| Abstract: | The purpose of this study was to assess quality education in PHEIs in
Mekelle by considering educational inputs, processes and outputs as
benchmarks. To conduct this research, mixed research design with convergent
parallel mixed method was employed. 236 respondents i.e. 4 vice academic
deans, 4 quality assurance directorates, 18 department coordinators, 65
instructors and 145 students were selected by using purposive, availability,
simple and stratified random sampling techniques. The collected data were
analyzed quantitatively by using descriptive and inferential statistics and
qualitatively by using descriptive narration. Questionnaires were the main data
gathering instruments while interview, observation and document analysis were
equally important to enrich the data. The finding of the study mirrored out that
the educational qualification of instructors is below the required minimum
standard set by HERQA/MoE. The academic staffs are less experienced to
conduct instructional process effectively because about half of them are
unfamiliar with pedagogical knowledge, below minimum standard qualification
and less teaching experiences. Lack of training opportunities resulted in
instructors’ turnover which in turn resulted in large numbers of parttime
lecturers. The physical location of PHEIs is inconvenient for effective
instruction due to the noises of neighboring music shops, hotels, and sound of
vehicles. Similarly, the management bodies are not devoted to create positive
working environment, less experienced to fulfill educational facilities and
infrastructures, and unmotivated to initiate research outputs and community
services to rank excellence to the standards. Moreover, there is instructors'
deficiency in using varieties of active learning methods and formative
continuous assessment techniques due to lack of pedagogical know how.
Lecture method and summative evaluation are the most frequently utilized
methods of teaching and assessment techniques respectively to quest for quality
education. |
