AN ASSESSMENT OF UNIVERSITY MONITORING AND ITS IMPACT ON STUDENTS QUALITY OF EDUCATION (CASE STUDY OF NUC, ABUJA)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Of The Study

The importance of quality education at academic institutions cannot be overstated, as it has enormous implications for both human capital development and national growth. According to Fadipe (2000), education does not exist unless it is delivered in a high-quality manner. It is crucial to highlight that great education is both a right and a key ambition of society. As a result, most restrictions in terms of development and global competitiveness are being driven by educational system operations and output, which have been related to the quality of teaching and learning in schools and thus call for efficient quality monitoring methods in schools (Uzomeka, 2008). According to Onocha (2002), in a fast changing environment, the focus for education quality monitoring should be on the traits of graduates, where transformation of the learner is important. The goal of quality monitoring should be to improve and increase student learning. Although there are various perspectives on quality monitoring, it is important to remember that the term quality monitoring refers to a broad range of quality-related activities or assessments that occur either externally or internally to an organization (Peter, 2018).Quality monitoring is the mechanism via which accountability is handled at tertiary institutions. In this context, accountability is related to efficiency and effectiveness, with quality principles based on higher standards, zero faults, or fitness for purpose (Harvey & Knight, 1996). According to Odinko (2014), quality monitoring at universities includes defining objectives and milestones to measure progress and performance, as well as determining if stakeholders (lecturers) are providing the intended outputs. This exercise's impact may be seen in kids' academic development and achievement.

Though the Nigerian government has long recognized the importance of monitoring not only the financial management of schools but also the teaching quality provided to students, a report by UNESCO (2000) revealed that teaching and learning have declined as a result of ineffective and inefficient monitoring, evaluation, inspection, and supervision. As a result, students' examination performance is awful on a large scale, demonstrating blatant non-attainment of quality assurance in teaching and students' learning outcomes in schools (Mimiko, 2010). This monitoring deficiency led to the development of quality assurance/monitoring and evaluation organizations in several Nigerian states to enable efficient monitoring and evaluation of education, which is the key to attaining quality education delivery in all educational institutions. Monitoring and evaluation were highlighted as critical school management activities that must be implemented in order to ensure effective and efficient schools if student performance is to be improved. In light of this, the purpose of this research is to investigate the influence of educational monitoring in universities on the quality of education received by students.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

The Nigerian educational system has consistently seen a major fall in the quality of education it provides to pupils. Nigeria's educational standards and quality are nothing to write home about (Noun, 2009). In terms of basic education, the World Bank (2017) found that the quality of basic education in Nigeria is low, as judged by student learning outcomes. Children who have passed grade 3 are supposed to be completely literate, according to international norms. Despite this, only 66 percent of Nigerian public school students can read at least one of three words, and only 78 percent can add single digits after grade four.Similarly, Fasasi (2003) stated that the Nigerian university system has been performing poorly in terms of teaching and learning in terms of labor market absorption and employers' assessment of graduates, whereas Mohammed and Gbenu (2007) stated that the quality of education offered by higher education institutions has deteriorated significantly in recent times. This creates a sense of inefficiency and weakness in the monitoring and assessment of education in the country as a result of significant and manageable obstacles. 

This type of monitoring entails the systematic evaluation of school curriculum and co-curricular activities, notably teaching and learning, using the entire school evaluation method, which is the accepted global trend for quality education practice. According to Mimiko (2020), the requirement for efficient monitoring of educational activities at tertiary institutions is as important as education itself since the institutions' output impacts the labor market. Furthermore, quality education monitoring contributes to higher educational standards through mechanisms such as successful teaching, learning, research, tutor efficacy, assessment for intellectual progress, individual student self-reliance, and so on. In light of the foregoing, this study intends to conduct an evaluation of university monitoring and its influence on students' educational quality.

1.3 Objective Of The Study

The general aim of this study is to critically assess university monitoring and its impact on students' quality of education. Therefore, the study will specifically.

1.        Find out the extent to which quality education monitoring is carried out in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

2.        To determine if university monitoring promotes quality education in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

3.        Ascertain if there is any relationship between education monitoring and students' academic achievement in tertiary institutions.

4.        Identify the challenges impeding quality education monitoring in Nigerian universities.

1.4 Research Hypotheses

The validity of the following hypotheses will be tested in the course of this study:

H01: The extent to which quality education monitoring is carried out in tertiary institutions in Nigeria is low.

H02: University monitoring does not promote quality education in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

H03: There is no significant relationship between education monitoring and students' academic achievement in tertiary institutions.

1.5 Significance Of The Study

The extent to which poor education is delivered to youngsters with young talent has been a measure of parental and public concerns. Hence, this study will highlight the need for effective monitoring of lecturers’ tutoring performance in universities so as to ensure that students are adequately impacted academically and otherwise. Furthermore, this study will identify the challenging factors impeding effective monitoring of Nigerian universities and proffer applicable recommendations. In view of the aforementioned, this study will be most useful to the ministry of education and the National Universities Commission.

Additionally, subsequent researchers will use it as a literature review. This means that other students who may decide to conduct studies in this area will have the opportunity to use this study as available literature that can be subjected to critical review. Invariably, the result of the study contributes immensely to the body of academic knowledge with regards to the impact of university monitoring on students' quality of education in Nigeria.

1.6 Scope Of The Study

The study is focused on assessing university monitoring and its impact on students' quality of education. The study will further examine the extent to which quality education monitoring is carried out in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, determine if university monitoring promotes quality education in Nigerian tertiary institutions, ascertain if there is any relationship between education monitoring and student academic achievement in tertiary institutions, and identify the challenges impeding quality education monitoring in Nigerian universities. Thus, the respondents for this study will be obtained from the staff of the National Universities Commission, Abuja.

1.7 Limitation Of The Study

Like in every human endeavour, the researcher encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. Insufficient funds tend to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size. More so, the researcher simultaneously engaged in this study with other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.

1.8 Definition Of The Study

University: a high-level educational institution in which students study for degrees and academic research is done.

Education: the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university.

Quality Monitory: Quality Monitoring applications enable organisations to formally score, evaluate and report on agent calls as a means to quantify the success of their interactions with customers.

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