Exploring the Policy Landscape in Alignment to Outcome Based Education in Four East African Countries
Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54337/irspbl-11095Keywords:
Outcome-based education, Engineering education, East Africa, Cirriculum development, Higher education policyAbstract
Proposals to enhance the quality of engineering education in Africa strongly suggest a transition to Outcome- Based Education (OBE). OBE offers several advantages over traditional educational systems and also addresses challenges related to employability and international recognition of qualifications between countries. Transitioning to OBE requires a supportive policy framework and environment, as it demands a new approach to curriculum design and development, supported by multiple stakeholders. Therefore, understanding the policy landscape that enables OBE during the transition is crucial. This paper explores how the national policies, systems and context surrounding curriculum in Africa align or support the implementation of OBE. This exploratory study analyses national policies obtained from publicly available information and documents from four East African countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. The study explored institutions accountable for regulation of engineering education curriculum, the alignment between higher education bodies and professional societies regarding curriculum and accreditation processes, and existing higher education policies around curriculum design advocating OBE. This study highlights the similarities and differences in the policies and guidelines for curriculum development in these countries and helps in characterising the existing policy landscape and its alignment with OBE. The study provides a baseline for OBE implementation amongst the four countries, and can assist with understanding other countries with similar contexts.
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