Assessing Quality Assurance Practices in Institutions of Higher Learnings (original) (raw)
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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
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.
The study seeks to bring to bare the concept of quality assurance in higher education from the Ghanaian perspective, quality assurance model for higher education in Ghana, the internal quality assurance practices of the University for Development Studies and quality assurance challenges facing higher educational institutions. This was to ensure that higher education institutions in the country will consistently and efficiently assure quality standards in Higher Education. The research design was geared towards examining the quality assurance practices of the University for Development Studies. The study was descriptive qualitative research. Documents that were analyzed include the National Accreditation Board Keywords: Quality, Quality Assurance, Quality Assurance Practices, Quality Assurance Challenges, University for Development Studies Higher Education
An analysis of the quality assurance policies in a Ghanian 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 in Higher Education in Anambra State: A Knowledge Management Approach
2017
The importance of quality education in nation building cannot be over emphasized. The research objective of this study is to ascertain quality assurance in higher education in Anambra State through a knowledge management approach. The population consisted of senior lecturers in 10 departments in the universities. Simple random sampling method was used to sample 10 lecturers from each of these departments, which makes the total sample size of 100 lecturers. The instrument for data collection was 20-item questionnaire titled ‘‘Quality Assurance in Higher Education Questionnaire’ (QAHEQ). Cronbach Alpha reliability method was used to determine the reliability of the questionnaire items. A reliability Alpha of 0.87 was obtained. Two research questions were structured and data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation for the analyses. Findings revealed that, poor funding of education programme were barrier against quality assurance in higher education. It was therefore r...
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.
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?
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.
Quality Assurance Strategies in Higher Education: The Case of Ghanaian Polytechnics
This study investigated the internal quality assurance strategies Ghanaian polytechnics enacted in order to improve graduate outcomes. A qualitative methodological approach via in-depth interviewing of twenty key informants and document analysis was used to establish how polytechnics in Ghana addressed problematic situations in quality assurance. The findings revealed that their internal quality assurance strategies focused on staff and students, where quality concerns were most prominent. These strategies seem to have enhanced teaching and learning in the polytechnics but there was the need for them to re-institutionalise their internal quality systems to enable them to deliver quality vocational and technical education.
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.