Challenges and Solutions to Higher Education Institutions in Africa

Abstract

<p>The purpose of this study was to explore ways that higher education institutes (HEI’s) that<br />offered agriculture education and training (AET) in their curriculum could change the behavior<br />to improve the quality of education offered to students. Faculty at a regional conference in<br />Africa participated in a daylong focus group workshop aimed at addressing these needs and<br />offering solutions that could be implemented immediately. Using the theory of planned<br />behavior as a guide, participants discussed the challenges and solutions they saw at their<br />institutions and the amount of time it would take to implement changes. A qualitative analysis<br />was conducted using a codebook to analyze various pieces of data that included video clips and<br />artifacts created by the participants at the workshop. Results from the analysis were split in<br />two main themes, challenges or solutions. The main challenges included access to higher<br />education and lack of preparation at the primary and secondary level of school. The main<br />solutions proposed were to restructure the leadership and offer more training to faculty<br />through mentoring programs. These results can guide higher education initiatives for<br />agriculture education and training as well as other discipline areas in higher education.</p>