THE INFLUENCE OF LEARNING PRACTICES ON QUALITY ASSURANCE MECHANISMS IN SELECTED UNIVERSITIES IN UGANDA

Abstract

Quality assurance has always been an integral part of university education. Modern quality assurance mechanisms in Ugandan universities began with the establishment of the national quality assurance framework by the national council for higher education in 2006. Although learners are the reason for the existence of university education, in Uganda there was persistent concern about the learning practices of students and outcomes of their learning. This study established the influence of learning practices on quality assurance mechanisms (QAMs) in selected universities in Uganda, specifically focusing on the extent to which the learning orientation of students and competencies of the learners reflected QAMs. A study based on systems theory adopted the pragmatic paradigm and the cross-sectional survey design. Disproportionate stratified random sampling was employed to reach 300 members of the faculty and students who responded to questionnaires. While 47 and 20 students and managers respectively were interviewed. Descriptive statistics and chi-square were used to analyze the data collected, corroborated with qualitative data. The results demonstrated a positive significant relationship between learning practices and QAMs. The study concluded that learning practices have significantly affected QAMs. It was recommended that the universities sampled should review their programs to ensure the full involvement of learners and the development of both hard and soft skills. Article visualizations: