A decade of quality assurance in higher education (QAiHE) within sub-Saharan Africa: a literature review based on a systematic search approach

In this study, we examined articles related to academic quality assurance research in the sub-Saharan African (SSA) higher education context to identify internal and external mechanisms put in place to improve the quality of education. To achieve the objective, the study reviewed published studies to bring to light the standard quality benchmark indicators describing how quality assurance has been promoted in SSA starting from 2012 to 2022. Based on this premise, 143 articles were included in the review in accordance with the set criteria for inclusion. The study found that most of the SSA higher educational institutions give extra attention to the building of human resource capacity and neglected other important practices such as internationalization and the building of industrial collaborations, though these were major ingredients for promoting quality assurance. It also came to fore that, amidst the efforts to achieve quality standards in teaching and learning, insufficient funding, lack of efficient academic staff, poor implementation of educational policies, and unstructured program for training and re-training of staff were the major hinderances to the promotion of quality assurance in higher institutions in the sub-Saharan African region. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for policy, practice, and future research in higher education delivery in the sub-region.