Developing public administration education by focusing on difficult key concepts: The case of Nigeria and Ghana

Abstract

Students’ understanding of public administration (PA) plays an important role in ensuring the quality of human resources that African universities produce. Using a quantitative approach and sample N ​= ​650, this paper draws on empirical evidences of students lived expereinces of what they consider difficult in the study of PA in Ghana and Nigeria; establishing relations between selected variables and perceived difficulties. The study concludes that, African university students not having previous backgrounds in PA and syllabus being too wide accounts for difficulties in the study of PA; there is a statistically significant difference regarding bureaucracy, ethics, corruption, and arms of government between lower levels and upper level African university students on the perceived difficulty in the study of PA and there is a statistically significant difference between Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science Public Administration among African university students in all concepts observed except government, public policy, politics and defining PA. We suggest teaching PA is remodeled as a study of classroom training that places students understanding at its core. F0B7 • Students find some concepts difficult to study in PA which has negative implications for the development of Africa and its higher education. F0B7 • Effective university training in PA is crucial for Africa’s public sector and its educational systems. F0B7 • Government reforms at making teaching student-centered are critical at reducing student difficulties in the study of PA and improving Africa’s public sector. F0B7 • Evidences from mainstream science courses provides hope for achieving simplifying difficult concepts in the study of PA to foster Africa’s education and its development.