Quality Assurance Practices in the Time of COVID 19: What Works in Tertiary Institutions in Tanzania

Abstract

Despite natural disasters like COVID-19, tertiary institutions around the world should be more responsive and use a proactive approach to quality assurance. The COVID-19 eruption halted the operation of normal classrooms. Teaching was done from home, although many teachers were not aware of online facilitation. The current study examined the practice of quality assurance in Tanzanian tertiary institutions following COVID-19 eruption from 2020 to 2021. To achieve this, the study adopted a mixed-methods approach with the help of a sequential explanatory research design. The study involved 113 respondents, obtained randomly from four tertiary institutions. The study adopted an automated questionnaire and semistructured interviews for collecting data from the respondents. The two methods of data collection enabled the gathering of voluminous information with little bias. The data were analysed descriptively and by using content analysis for qualitative data. Results from this study revealed that both external and internal mechanisms were adapted to varying degrees in the practice of quality assurance amid COVID19. They also reveal that some tertiary institutions have adopted a blended online mode of teaching and learning. However, it was not successfully implemented because most tertiary institutions lacked the necessary resources and personnel to use digitalisation in teaching and learning. According to the study, digitalisation quality assurance systems should be improved further to overcome the current situation and the future effects of unpredictable disasters. Furthermore, higher education institutions must improve open and remote e-communication between tutors and students.