Quality Assurance Practices for Transformative Higher Education in Southern Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa operates in an increasingly complicated and linked environment. Global issues like climate change collide with local biodiversity loss. Growing global inequality combines with local social disparities, economic problems, the normalisation of violence, and a decline in mental health and socioemotional resilience at the individual and community levels. Education has the potential to positively influence individuals and communities. Education may also be a significant tool for promoting equality for marginalised groups, as well as a catalyst for progress. The chapter delves into transformative education, as defined in SGD 4.7, and its ability to bring about change in SSA.

This chapter examines the relationship between institutional culture and quality assurance (QA) in higher education, analysing how culture affects the effectiveness of QA practices and the overall performance of educational institutions. Broadly defined, institutional culture encompasses the shared values, beliefs, and practices that influence individual behaviour within an institution. A robust quality culture fosters continuous improvement and promotes the effective involvement of all stakeholders in QA processes. The chapter elucidates the concept of institutional culture and its significance in stakeholder engagement, leadership effectiveness, and the execution of QA systems. It discusses various aspects, from external accountability measures and their influence on academic governance to how QA processes reshape institutional operations by establishing quality and performance metrics. Centralising decision-making in this context often hampers innovation and curtails academic staff autonomy, leading to resistance to change that is rooted in established cultural norms. Key obstacles to the successful implementation of QA initiatives include staff resistance and student disengagement. The chapter also introduces the concept of institutional isomorphism, wherein institutions adopt similar QA practices due to external pressures, potentially resulting in a homogenization of approaches that may not be relevant to each institution's unique cultural context. Nonetheless, institutions can leverage their cultural strengths to enhance QA practices, cultivate a collaborative environment that encourages the sharing of best practices, and inspire innovative methods for quality enhancement. The chapter underscores the importance of leadership and stakeholder involvement in adopting and institutionalising QA measures, anchoring these discussions in change management theories. Ultimately, a strong culture of quality is essential for the successful implementation of QA systems, enhancing the effectiveness and reputation that higher education institutions seek in competitive landscapes. By actively leveraging their cultural strengths, institutions can create QA processes that not only meet external standards but also resonate deeply with their mission and community, ultimately leading to a more effective and meaningful quality assurance framework.

Higher education in most developing countries is going through expansion as a result of increased competition, limited resources, mass education and accountability to other stakeholders. All these have raised concerns about the quality of education in institutions of higher learning. In other instances, this at times unplanned and chaotic expansion has resulted in a decline in the quality of higher education that could have serious consequences. In this regard, most Southern African countries, which include Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, advocated for mechanisms to improve the quality of higher education. Therefore, this chapter explores the role of institutional and programme accreditation, quality audits, and academic reviews as essential quality assurance mechanisms in higher education. The literature review approach guides the review of existing research and literature at the centre of this chapter. This aims to provide a comprehensive and evidence-based discourse. Hence, it interrogates the processes and standards involved in institutional and programme accreditation, highlighting their significance in ensuring academic excellence, compliance with educational standards, and fostering continuous improvement. In addition, the examination of the accreditation processes and standards reveals significant challenges, maintaining consistency and equity across higher education institutions. This underscores the need for a more transparent and adaptable accreditation framework to address evolving stakeholder needs. Further to this, the chapter delves into quality audits and academic reviews as tools for evaluating institutional performance, effectiveness, and alignment with strategic goals. Through analysis, it looks at the impact of these mechanisms on enhancing teaching and learning, maintaining institutional reputation, and meeting the needs of diverse stakeholders. Finally, the chapter considers the challenges and opportunities associated with these quality assurance practices in a dynamic higher education landscape. The chapter concludes by recommending the adoption of a standardised accreditation framework to address discrepancies and ensure equitable implementation across higher education institutions. Additionally, it advocates for stakeholder engagement in the design of accreditation standards to enhance transparency and adaptability to both the regional and local contexts. Thus, this chapter emphasises the importance of improving accreditation, audits and academic review processes, highlighting how streamlined and transparent standards can empower practitioners to enhance institutional quality.

Quality assurance (QA) in higher education has shifted from compliance-driven standards to an intellectualised framework integrating critical thinking, continuous improvement, and alignment with global sustainability agendas. Beyond regulatory compliance, QA now embraces holistic excellence, ensuring academic rigour, societal relevance, and adaptability to global challenges like technological disruption and inequity. Intellectualising QA transcends benchmarking; it cultivates institutional cultures of innovation, inclusivity, and responsibility, key to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through education, research, and societal engagement. This chapter proposes a transformative QA framework that aligns higher education’s core functions with global sustainability targets, offering actionable pathways for institutional change.

This chapter examines how the conservative reforms of the transitional government (1978-1980), particularly the Education Act of 1979, reinforced colonial-era inequalities. In a move targeted at addressing this imbalance soon after independence, the government embarked on more radical reforms in education. For instance, the Education Act 1987 was targeted at intensifying the provision of education, including the removal of discriminatory practices that were put in place by the colonial government. In the 1990s, the Zimbabwean government reviewed its educational goals guided by the Education Act 1987 (as amended in 1996) to support efficient and quality education. This called for the adoption of programmes of continuing professional development premised on the drive to move education from an academic approach to a competency-based approach. Thus, the Education Act 1987 (as amended in 2006) implemented a 'two-path way’ education structure based on the belief that all students leave school with at least one subject from the skills area path. Based on the 1999 Presidential Commission of Inquiry in Education and Training, a framework for primary and secondary education (2015 - 2022; 2024 - 2030) was introduced with an emphasis outcome-based approach to learning. It is imperative to conclude that the colonial regulatory framework and statutory provisions created the glaring inequalities, which have been addressed upon the attainment of independence through various phases geared towards creating a foundation for a transformed higher education guided by the ethos of quality assurance.

Total Quality Management (TQM) practices offer higher education institutions a transformative approach to enhance their processes, ensuring not just quality education but also organisational excellence that meets global standards. It is against this background that this book chapter ties significant issues and debates on the influence of TQM practices such as student-centric approach, continuous improvement, quality assurance systems, stakeholder involvement, performance metrics, etc., on higher education curriculum development process in Southern Africa. The chapter explores the conceptualisation of TQM practices in the context of Southern Africa's higher education curriculum development process (curriculum design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation). The theoretical lens comprising Stakeholders, TQM and Systems theories is used to explore the indicators of quality in higher education curriculum development, TQM practices within higher education curriculum development and the nexus between TQM practices and curriculum development in higher education. Challenges such as resistance to change, resource constraints, lack of expertise, and cultural barriers were faced in creating a nexus between TQM practices and the curriculum development process in Southern Africa’s higher education is articulated. So, this chapter adds voice to the existing argument on the need for higher education institutions in Southern Africa to infuse TQM practices into the curriculum development process to enhance the curriculum design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and review. Thus, TQM practices empower institutions to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving global landscape, addressing challenges proactively while nurturing innovation and excellence.

Equitable quality education serves as a cornerstone for achieving transformative higher education in Southern Africa. This approach prioritises inclusivity and aims to address long-standing historical inequalities that have affected access to education for marginalised communities. By ensuring equitable access to educational opportunities, higher education institutions can empower diverse groups of learners and contribute to a more just and cohesive society. Quality assurance is emphasised as a crucial component of transformative education, ensuring that teaching, learning, and research meet high standards and prepare graduates to make meaningful contributions to their communities and the economy. The concept also aligns higher education with broader regional development goals, fostering innovation and addressing pressing socio-economic challenges such as poverty, unemployment, and environmental sustainability. Research and development play a central role in this transformation, enabling institutions to generate solutions to local and global issues while promoting sustainable development. Building robust research capacity and encouraging collaboration among institutions across the region are essential steps toward creating a knowledge-driven society. Additionally, the chapter highlights the importance of sound policy frameworks that guide the transformation of higher education institutions. Policies must prioritise inclusivity, efficiency, and responsiveness to societal needs, ensuring that higher education catalyses positive change. In conclusion, equitable quality education offers a pathway to a transformative higher education landscape in Southern Africa, one that is inclusive, innovative, and deeply responsive to the region's challenges and aspirations. This vision aims to empower individuals and communities while driving social and economic progress. To foster equitable quality education, higher education institutions in Southern Africa should implement inclusive policies, enhance quality assurance mechanisms, and prioritise research that addresses local socio-economic challenges.

Introduction: Quality is at the heart of transformative education, and lecturers play a crucial role in providing quality education. This belief encourages to state that in as much as factors such as institutional support, curriculum design, and student engagement influence educational quality, the role of the lecturer remains critical. However, there is a need to emphasise in this chapter that the quality of human resources in any country is a necessity. To be specific, universities have a multifaceted nature of human resources, encompassing not only lecturers but also support staff, administrators, and policymakers. This refers to skilled and semi-skilled staff. Universities focus on constantly improving lecturers’ capacity for research, teaching, innovation and industrialisation skills, and knowledge that lecturers require. This is essential because they also have a direct impact on students' learning experiences. As a result, it is critical to assess the efficacy of lecturer development programmes in terms of higher education quality assurance management.

Objective: The purpose of this chapter is to analyse the effectiveness of the lecturer development programme in enhancing teaching abilities and skills.

Results: Universities can increase the quality of their teaching and research by implementing lecturer development programmes, which in turn boost their reputation. Thus, investment in lecturer development programmes can be considered a sustainable strategy to advance the quality of higher education and achieve the goal of developing quality human resources. It has also been found that a supportive institutional culture that prioritises quality assurance leads to better alignment between teaching practices and the desired learning outcomes. However, the challenges of lecture development programs involve the dynamics of technological change, globalisation, and demands for curriculum diversification. Along with these challenges, there are also ongoing innovations in the design and implementation of these programmes. 

Conclusion:  Lecturer development was emphasised as a purposeful process that gives teachers the abilities and information they need to successfully negotiate the ever-changing terrain of teaching and learning, while integration was defined as the methodical incorporation of quality assurance concepts into all facets of instructional practice.

This chapter explores the shift from traditional consultation to active collaboration in higher education to foster innovation and adapt to evolving industry and societal needs. Traditionally, higher education institutions have engaged stakeholders through various consultation mechanisms (i.e., surveys, advisory boards, etc.). While valuable, these mechanisms often fail to fully leverage stakeholder expertise in shaping institutional strategy and curriculum. This chapter argues that true innovation in higher education requires moving towards a more collaborative model, where stakeholders co-create solutions, share knowledge and engage in decision making. Using document analysis, case studies were drawn from Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus and JSTOR to articulate the importance of collaboration, the evolution of stakeholder involvement in higher education, alignment of the curriculum with industry needs, interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving and accelerated innovation. It also looks at key strategies for fostering collaboration, such as creating partnerships, incorporating diverse stakeholder feedback and leveraging digital platforms. This chapter also emphasises empowering stakeholders to take an active role in educating pupils about the intricacies of contemporary human capital.

A gap exists between acquired skills and the labour market in Africa. This chapter aimed to bridge the gap between learning outcomes and real-world skills to achieve Aspiration 1 of the African Union Agenda 2063. This chapter unveiled forms of assessment that are summative and formative in tertiary institutions. It also identified examinations, quizzes and projects or take-home assignments as examples of continuous assessment commonly used in assessing students in tertiary institutions, though they are associated with unethical practices in various tertiary institutions. The chapter marked the importance of feedback loops, curriculum evaluation and modification and the much-needed quality assurance in the teaching and learning process. The author used documentary analysis and online platforms to gather information. It was then discovered by the author that feedback loops are missing in tertiary institutions, which might have an impact on the promotion of innovation and creativity skills to achieve the African Union Agenda 2063.

The infusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into various spheres of life, including education for sustainable development, has revolutionised key pillars of higher education such as teaching, community service, research, innovation, and industrialisation. This chapter focuses on redefining quality assurance (QA) in Southern Africa’s (Angola, Botswana, Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) higher education by embedding AI into its systems. It emphasises the importance of conceptualising AI within the framework of QA processes in higher education. Central to this chapter is an exploration of the transformative impact of AI on curriculum development in higher education. Thus, AI is revolutionising QA by introducing innovative methods and tools such as AI-Powered Test Automation, predictive analytics, root cause analysis, security and compliance, etc., that enhance efficiency, accuracy, and adaptability. The chapter further investigates how AI enhances compliance and quality checks in educational institutions. Ethical considerations tied to the use of AI in QA processes are also critically analysed. By contributing to ongoing debates and discussions, this chapter reinforces the growing necessity of integrating AI into higher education systems, with particular attention to QA.

Education 5.0 reaffirms the primacy of universities, polytechnics, teachers’ colleges and industrial training colleges in economic growth, technological transfer and generation of new knowledge. The paper examines the knowledge and skills gap among lecturers in the context of Education 5.0, an era defined by its emphasis on the integration of teaching, research, community service, innovation and industrialisation. The study argues that without targeted professional development and support, lecturers may struggle to meet the expectations of a modernised curriculum. Through a synthesis of literature and practical insights, the study proposes a framework for transforming lecturer competencies that aligns with the goals of Education 5.0. The framework explores strategic interventions, including continuous professional development programs, pedagogical innovation, and technological integration, which enhance lecturer proficiency. Best practices from higher teacher education institutions illustrate effective transformation strategies, ensuring quality teacher preparedness for 21st-century learning. Through an examination of the current educational reforms and the associated challenges faced by lecturers, this chapter sets the stage for a deeper understanding of the transformation required within teacher education in Zimbabwe. In conclusion, the Education 5.0 era presents transformative opportunities for the higher education sector, driven by the five tenets of teaching, research, community engagement, innovation and industrialisation.