Addressing the teaching and learning quality crisis in Kenyan universities

Higher education is increasing acknowledged as essential to development, and systems across the world are expanding in response to demand from growing numbers of school leavers. Yet in a number of countries expansion has led... [ view full abstract ]

Higher education is increasing acknowledged as essential to development, and systems across the world are expanding in response to demand from growing numbers of school leavers. Yet in a number of countries expansion has led to a significant deterioration of quality, as had occurred earlier at the primary level. This paper assesses the case of Kenya, in which enrolments have risen dramatically through the introduction of parallel streams in public universities, establishment of campuses in non-metropolitan areas and growth of the private sector. Accompanying quality challenges have included rising student-lecturer ratios, crowded lecture halls, inadequate library and laboratory facilities, emphasis on rote learning, outdated curricula, examination malpractice and mounting dissatisfaction amongst employers with the skills of graduates. Drawing on interviews, observations and documentary analysis as part of a three year study, this paper analyses the factors influencing the development of high-quality teaching and learning environments in universities. These factors are categorised into three types: resource-constraint – e.g. insufficient recruitment of lecturers, inadequate investment in infrastructure and low staff salaries leading to moonlighting; regulatory-administrative – e.g. lack of quality assurance mechanisms, absence of teaching and learning units, and incentives for lecturers to prioritise research over teaching; and finally, pedagogical-cultural – e.g. prevalence of transmission pedagogy and weakness of student participation and voice. Implications are drawn out for the necessary responses at governmental and institutional levels. Finally, there is a an assessment of some current innovative work in Kenyan universities and of its potential for transforming quality provision across the system