Use of quality management systems to improve instructional management practices in tertiary educational institutions in Kenya

Abstract

Since inception of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Quality Management Systems (QMS), there has been a more prevailing effort by institutions of higher learning to document their procedures on the basis of ISO 9001:2008. This study assessed the status of ISO 9001:2008 QMS implementation among certified public Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in Kenya. It also sought to establish the relationship between implementation of Quality Management Systems (QMS) and improvement in instructional management practices. The study set out two (2) null hypotheses to guide it. Quantitative research design was adopted for this study. Similarly, ISO 9001:2008 quality management principles offered theoretical guidance. At a confidence interval of 95%, an online sample size calculator was used to arrive at two hundred and seventy four (274) respondents out of nine hundred and forty five target (945) population. Proportionate stratified random sampling technique and an online list randomizer were used to select respondents in the selected TVETs to participate in the study. Hierarchical cluster analysis, independent samples t-test (ANOVA), and regression analysis were used to test the hypotheses in this study based on empirical data obtained gathered using a survey questionnaire of forty nine (49) questions from eleven (11) ISO 9001:2008 certified public institutions. Based on the agglomeration coefficient change, Tukey post-hoc test, and coefficient of determination (R2), the two null hypotheses (H01 & H02) were rejected at p<0.05. Regression analysis showed that there is statistically significant relationship between implementation of ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems and improvement in instructional management practices among TVET institutions at p<0.05. The study recommends that all ISO certified TVET institutions should emphasis continued conformity to all the quality management standards in order to register improvements in pedagogy and instructional management practices.