JHEA/RESA Vol. 20, No. 2, 2022, pp. 89-110
© Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa, 2022
(ISSN 0851–7762) (https://doi.org/10.57054/jhea.v20i2.2727)
Expanding Higher Education for the Public
Good: Ghanaian Stakeholders’ Perspectives on
the Quality Dimension
Christine Adu-Yeboah*
Abstract
This study examined the views of twenty-three stakeholders connected to the
Higher Education (HE) sector in Ghana, to understand the links they make
between HE and the fulfilment of the public good. The study, which was
conducted in 2018, was purely qualitative, employing individual interviews
and focus group discussions. The results showed that stakeholders make
strong links between the quality of inputs into HE, the approaches used in
imparting and assessing relevant knowledge and skills, and the quality of
graduates. They also drew links between the quality of HE, the products
and their ability to serve the public good in addressing the problems of the
society. The implication is that the quality of an institution is measured by
the quality of investments made into it, the quality of faculty and instruction
and its ability to serve the public good. The study recommends that HE
institutions should design programmes that regularly develop the pedagogical
competence of HE faculty to make HE pedagogy more relevant to societal
needs. It also makes a case for the provision of academic/remedial support for
students who may be underprepared for HE, while ensuring that the quality
of HE practitioners and participants is of an acceptable standard. Lastly,
higher education institutions should create conditions that can bring about
innovations in funding, good governance and accountability.
Keywords: higher education, public good, quality, inputs, products, Ghana
* Associate Professor, Institute of Education, School of Educational Development and
Outreach College of Education Studies, University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
Email: cadu-yeboah@ucc.edu.gh