Attributes of quality in selected Somali higher education institutions : an empirical analysis

Abstract

There is a growing concern regarding the quality in higher education within the context of global economy and the challenges to remain competitive in a global front. Education is an important element for national economic growth, particularly for a developing nation like Somalia. Thus, it is important that quality is assured in the education system. The aim of this dissertation is to study the attributes of quality in Somali higher education institutions from the students' perspective as consumers of higher education; as well as explore potential factors that may contribute further towards improvements of quality in Somali higher education. For the purpose of this study, three factors that are deemed relevant in providing quality in Somali higher education have been identified. They are known as Academic Curriculum, Academic Staff and Facilities. A total of 200 students from selected higher education institutions in the Mogadishu area, the capital city of Somalia serve as the present sample of the study. The data is collected through a selfadministered questionnaire and the analysis of the data has been done using SPSS software program (Version 16). According to the findings, the quality of Somali higher education institutions is moderately good even though this issue received increased inquiry and public dispute. The perceptions of the students differ significantly across demographic variables particularly according to University/Institute and Faculty/Specialisation. Moreover, the correlation analysis proves a strong positive association between academic curriculum, academic staff, facilities and overall quality in higher education. On the other hand, the regression analysis shows further that academic curriculum, academic staff and facilities are strong predictors of quality in Somali rugher education.