| dc.description.abstract | The ever quickening pace of technological evolution is now more than ever affecting the way standards are proposed, developed and implemented in Kenya’s institutions of learning. The international organization for standardization (ISO) is among the organizations that ensure that there is standardization of services worldwide so that the services are acceptable by different consumers. High demand and changes in consumer tastes have made organizations globally and locally to devise ways of coping with the ever increasing demands of their customers by ensuring that they standardize their services using ISO 9001 certification as a means of standardization. The purpose of this research study, therefore, was to investigate the influence of International Standards for Organizations 9001: 2008 on the academic performance in Coast Institute of Technology. The research becomes important because minimal study has been undertaken in Coast Institute of Technology to evaluate success or failure of ISO standards, since its implementation in July, 2013. The objectives of the study were to; establish the level of students and teachers awareness on ISO 9001: 2008 standards, determine the influence of ISO 9001: 2008 standards on academic performance and find out the extent to which ISO 9001: 2008 procedures on the academics policy are followed by teachers.
System theory and the kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement were used as a theoretical framework to guide the study.
The research used correlational design to determine the predictors of academic performance in relation to independent variables.
The study population comprised teachers and students in Coast Institute of Technology. The study adopted a stratified random sampling where nine (9) administrators, forty seven (47) and one hundred and twelve students (112) were used as respondents. The researcher used both primary and secondary data during the research. Primary data collection instruments were a combination of questionnaires and interview guides. In addition, the researcher used secondary data sources and literature. To ensure reliability, the questionnaires were pre-tested to a selected sample of 10 students, 5 teachers and 1 administrator but not on the actual sample.
It was found that 69 percent of CIT teachers and students had embraced the use and requirements of ISO 9001:2008 standards. It was further found that 68 percent of CIT teachers and students agreed that implementation of ISO
9001:2008 standards had improved the academic performance. This shows that the acquisition of the ISO 9001:2008 certificate played an important role in improving the academic performance of the institute.
The study concluded that ISO implementation at CIT has been well embraced. Teachers are capable of improving the institution through continuous
assessment of the institution’s standard operating procedures on curriculum towards achieving good academic performance.
The study however recommends that more awareness, especially at the junior cadre of teachers is needed as compared to the senior cadre. Students in general need more interactive programs to make them own the implementation. It is further recommended that corrective measures should be put in place. | en |
