Dedan Kimathi University of Technology
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EXPLORATION INTO THE QUALITY OF KENYAN UNIVERSITY GRADUATES AND THEIR WORK PREPAREDNESS DEDAN KIMATHI UNIVERSITY OF NANCY GACHERI RINTARI TECHNOLOGY Dissertation Submitted to the School of Business Management and Economics in Part Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Award of the Degree of Doctor Philosophy of Dedan Kimathi University of Technology May, 2015 DECLARATION This Thesis is my original work and has not been presented for award of any degree in any other university. DEDAN KIMATHI..................... UNIVERSITY...................... Da teOF..\~l/' ~ 2015 DEDAN KIMATHIDEUAN (IMATHI UNIVERSITY OF Nancy Gacheri Rintari IJNIVER.SlfV LliUlt Registration No: B311-018-2010 This Thesis has been submitted for examination with our approval as the candidate's university supervisorTECHNOLOGYs. TECHNOLOGY Director of School of Graduate Studies and Research Dedan Kimathi University of Technology Professor Muruku Waiguchu. Signatur ¥ Date.~.~d):5. ...20 15 Professor- School of Graduate Studi Research Dedan Kimathi University of Technology DEDICATION This study is dedicated to my mother Zipporah and my late father Justus for their initial investment in my education. To all Mwirichia’s family, whose trust, prayers, love and moral support was my guide. My husband Kibiti Rintari, children Evans, Esther, Pauline and Dan have been my greatest pillars in this academic journey. DEDAN KIMATHI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I thank my supervisors; Professor Mwita Marwa whose immense critique, contribution and academic support will always be remembered for ever. He made me focus on getting it right and his wise counsel made me see the ability to complete this study. Professor Muruku Waiguchu played a key role in guiding me on how to select and use reading materials.DEDAN Sincere gratitudeKIMATHI goes to UNIVERSITYProfessor Andrew Nyaboga OF for course work materials, Professor Kennedy Nyairo and Professor John Kagochi for their criticisms and suggestions in marketing specializations and statistics respectively which made this study a reality. I am indebted to Professor Ng’ang’a Muchiri, Dr Stephen Betts, and Dr Wakiuru Wamwara for their invaluable assistance and guidance in the initial stages of TECHNOLOGY this study. They all gave me many constructive and useful comments that contributed in many ways that aided me in completing this research. Special thanks to Salome Gituma, Clement Nkaabu, Alex Mwaniki, and all my PhD colleagues for the group discussions. I give a special remembrance note to my father Justus Mwirchia for he will always be cherished for instilling discipline in me as I grew up. He died after a short illness on 18th March 2012 as I was doing this study and May God rest him in peace. Many thanks to Professor Alfred Mutema for his devoted attention on my academic progress and constant encouragement throughout the study period and Special gratitude to my research assistant Maxwell Waswa and Evans Kinoti who ensured that accurate data was collected. To my family am extraordinarily fortunate for their unconditional support which showed genuine care. I give my heartfelt appreciation to my husband Kibiti Rintari, children Kinoti, Kinya, Nkirote and Dan. They encouraged me to soldier on in times of despair. iii For all these people mentioned in this acknowledgement, Bishop Rev Joseph Ntombura, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology and Kenya Methodist University have all made me grow academically. Finally, am indebted to the Company Of the Year Award (2013) participants and the universities who allowed me to collect data from their managers/supervisors and graduate employees to make this research a reality. DEDAN KIMATHI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY iv TABLE OF CONTENT DECLARATION AND APPROVAL…………………………………........................i DEDICATION….............................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT… ……………………………………………………… iii ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS……………………………..........................iv LIST OF FIGURES ………………………………………....………………...……...xiii LISTDEDAN OF TABLES KIMATHI ……………………………………….. UNIVERSITY…………… OF ……...........xv ABSTRACT……………………………………………..……………………….........xvi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1: Background of the study……………………………..……..………….................1 1.2: Problem statement……..……TECHNOLOGY…………………………………...…….…………….11 1.3: Purpose of the study....................................................................................................12 1.4: Objectives of the study ..............................................................................................13 1.5: Hypothesis..................................................................................................................14 1.6 Significance of the study ……………………………………….….…….….............15 1.7. Limitations and delimitation of the study…...………………..…………...………...19 1.8 Assumptions of the study…………………………………..........………...................19 1.9 Definition of significant terms ...........................................................….…................20 1.10: Chapter summaries...................................................................................................21 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 :Introduction ……………………………………….………………………..…. …...22 2.1: Global issues in Higher Education ……………………...……..…..….….…. ……22 2.2 :Dimensions of quality in Higher Education….……………………………...……...25 2.3: Competence of university teaching staff… …………………………..…............ 26 v 2.4: Higher Education in Kenya…………………….…………………….…….…... … 27 2.5: Curriculum in Higher education………….…………………………………............36 2.6: Quality of university physical resources………………..………….………………..38 2.7: University initiatives to improve graduated work preparedness …… ….………..45 2.8: Quality of university graduates…….……...……….………….…………….............46 2.9:DEDAN Global ranking ofKIMATHI universities………. UNIVERSITY…………………….................. OF.... ....……......47 2.10: Models of quality…………………………………………………………………..52 2.11: Total Quality Management Philosophy………......……….…………...…..............60 2.12: Magic bullet of employability……………………………...………..…..................61 2.13: Empirical review………………………………………………..……..…….…..…62 2.14: Theoretical andTECHNOLOGY conceptual framework………… …………….……………......66 2.15: Research Gaps …………………...………………................................................ 79 2.16: Model of the study……...…………………………….………….………...............79 2.17: Chapter summary……………………………….…….….………….…..…............73 CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 3.0 Introduction …………………………………………..…………………..……….....82 3.1 Research Design……………………………………………..…………..…….…......82 3.2 Target Population ……………………………………………………..……....…......85 3.3 Sampling Procedure…………………………………….……………………...….....87 3.4 Data collection instruments and procedure.....................…..…………….…...……...88 3.5 Validity and Reliability of study instruments……………………………...........… ..89 3.6 Study Population and sample selection……………………..…….…..………......... .90 3.7 Sample size justification………………… ……………...………………..………..90 vi 3.8 Pilot Study……………………………..…………………………………………….93 3.9 Data collection and management……………….……….………….……..……..…..94 3.10 Data Analysis and presentation…………………………….…..…..…….….…..… 94 3.11 Ethical Consideration …………………………………………………...........….....96 3.12 Chapter summary……………………………………...………………..…...…..….97 CHAPTERDEDAN FOUR :KIMATHI RESULTS FINDINGS UNIVERSITY AND DISCUSSIONS OF 4.0 Introduction………………………………………………………………………… 98 4.1 Response Rate………………………………………………...…………….…..…....98 4.2 Data management…………………………….….………………………….…….… 99 4.3 Competence of academic staff ……………………..……………………….…... .101 4.4 Competence ofTECHNOLOGY academic staff by university ……………………………………. 107 4.5 Service delivery by academic staff ……………………………………………….. 111 4.6 Comparing service delivery by university………………………………………….116 4.7 Analyzing the Curriculum ……………………….…………………………………122 4.8 Relevance of Curriculum to future job…………………………………………......127 4.9 Physical resources………………………………………….……...……………......132 4.10 Institutional reliability by university………………………………………..….....139 4.11 Quality of university graduates……………………………………………….…. 143 4.12 Present job competence of graduates……………………………….……………. 153 4.13 Job confidence of graduates…………………………………………..…............. 162 4.14 Job involvement of graduates …… ………………………………...…………....168 4.15 Graduates employability skills…………………………………………………. 173 4.16 Opinion of employer on job preparedness of graduates……….……………....... 176 4.17 Type of university producing graduates………………..…………………..……. 178 vii 4.18 Work Preparedness of graduates………………………………………………… 179 4.19 Distribution of universities studied……………………………………………….180 4.20 Learning environment and quality by university………………………………... 183 4.21 Ranking of the universities…………………………………………………….... 187 4.22 Quality of university by type………………………………………………….… 189 4.23DEDAN Employability skillsKIMATHI by sector…………………………………… UNIVERSITY OF………… …… 196 4.24 Reliability and validity analysis of factor …………………………………….…..199 4.25 Principle Component Analysis ………………………………………………… 202 4.26 Modeling using Structured Model Equation …………………………………..…209 4.27 Summary of results ……………………………………….…………………..…..219 4.28 Chapter summaryTECHNOLOGY………………………………………………………………....219 CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.0 Introduction……………………………………………………………………..… 220 5.1 Summary …………………………………………………………………..….…....220 5.2 Literature...…………………………………………..……………………………. 221 5.3 Methodology………………………………..…………………………………….