ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INTER-UNIVERSITY COUNCIL FOR EAST AFRICA QUALITY ASSURANCE GUIDELINES IN FACULTIES OF EDUCATION OF CHARTERED UNIVERSITIES IN TANZANIA
Loading...
Date
2015-09
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN AFRICA
Abstract
The study examined the implementation of the Inter-University Council for East Africa quality assurance guidelines in the Faculties of Education of Chartered Universities in Tanzania. The reviewed literature indicated that there were some researches done on the quality assurance in higher education but there was no research on the implementation of IUCEA quality assurance guidelines in Faculties of Education. The study focused on five guidelines: teaching and learning process and assessment of student achievement, academic staff, students’ advice and support services, teaching and learning infrastructures and monitoring system. The study also looked at the challenges faced by Faculties of education in the implementation process and their solutions. Survey and case study designs were employed. The study targeted all third year students, Deans, Heads of Departments and lecturers in the Faculties of Education of Chartered Universities in Tanzania. Random and non-random sampling procedures were used to obtain the actual population involved in the study. The sample was chosen from 5 faculties of education. The deans were purposively chosen while the other participants were chosen using stratified and simple random sampling procedures. The sample comprised of 5 Deans, 9 Heads of Departments, 40 lecturers and 200 students. Four instruments were used in data collection: questionnaires, in-depth interview guide, observation guide and document analysis guide. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics whereby frequencies and percentages were calculated. The qualitative data was summarised, coded and analysed in accordance with the research questions. The findings of the study revealed that there was no clear policy governing the number and type of continuous tasks given to students for their course work; majority of the lecturers are junior fellows, most of them with no long experience of teaching in university level; two kinds of student advice and support services were fully given to students that is consultation services and orientation services for new students while moral and spiritual services and guidance and counselling services are given partially. There were no structures to facilitate the process of gathering information from stakeholders on the quality of the products and services. It can be concluded that Faculties of education of chartered universities in Tanzania have adopted the IUCEA quality assurance guidelines and the implementation is in different stages. The quality of teaching staff, infrastructures, monitoring and students advice and support services have been taken care of only to some extent as they are still some inadequacies. The quality of the student assessment and teaching and learning process have to great extent taken care of. From the findings of the study, the researcher recommends that: there should be clear policy governing the student advice and support services in the faculties of education; some money should be set aside for scholarship of needy students; structural systems should be established to enable the faculties of education get reliable information on the quality of their products and services and a policy should be in place to govern the type and number continuous assessment tasks.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
INTER-UNIVERSITY COUNCIL, EAST AFRICA QUALITY ASSURANCE, EDUCATION, CHARTERED UNIVERSITIES, TANZANIA