INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE PRACTICES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: EVIDENCE FROM A GHANAIAN UNIVERSITY

Providing quality education has become a policy priority in higher education systems around the world in recent years. This study investigated internal quality assurance practices in higher education in a Ghanaian university. The study was a descriptive survey that aimed to assess the adequateness and effectiveness of the internal quality assurance (IQA) structures and practices in place at the university. It examined the extent to which institutional quality assurance arrangements, guidelines, and strategies were introduced by the university to ensure the quality of its educational provisions. The study population consisted of the teaching staff (senior members) and third and fourth-year students from eight faculties and three schools of the University, including the Director of the Academic Planning and Quality Assurance Directorate. A purposive sampling approach was applied to choose the six representative faculties and two representative schools. From each faculty and school, two departments were randomly selected. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to select six lecturers and 20 students from each academic department. In total, a sample of 416 respondents was involved in the study. Two sets of questionnaires were adapted and used for the study, one for students and the other for teaching staff. The findings revealed that quality assurance systems and practices are at work at the university and that they improve the quality of internal processes that influence teaching and student learning. It was, therefore, suggested that the university take concrete steps to establish and document clear policy guidelines and related procedures that will consolidate the progress made in assuring the quality and standards of its programmes and awards. The university needs to consider making an explicit commitment to developing a culture and awareness of quality. It is also important for the university to design and implement progressive quality improvement strategies that will perpetuate a quality culture.  Article visualizations

Higher education access and participation for persons with disability in Ghanaian public universities

Globally, there is a growing interest in widening access and supporting participation for persons with disability in higher education. This situation is stimulated in part by major international treaties and protocols. Ghana has demonstrated its commitment to this global trend to formulate and implement national legislation on inclusive education across the country’s educational system. However, in Ghana, access to and participation in the higher education system by persons with disability remains poor despite national legislation and policies to address this issue. It appears that national policies have not fully translated into institutional policies and provisions dedicated to supporting persons with disability. This study investigated how the Inclusive Education (IE) Policy (2015) in Ghana has been reflected in institutional policies and provisions that focus on students with disability in Ghanaian public universities. The aim of the study was to explore the extent to which institutional policies, arrangements, and practices in Ghanaian public universities aligned with the IE policy and addressed disability issues to increase access and participation for persons with disability. A qualitative approach and interpretivist paradigm were adopted using a multi-case study design. In-depth interviews were conducted with a total of 36 participants: seven policy architects from the National Steering Committee on Inclusive Education; three pro-vice chancellors; three deans of students; seven deans of school and heads of department; two heads and two staff from disability support units; as well as 12 students with disability. These participants represented architects of the IE policy and members of the three public universities in Ghana that were studied. Other data were collected from document analysis and observations and, together with data from the interviews, were used to establish how and to what extent institutional policies and provisions support access and full participation of persons with disability in Ghanaian public universities. Data from the interviews, observations, and documents were analysed thematically and presented in a narrative form. It was evident from the findings that awareness of the IE policy and the knowledge of its contents were limited in the case study universities. Although participants’ understanding of the objectives of the IE policy was consistent with the intentions of the policy, this knowledge was based on the participants’ experience rather than their knowledge of the policy content. Findings showed that the context of each case university reflected the extent of resourcing for policy implementation. This study also revealed that although the case study universities have provisions and a range of support services available for students with disability, these did not meet the students’ expectations. Further, it became evident from the data that attitudes towards students with disability were mainly negative, impacting university experiences of persons with disability. In addition, although the public universities in this research did admit some categories of students with disability, the universities tended to provide adjustments rather than inclusion due, in part, to financial constraints. This study has highlighted that knowledge of national legislation and policy on the inclusion of people with disability, resourcing, and attitudes at all levels of the university community have implications for widening access and supporting the participation of students with disability in public universities in Ghana. Finally, this study provides recommendations that may improve access and participation for persons with disability in Ghanaian public universities

Attitudes Constraining the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in a Ghanaian Public University: Student and Staff Perspective

Attitudes are fundamental to the inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education. This study explored the perspectives of students and staff regarding the attitudes that hinder the inclusion of students with disabilities in a Ghanaian university. A qualitative methodology was employed, with data collected through interviews with 13 respondents, including seven university lecturers and six students with disabilities. These data were analysed and presented thematically. From the perspective of these respondents, the attitudes that influence the inclusion of students with disabilities in the university community are: preconceived ideas and mindsets, offensive remarks and comments, and undesirable patterns of behaviour and actions. It was recommended that tools such as comprehensive awareness raising, continuous contact and participation in university activities, and integrating attitudes and beliefs into professional preparation and development programmes be used to combat these negative attitudes. It was concluded that the identification and implementation of programmes, guidelines, and procedures that may bring about fundamental attitudinal change are essential for successfully including people with disabilities in higher education institutions (HEIs)

Implementation of Internal Quality Assurance in Polytechnics: Evidence from Ghana

Quality assurance in higher education has become a global issue. There has been a growing interest of governments around the world that higher education institutions in their countries need to provide quality education to their students. This study investigated the implementation of internal quality assurance in two purposively selected Ghanaian Polytechnics. Qualitative methodology was employed using in-depth interviews based on a case study research design. The participants indicated that the internal quality assurance systems and practices in place in the Polytechnics included areas such as the availability of internal quality assurance policy, teaching and learning processes, curriculum design, evaluation and review, research performance, extension activities, student assessment practices, student-lecturer assessment and student support services. Infrastructure challenges, funding and budget constraints, human capacity constraints and lack of quality culture were found to militate against the implementation of quality assurance in the Polytechnics. It was recommended that Ghanaian Polytechnics should have clear policies and associated procedures for the assurance of quality and standards of their programmes and awards. They should commit themselves explicitly to the development of quality culture and quality awareness. Also, the necessary learning facilities, resources and support systems should be provided by the Polytechnics to ensure quality of teaching and learning. The products, environments, programmes and services provided by the Polytechnics should be accessible and usable, to the greatest extent possible, by all categories of students. Assistive devices should be provided for persons with disabilities where needed. Building internal capacity for quality assurance was also recommended

Basic School Teachers’ Perceptions about Curriculum Design in Ghana

This study focused on teachers’ perceptions about curriculum design and barriers to their participation. The sample size was 130 teachers who responded to a questionnaire. The analyses made use of descriptive statistics and descriptions. The study found that the level of teachers’ participation in curriculum design is low. The results further showed that the importance of teachers taking part in curriculum design include contributing to  successful implementation of curriculum, knowing the needs of the students, developing some skills and contributing their knowledge in the design process. Finally, huge workload, lack of expertise, inadequate funding and lack of availability of information emerged as the major barriers to teachers’ participation in curriculum design. The study recommends that decentralization of the curriculum design process and providing school curriculum leaders are appropriate for increasing the level of teachers’ engagement in curriculum development. Keywords: curriculum, curriculum design, teacher, barriers, participatio