IJAHE is a peer-reviewed journal aiming to advance knowledge, promote research, and provide a forum for policy analysis on higher education issues in the African continent.

News

The Globethics library contains articles of International Journal of African Higher Education as of vol. 1(2014) to current.

Recent Submissions

  • Faculty’s Perspectives of/on Cultural Diversity Management in a Multicultural Classroom: The Case of a Ugandan University

    Kaweesi, Muhamadi; Ayebare, Justin; Atibuni , Dennis Zami; Olema, David Kani (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2023-10-26)
    Higher education institutions are changing fast in terms of the inclusion of international students. Consequently, faculty are expected to provide enabling learning environments and experiences for education in diversity. Based on the beliefs and practices of social constructivism philosophy and rooted in the interpretive paradigm, this article examines how faculty in a Ugandan university manage multicultural classes and their efforts to promote inclusive classes and curriculum. Qualitative research methods were employed with a sample of eight faculty. Data were collected by means of face-to-face individual semi-structured interviews that were triangulated with document checks. Data analysis followedGay’s (2000) culturally responsive pedagogical framework, with faculty perspectives summarised in themes. The findings point to challenges in implementing a culturally relevant classroom management model, such as faculty’s inability to fully multiculturalise due to inadequate knowledge of cultural minorities’ backgrounds. However, they reveal that some faculty manage their classes adequately, show care and concern for non-Ugandan students, use several strategies to communicate with them, and endeavour to adjust to suit minority students’ learning styles. The study suggests that much remains to be done to ensure inclusivity and to promote the social constructionist perspective that is inclusive in teaching and learning.
  • What is the Digitalised Curriculum for? Qualification, Socialisation and/or Subjectification

    Makumane, Makhulu (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2023-10-26)
    The emergence of the deadly corona virus, popularly known as COVID-19, caused a hasty and ill-prepared paradigm shift in higher education institutions. Formerly reliant on the face-to-face mode of teaching and learning, the need for physical distancing recommended by the World Health Organization forced them to adopt a digitalised curriculum. This article exploreswhether the digitalised curriculum adopted by a higher education institution in Lesotho was for qualification, socialisation and/ or subjectification. In other words, it investigates which propositions are influenced by the digitalised curriculum. Purposive sampling was used to select five studies conducted in Lesotho during/post the COVID-19 pandemic. The tree three rings theory was used to frame the study, with thematic analysis through critical discourse analysis employed to analyse the data. The findings suggest that, to some extent, the use of a learning management system favours qualification at the expense of both socialisation and subjectification. In addition, the digital divide was glaringly evident in the adoption of online learning. Formal incorporation of social media sites is recommended to enable students to socialise with prescribed content and to utilise their unique experiences with digital technologies to achieve their prescribed goals.
  • Factors that Influence First-year Students’ Academic Performance in Introductory Accounting: A Systematic Literature Review and Avenues for Future Research

    Joynt, Corlia (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2023-10-26)
    This study involved a systematic review of academic research conducted between 1968 and 2022 on the factors that predict academic performance in introductory accounting. Several significant predictors including prior knowledge in accounting, academic aptitude and mathematical ability, as well as personal attributes like grit and self-efficacy have been shown to influence student success in this field. The study’s findings will assist educators to adapt their programmes and integrate these predictive factors. Moreover, this research expands on the theoretical framework established by Rankin, Silvester, Wallely and Wyatt (2003), offering a holistic perspective and highlighting potential areas that warrant further investigation. Future research could explore the role of critical reasoning skills and reading comprehension’s impact as predictors of academic performance in introductory accounting.
  • From Contact to Online Learning in a Crisis: An Initial Investigation of Auditing Students’ Online Behaviour Patterns

    Varachia, Zakiyyah; Cerbone, Dannielle; Segal, Talya (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2023-10-26)
    The COVID-19 pandemic caused an abrupt change to the education system as most South African universities were forced to halt all face-toface teaching and learning activities and shift to an online curriculum. This study aimed to provide an initial overview of the online behaviour of second-year South African Auditing students. Using reports from the Learning Management System, it investigated the time taken by students to access online resources, the type of resources accessed and if this behaviour had an association with students’ marks. The analysis revealed that, on average, only 23% of the resources provided were accessed and also provided evidence that students did not access resources promptly. On average it took them 130 days after initial upload to access the online material. Students took longer to access tutorial videos (234 days) than other resources such as lecture videos (89 days). Significant, negative associations were established between student marks, time to access resources, and the percentage of resources accessed. This implies that, while face-to-face and online learning may be substituted for each other in an ordinarily contact university, the efficacy of online resources is dependent on the student’s online behaviour.
  • Communicating during a Pandemic: A South African University’s Use of Social Media during the COVID-19 Crisis

    Michelow, Pamela; Fainman, Gina; Nudelman, Gabi (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2023-10-26)
    The COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in late 2019 resulted in many universities across the world switching to emergency remote teaching in order to complete the academic year. This article examines what senior management at one South African university felt was important to communicate to their student body regarding the COVID-19 crisis and emergency remote teaching, and the modalities utilised for this communication. The type of crisis responses enacted by this university are also investigated. Relevant communication events by the university’s senior management to their student body during the pivot were examined utilising a bottom-up (thematic analysis) and top-down (situational crisis communication theory) approach. Important themes that emerged included the need to empower and mobilise students, acknowledging unequal access to the devices and data required for online learning, and looking after student’s mental health. Crisis response strategies involved justification of the pivot to emergency remote teaching, praising staff for their efforts, expressions of sympathy for students, and provision of data and devices for students in need. The article concludes with recommendations on an approach to communicate with students in the event of a crisis.
  • The Relationship between Academic Programme Type and Student Satisfaction with the Quality of Higher Education in Uganda

    Bagonza , Godfrey; Kaahwa, Yuda Taddeo (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2023-10-26)
    This study examined the relationship between the type of academic programmes offered in Ugandan higher education institutions and student satisfaction with the quality of higher education. Highquality academic programmes are those that focus on the outcomes of the higher educational processes, including student retention and graduate destinations and employability, as well as expectations of earnings proportional to the qualification. Employing quantitative and qualitative research methods, the study analysed data gathered from 400 undergraduate students, six quality assurance directors, and 12 academic heads of departments in six Ugandan universities. It found that students in different academic disciplines and different universities believed that the academic programmes they selected were strongly related to their satisfaction with the quality of higher education.
  • Internationalisation of Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean:: In Need of Robust Policies

    Gacel-Ávila, Jocelyne (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2020-11-11)
    This article assesses the current process of internationalisation of higher education in Latin America and the Caribbean. Based on data and findings from different national, regional and international studies, it shows that, while the region’s primary form  of internationalisation is student mobility, the numbers are relatively small compared to other regions and that other strategies such as internationalisation at home are largely underdeveloped. The article concludes that, while some progress has been made in past decades, the internationalisation process needs to be consolidated and strengthened, particularly in terms of public policy at national and regional level.
  • The Irrelevance of the Re-Configured Definition of Internationalisation to the Global South:: Intention Versus Coercion

    Teferra, Damtew (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2020-11-11)
    This article argues that the definition of internationalisation as recast by de Wit, Hunter, Howard, and Egron-Polak (2015), which embraced ‘intentionality’ as its key component, is of no relevance to the reality of the Global South. It maintains that contemporary ontological manifestations of the terminology have been appreciably misrepresented, if not wholly distorted, mainly by a passionate, albeit sincere, desire to advance certain ‘good’ intentions, while disregarding others, in the process creating a dissonance between epistemological reality and a paradigmatic trajectory. In his latest argument, de Wit maintained that the definition is “normative and descriptive”, but Teferra countered that it is neither normative nor descriptive but rather prescriptive and coercive. This article argues that this definition requires acceptance of an articulated ‘good’ intention as fundamental to internationalisation. Intentions are as broad and dynamic as they are subtle and complex. Even ‘good’ intentions are subjective and are presumed worthy by a certain sector of society (scholarly or otherwise) for a certain period of time and to a certain extent. Thus, the definition of internationalisation, as it stands, does not concur with these basic tenets of intentions, rendering it somewhat irrelevant to most of the Global South, and quite a number of instances in the Global North.
  • Mobility for Academic Collaboration Post-COVID-19

    Oanda, Ibrahim; Jon, Jae-Eun; Blanco, Gerardo (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2022-12-24)
    In-person mobility has traditionally been taken for granted as an element of academic collaboration. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted this status quo, introducing new challenges, especially across Africa, Asia and Latin America, where local economies and higher education systems have been disproportionately affected, exacerbating existing inequities. Low and unequal vaccination rates in these regions will likely continue to influence academic mobility. Given that international travel is set to remain complicated and expensive, African, Asian and Latin American academics’ preference for North America and Europe as destinations for mobility is likely to shift, with new academic mobility ecosystems emerging. Indeed, strong institutions and countries in these regions are becoming new hubs for intra-regional mobility and collaboration. The future of academic mobility and collaboration in Africa, Asia and Latin America is thus likely to include alternative destinations and virtual mobility, with the possibility of lower levels of international cooperation as the perceived value of mobility comes into question. These changes call for creative, long-term plans by institutions as well as governments. They present opportunities to promote mobility within regions, as well as South-South mobility in order to increase higher education’s social relevance.
  • Academic Collaborations in Asia

    Varghese, N.V. (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2022-12-24)
    No country enjoys a monopoly on the production and transaction of knowledge. Academic collaborations among countries and between institutions have increased in recent decades. The reason seems to be that papers co-authored with international academics are not only cited more often but also have higher impact than single author publications. This article shows that although the Asian countries have a tendency to look westward, academic collaborations among higher education institutions in these countries are on the increase. These have evolved in three distinct but related stages: a) collaborations for national capacity development; b) collaborations as part of the globalisation process; and c) collaborations to enhance academic credibility and national institutions’ global ranking. The article also discusses the emergence of new institutional structures to promote regional collaborations and the role of diaspora in promoting research collaborations in the region.
  • Academic Cooperation between Africa, Asia and Latin America

    Woldegiyorgis, Ayenachew A.; Luchilo, Lucas; Pham, Thanh (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2022-12-24)
    Interest has grown in the role of diaspora in advancing higher education and scientific research as academic mobility continues to generate more transnational communities a with high educational profile. The academic literature is picking up on how diasporas and their organisations facilitate academic and research collaboration between institutions in their ‘host’ and ‘home’ countries. However, this discourse largely focuses on those residing in industrialised countries, particularly Europe and North America. There is limited research on the diasporic relationship between and within regions in the Global South, and even less on diaspora mediated academic collaboration between Africa, Asia and Latin America. Against this backdrop, this article explores the role of diaspora in academic and scientific collaboration within and between these regions. It highlights some historical and contemporary migratory relations between them, along with student mobility as a means of formation of academic diaspora. The article argues that, among other things, the limited academic collaboration between countries of the Global South can be attributed to structural issues such as inequality in the geopolitics of knowledge and the characteristics of migrant communities. It also suggests possible future scenarios including trends in migration and the potential to foster scientific collaboration.
  • The Notion of Relevance in Academic Collaboration

    Tamrat, Wondwosen (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2022-12-24)
    This article examines the notion of relevance in academic collaboration between North and South partners. It traces the history and nature of academic cooperation, and the major factors that determine the success of partnerships. It is argued that equitable, collaborative agenda setting, clear decision-making procedures, and consideration of the developmental goals that are the envisaged outcome of collaboration schemes are mechanisms that can be used to address issues of relevance. Failure to address relevance concerns could result in academics or institutions being diverted from addressing local or national priority areas. In turn, this could result in the relevance of the cooperation itself being questioned.
  • Academic Collaboration in Africa and Asia: Current Status, Challenges, and Emerging Trends and Strategies

    El Kirat El Allame, Yamina; Dunrong, Bie; Anas, Hajar; Jie, Ma; Amutuhaire, Tibelius; Yifan, Huang; Elghazali, Oumaima; Jingran, Yu (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2022-12-24)
    South-South cooperation has garnered much attention in recent times among states, policymakers, and academics and its scope is growing to encompass economic cooperation and health, education, research, and development initiatives. This article examines the current status of academic partnerships between institutions in Asia and Africa, the challenges confronting them, and the emerging trends and strategies. Practical examples are provided to showcase the current practices and challenges in each region. The article also highlights academic cooperation experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and identifies the emerging trends and challenges in academic collaboration in Asia and Africa in the post-pandemic era. It proposes strategies for future NorthSouth, North-South-South, and South-South academic collaboration. During the pandemic, academic cooperation in teaching, learning, and research across borders has demonstrated resilience and sustainability. Increased opportunities for collaboration within, between, and beyond Asia and Africa are being provided by technology-enhanced collaborative modes. However, the digital divide within and across the two continents will impact the future modalities of academic collaboration.
  • Editorial: Academic Collaboration in Africa, Asia and Latin America in the Post-COVID World

    Teferra, Damtew (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2022-12-24)
  • The Imperatives of Academic Collaboration in Africa, Asia and Latin America

    Teferra, Damtew; Sirat, Morshidi; Beneitone, Pablo (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2022-12-24)
    A multitude of intentions drives institutions to engage in academic collaborations, mainly dictated by necessity. The imperatives of academic collaboration are many and varied and include generating resources, developing academic capacity, exchanging experiences, and enhancing the institutional profile. Institutions also engage in collaboration to pursue mega initiatives (such as human genome projects) and tackle major global challenges (like climate change and diseases such as COVID-19). Such endeavours mainly take place within the framework of North-North and, to certain extent, North-South collaboration. South-South collaboration has been less evident, although this trend appears to be changing steadily with growing interest, focus and drive in these regions. For decades, academic collaboration has been touted as a positive force in knowledge creation and capacity building, particularly in the South. However, this conception has largely been framed in the context and perspective of the North. Given growing calls for a shift from traditional North-South collaborations, this article explores the imperatives of academic collaboration in the context of South-South partnerships and examines the critical factors that shape such collaboration in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It explores the intention, nature, scope and modalities of academic collaborations in the context of academic exchange, joint research/projects, joint programmes, capacity building and other relevant engagements on these continents in the post-COVID-19 era.
  • Global South Research Collaboration

    Gueye, Abdoulaye; Choi, Edward; Guzmán-Valenzuela, Carolina; Gregorutti, Gustavo (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2022-12-24)
    Research collaboration has become a major research topic in the social sciences. While this literature has mainly focused on collaborative dynamics in the Global North, more recent studies have examined these dynamics within the Global South. This article expands the scope of analysis by comparing the level of co-publications by Global South-based scholars with Global South-based colleagues and that between academics at Global South institutions and researchers in Global North universities. It shows that academic partnerships within the Global South are less common than instances of collaboration between the Global South and Global North. The relatively weak Global South collaborative dynamics are at odds with most Global South leaders’ encouragement of partnerships between scholars within the South. The article also demonstrates that collaboration seems to be largely informed by linguistic commonality and historical (colonial) relations of dependency. Contrary to expectations that US-based academics would be the primary partners for Global South academics due to US hegemony, the latter are more likely to collaborate with colleagues in European countries, more specifically countries that colonised their countries.
  • Financing and Resourcing International Collaboration in African Higher Education

    Masaiti, Gift; Mboyonga, Edward (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2022-12-24)
    This article discusses the financing of international collaboration in African higher education. It notes that mutual aid and the public good are slowly being embraced as the rationale for international collaboration. Drawing on a critical perspective, the article discusses the modalities and effectiveness of resourcing international collaboration which is generally seen as a panacea to revitalise higher education research in subSaharan Africa. Collaboration between Africa and Global North countries manifests in international partnerships for research, student and staff mobility, teaching, and funding. While most collaborations have tended to be dominated by Global North partners, South-South collaborations are increasingly taking centre stage. Emerging issues in international collaboration are also identified and the article notes that, in general, the politics of power and control still characterise both North-South and South-South international collaborations.
  • Gender-Related Factors Influencing Female Students’ Participation in Higher Education in Rwanda

    Rubagiza, Jolly; Umutoni, Jane; Iyakaremye , Innocent (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2022-07-13)
    Rwanda is widely seen as one of the most progressive countries in the world with regard to promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. In education, for example, girls’ access to primary and secondary education is among the highest in Africa. However, female students’ participation remains limited in public universities and they constitute only around a third of the student population at the University of Rwanda. This article explores the factors that influence female students’ participation in public higher education in the country. It draws from a study commissioned by the University of Rwanda on the causes of low female enrolment at the institution that was conducted between 2016 and 2017. The study employed a mixed methods approach, and data was gathered by means of questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. The results revealed interlinked structural (such as university policies) and socio-cultural factors that contribute to the exclusion of female students from Rwanda’s top university. Given the complexities involved, this calls for a multi-pronged approach to address the issue of female representation at the University. Key words: Gender disparities, female students, higher education, Rwanda
  • The Student Psychological Contract as a Predictor of University Brand Evangelism in Tanzanian Higher Education:

    Amani , David (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2022-07-13)
    This study sought to extend empirical and theoretical understanding of university brand evangelism as an outcome of the student psychological contract in the higher education sector. The conceptual model was developed and tested using structural equation modeling on 451 students at two colleges of higher education in Tanzania. The findings indicate that the student psychological contract influences university brand love en route to university brand evangelism. Thus, university operations should be well-defined by a social contract that stipulates the obligations of both students and staff. For students to engage in university brand evangelism, higher education institutions must fulfill their expectations as stipulated in the contract. More specifically, their staff should fulfill their obligations emanating from promises made to students. This calls for specific standard procedures to fulfill expectations and thus optimize university brand evangelism. Key words: Higher education sector, higher education institutions, university, branding strategies, student psychological contract, university brand evangelism
  • A Fourth Industrial Revolution Paradigm Shift in Teacher Education?

    Zami Atibuni, Dennis; Manyiraho, Deborah; Nabitula, Agnes Nabitula (International Network for Higher Education in Africa, 2022-07-13)
    This article explores the plausibility of shifting from the instruction paradigm to the learning paradigm in order to prepare teachers to meet the needs of 21st century learners within the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). While the instruction paradigm is dominated by teacher-centred instructional strategies, a shift to the learning paradigm would require teacher training institutions to prepare teachers who will facilitate the teaching/learning process through interactive strategies, that is, teachers who are ‘meddlers in the middle’, who create puzzling situations and work alongside students to construct knowledge. Key aspects of such a shift include training institutions’ mission and purpose, criteria for the institutional and personal success of teacher trainers and trainees, teaching/learning structures within institutions, learning theory, productivity, funding, and the nature of educational stakeholders’ roles. In line with the dictates of the 4IR, training institutions should cultivate versatility to continuously identify, develop, test, implement, and assess effective learning technologies. In turn, their graduates should value learning as a continuous process for themselves, their learners, and their institutions. Key words: Fourth industrial revolution, paradigm shift, teacher training, instruction paradigm, learning paradigm

View more