Stakeholders’ lived experiences of the implementation of the external quality assurance system for higher education in Namibia.
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Date
2021
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Abstract
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are known as the custodians of the quality of Higher
Education (HE), and to be primarily responsible for their Internal Quality Assurance (IQA).
External Quality Assurance (EQA) is promoted through Quality Assurance Agencies (QAAs); as
well as Professional Bodies (PBs). This study focuses on the implementation of EQA system
for HE in Namibia.
This is a phenomenological study that hones in the concept of lifeworld, as it explores the
stakeholders’ lived experiences in the implementation of external quality assurance for higher
education in Namibia. The study explores the following: how the QAAs and PBs implement
the EQA, considering the respective legislation that establish them; stakeholders’
understanding of quality assurance in Namibia; how the stakeholders experience the EQA
system; the reasons why they experience the system the way that they do; as well as possible
suggestions for improvement of the EQA system in Namibia. The study made use of
unstructured interviews, focus group discussions, as well as documentation analysis to tap
into the experiences of the stakeholders, selected through purposive sampling and following
phenomenological principles.
Namibia’s EQA system is characterised by multiple QA agencies; with overlapping mandates,
functions, activities and non-aligned policies, statutes and ordinances. The overlaps are
featured in the establishing Acts, creating a fragmented system. There is therefore, need for
the amendment of the same Acts, if the system is to improve. The study also revealed that
the EQA system in Namibia is dominated by negative power relations, inadequate
communication amongst stakeholders, as well as a lack of staff capacity to implement the
EQA system effectively. As a practical implication, the study proposed an integrated model
for EQA system in Namibia, aimed at mitigating the challenges of fragmentation and nonalignment
of QA functions and activities.
Description
Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.