Making Sense of an Elusive Concept: Academics’ Perspectives of Quality in Higher Education

Abstract

Objective: Since the 1990s studies on how stakeholders in higher education perceive quality have burgeoned. Nevertheless, the majority of studies on perception of quality in higher education focus on students and employers. The few studies on academics’ perceptions of quality in higher education treat academics as a homogeneous group and, therefore, do not point out cross-disciplinary perspectives in perceptions of quality. This article explores how academics across six disciplines perceive quality in higher education. Method: The article is anchored in the interpretivist paradigm. Data was collected from 14 purposely selected academics at Makerere University in Uganda and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The findings show that academics perceive quality in higher education as transformation, fitness for purpose, and exceptional. The findings further demonstrate that a stakeholder group or an individual stakeholder can subscribe to a notion of quality in higher education but voice divergent views on its variants. Similarly, the academic discipline, the perceived purpose of higher education, and the problems within a higher education system have an influence on stakeholders’ conception of quality in higher education. Conclusions: From the findings it can be inferred that quality in higher education defies a single definition and that stakeholders’ perceptions of quality do not take place in a vacuum. Implication for Theory and/or Practice: The multidimensional nature of quality and the contestations around it necessitate a multidimensional approach to assuring and assessing it.

The Influence of Knowledge Management on Internal Quality Assurance in Higher Education Institutions

“…So, whereas, external coercive pressures impose stakeholder expectations some of which may be unrealistic [39], HEIs are busy building internal quality assurance systems, improving education and training as well as developing future leaders internally [61]. Amidst institutional logics, most HEIs tend to initiate and open regional and internal research collaborations for knowledge acquisition, application and continuous improvement [42,13]. On the other hand, the efficacy of the institutional theoretical provisions can be seen in the external support advanced to HEIs in form of financing and regulation.…”

“…There is no agreed position as to what constitutes quality in higher education [11]. However, quality as a relative concept [33] has been defined as a standard of excellence [12] aimed at fitness for purpose and transformation [13]. In HEIs, quality could mean a standard upon which the core mandate of HEIs such as teaching, research and community engagements are judged.…”

“…Such conditions relate to student admissions, courses to be taught, student and staff numbers, and other programs that should meet government requirements [61]. The accountability obligations imposed by public policy imply that HEIs will apply knowledge in quality assurance frameworks in ways intended to fulfil external accountability [13,33]. We cannot rule out the possibility of compromising quality if external demands are unrealistic, especially in terms of funding political research projects that do not make sense to the HEIs and the epistemic community.…”

Harnessing Entrepreneurial Education in the Technical Universities: A Panacea to Youth Unemployment

“…Nabaho et al posited that for youth to be self-employed, they should acquire basic skills through entrepreneurship education. They emphasized that the possession of these skills will consolidate and enhance their businesses as well as eliminate early failure [14]. From the data collated and analyzed, it was found that, psychomotor skills have the ability to focus on tasks to be accomplished, manipulative skills have ability to produce and accomplish task in their business and ability to determine new ways of manipulating things.…”

Students’ Perspectives on Courses Evaluation in Universities: A Case of Archbishop Mihayo University College of Tabora (Amucta), Tanzania

“…Qualitative data such as opinions, views, perceptions, suggestions and explanations were analysed thematically by creating categories of themes, summarizations and synthesising. Different scholars such as Mugenta and Mugenda (2003), Kombo and Tromp (2006) and Gall, Gall, and Borg (2007) are in favour of this view. Quantitative data was presented through tables and qualitative data through paraphrasing, explanations and quotations.…”