<p>This research involves a comparative analysis of Ghanaian and New Zealand contexts and provisions of quality assurance in tertiary education. The study examined policies and practices of quality assurance in higher education in Ghana and New Zealand in order to identify those practices in New Zealand which are potentially applicable to the Ghanaian Higher Education context or which, at least, may suggest a direction for the Ghanaian government to consider for development. This study argues that although the management and practices of quality assurance in higher education in New Zealand are not without flaws, Ghana stands a better chance of tapping from the formers’ experiences in shaping its future policy direction. The quality of higher education and its improvement have always been issues of high priority on the political and educational agendas of the government and higher institutions in Ghana. Like other developing nations, Ghana has adopted various methodologies to address the question of quality in higher education similar to those in Western countries. The government of Ghana established a national quality assurance agency, the National Accreditation Board (NAB) to be responsible for quality assurance in higher education. Higher educational institutions have also adopted various processes and practices for the assurance of quality of the education provided. However, despite the fact that the literature on quality assurance framework in higher education is growing, little is available in the literature on what Ghana is doing to regulate and improve higher education quality and what has been the impact of NAB since its inception in 1993. In addition, a formal study of the commonality or diversity of approaches between Ghana and any developed nation has been lacking. A qualitative methodology was used to gain the perceptions of key practitioners in quality management systems in the two countries. Interview and documentary analysis were the main research instruments employed for data collection. The study analysed the views of a range of respondents from Ghana and New Zealand and documents from selected tertiary institutions and external quality assurance agencies in the two countries. A comparative analysis of data revealed some gaps and challenges in the Ghanaian system. This study found that though NAB has made significant impacts on the quality regime of the higher education sector in Ghana since its inception, the processes of quality management demands remains a challenge to both the institutions and NAB and much remains to be done for improvement. Quality of provision at the institutional level (internal structures, documented policies, external involvement, conduct of self assessment), and at the national level (regular monitoring, change in compliance approach, adequate qualified staff etc) are key areas requiring urgent policy attention if Ghana is to achieve the objectives of its tertiary educational reforms. On the basis of empirical evidence and life experiences from the respondents, a contribution would be made to the design of higher education policy-making with regard to the improvement of the internal and external quality assurance practices in higher education in Ghana. This study has further contributed to quality assurance literature by critically examining and comparing life responses of respondents from two countries viv-a-vis the international trend before making its recommendations. This study has further deepened the understanding of quality management practices in higher education in the two countries involved in this study.</p>
<p>This research involves a comparative analysis of Ghanaian and New Zealand contexts and provisions of quality assurance in tertiary education. The study examined policies and practices of quality assurance in higher education in Ghana and New Zealand in order to identify those practices in New Zealand which are potentially applicable to the Ghanaian Higher Education context or which, at least, may suggest a direction for the Ghanaian government to consider for development. This study argues that although the management and practices of quality assurance in higher education in New Zealand are not without flaws, Ghana stands a better chance of tapping from the formers’ experiences in shaping its future policy direction. The quality of higher education and its improvement have always been issues of high priority on the political and educational agendas of the government and higher institutions in Ghana. Like other developing nations, Ghana has adopted various methodologies to address the question of quality in higher education similar to those in Western countries. The government of Ghana established a national quality assurance agency, the National Accreditation Board (NAB) to be responsible for quality assurance in higher education. Higher educational institutions have also adopted various processes and practices for the assurance of quality of the education provided. However, despite the fact that the literature on quality assurance framework in higher education is growing, little is available in the literature on what Ghana is doing to regulate and improve higher education quality and what has been the impact of NAB since its inception in 1993. In addition, a formal study of the commonality or diversity of approaches between Ghana and any developed nation has been lacking. A qualitative methodology was used to gain the perceptions of key practitioners in quality management systems in the two countries. Interview and documentary analysis were the main research instruments employed for data collection. The study analysed the views of a range of respondents from Ghana and New Zealand and documents from selected tertiary institutions and external quality assurance agencies in the two countries. A comparative analysis of data revealed some gaps and challenges in the Ghanaian system. This study found that though NAB has made significant impacts on the quality regime of the higher education sector in Ghana since its inception, the processes of quality management demands remains a challenge to both the institutions and NAB and much remains to be done for improvement. Quality of provision at the institutional level (internal structures, documented policies, external involvement, conduct of self assessment), and at the national level (regular monitoring, change in compliance approach, adequate qualified staff etc) are key areas requiring urgent policy attention if Ghana is to achieve the objectives of its tertiary educational reforms. On the basis of empirical evidence and life experiences from the respondents, a contribution would be made to the design of higher education policy-making with regard to the improvement of the internal and external quality assurance practices in higher education in Ghana. This study has further contributed to quality assurance literature by critically examining and comparing life responses of respondents from two countries viv-a-vis the international trend before making its recommendations. This study has further deepened the understanding of quality management practices in higher education in the two countries involved in this study.</p>
This chapter examines how quality assurance is viewed and implemented in higher education sector in Ghana. It discusses and provides up-to-date overview of the QA systems, procedures and mechanisms that are employed by the external quality assurance agency and higher institutions to improve the quality of education provided and identifies challenges faced in implementing recommendations made by the 1991 educational reforms in relation to the quality of higher education in Ghana. Desk data that involves analyzing information that already exists was employed. The chapter also reviews existing literature on approaches made by higher institutions to address QA practices at the international level. Based on the conclusions and lessons drawn from these analyses, the chapter proposes for government, policy makers, the external quality assurance agencies, and higher institutions some actions that should be taken to strengthen the internal quality assurance structures that will contribute to efficient and effective quality enhancement within higher institutions in Ghana.
In response to the challenges of enhancing the quality of distance education in Ghana, the National Accreditation Board (NAB), the government agency that is responsible for regulating and monitoring standards of the higher education sector, has introduced certain mechanisms or processes to ensure conformity with minimum standards and also to promote the quality of distance education in Ghana. Drawing on an empirical study, this chapter discusses the NAB's role in representing Ghana's government's efforts to extend quality assurance oversight to transnational educational activities in the country. The purpose of this chapter is to examine how the NAB works and comment on the effectiveness and challenges of ensuring the quality of distance education in Ghana.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.