The purpose of this study was to explore how higher education institutions (HEIs) can be structured and managed to ensure both the quality of education and inclusivity, in light of criticisms that HEIs often fail to accommodate all students and do not consistently produce graduates with the desired levels of quality and employability skills.
A qualitative research approach with a historical research design was used. Data was collected from 21 open-access empirical and literature review documents, including abstracts published in English between 2015 and 2024 and were analysed thematically.
The findings indicate that fostering a transformative and inclusive culture is fundamental for ensuring both inclusivity and the quality of education in HEIs. The findings also reveal that strengthening internal monitoring, evaluation and leadership mechanisms, alongside the provision of training for instructors in pedagogical practices, support inclusivity and the achievement of desired educational standards. It was again found that the provision of relevant curricula plays a critical role in equipping graduates with the employability skills required in the labour market. However, HEIs faced several challenges, including difficulties in maintaining consistent quality, limited capacity to produce graduates with market-relevant skills, constrained financial and human resources (HRs), inadequate infrastructure to support inclusive education (IE), digital divides and curricula that are not always aligned with industry or societal needs.
This study used a qualitative approach based on a review of existing literature. While this approach provided valuable insights into quality assurance (QA) and IE in HEIs, the inclusion of both qualitative and quantitative methods through a mixed-methods approach, incorporating the perspectives of instructors and students, could generate richer, more comprehensive and empirically grounded findings on the challenges and opportunities related to QA and inclusivity in HEIs. In addition, this study did not examine important student-related variables, such as completion rates, disability status, gender, urban–rural background and socio-economic characteristics, all of which may significantly influence access, participation and academic success in higher education. Future research should therefore explore these dimensions to provide a more holistic understanding of QA and inclusive practices in HEIs. Further, investigation is also needed to assess the extent to which government-supported scholarship and student loan schemes have effectively benefitted students with education needs (SENs) and contributed to equitable participation in higher education.
For HEIs to achieve accreditation and attract international students, there is a need to ensure that the quality of teaching and learning and the infrastructural system are improved. HEIs will also need more collaborations and partnerships in academic exchange programmes with other institutions to ensure that their degree programmes are competitive, comparable and meet international standards.
There is a need for the involvement of students, parents and the community in the development and implementation of IE and QA in HEIs. For these to take place, there is a need for the governments to invest in education and increase the proportional budget directed to HEIs.
This study provides a discussion on QA and inclusivity in HEIs and contributes to the existing body of knowledge on the strategies required to ensure both quality and inclusivity for all students. It is argued in this study that, to achieve these goals, HEIs need to develop comprehensive QA policies, standards and guidelines for IE and actively involve key educational stakeholders in the process. African Governments should strengthen scholarship programmes for both male and female students through loans boards (LBs) and provide essential assistive technologies for students with disabilities, including braille materials, computers, hearing aids and screen readers. For this to be a reality, it requires increased budgetary allocations to HEIs, particularly for investment in technology to support inclusive and high-quality education for all students. The provision of a continuous professional development (CPD) programme for university instructors remains equally imperative.
