Enablers of pedagogical change within universities: Evidence from Kenya, Ghana and Botswana

Abstract

Quality of teaching and learning in higher education is increasingly recognised as a pressing issue on the African continent, and there have been various reform initiatives to transform classrooms and institutions. However, little is known about the factors that affect pedagogical change in institutions, and enable or constrain these innovations from taking root. This study explores the cases of eight diverse universities in Botswana, Ghana and Kenya, ones that had implemented a range of innovations including problem-based learning, community placements and academic development programmes. The analysis draws on qualitative data involving interviews with lecturers and senior management, institutional documentation and campus visits. Lecturers were seen to engage in diverse ways with the initiatives, being either opponents, surface adopters, transformers or champions. Four factors emerged as key to influencing the uptake of pedagogical interventions: the drivers of the initiative; the existence of a shared vision; resourcing and incentives; and opportunities for reflection and transformative learning. While some initiatives are more ‘champion-led’ and others more ‘institution-led’, sustainable change involves attention to both university structures and individual practice, and to the interactions between them.