Enhancing the Culture of Quality Assurance in Higher Education: Perspectives of Managing Institutional Accountability

Abstract

Accountability and quality enhancement are related but not the same thing. Accountability is the context where universities account to the public with regard to public funding pertaining academic offerings, while quality enhancement is the role of the university in ensuring that it deliver academic programme at the highest standards. Thus, this paper sought to understand the role of academic leadership in the management of quality enhancement, stakeholder engagement and entrepreneurialism. The researcher made use of the descriptive survey as it fits perfectly in this kind of study. Questionnaires and structured interviews were utilised. The purpose of using the qualitative research method is to describe role of accountability process, however the researcher have decided to use idiographic strategy, in which a single case and its structural coherence with a larger context are examined. The population of this study consists of all six Universities of Technology. From all deans, heads of department and programme coordinators the researcher selected only 135 from UoT’s, as they were able to participate in the study. For the purpose of this study, questionnaire was developed to measure various aspects of QA mechanisms, processes and procedures. To defend the study of quality enhancement structures, the researcher refutes the idea of a quality model as only one way of solving the problem scientifically. Therefore, suggesting various elements that can be put together will assist UoTs in their quest for QA. To prepare to refute the claim, the research embraces the issue of academic leadership role in quality assurance, stakeholder engagement as part of the accountability part and finally business model affordability. The object of scientific enquiry exists and acts independently according to the requirement as set out by the HEQC and this analysis inform realities of the HE landscape and who quality should be guided within the institution. New academics are confused by finding themselves that QA in HE is not what they thought to be.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n1p405