Institutional Factors Influencing The Provision Of Quality Education In Public Universities In Kenya: A Case Of Faculty Of Arts, University Of Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Higher education plays a key role in training qualified individuals who are capable of implementing new technologies and using innovative methods to establish more efficient enterprises and institutions and thus allocate resources more effectively to enhance quality education. University of Nairobi has been ranked through webometrics ranking of world universities 2016 as 6th out of 1448 universities in Africa and one of the main criteria used is webometric that to extend reflects the quality of education offered at the university. The study analyzed institutional factors influencing provision of quality education in public universities in Kenya: case of Faculty of Arts, University of Nairobi, Kenya. The objective of the study were to determine the extent to which student-lecture ratio, internet access, availability of teaching and learning resources and adequacy of physical facilities influence the provision of quality education in public Universities in Kenya. The indicators of quality in Universities were pass rates, number of PhD‟s and Masters students‟ admitted and graduating, ongoing and completed research, seminars organized and attended as well as research and publication. The research employed descriptive survey design and was built on Human Capital Theory. The target population for this study was 8774 that included, 7502 undergraduate students, 1230 master of Arts students, 41 PhD students and the Dean Faculty of Arts. The sample consisted 4 PhD student, 123 Masters Students and 750 Bachelors students and 76.4%. Simple random sampling and purposive sampling used to get respondents. A reliability co-efficient of 0.8 was realized. Questionnaires, interview and observation schedules were used for data collection. Descriptive statistical analysis on quantitative data used results presented using frequency tables, bar graphs, percentages and pie charts. The study concluded that institutional factors influence the provision of quality of education. On the first objective the study concluded that the availability of lecturers for individualized learning, attendance and course content coverage affect the provision of quality education. On the second objective, internet accessibility at the various places affect the performance of the course work hence affecting quality of education. The study also concluded that availability of teaching learning resources and their adequacy influence the provision of quality education. As a result of this the study it recommends that the Faculty of Arts ought to add the teaching staff to increase the lecturer student ratio so as to ensure that the students get an individualized and personalized tutorials, there is need to add more computer laboratories because many students use them to access internet, add internet ports in the lecture rooms to enhance connectivity even when the wireless connectivity is limited, library materials also need to be customized to ensure that even student with disability can access all electronic materials with ease, lecture halls should be fitted with better furniture, public address system, projectors (electronic equipment that facilitate projection by lecturers) smart boards, proper lighting and hostels need to be increased and the existing ones need renovation. There is also need for more classroom space, offices and tutorial space. This will help promote the quality of service provided by the Faculty and university at large