Quality Assurance Practice in African Universities: Lessons from a Private Nigerian University (original) (raw)
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Quality assurance involves the systematic implementation, monitoring and evaluation of products and services and certification of fitness for use. The process involves utilization of a framework that involves determination of adequate technical requirements of inputs and outputs, certification and rating of suppliers, testing of procured materials for conformance to established quality, performance, safety and reliability of standards; proper receipt, storage, issue of material, audit of process quality, evaluation of process to establish required corrective response and audit of final output for final conformance to technical reliability, maintainability and performance requirement. Worldwide Universities have established mechanisms for streamlining quality in the university systems. This paper appreciates that external quality assurance mechanism undertaken by external parties but argues that internal quality assurance is equally critical and paramount in the pursuit of quality in the provision of university education. Quality assurance by national accreditation bodies; Ministry of education by externally undertaking quality assurance are critical in the improvement of university standards. However, internal quality assurance mechanisms by Universities are more critical in improvement of standards. This paper has emphasized streamlining of internal quality assurance mechanisms within universities as equally critical in the improvement of quality of education. The concept of internal quality assurance has been systematically examined by looking at dynamics, challenges and solutions. The paper has examined aspects internal quality assurance; quality assurance policy, staff development capacity, research performance, curriculum design and development, teaching and learning, student support, research performance, teaching and learning, effective university student assessment, infrastructure development, provision of quality education for students with specialised needs, inadequate capacity to undertake quality assurance, funding and budget constraints, negative attitude towards quality assurance, student-lecturer assessment and management support together with staff towards quality.
The Pursuit of Quality Assurance in Nigerian Universities: Issues and Challenges
Mediterranean journal of social sciences, 2020
The contemporary trend of global competitiveness has brought great concern for provision of quality education. Hence universities are called upon to respond through efforts in ensuring quality assurance in its programmes offerings. This study on the pursuit of quality assurance in Nigerian Universities: Issues and challenges was carried out to sample the perspective of 640 academic staff from four Federal Universities in South-South Nigeria. Survey research design was used for the study. Four research questions guided the study. A 40-item researchers' developed instrument called "Quality Assurance Practices Questionnaire (QAPQ)" was used for data collection. The instrument was validated and reliability estimate established through Cronbach Alpha with an index of 0.86. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. Findings indicated that various strategies exist to ensure quality assurance. Also the extent of quality assurance implementation is moderate. Findings also showed that many challenges impede the implementation of quality assurance in universities. Suggested remedies by the respondents to improve the implementation of quality assurance include; total commitment of university management to quality assurance, admission of students based on merit, adequate funding and sufficient infrastructural facilities among others.
2014
The increasing rate of private higher education institutions in Ghana has called for the need to research into the quality management methods for their credibility. The government is giving out less funding and thus losing steering capacity. Public universities are unable to provide placements for all qualifying students in the institutions and therefore private universities have come to the aid of the public universities. The aim of the research is to find out the quality management methods that private higher education institutions involve themselves with in steering their institutions. It will also look superficially at what the national systems put in place to manage them and what it has to do with the management methods of these institutions. The All Nations University College (ANUC) was chosen as the research sample out of all private universities in Ghana. The methodology used to pursue this objective was qualitative in nature and based on semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis. In all eight respondents were purposefully selected from specific units within the university for the study. The study revealed that ANUC has quite a young Quality Assurance (QA) system. This system is doing its possible best to ensure quality in the institution. However, it depicts a control-oriented approach to its management system. The contents of the system seem to be more pedagogically focused but with few signs of routines that provide staff with feedback and much seems geared towards control. It also seems that the QA Department is operating in a quite autonomous way. The study also revealed that private universities aim at satisfying external accreditation demands and that means that controlling quality "works" in the country for private sector. Also a recommendation that, 'private universities in general could also adopt the strategy of providing attractive courses like ANUC is doing, that will benefit students on the job market so that societal problems can be addressed in the country' was made. Research development was also seen as an area of concern where quality management should focus on in private universities. x The study also revealed that quality management should be dealt with in every aspect of managing the institutions, be it curriculum designing, employability skills and so forth. Lastly, the study revealed that in order to attain quality, a result-oriented approach instead of a controloriented approach should be adopted as well as ensuring a reliable and quick feedback system.
An Analysis of the Quality Assurance policies in a Ghanaian University
The study examined the implementation challenges of quality assurance in public universities in Ghana with a focus on University for Development Studies (UDS). The study adopted a qualitative case study design. The data for the study was collected through in-depth interviews, document analysis and participants observation. The study revealed that the Directorate of Academic Quality Assurance (DAQA) undertakes many activities geared towards quality assurance and enhancement of quality in the University. The findings of the study suggest that UDS has taken pragmatic steps to assure quality in its operations. However, the implementation challenges of quality assurance include: staffing and offices; quality culture; physical and financial resources; commitment and support for quality assurance; and absence of a current strategic plan. The author recommends that as a multi-campus University, there should be staff and offices on each of the Campuses for effective coordination of quality assurance activities. The study concludes that the Directorate of the Academic Quality Assurance should be supported to develop a quality assurance culture in the University. Key words: Quality assurance, challenges, establishment, directorate, university
Quality assurance involves the systematic implementation, monitoring and evaluation of products and services and certification of fitness for use. The process involves utilization of a framework that involves determination of adequate technical requirements of inputs and outputs, certification and rating of suppliers, testing of procured materials for conformance to established quality, performance, safety and reliability of standards; proper receipt, storage, issue of material, audit of process quality, evaluation of process to establish required corrective response and audit of final output for final conformance to technical reliability, maintainability and performance requirement. Worldwide Universities have established mechanisms for streamlining quality in the university systems. This paper appreciates that external quality assurance mechanism undertaken by external parties but argues that internal quality assurance is equally critical and paramount in the pursuit of quality in the provision of university education. Quality assurance by national accreditation bodies; Ministry of education by externally undertaking quality assurance are critical in the improvement of university standards. However, internal quality assurance mechanisms by Universities are more critical in improvement of standards. This paper has emphasized streamlining of internal quality assurance mechanisms within universities as equally critical in the improvement of quality of education. The concept of internal
QUALITY ASSURANCE IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Quality assurance is recognized as essential to knowledge and active participation in knowledge within the societies, is essential to economic growth, and higher education institutions such as universities are the likely engines for the growth. This recognition has sparked renewed interest in, and concern about quality, quality improvement, and quality assessment in Nigerian universities today. This paper examined the concept of quality and quality assurance, issues identifying with quality assurance in Nigeria Universities were discussed. Challenges militating against quality assurance were highlighted. Such as under-funding, enrollment explosion, inadequate physical facilities and poor management. To assure quality in Nigerian universities, it was recommended among others that good planning and management are essential ingredients in the establishment of quality in an educational establishment.
QUALITY ASSURANCE IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA: A DRIVING FORCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Asian Journal of Advances in Research, 2020
Abstract Quality assurance is a holistic approach covering all the processes in tertiary institution in order to serve the students and other stakeholders in expected quality standards. The success of quality assurance system depends on the support of the management. This paper examines the current academic and policy literatures surrounding quality assurance in tertiary education. Within the content is a superficial look at strategies for quality assurance in tertiary institutions. Among these are: quality assurance in education, modification of the curriculum, assessment, strategic planning, accreditation to tertiary institution and her programmes, human resource availability, information and communication technology adoption and effective supervision. The development of any nation depends on the quality of its education therefore; conscious effort should be made to ensure quality at every level. This paper look at education as a very significant tool for sustainable development. Through tertiary institution, one is prepared to adapt to social, political, technological and economic challenges. Quality assurance is the way to ensure that students acquire the needed skill and talent in order to face the list challenges of life.
QUALITY AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES IN SOUTH WEST NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES
Abstract The pivotal role of academic staff in the teaching learning process makes their perception on quality assurance functions significant. The study examined the awareness of academic staff in South West Nigerian on quality assurance measures as well as constraints to these measures. Descriptive research of the survey type was used with a study sample of 600 academic staff selected from four universities in the southwest geopolitical zone. Multi-stage, stratified, purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to select the sample and the universities. The universities were stratified along the variable of ownership (that is, Federal and State universities). An instrument tagged Quality Assurance Questionnaire (QAQ) was used to collect data from the subjects. The reliability coefficient of QAQ was 0.86 and the data collected were analysed using frequency counts, percentages, means, standard deviation and t-test statistics. The result of the study indicated that academic staff in these universities were aware of quality assurance measures. The study also revealed that ownership did not significantly influence constraints to quality assurance measures in these universities. Based on the findings of this study, the awareness level of academic staff should be sustained while adequate provision of resources was suggested for these universities irrespective of ownership
An Assessment of Total Quality Management in Nigerian Private Universities
International Journal of Innovative Research and Development
This paper assessed total quality management (TQM) in Nigerian private universities. The specific objectives of the study evaluated total quality management practices implemented in Nigerian private universities; ascertained the quality problems in Nigerian private universities and investigated the degree of conformity of private universities in Nigeria to NUC predetermined quality standards. The study adopted a cross-sectional quantitative research design, which was based on a positivist research philosophy. The population for this study consisted of staff of The Department of Student and Academic Administration of the seventy-nine (79) private universities' in Nigeria. About the sample size, a sample of five hundred staff of The Department of Student and Academic Administration of the private universities (500) were chosen as the sample for the conduct of this study. Structured questionnaires adapted from existing TQM scales was used to collect primary data from the study respondents. Descriptive, reliability, and factor analysis was carried out on the collected data. Study findings revealed the quality management practices in Nigeria private universities to revolve around customer focus and satisfaction, quality leadership, quality information and analysis, Human resource development, strategic planning management, internal quality results, top management commitment, and process management. Study findings through factor analysis also revealed the nature of quality problems experienced by Nigerian private universities to revolve around improvement problem, administrative issues, structural problems, process design problems, unstructured performance problems, efficiency problems, and conformance problems. The study concludes from its investigation of the quality conformance of Nigerian private universities to predetermine standards that conformance to objectives of the university programs is essential in the measurement of TQM in Nigerian private universities, conformance to curriculum, teaching staff and quality ratio, student admission requirements, graduation requirements and conformance to standard of degree examination are important areas that Nigerian private universities have to pay attention to as evidenced from the study findings.
Quality Assurance Practices in Higher Education Institutions: Lesson from Africa
This paper examines how quality assurance (QA) is viewed, implemented, practised in higher learning institutions. It addresses its essence and development in higher education. It discusses what quality, quality assurance and systems, procedures and mechanism employed to improve quality of education offered. The study employed desk data that involves analysing information that already exists and realist and meta-narrative reviews to synthesis of data. The paper also traces back current initiatives made by higher education institutions (HEIs) to address quality assurance practices (systems, policy and strategy) in Africa. However, the paper tries to answer a long-term unanswered questions that although there are quality assurance agencies, policy and mechanisms practised in most of higher education institutions in Africa; why some of graduates are blamed to lack appropriate competency? Do HEIs quality assurance practitioners rethink and act according to the growing demands for improved quality assurance practices worldwide? Do HEIs have quality supporting staff, administrative staff and librarians who can act accordingly to produce quality graduates?