The Influence of Quality Assurance Practices on Quality of Academic Programmes in Higher Education Institutions in Kenya: a Case of the Faculty of Education, University of Nairobi

Abstract

Higher education institutions significantly contribute toward the nation's economic transformation and are influenced by various factors including ISO 9001 standards adoption, total quality management, knowledge management utilization and institutional audits. The study investigated the influence of quality assurance practices on academic programmes’ quality with regard to Kenya’s HEIs based on the University of Nairobi’s Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) programme case. Deming's Quality Management and Neo-Institutional theories served as the study's foundation. Four objectives guided this study; to determine the influence of the adoption of ISO 9001 standards; implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM); utilization of knowledge management and analyze the effect of Institutional Audits on the quality of academic programmes. A descriptive research design was utilized targeting Deans of Faculties and Departmental heads, lecturers, and alumni. The sample size in each category of respondents was determined through multi-stage sampling. The study sample size included representatives from 16 academic unit heads, 111 lecturers, and 344 alumni from a target population of 25 academic unit heads, 370 lecturers from the Faculty of Education and other service faculties, and 1145 Bachelor of Education alumni classes of 2016 and 2017, for a total target population of 1540 respondents. University of Nairobi’s Quality Assurance unit and the Commission for University Education’s Quality Audit section provided the study's key informants. The questionnaires and informants’ interview schedules were converted to google forms for online administration. The questionnaires were pretested in a pilot study, to ensure the validity of data collection instruments. To measure internal consistency, this study used Cronbach alpha with an average of 0.762, which was above 0.7 implying that the test items in the instruments were reliable. Quantitative data were analysed through SPSS version 25.0. By fitting a linear equation to the acquired data, multiple linear regression analysis models were used to establish the correlation between the dependent and independent variables. The investigation yielded both quantitative and qualitative findings, indicating that: embracing ISO 9001 guidelines had a credible and effective bearing on the quality of academic programs, and efficient application of TQM concepts in institutions enhances educational program quality. Utilization of Knowledge Management principles in higher education institutions enhances academic programme quality. The study concluded that HEIs continued adoption and use of QA Practices in academic programme design and delivery has a significant potential for producing graduates who meet stakeholder expectations. The research recommends a Quality Assurance Management System and ISO certification for HEIs to improve their academic processes and effectively implement policies, procedures, guidelines and related internal and external quality assurance practices.