Instructors\u27 Perceptions of the Bologna Model of Higher Education Reform in Cameroon

Problem Statement. The literature on education in Cameroon suggests that there is a deep-rooted history of resistance to educational reform and harmonization both at the K12 and higher education levels. Attempts by political and educational leaders to reform and harmonize the two very distinct systems of education, inherited from former colonizers (France/Britain), have failed in the past because of failure by policy makers to take care of the socio-cultural, professional, and academic demands of educational stakeholders—faculty, students, parents, and educational leaders. At the center of resistance has been the fear by Francophone and Anglophone students and faculty that their exchange program opportunities with French and Anglo-Saxon higher education institutions, respectively, could be compromised by the adoption of a pro-English or pro-French harmonized model. Nonetheless, the inability to reform and harmonize has led to endemic problems related to quality and difficulties of comparability and interpretability of qualifications within Cameroon and between Cameroon and the rest of the world. Faculty and students in Cameroonian higher education have been known to spearhead resistance to reform in the past. The 2007 BMD reform represents the first harmonized model of higher education based on the European Bologna Process model already under implementation in both France and Britain. Considering that the delivery of every educational reform is dependent on the engagement of faculty, this study investigates attitudes of instructors in Cameroonian tertiary educational institutions towards the Bologna model BMD reform. Method. A quantitative non-experimental, descriptive, exploratory survey research design was used in this study. A questionnaire was used to investigate attitudes toward the BMD reform with regard to faculty‘s perceived (1) fears and uncertainties, (2) knowledge and beliefs, and (3) organizational support relating to the reform. Descriptive statistics assessed faculty perceptions in these three dimensions while Multivariate Analysis of Variance, Univariate Analysis of Variance, and post-hoc multiple comparisons were used to determine the similarities and differences in faculty perceptions of the BMD reform on the basis of their gender, age, type of college or university, area of specialization, professional experience, highest degree, professional rank, and language of instruction. Results. Faculty perceptions of the BMD reform were negative with respect to their perceived fears and expectations about the reform and their perceptions of organizational support for the reform and positive with respect to their perceived knowledge and expectations about the reform. While faculty was largely knowledgeable and hopeful about the goals and objectives of the reform, they were somewhat fearful and uncertain about its actual outcome and thought the organizational support for its implementation was largely inadequate. Faculty who use English as the language of instruction were significantly more supportive of the reform than faculty who use French. Older, more experienced, more qualified, and higher ranked respondents (faculty) were likely to be more supportive of the reform than younger, less experienced, less qualified, and lower ranked faculty. Conclusion. Even faculty with the strongest desire for and belief in educational change can become unreceptive to change if they are not helped to develop new skills, not provided the basic resources needed to function in the change environment, and not shown how their fears will be addressed. Higher education stakeholders in a national bicultural educational setting, such as Cameroon, tend to be more accepting of reform and harmonization when an internationally recognized model serves as the basis of reform

Policy diffusion and transfer of the Bologna Process in Africa’s national, sub-regional and regional contexts

This article traces the process of diffusion and transfer of the European Bologna Process reforms in Africa’s national, sub-regional and regional contexts and examines factors that drive these processes. Considering that African countries are not official signatories but are aligning their systems of education to the BP, and in the absence of a coordinated effort and the use of digital technology to produce and present data that documents and maps out progress, tracing the diffusion process in this context is challenging, which is the reason for limited research in this area. Based on a review of existing literature, this article argues that in Africa, the dissemination and transfer of BP-related reforms started as individual projects by national governments as early as 2000 before metamorphosing into sub-regional and regional initiatives. The article identifies economic, political and discursive factors as well as the selective and silent processes that shaped Bologna transfer at these different levels in Africa.Peer reviewe

Policy diffusion and transfer of the Bologna Process in Africa's national, sub-regional and regional contexts

This article traces the process of diffusion and transfer of the European Bologna Process reforms in Africa's national, sub-regional and regional contexts and examines factors that drive these processes. Considering that African countries are not official signatories but are aligning their systems of education to the BP, and in the absence of a coordinated effort and the use of digital technology to produce and present data that documents and maps out progress, tracing the diffusion process in this context is challenging, which is the reason for limited research in this area. Based on a review of existing literature, this article argues that in Africa, the dissemination and transfer of BP-related reforms started as individual projects by national governments as early as 2000 before metamorphosing into sub-regional and regional initiatives. The article identifies economic, political and discursive factors as well as the selective and silent processes that shaped Bologna transfer at these different levels in Africa

Cross-cultural Perspectives on College Students’ Beliefs, Values and Spirituality at Christian Institutions

College student’s beliefs, values, and spirituality have become the focus of a major national research project in recent years, conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) housed at University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and sponsored by a substantial grant from the John Templeton Foundation (HERI website). After a pilot survey conducted in 2003, the College Students\u27 Beliefs and Values Survey (CSBV)was administered in the fall 2004 to 112,232 entering freshmen students of 236 colleges and universities in the United States, with a follow up sample of 15,000 of these students in spring 2007. As a nationally representative sample of institutions of higher education, the study included both quantitative and qualitative focus group interview approaches. The results of this general national sample have demonstrated a strong demand for more support to the religious and spiritual needs and expectations of college students by their institutions, and a high percentage of students from public and private institutions reported strong convictions such as believing in God (79%), believing in the sacredness of life (83%), having an interest in spirituality (80%), searching for meaning and purpose in life (76%), seeing spirituality as a source of joy (64%), and seeking out opportunities to grow spiritually (47%) (The Spiritual Life of College Students, 2008). Applying a shorter version of the same survey to Seventh-day Adventist institutions in two different countries (USA and Brazil), this article discusses specific findings about the spiritual and religious experience of college students at Adventist institutions

Teachers\u27 Perceptions of Inclusion in a Pilot Inclusive Education Program: Implications for Instructional Leadership

© 2018 Zachary Y. Mngo and Agnes Y. Mngo. The opinions of general education secondary school teachers in seven select schools involved in a pilot inclusive education program in the Northwest Region of Cameroon were sought. The findings reveal that most teachers in Cameroon still prefer separate special education institutions to inclusive ones. These conclusions contradict earlier research which showed that resistance to integrated classrooms was emanating from beliefs and customs. Teachers with some training on teaching students with disabilities and more experienced and highly educated teachers were more supportive of inclusive education indicating that resistance to the practice is linked to inadequate or complete lack of teachers\u27 preparedness. Younger, less experienced teachers with no training in special education indicated less enthusiasm regarding the benefits of inclusion, their ability to manage integrated classrooms, and teach students with disabilities. The implication of these findings for future research, institutional support systems, institutional policies, and overall instructional leadership is discussed in this article

Policy diffusion and transfer of the Bologna Process in Africa’s national, sub-regional and regional contexts

This article traces the process of diffusion and transfer of the European Bologna Process reforms in Africa's national, sub-regional and regional contexts and examines factors that drive these processes. Considering that African countries are not official signatories but are aligning their systems of education to the BP, and in the absence of a coordinated effort and the use of digital technology to produce and present data that documents and maps out progress, tracing the diffusion process in this context is challenging, which is the reason for limited research in this area. Based on a review of existing literature, this article argues that in Africa, the dissemination and transfer of BP-related reforms started as individual projects by national governments as early as 2000 before metamorphosing into sub-regional and regional initiatives. The article identifies economic, political and discursive factors as well as the selective and silent processes that shaped Bologna transfer at these different levels in Africa