Article Sidebar
Published:
Jul 16, 2021Article Details
Copyright remains in the Author’s name. The work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial Works License. Authors are required to complete and sign an Author Agreement form that outlines Author and Publisher rights and terms of publication. The Agreement form should be uploaded along with other submissions files and any submission will be considered incomplete without it [forthcoming].
Material submitted for publication in the AJHPE is accepted provided it has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Please inform the editorial team if the main findings of your paper have been presented at a conference and published in abstract form, to avoid copyright infringement. The AJHPE does not hold itself responsible for statements made by the authors. The corresponding author should also indicate if the research forms part of a postgraduate short report, dissertation or thesis.
Previously published images
If an image/figure has been previously published, permission to reproduce or alter it must be obtained by the authors from the original publisher and the figure legend must give full credit to the original source. This credit should be accompanied by a letter indicating that permission to reproduce the image has been granted to the author/s. This letter should be uploaded as a supplementary file during submission.Main Article Content
Exploring internal quality assurance for nursing education in the State University of Zanzibar, Tanzania: A preliminary needs analysis
Abstract
Background. A quality assurance (QA) process is acknowledged as important to ensure good higher education outcomes and graduate competence. Complaints about the quality of recent nursing graduates in the Department of General Nursing and Midwifery at the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), Tanzania, suggested that current QA concepts and processes may be inadequate and should be investigated prior to making recommendations for improvements.
Objectives. To explore the awareness of QA in higher education among nurse educators and students at SUZA, and the extent to which the Department of General Nursing and Midwifery currently monitors and evaluates teaching and learning.
Methods. Six nursing educators and 20 third-year nursing students were interviewed regarding their understanding of the concept of internal quality assurance (IQA) and procedures and their awareness of the internal processes that are currently in place in the department.
Results. All the nurse educators had heard of IQA, but only 2 (33%) had detailed knowledge of the processes involved. None of the students knew what IQA entails. Most of the educators identified the monitoring of test scores and pass rates as part of an evaluation process. They were also aware of course evaluations by students, but believed these to be untrustworthy. The students did not understand that course evaluations were part of IQA and did not recognise the potential value of these evaluations. There was an understanding by 35% of students of continuous assessment to monitor individual progress, and 20% identified occasional meetings with the head of department to provide feedback on the course.
Conclusions. A comprehensive programme of education around QA is suggested for educators and students of nursing at SUZA as a first step in the introduction of a well-planned and supported IQA process.
