the series Ten Women from History (2M, Morocco) and corroborates the documentary’s accounts with secondary historical sources. The research objectives are to identify her political and diplomatic roles, assess her influence on decision-making and governance, and analyze her mentorship of successive rulers. Findings reveal that Khnata Bint Bakkar played multifaceted roles, namely advisor, diplomat, military manager, and mentor, all of which contributed to the consolidation and stability of the Moroccan kingdom during the reigns of Sultan Moulay Ismail, Sultan Moulay Abdellah, and Sultan Sidi Mohamed. Moreover, her later withdrawal from politics did not diminish her legacy, as she continued to impact society through humanitarian work and religious practice. The study highlights her strategic acumen and leadership, demonstrating the critical role of women in Moroccan political history. These findings have implications for historiography as they emphasize the importance of recognizing women’s agency and contributions in shaping political and social structures.

Exploring Barriers to Academic Staff Promotion: Insights from Tanzania Higher Learning Institutions

Joyce Nemes — 2026-03-30

Climbing the academic ladder poses substantial challenges for many of the academicians in the Tanzanian higher learning institutions. Yet, research on promotion barriers remains scarce. Using Bourdieu’s Capital Theory, this qualitative case study aims to explore the barriers that impede academic staff promotion in Tanzanian higher learning institutions. Using purposive sampling, data were collected via in-depth interviews, document reviews, and observations. The findings show multiple, interlocking constraints. Heavy teaching and postgraduate supervision drain time capital and reduce research productivity and networking. Resource shortages and poor infrastructure reflect limited economic capital and restrict access to research tools and support. Lengthy, opaque promotion procedures and repeated re review of work already published in reputable journals undermine symbolic capital. Low intrinsic motivation points to gaps in embodied cultural capital and a misaligned habitus. Through Bourdieu’s lens, these dynamics block the conversion of time and funds into publications, recognition, and collaborative networks, hindering staff advancement. Policy recommendations: protect dedicated research time; allocate research funds more equitably; upgrade physical and digital infrastructure; accept publications from preapproved reputable journals without redundant re review. Future research should quantify these effects across more institutions and examine staff perceptions of repeated re review and its impact on morale, timelines, and career progression.

Patterns of Dependency in Patron-Client Relations in the Coastal Community of Dawi-dawi Subdistrict, Pomalaa District, Kolaka Regency

Nur Azisyah Mukmin — 2026-03-30

The continuous growth of coastal populations increases the complexity of social and economic problems in fishing communities, particularly related to dependency on patron-client relationships. This study aims to analyze the pattern of dependency in patron-client relations within the fishing community of Dawi-dawi Subdistrict, Pomalaa District, Kolaka Regency. The research uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive design. Informants were selected purposively, consisting of fishermen as clients, fish dealers as patrons, and community leaders. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation, and then analyzed through the stages of data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing with triangulation techniques to ensure data validity. The results of the study show that patron-client relations are formed due to unequal access to capital, markets, and means of production. Fishermen’s dependency is reinforced through debt mechanisms, obligations to sell catches below market price, and informal socio-economic support from patrons. In the context of fluctuating income due to uncertain seasons and weather, patronage functions as an informal social safety net that fills the gap in access to formal financial institutions. However, this relationship also reproduces structural inequalities that limit the economic independence of fishermen. This study affirms that patron-client relations are not only an adaptive strategy but also a social structure that has the potential to hinder the empowerment of coastal communities. Therefore, strengthening formal institutions and community-based empowerment strategies are needed to reduce dependency and promote the independence of fishermen.

Assessing the Nature and Strategies used for Revenue Knowledge Development to support the Management of Public Revenue Mobilization in Pallisa District, Uganda

Moses Makoha Nasinyama — 2026-03-30

This paper assessed the nature and strategies used for revenue knowledge development to support the management of public revenue mobilization (PRM) in Pallisa District, Uganda. A descriptive case study design, which was purely qualitative, was adopted, with a diverse mix of study participants. Data was collected using an in-depth interview guide, a key informant interview guide, a focus group discussion guide, and a document review guide. Findings revealed the existence of both informal sources of revenue knowledge (conversations, vendor networks, or families and formal sources of revenue knowledge (books, magazines, brochures), and the existence of the Taxpayer Registration Expansion Program (TREP) arrangement between Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), and Local Governments (LGs). The study concluded that building the capacity of the technical (revenue) officers, political leaders and the business community to obtain, refine and utilize revenue-related knowledge/information; ensure that technical (revenue) officers undertake sensitization efforts through training, meetings, ‘barazas’, and workshops to enlighten and provide revenue information pertinent to the business community and the Government of Uganda ensure that the Taxpayer Registration Expansion Program (TREP) arrangement between URA, URSB, KCCA, and LGs is strengthened and mandates harmonized to promote cooperation, coordination and implementation would support the management of the public revenue mobilization in Pallisa district and Uganda.

Educated but Uninterested: Exploring the Attitudes of Educated Youth towards Agriculture in Bangladesh

Md. Jahid Hasan — 2026-03-30

The primary objective of this study is to analyze the tendency of educated youth in Bangladesh to disengage from agriculture and the underlying factors contributing to it. Data were collected from scientific journals, published research papers, and reports from government and non-government organizations. The study was conducted using a qualitative, survey-based approach with thematic analysis. Data were coded into thematic categories, and interrelationships among themes were examined to develop an integrated interpretation. The study covers the period 2015-2026 within the context of Bangladesh. Primary data were obtained from participants, complemented by secondary data, to evaluate the perceptions of educated youth towards agriculture. Findings indicate that disengagement from agriculture among educated youth is multi-dimensional, influenced by social, cultural, financial, structural, technological, and policy-related factors. The education system is predominantly non-agricultural and oriented toward government and private-sector jobs, making agriculture appear risky, low-status, and physically demanding. Land distribution, technological limitations, financial uncertainty, urban migration, and gender-based social barriers further affect participation. Therefore, integrated policy measures, including curriculum modernization, technology-driven agricultural expansion, financial security, and positive shifts in social perceptions, are essential to re-engage educated youth in agriculture.

Discursive Scenographies and Narrative Regimes of Trump’s Leadership in African News Media

Léon Martin Mbembo Likongo — 2026-03-30

This article examines how African news media construct Donald Trump’s leadership during the first year of his renewed presidency (20 January 2025–20 January 2026). Drawing on a qualitative, multi-site design, the study analyzes a multilingual corpus of nine African outlets using a two-track framework that combines discursive scenography and narrative regime analysis. The findings identify six recurrent scenographies—Executive Mediation, Sovereign Restoration, Conditional Supervision, Strategic Deterrence, Institutional Negotiation, and Ambivalent Disruption—and six narrative regimes, including Escalation–Resolution and Security–Protection. Results show that leadership legitimacy is stabilized when enunciative centrality aligns with coherent narrative closure and becomes conditional when monitoring and uncertain aftermath dominate follow-up coverage. The study concludes that African media do not passively reproduce Western frames but actively recontextualize global leadership within mineral geopolitics, sovereignty concerns, and security priorities. By articulating scenography and narrative regime, the article advances a transferable framework for analyzing mediated legitimacy in multipolar communication environments.

The Meaning of Prayer for Young Catholic Religious Sisters of the Congregation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Carolus Borromeus Mulyatno — 2026-03-30

This qualitative research aims to obtain data on the meaning of prayer for young Catholic religious of the Congregation of Blessed Virgin Mary of Amersfoort of Samarinda Province. The data collected included three things that were formulated in three questions as research instruments. First, what kind of prayer atmosphere is experienced? Second, what are the benefits of prayer? Third, what are the fruits of prayer experienced? The three questions became research instruments used to collect data using the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) method. The data were analyzed using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) theoretical framework. An important finding of this study is that the dominant atmosphere of prayer is silence, calm, full of gratitude, and close to God. The benefits of prayer are felt as a blessed experience to relate, communicate, and be with God. Prayer is also felt as a graceful experience that is very helpful for processing personal struggles and affirming steps in living life in fulfilling vocations and missions as a religious. The fruits of prayer include deeper self-knowledge, the experience of being loved by God, the experience of being supported by God's grace, the spiritual support of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the spirit of life renewal, and experiencing the figure of God as a Father who treats longing for a male figure or a father.