Quality as human development: a case study of teaching and learning in Zimbabwean universities

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Date
16-Dec
Authors
Mukwambo, Patience
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University of the Free State
Abstract in other languages ๐˜š๐˜ค๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฐ๐˜ธ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ ๐˜ˆ๐˜ง๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ฌ๐˜ข๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ด
Abstract
๐‘ฌ๐’๐’ˆ๐’๐’Š๐’”๐’‰ The study contributes to work in conceptualising quality in higher education teaching and learning. Most studies focusing on quality have been from a human capital standpoint, with little examination of quality from a human development perspective, and even less focusing on the Zimbabwean context. This analytical focus on human development through the capabilities approach therefore diverges from the current emphasis on human capital. The thesis examines factors influencing the definition and conceptualisation of quality of teaching and learning in a developing country context, highlighting gaps that a human development perspective can add. Assuming that their presence are indicative of quality, I use two ideal-theoretical human development indicators namely, critical being and the capability for work. These I argue, are aspirational capabilities in the Zimbabwean context and important in higher education because of their fostering of public-good graduates concerned with human wellbeing beyond the instrumental value of education. Data for this study was collected in three phases through policy document review, observations and in-depth interviews with purposively sampled participants. Phase one comprised document review and three interviews with participants from Zimbabweโ€™s higher education quality assurance body, Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education. Phase two involved telephone interviews with quality assurance representatives from eight universities. Phase three was an in-depth examination of two case studies through interviews with the university representative, two deans, four lecturers and two focus group discussions with students from each โ€œbest caseโ€ department as identified by the university representative. Data was analysed thematically. Findings from the study highlight the complex interactions of contextual factors and national policy which inform and affect practice. Overall, and understandably considering the socio-political and economic climate, Zimbabwean higher education is largely influenced by human capital concerns, although there are instances of concern with human development. There is also a disjuncture between quality as policy and quality as practice with macro and meso policy makers conceptualising quality as an evaluative tool and lecturers largely interpreting it as the teaching and learning process. The results facilitate a discussion on the potential of a stronger human development influence on ideas of quality in different higher education contexts. While critical being stood as an indicator for quality, due to the prevailing socio-political economy in Zimbabwe, there was a need to revise the capability for work. Providing a global Southern interpretation of quality, the thesis argues that the conceptualisation and operationalization of quality needs to be broadened to foster human development in order to fully appreciate the role of higher education in development.
๐‘จ๐’‡๐’“๐’Š๐’Œ๐’‚๐’‚๐’๐’” Hierdie studie dra by tot die konseptualisering van kwaliteit in hoรซr onderwys onderrig en leer. Meeste studies wat op kwaliteit fokus is van ล‰ menslike kapitaal perspektief, met weinige ondersoek van kwaliteit vanaf ล‰ menslike ontwikkelingsperspektief โ€“ en selfs minder wat fokus op die Zimbabwiese konteks. Hierdie analitiese fokus op menslike ontwikkeling deur die vermoรซnsbenadering wyk dus af van die huidige klem op menslike kapitaal. Die tesis ondersoek faktore wat die definisie en konseptualisering van die kwaliteit van onderrig en leer in ล‰ ontwikkelende land konteks beรฏnvloed en beklemtoon die leemtes waar ล‰ menslike ontwikkelingsperspektief kan bydra. Deur aan te neem dat hul aanwesigheid gelykstaande is aan kwaliteit, gebruik ek twee ideaal-teoretiese menslike ontwikkelingsindikators, naamlik kritiese wese en die vermoรซ vir werk. Ek voer aan dat hierdie twee vermoรซns aspirerende vermoรซns in die Zimbabwiese konteks, asook in hoรซr onderwys moet wees as gevolg van hul bevordering van gegradueerdes wie menslike welstand belangrik ag benewens die instrumentele waarde van opvoeding. Data vir hierdie studie is ingesamel in drie fases deur beleid hersiening, observasies en in-diepte onderhoude met doelgerigte steekproefselektering. Fase een het bestaan uit hersiening van dokumente en drie onderhoude met deelnemers van Zimbabwe se hoรซr onderwys kwaliteitsversekeringsliggaam, die Zimbabwiese Raad vir Hoรซr Onderwys. Fase twee het bestaan uit telefoniese onderhoude met kwaliteitsversekeringsverteenwoordigers van agt universiteite. Fase drie het ล‰ in-diepte ondersoek van twee universiteite as gevallestudies behels deur onderhoude met ล‰ universiteitsverteenwoordiger, twee dekane en vier dosente, asook fokus groepe met studente van twee โ€˜beste gevalโ€™ departemente van elk van die universiteite uit te voer. Data is volgens tema geanaliseer. Die bevindinge skep lig op die komplekse interaksies tussen konversie faktore en beleide wat die praktyk inlig en beรฏnvloed. Oor die algemeen, en verstaanbaar in lig van die sosio-politiese en ekonomiese klimaat, word Zimbabwiese hoรซr onderwys grootliks deur menslike kapitaal besorgdhede beรฏnvloed, alhoewel daar sekere gevalle van besorgdheid oor menslike ontwikkeling voorkom. Daar is ook ล‰ skeiding tussen kwaliteit as beleid en kwaliteit as praktyk, met makro- en mesovlak beleidmakers wat kwaliteit konseptualiseer as ล‰ evalueringsmeganisme en dosente wat kwaliteit interpreteer deur die onderrig en leer proses. Die resultate fasiliteer ล‰ gesprek oor die potensiaal van ล‰ sterker menslike ontwikkelingsinvloed op idees van kwaliteit in verskillende hoรซr onderwys kontekste. Terwyl kritiese wese as ล‰ indikator vir kwaliteit bevestig is, was dit nodig om die vermoรซ vir werk te hersien as gevolg van die heersende sosio-politiese ekonomie in Zimbabwe. Deur ล‰ globale Suid interpretasie van kwaliteit voer hierdie tesis aan dat die konseptualisering en operasionalisering van kwaliteit verbreed moet word om ล‰ menslike ontwikkelingsperspektief in ag te neem en sodoende ag te gee aan die rol van hoรซr onderwys in ontwikkeling.
Description
Thesis (Ph.D.(Development Studies))--University of the Free State, 2016
Keywords
Education, Higher -- Zimbabwe, Education -- Zimbabwe, Education and state -- Zimbabwe
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